Lanterns - Thoughts On Least Worst Options

[Hedgehog]

It is time to replace some of the lanterns our Toop uses and we were debating several options:

 

OPTION 1 - Coleman Propane Lanterns

 

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Northstar®-PerfectFlow-Instastart-Propane/dp/B00HUG7OZQ

 

OPTION 2 - Coleman Battery Operated Lanterns

 

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Twin-High-Performance-Lantern/dp/B001O3F5Y8

 

OPTION 3 - Coleman Duel Fuel Lanterns

 

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Premium-FuelTM-Lantern-Carry/dp/B017VL1VIU

 

The problem with the regular propane lanterns is that we end up with 6 propane cylinders that we throw out after each campout between the lanterns and the cooking stoves.  The problem with the battery operated lanterns is that they take 8 D batteries for 10 hours on high -- so that is 24 D batteries in the landfill for each campout.  Also,, they are around 70% of the brightness of the propane and other latnerns.  The problem with the duel fuel lanterns is that the boys can't light them under G2SS without adult supervision and liquid fuels are banned at some campsites.

 

It isn't practical for us to carry 20 gallon propane tanks on campouts -- we don't have a trailer and don't have enough room in cars for the extra gear.  I saw these 4.5 gallon tanks which might work for cooking and the lanterns, but they are a little pricey: 

 

http://www.lowes.com/pd_313493-743-281149_1z0wejl__?productId=3089591&pl=1

 

Maybe in the long run, the price is worth it in the long run due to the savings over the smaller tanks and the impact on the environment.  The other thought was to refill the smaller tanks.  Does anyone know if you can still do that?  I saw some adapters claiming you can do that on Amazon, but was a little concerned.

 

Thoughts?  What do you use?

 

[CNYScouter]

Here's a link to an article that compares White Gas to Propane to Batteries

 

http://www.campinglife.com/camping-gear/camping-lantern-shootout/

[Krampus]

@@Hedgehog we replaced ours with something more heavy duty. Saved us from buying globes all the time.
 

[Stosh]

I've got nothing but the duel fuel items. 

 

I have a cheap old white gas Colman stove so I can use white gas for my cooking stove.  That allows me to use same fuel for my lanterns  Then I have a cheap adapter to turn my white gas Colman stove into propane as well as a backup.  That of course can hook up to both small canister as well as #20 tanks.  My backpacking stove is duel fuel but it's between regular gasoline and white gas.

 

I also have backup electric lighting as well. 

 

I do find that batteries and propane canisters quite a waste as you have mentioned, but my little white gas bottles I can reuse all the time and a gallon of white gas goes a long way.

 

My main source of energy for camping has always been white gas.  Propane and batteries are the backup.  Being conservation minded, my white gas bottles are refill able by me and the white gas gallon container from the store can be recycled.

 

On outings I carry a small pen light flashlight. and cook most of my meals on charcoal, wood or white gas. I do carry a couple of canisters of propane when I want to cook something quickly and don't want to play with the white gas. 

 

If the white gas runs out in the middle of cooking dinner.  I just pull the tank and hot generator out and instead of trying to fill that and repump the pressure, I just toss on the propane tank and play with the white gas tank after it's cooled down.

 

My duel fuel lanterns do burn the cheaper unleaded gasoline, but one also has to put up with the smell of a gas station, too. 

 

I am always looking for the cheap, reusable/recyclable options when making my choices.

 

And my lantern of choice that I use alot is a candle lantern.  Not much light but plenty for what I need.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Stosh

[RememberSchiff]

LED lanterns and headlamps.  You do not need to light up your campsite like Fenway Park, just your work area. Safer can carry in backpack and use in a tent. No asbestos mantles, no glass globes to break, no temp issues, no petrol, no fire/fume concerns, no propane tank issues.

 

We intend to switch to rechargeable batteries when the original batteries die. This is their third winter and they are still bright,

 

Streamlight Siege lanterns (come in different sizes). Multiple light modes including RED led (good night light). Brightest setting is 340 lumens is plenty. Each patrol has one 3D battery lantern and each scout has his own head lamp. 

 

 

Rayovac (honorable mention)

 

Edited December 18, 2015 by RememberSchiff

[Eagledad]

Try a couple of camp outs without lanterns and see how it goes. Call it survival nights or minimal packing or something. Just a trial, but change your routine to see what happens. We observed that boys tend to lean torward 'less' stuff. Try and just see.

 

To your question, we like propane equipment because it is the most durable with scouts.

 

Barry

[blw2]

Try a couple of camp outs without lanterns and see how it goes. Call it survival nights or minimal packing or something. Just a trial, but change your routine to see what happens. We observed that boys tend to lean torward 'less' stuff. Try and just see.

 

To your question, we like propane equipment because it is the most durable with scouts.

 

Barry

My thoughts exactly!

 

I have really grown to "hate" lanterns.  The 360 degree blinding light is rarely ever needed, and I have grown to think of anyone carrying a lantern as an ameteur camper because It seems that the folks that carry them around at the cub and scout camps aren't the veteran campers for the most part, so that's where I'm coming from. (I know you folks aren't amateurs, I'm just trying to describe how I feel about them).  It seems that every time, just when i'm finally getting my eyes adapted to the night someone will walk by with one and destroy my vision for the next 45 minutes!

 

Now I might understand the desire to have good broad-area lighting for the camp kitchen, but I propose there are better options that do not annoy neighbors and destroy the night vision of everyone within the line of sight!

 

If you simply must have a lantern, I have seen several solar powered LED versions out there, that seem like they might be a great solution.... I have no first hand experience with any.

 

But I suggest a better option is to encourage the development of night vision, and small personal flashlights or headlights for emergencies or personal tasks when absolutely necessary.

For tasks such as camp kitchen area, where you might make a sound argument for general area lighting, I think small and directional is the ticket.

 

I picked up one of these a while back from one of those by the cash register displays at a hardware store or a batteries plus, or somewhere similar.  I like it a lot.

https://www.nebotools.com/prod_details.php?id=165&cid=16

It has a clip and a magnet and throws out a good amount of light.  I thought mine used AA batteries that can be had very cheap from dollar stores, but it may very well be AAA as described for this one....I have forgotten if its one or two cells and if it's AA or AAA since the batteries last so long....

and another great thing about these is you could buy a case of them for the price of one lantern and have tons of redundancy!

 

Or perhaps this one

http://www.amazon.com/Cliplight-111112-Clipstrip-Flashlight-Emergency/dp/B00HAQBEH0/ref=pd_sim_263_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=418hM6FDi9L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0CW1METM5DW24177N1E2

 

or something like this might work

http://www.amazon.com/Cliplight-24-458-Pivot-Powerful-Flashlight/dp/B00HX526CU/ref=sr_1_74?ie=UTF8&qid=1450450804&sr=8-74&keywords=led+flashlight

 

Or a rechargeable task light along the lines of this might be ok

http://www.amazon.com/d-light-S300-Charger-Rechargeable-Lantern/dp/B00BJE7K18/ref=sr_1_19?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1450450453&sr=1-19&keywords=led+task+light

Edited December 18, 2015 by blw2

[Stosh]

@@blw2

 

I spent one whole week at summer camp as a CampMaster and never carried any light after dark.  But like you said, one dork shining his search beacon in your eyes blinds you for a long time afterwards.  Light pollution is just as big an issue as any other pollution.  Over the years, however, as my night vision declines with age, I do carry a small pocket pen flashlight as a back up. 

[eagle90]

There is an adapter made to fill the small tanks from a 20# tank.  We have been doing this for a few years now.   You chill the small tanks in your freezer for 1/2 hour, then attach them to the big tank, invert it, open the valve, and the small tank is gravity fed till it is full.  You can fill 15-20 small tanks from the big one. 

 

Dale

[Eagle69]

Cableas used to have a piece of hardware  you could attach to a 20 gal propane tank and use to refill the small disposable ones.

 

I can't find it on their website but Amazon has one:

http://www.amazon.com/Onlyfire-Universal-Regulator-Accessory-Cylinders/dp/B00X7OHXOC/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1450455241&sr=8-16&keywords=propane+tank#Ask

[Eagledad]

Our troop gradually changed away from using lanterns when we went to a back packing troop. We weren't trying to make point, save fuel or anything, lanterns was just one less thing to carry. And the experience showed us that we don't need light very often except for sometimes for detail task like preparing food or something. Anyway I think the first time we realized how much Difference it made was during camporee where all the other troops had enough light for To light up a football field. Of course we also stuck out because our camp didn't have big ol patrol boxes or elaborate kitchen set ups. Kind of funny, some troops thought we were a poor troop that couldn't afford equipment. Others didn't realize we were one of the bigger troops there because our camp site doesn't stand out so much without a lot of gear.

 

Each patrol still has lanterns, Dutch ovens, axes, shovels, big Colemen stoves and other gear we collected over the years that they use occasionally when the need arrives. But the scouts (not so much the adults) are pretty minimalistic. I remember a guide at Philmont was surprised by how fast we set up and broke down our camp sites. I told him that camping out of a backpack is a normal day for the troop. we just aren't used to bears in Oklahoma.

 

Barry

[Stosh]

As pointed out in the @@Eagle69 Amazon description of their adapter, the item there has a shutoff to keep the smaller tank from over-filling.  I'm thinking @@eagle90 comment about gravity feeding the smaller tank can indeed over-fill it.  These tanks are never completely filled and are filled by weight, not volume!

 

 

Be sure to rip the label off the canister before you refill it.  One would not want to have the boys reading the part where it's against Federal Law to transport refilled containers such as these.  While the $25.00 fine isn't so bad the 5 years in a federal prison might not go over well with the Mrs.

 

Did some internet research and I must have an old cylinder  they say, "Never Refill This Cylinder. Refilling may cause explosion. Federal law forbids transportation if refilled – penalty up to $500,000 and 5 years imprisonment (49 U.S.C. 5124)"

 

In any case, refilling cylinders requires a trained and certified (renewed every 3 years) person.

 

Anything under #200 is filled by weight, not volume.

 

Like running 5 mph over the speed limit, your mileage may vary.

Edited December 18, 2015 by Stosh

[Cambridgeskip]

For fixed camps at scout campsites we have switched over the last couple of years to battery powered LEDs. As well as being that bit safer* the big issue is durability. The attrition rates on glass globes used to be pretty high. LEDs have plastic globes so a lot more robust.

 

At summer camp as well the kids quite like them over torches for those late evening moments where a few of them are just hunkering down somewhere away from our main sight for those late night teenager chats about whatever it is teenagers talk about and it's all (in their mind) a bit new and dangerous..... they often aren't allowed to light fires everywhere, particularly where there is peat soil, so a lantern is good!

 

For more backpacking style events it would head torches all the way.

 

*when I have kids camping without adults present the thing top of my risk assessment and the thing that has me waking up in a cold sweat at night is the idea of kid lighting any kind of flame inside a nylon tent. No kid has ever done it (that I no of anyway) in my charge and I trust them not to be so stupid as to do so but it doesn't stop me worrying!

[walk in the woods]

I have an old 8 D-Cell Coleman that I use for family camping.  It's the old CFL version of http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Pack-Away%C2%AE-8D-LED-Lantern/dp/B00339C3A0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1450459991&sr=8-2&keywords=coleman+collapsible+lantern.  It hangs in my camp kitchen and does a reasonable job.  It is heavy and we do burn through some batteries.  I've used it for troop camping and it's good for playing cards under the dinning fly.  I also have an old 4 D-Cell Coleman.  I use it for car camping also.  When I pitch my big tent it hangs between a couple of the gear hooks and provides a nice amount of light for reading.  We also use these at the house during power outages.  When I'm nostalgic, or if I'm winter camping, I pull out my dad's old Coleman white gas dual mantle lantern.

 

Geneally I prefer the batteries because they don't get hot.  

[CalicoPenn]

My favorite is the Coleman Pack-away 105 L LED Mini Lantern.  It's a small, 8 ounce lantern that collapses to half size for travel and storage.  It operates on 4 AA batteries which last 7 hours with lighting on high and 55 hour with lighting on low.  On high, the light extends a little over 6 feet and on low about 3 feet.  I've found it to be all the light I need.  I rarely use it outside since I'll read by head lamp and if I hang it in my tent, it goves me more than enough light.

 

If an entire patrol has these, they could hang a few from their dining fly and probably have more than enough light for cooking, eating and clean-up.

 

They're about $25 each and the perfect size for Scouts to put in their packs without taking up a lot of space (and a great stocking stuffer or welcome to the Troop gift).

 

 

I use rechargable batteries but rest easier knowing it may be easier to find batteries than coleman fuel or propane tanks when out and about.  Any non-rechargable batteries can be recycled in my area rather than landfilled (and technically, it's against Illinois law to throw out batteries anyway).

 

I'd stay away from propane/gas lanterns - who wants to deal with replacing mantles and filling tanks anymore when there are far more efficient lighting options out there.  No reason to be packing big lanterns, either gas or battery, these days either.