To you maybe, to the guy camping 10 yards away it's nothing but a brilliant white light, harsh nightime shadows, reduced night vision and an annoying hiss that covers up the sounds of the night.
gas lanterns vs. battery LED lanterns?
- Thread starter concretejungle
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To you maybe, to the guy camping 10 yards away it's nothing but a brilliant white light, harsh nightime shadows, reduced night vision and an annoying hiss that covers up the sounds of the night.
hmm who camps 30 feet away from somebody else?
I thought not having to use your night vision was the point of using a light?
I guess for me there is sentimental value, that may not be appreciated...
I like the bright light, and more people walking by stop to ask what kind of lantern it is, than complain about how bright it is....
I'll agree on the sentimentality of the lanterns. Old white gas Coleman stoves & lanterns do take me back to my days camping with my parents as a kid. But as I've gotten older I appreciate the outdoors at night more than I did then. The security of a brilliant white light isn’t needed anymore and contrary to what you might think, you can actually see more of the area around with a dimmer oil lamp than with the brighter gas lanterns. The higher light output dims your night vision reducing it to the circle of light from the lantern. It also casts really harsh shadows that will be black as night and cover up a lot of the area right under your nose (if your camping in the forest more than in the open).
The oil lamps strike a nice balance between lighting your immediate surroundings but not casting so much light that you can’t see beyond your area or into the shadows it casts. Might have something to do with the yellow light as well as the lower intensity.
10 yards, 20 yards, whatever… that hiss and glare can travel pretty far in the dark and I’ve grown to dislike them immensely.
I’m not bashing those old lanterns, I was just as skeptical as some of you guys before I started actually using the hurricane lanterns. Give it a try sometime, bring both along and after you’ve cooked and cleaned up and are just hanging out, turn off the Coleman and light up the oil lantern. Give your eyes a few minutes to adjust and see if it isn’t a more pleasant outdoor experience. If not, no big deal right? They only cost like $15.
You can probably make your own lantern case from some large scrap PVC piping. Glue on some end caps and throw a little foam for cushion. Even use some large plastic corrogated drain pipes.
I like the idea of using an oil lamp with a gentle light output, but how do you store and transport it? Do you have to drain the oil after each use for transport to the next campsite?
Are there oils available that also serve as bug repellents?
broc
It's no more fragile than a gas lantern, actually it's less fragile with no mantles to break. I stand mine inside my dutch oven which is placed on its lid in an old milk crate. I stuff some odds and ends in the corners (bottle of lamp oil, camp coffee press) and stuff a few soft items around the whole bunch, like my camp towel and a spare ground cloth or pillow. You could easily make a little wood box or even a ABS pipe holder for better protection, but in 8 years of camping with this lantern I've never had a break (knock on wood). These are Hurricane lanterns and are designed, much like our trucks, to work simply and consistently under adverse conditions with little to go wrong. Only the wick and globe should ever need to be replaced, no o-rings to dry out or endless mantles breaking from too rough a drop on the picnic table. The wicks last forever and most camp stores sell repalcment globes.
You do not have to drain the oil. It can sometimes seep a little around the filler cap when it gets hot, but I've never had any actually drip out, it just gets a litte residue around the cap. It will slowly evaporate from the wick when unused so that after a long storage there may be less fuel than you remember in the reservoir. Even so, it burns so little fuel that you'll never notice it. You can't lay them on thier side or upside down of course or oil will drip out of the wick opening.
You can get citronella lamp oil, but I've never used it so I can't comment on how well it works.
If you look very closely you can see the blue milk crate with my blue Dietz hurricane lantern sitting in it at the back of my truck. Thats about all the care I need to give it to get it where I'm going.
If you look very closely you can see the blue milk crate with my blue Dietz hurricane lantern sitting in it at the back of my truck. Thats about all the care I need to give it to get it where I'm going.
What size is your Auto Home tent?
I'm late to the lantern party but I like the Coast LED lantern:
http://www.coastcutlery.com/displayProduct.php?prodid=926&prodnums=¿926¿&mastCat=5
The output is adjustable and the battery life is awesome. The other thing I noticed is the bugs don't hardly notice this light.
http://www.coastcutlery.com/displayProduct.php?prodid=926&prodnums=¿926¿&mastCat=5
The output is adjustable and the battery life is awesome. The other thing I noticed is the bugs don't hardly notice this light.
It's the medium Maggiolina Airland. It's just under a queen sized matress I think.
They have some nice gear on this site!
I love their gear. I own several of their LED flashlights, the lantern, and the camping cutlery kit...
Good points. Thanks. I am convinced. I ordered a one and will build a wood or PVC case to hold it. I am looking forward to putting it to use.
broc
broc
I know this thread is about "outdoor" camping etc., but wanted to add this, (thought the info belongs in the thred).
If you are in a Cabin, you might want to concider the Alladin lamps. Awesomely bright, low fuel consumption, silent. I found them to be a bit pricey, but the payoff in quality and output.
If you are in a Cabin, you might want to concider the Alladin lamps. Awesomely bright, low fuel consumption, silent. I found them to be a bit pricey, but the payoff in quality and output.
When you say "Alladin lamps" are you talking bout a specific brand or the oil lamps in general?
Alladin brand...Google it, they are the best and have been for 100 years.
I've had nothing but issues with my 2 year old fluoro lantern from Costco. One outing it will work fine and the next (read this past weekend) it was total crap...and yes there are 4 fresh dcell batteries in it. It's what I like to use for the tent. I don't take a propane powered lantern into the tent. Too much danger from the flame.
I like the bright light and the soft hiss of a liquid fuel lantern. I have several COlemans - gas and dual fuel, but this is he bomb... Petromax multi-fuel lantern - burns kerosene, white gas, leaded gas, or deisel fuel. Solid brass, nickel plated.
High on my list of outstanding outdoor products.
High on my list of outstanding outdoor products.
I have heard that if you switch between different types of fuels, (as opposed to sticking with one from the start), that you can have issues with mantles and/or wicks getting fouled up and not burning cleanly.
