Black Diamond Moji Charging Station

Field Notes: This category entry from Black Diamond takes traditional camp lighting companies and products to task in the truest sense of the word. When Active Junky first heard the “charging station” description, our imaginations raced to “marginal charging with a lame light” based upon past industry experience. In addition, the Moji name conjured images of poor durability and weather resistance. Be gone, preconceived notions, as the Moji Charging Station is a legitimate contender for any outdoor lover’s illumination dollars. 

The baseline charging system here is surprisingly competent and testers found the charge-in time to be well below the 8hrs estimated by Black Diamond (perhaps we have overabundant current in the Denver area). With 5200 mAh hours to “donate” to other devices once fully charged, Moji easily tops off devices using the integrated USB ports inside the smartly-engineered access door on the back of the unit. Built on a stable base, the Minions-like design resists skidding on table or bench thanks to the coated surface and four molded-in base nubbins. The ribbed grip ring allows confident handling of the IPX4, splash proof-rated light. 

On the front, four LEDs left of the control switch and four to the right deliver battery life status both for replaceable AA batteries and the integral lithium-ion cell. Battery insertion is accomplished with the single-turn base cap that threads smoothly and closes securely. Indeed, the dual-power capability of Moji accounts for every conceivable use scenario. And allows responsible use of resources with a 430g light destined for long-term use. All controls are managed by the single horizontal press switch, with the ability to dim and brighten simply by pressing and holding. Three quick presses, no matter whether the camp lantern is off or on, trigger the high-cadence strobe function. 

With an illumination range flowing between 10 and 250 lumens, Black Diamond Moji provides some of the most useful camp lighting in the category. That’s because the top, domed diffuser eliminates obstacles to beam projection, with most effective lighting delivered out and up (when on a tabletop). Turned upside down and hung from Black Diamond’s signature split rings, heavy duty ones at that, this camping lantern is a civilized version of a barnyard sodium vapor lamp. As such, an effective radius of 30’ is plenty for most group camping settings with up to 50 hours’ runtime (when the battery isn’t tasked with recharging other devices).

Tester Comments: “Moji’s more like a soul-fueling lantern than an LED marvel. I’m using it at home as a reading lamp I can move around the house. On camping outings, this is the light everyone wants to borrow and use in their tent once we split up for the night. Even better than a flashlight, I’m thinking about getting a second Moji for my car as there’s never enough light to dig through my gear in the back of my RAV 4.“

Key Attribute: Dependability