what is the best alternative to a gas camping lantern?
by admin on Friday, March 4th, 2011 | 9 Comments
I am going camping soon with my two boys who are 4 and 18 months old. I have been shopping around for a decent camping lantern….I have come to the conclusion that a gas lantern would probably give off the brightest light but I am abit concerned about the safety aspects of using it will two young children charging around. At the moment I am thinking of a rechargeable LED lantern (15 or 30 LEDS), does anyone have any experience or recommendations???
Kerosene
Best LED lantern out there is the QUAD LANTERN from Coleman kind of expensive but you have great light and you can detach each panel independently and have up to 4 personal flashlights for around camp and in the tent. retail 69.99
A cheaper but good option is the 8D LED RUGGED FAMILY SIZE LANTERN from Coleman still a good lantern retail about 29.99
um there really isn’t any as good as gas for providing light….
would suggest using gas one and teaching ur boys not to touch it……….
the rechargeable lanterns are like most rechargeable things….work ok the first few times but then the internal batteries die and make them useless…..so if its a one time thing will work but then again won’t b as bright as gas…….
i always use gas….even when camping with small children hasn’t been and issue since i usually tie the lanterns to trees to provide light for whole campsite…….and then each person uses a flashlight for personal sight….. so not on or hot until right when i am putting it in a tree and the fuel is stored in container with screw on lid tightened that almost need pliers to open lid…
I’m using this one for a camp lantern: http://www.rei.com/product/796177
and
this one for a tent lantern: http://www.rei.com/product/777554
LOVE LOVE LOVE them both.
They can take regular batteries or rechargeables that you charge yourself (a regular household battery recharger) or they sell a kit that has a battery pack and a charger that charge it up right inside the lantern.
Get 30′ of rope, toss it over a high branch and haul the gas lattern into the air above the camp. It keeps it out of reach, keeps the bugs out of your face, and spreads the light around. The gas lattern is the best source of light youre going to find. With the price of the little green bottles its about as cheap as any too.
Nothing more than a good campfire to feed yourself, provide smoke to keep biting insects and toothy critters away and provide light which when becomes dim, provides perfect setting for scarey stories for kids and a natural and immediate lights out indication to become quiet and bundle up for sleep.
A flashlight helps with providing the little light needed to efficiently get all under covers and to provide light for efficient late night personals-toiletries type stuff and for investigating what needs to be…
Mr. Cains is right on, Coleman products cannot be beat. what a lot of folks forget is that gas or propane lanterns although extremely efficient are not safe to use in a tent. The fire danger is one specially with little ones about and second is carbon-monoxide poisoning. Getting the new LED technology lights from Coleman is the best thing to do.
I have used LED lanterns before and honestly, they seem to start out just fine and become near useless in a short time. One did so on a three day camping trip, so I gave up on them and stuck to propane lanterns.
If you are worried about the safety aspects of gas, propane, or kerosene lanterns; you can also purchase stands for them that lift them out of reach of small children. You can also hang them from a limb on a nearby tree. But for illumination, reliability, and functionality, you cannot beat them.
Coleman also makes fluorescent tube lanterns, which work reasonably well. We started out with those and they gave up the ghost on us about 2 years ago, after about 7 years.
You’re right about the safety …kerosene risks fire and carbon monoxide.
With young people about be very careful…dangerous in a tent.
LED lamps are safe, give a good light and you’ll be very unlucky if you buy a duff one
LED lamps give out soft light, not glaring. There are lots of types, light and easy to carry and they don’t need smelly fuel.
Rechargables are OK if you have a power point at camp but the batteries last a good while anyway. Just take a load of batteries and you can use the lamps anywhere.
Coleman is good….reliable and good price For decent gear Coleman is tops….all sorts of stuff.
I got Coleman tents (3) coolboxes, all sorts….great company, sell world wide.
But my LED lamps are all cheapos from supermarkets or those cheap shops that sell everything and have loads of plastic and garden stuff outside. $5 max apart from one with a timer..$8…got 4 big ones, 6 smaller, plus flashlights…never any problems.
Never a problem even on 1-month wilderness trips in high mountains and bad weather.
I hang one in front on a belt in a clear bag for night walks. Hands free, good for map reading, no glare, easy and safe walking over the moorlands and mountains even in rain. Better light than a head lamp and more comfortable.
They go on the bike too…cheap ones in a clear plastic bag are just as waterproof as expensive ones but for the bike I built a holder with a rigid clear plastic front….lift the lamp out when I’m away from the bike. Safe and easy and usable instead of wasted on a bike I’m not using for a while.
Better than a bought light…mine are big disk type, very bright. Back one has a red plastic cover cut from a square fizzy drink bottle…free kit , lamp is as big as the front one….works much better than normal rear lamps. Big bright and safe.
Hang them up in the tent or from a branch, carry one in a pocket, get light anyplace cheap and easy, no fire risk, no big lighting schedule or pumping them up.
Flying saucer type with a load of LEDs on a disk are brill…no light going the wrong direction and wasted.
Six of them are less bulk and weight than a kerosene lamp …and cheaper if you want…and you get light where you want while the others get to keep theirs.
More versatile, less cost, safe, and get light where you want it.
They won’t ruin the sky…see the stars instead of wrecking them…dark skies are a joy at night.
Better for the rest of nature too….
Throw it all your way instead of up a tree..switch to high or low light, one of mine has a timer built in…15,30,60 minutes…good for a sleep light.
Use it for a timer for the Dutch oven too…lamp’s off, pasta bake is done. Loads of uses. Cheap and easy.
Stick a pole in the ground and hang one for a kitchen light, or just lazing under with supper.
Soft sleep light for all night and for changing without throwing a shadow theater on the tent wall for passers by to see are normal small LED bicycle rear lights…$2 each well spent….$8 for class ones that do the same job.
Soft red glow, take the cover off for a white one. Hang them up easy with sticky-back Velcro or a loop of thread. Batteries last for night after night.
Good for the kiddies, nice soft red glow in the room….home or tent. Make a cute shape for the light to come through …easy from card for a holder to put it in or just as a cover. Two in a puddy-tat face for eyes, all sorts of stuff, and the kiddies can get something to do at camp dreaming up new ones….just need some card. Old cereal packets, whatever, paint if you like…colored paper sheets, fun for the kiddies.
Make a tiger….grrr…make animal scares for outside too….two glowing red eyes…yikes!
You can get plug-in LED lamps for home, ceiling or wall fitting, free standing lamp holders, all sorts…the new lighting revolution, loads of styles, good light, easy on the eyes, cost almost nothing to run.
Have a great trip.