A light that is portable and flexible, that you can fold and stash and carry with? You bet. Studio BANANA THiNGS is in the production phase on their “Kangaroo Light” following a successful Kickstarter campaign. Besides its pliability (awesome!), this flat, hexagonal, silicone-encased collection of 24 LEDs features rechargeability (USB), various illumination modes, and even programmability through Arduino, an open-source electronics platform.

While the video on the light’s Kickstarter page emphasizes its use for helping you easily locate things in your handbag, shoulder bag, backpack, or any other bag, with the rationale that hey, we all carry a ton of s@#$ around and it’s dark in those bags, they also rightly point out that the “Kangaroo Light” can come in handy in any other given situation where you might need lighting. On their list of possible uses are as a reading light, nightlight, or camping light.

Vendor product photo.

The minute we saw this light pad we thought of camping ourselves (picture it sitting on the floor of your tent, for instance), even before reading through their suggestions on how to use the product. But let’s take it a step further – we really see the potential for backpacking use where portability and packability are key given its low profile in addition to everything else. The “Kangaroo Light” only offers about 2.5 hours of nonstop light per charge, though, so on those longer trips you’d either have to use it sparingly or have a way to recharge it.

Did we mention that it can also double as a few other objects, including a place mat? Now that would make for a romantic dinner for two.