UCO Micro Candle Lantern

Spork, Lord of Lime Jello! · **on:** March 05, 2011, 02:02:51 AM

This is the new Micro Lantern from UCO. I've only found one vendor on ebay selling them so far...the main UCO site doesn't even show them yet

The plastic base holds a spare tea candle.

jzmtl · **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2011, 03:59:38 AM

Interesting, does the smaller window block any additional light? I have the regular tea light lantern and it's already pretty dim (not that I expect much from a single tea light anyway).

Spork, Lord of Lime Jello! · **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2011, 04:19:12 AM

Yeah, it seems like it might because the Micro glass area is only half as high as the Mini lantern. There might be a bit more "shadowed" area with the Micro, but I would consider the light output adequate for a tea candle powered lantern.

Gareth · **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2011, 09:03:17 AM

Very neat looking little thing that.

jzmtl · **Reply #4 on:** September 13, 2011, 10:55:25 AM

For any canuks who want one, these are now stocked at your local MEC,

scrappy · **Reply #5 on:** September 13, 2011, 05:21:04 PM

Very cool

tattoosteve99 · **Reply #6 on:** September 13, 2011, 09:32:54 PM

A couple questions for you.
1. Does it put off enough heat to boil water?
2. Is there any other use besides light? Heat,cooking, etc?
3. What is the total weight?

I ask this for a particular reason. I like to carry multi-function items. It looks like a good size and might be worth a pack up in the edc bag.

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #7 on:** September 13, 2011, 09:51:59 PM

Quote from: tattoosteve99 on September 13, 2011, 09:32:54 PM

A couple questions for you.
1. Does it put off enough heat to boil water?
2. Is there any other use besides light? Heat,cooking, etc?
3. What is the total weight?

I ask this for a particular reason. I like to carry multi-function items. It looks like a good size and might be worth a pack up in the edc bag.

You'll not cook much more than a quails egg on a tea-light mate

but if you used citronella candles there's a multi-purpose there

jzmtl · **Reply #8 on:** September 14, 2011, 06:35:58 AM

Well I bought one.

As said it's powered by a tea light, it'll keep your coffee warm and keep you from step into holes but not much more.

It's pretty neat, smallest lantern I've ever seen. I like the chain and hook bail instead of the loop only. The lower chimney height however means it's not as wind resistant as its bigger brother. You can fit two candles inside as Spork said, but the the other one will hold 5 so its larger size is not entirely wasted (obviously you need to put the extra elsewhere in use). Overall I don't regret the $11 price, though I don't know how much I'll actually use it over other much more efficient LED type.

Interesting trivia, wax candle has higher energy density than any battery in the world today, but only 3% of that goes toward producing light.

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2011, 06:25:17 PM

I had one of the regular sized ones, about 20 years ago, when I was first getting into hiking, backpacking, and camping. Worked fine for my modest needs at the time, I only had to fend for myself. Used probably half a dozen times before I burned the end of one of my fingers on it, by accidentally touching that metal plate over the top of the candle. Ended up dropping the damn thing, spilling wax all over my sleeping bag, and nearly set my tent on fire... Even though I realized it was user error, I promptly dropped the thing in the trash can as soon as I got back from that trip.

Now I use flashlights, headlamps, and LED lanterns instead.

It's a neat little device, but as far as I'm concerned, from a long bygone era.

Stirling3749 · **Reply #10 on:** September 25, 2011, 12:10:29 PM

I'll probably get one. ... Can't decide which color though.

Hey Spork, does the spare candle melt at all under there?

Mercury · **Reply #11 on:** September 25, 2011, 07:13:12 PM

Pretty neat little gadget. I need to pick up a lantern for BOB use. Along with many other things...

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **Reply #12 on:** September 25, 2011, 09:44:16 PM

Quote from: Stirling3749 on September 25, 2011, 12:10:29 PM

I'll probably get one. ... Can't decide which color though.

Hey Spork, does the spare candle melt at all under there?

Stirling, I know your question wasn't directed at me, but my experience was that the candle does indeed melt in there... if you leave it absolutely still it will not spill out, but that's a pretty big IF. Under ideal conditions, a candle that's made of high quality paraffin will burn all its fuel and not leave much residue, but in order for that burning to take place, the wax has to melt to be combustable. The design of those little candle lanterns is such that they have a rounded, sort of bullet shaped holder in them with a spring under a bottom plate that pushes the candle up in the housing at it burns. The top will fill up with melted wax for burning, and as the candle is consumed, the spring pushes it up in the housing. My experience was that every time I'd use it, some of that molten wax would seep down into the sides of the housing, and once it cooled would prevent the candle from moving up again. I always had to disassemble it, clean it up, and reassemble it every time I used it as a result. They may have changed the design though, because I had mine a good 20 years ago.

Spork, Lord of Lime Jello! · **Reply #13 on:** September 25, 2011, 11:43:01 PM

Quote from: Stirling3749 on September 25, 2011, 12:10:29 PM

I'll probably get one. ... Can't decide which color though.

Hey Spork, does the spare candle melt at all under there?

I've not noticed it. The whole base is plastic and it insulates the spare candle from the metal casing.

Stirling3749 · **Reply #14 on:** September 26, 2011, 02:38:02 AM

Thanks. I kinda figured it wouldn't be an issue but I had to ask anyway.

Viix · **Reply #15 on:** September 26, 2011, 06:09:00 AM

Had used mine for quite sometime already, no problems with the spare candle melting or softening since the lighted candle is suspended.. output wise, it's not really that noticeable compared with the mini lantern in real use.. I tend to prefer using them with the Lampshade Top Reflector to get more area light out of them though~

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