Fuel Lantern/Coleman gas lantern

[comis]

Hi, guys.

Anyone grow up using a coleman gas lantern for camping?  I remembered using something similar long ago, when I was in boyscout, and it always bring back good memories when I see one.

I know the modern version has probably improved, but do any of us still use this?  I plan to get one soon, just for old time sake, any suggestion or memories to share? 

[ducttapetech]

I have an old one. I don't use it for camping. Just use it around the farm when the power goes out. Love that thing.

[comis]

I have an old one. I don't use it for camping. Just use it around the farm when the power goes out. Love that thing.

Those lantern could just put out so much lumens, and definitely is a great lighting tool to have, especially in cold weather.  I recently just watch some youtube vids about how best to operate one, and apparently it maybe a good practice to turn on the gas slowly until the fuel 'spit'(so the fuel has filled up the generator), and then lit it under the mantle.  I didn't remember I was that specific when I was in boy scout, but definitely gonna try this technique when I get one next time:

[Aloha]

That guy is amazing.  Those lanterns are neat but I don't see myself getting one.   

[Grant Lamontagne]

I would love one but I'm not sure how much use it would really get.  For $30 at Costco I got an LED one that is much safer, lasts a bloody long time and is extremely bright.

I appreciate the classics though.  My father likely still has the ones he had when I was a kid.

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[comis]

I would love one but I'm not sure how much use it would really get.  For $30 at Costco I got an LED one that is much safer, lasts a bloody long time and is extremely bright.

I appreciate the classics though.  My father likely still has the ones he had when I was a kid.

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

You hit it right on the nail, it is surely not the safest lantern out there, but what's life without a sense of nostalgic adventure?   

What's fascinating to me is that it's been around for so many years, and with its lumens output close to 1000 for 7 hours, operating at a somewhat decent cost, it is still a strong candidate for good lantern today.

[MadPlumbarian]

All I ever had were the Coleman white gas ones, now the only thing I got are candles, but the one I did see was the dietz cooking 2000 lantern, you can use it to warm your food up.. JR

[dks]

These (the style/system, no the brand) are still used here for one specific purpose; snail collecting 

The intense light they produce and the colour of it, seems to reflect very well on the shells of snails and as snails are usually picked up at night, after a rainstorm they are still popular.

For many years the intensity and portability of the gas lantern was unbeatable and their use has continued for picking snailseven though you can now find other bright and portable lights (the gas lantern still gets the best reflected light on the shells).

[comis]

All I ever had were the Coleman white gas ones, now the only thing I got are candles, but the one I did see was the dietz cooking 2000 lantern, you can use it to warm your food up.. JR

Yes, I researched on that a little too, but those are now made in China, and I see them selling pretty cheap in Chinese bidding sites.  I sincerely hope the quality didn't decline, like the Marble and the old companies alike.   I will start looking them up once I get the coleman. 

These (the style/system, no the brand) are still used here for one specific purpose; snail collecting 

The intense light they produce and the colour of it, seems to reflect very well on the shells of snails and as snails are usually picked up at night, after a rainstorm they are still popular.

For many years the intensity and portability of the gas lantern was unbeatable and their use has continued for picking snailseven though you can now find other bright and portable lights (the gas lantern still gets the best reflected light on the shells).

Thank you for sharing!  I have absolutely no idea these are that popular with snail pickers, definitely learn something new today. 

[Cupboard]

We had a couple at the UK Meet (pictures from Kirky)





They were both Coleman double mantle lanterns running on unleaded petrol. They're known over here as "Tilley" lamps, after the best known manufacturer and most run on paraffin rather than petrol.

Mine didn't work so well to start with because I filled it with too much fuel 

Compared to Al's gas lanterns, they were brighter and cost a lot less to run, but as he pointed out at the time they're a lot more dangerous with the pressurised petrol and they're not so easy to use. Al had a requirement for lanterns that weren't too dangerous when tiddly, and I think his fitted the bill better for that.

I was actually given this one, along with a paraffin one, for a trip, but in order to keep spares commonality we took two paraffin ones. On rough roads they're pretty pants because the mantles disintegrate.