After going out to the minibulldesign site and scrolling thru all the can stoves to get to the waterlite, an idea hit me -- why not design my own coke can oil candle similar to the can stoves? light, small, easy to make tiki-torch.
After going out to the minibulldesign site and scrolling thru all the can stoves to get to the waterlite, an idea hit me -- why not design my own coke can oil candle similar to the can stoves? light, small, easy to make tiki-torch.
Last edited by Frolicking Dinosaurs; 01-02-2007 at 11:10.
Just take a headlight--you're going to buy one at Neil's Gap if you don't start out with one anyway. The batteries last a lot longer than you think unless you hike at night using the light. A set of lithium batteries would be lighter than regular batteries and last the whole thru-hike.
Well, by now you have heard all of the stories about weight, cleaning, etc, etc, and they are all true.
When I first started backpacking a brass candle lantern was one of my first purchases. I used it for about three years and then I burned the netting off my solo tent trying to light it one night when I went to bed. Stupid, stupid, stupid. So after that I quit using one.
Being an old Boyscout I used for the first 20 years of my camping life my single mantle red coleman lantern. It never let me down. I caved for a number of years and it was my primary source of light and it never failed me. One year I took my son to Scout Camp and we had it running when it gave up the ghost and exploded on a picnic table, wood, and we burned the table down from the ****e gas that had blasted all over the table when the lantern went up. Hence you see why I went with the candle lantern and did not putchase a new coleman lantern when I started backpacking.
After many different attempts at light I ended up with a canister stove, prius and my wife got for me a light attachment that puts out 75 watts of light when turned on. Being a section hiker in the Smokies I keep one big cansiter for my cooking and I use the last years canister for my light. I have used the smaller cansister and it has lasted me almost 6 days before running out of gas for the light and there have been times on very low that it has run for hours and never used all of the gas. Since I like the shelters, sorry WhiteBlaze members, I usually hang it in the shelter and burn it for the thru hikers so they can save their batteries and candles.
I would have to agree with some of the other members that going with the led lights now might be the best for light if I was going to do the thru.
My 2 cents for what it is worth.
CaptChaos
Capt. Chaos
Col. John "CaptChaos" Knight
Bowling Green, KY USA
I think I changed my batteries twice on my thru-hike, and never carried extras. LEDS have totally changed the battery equation.
I did carry a tealight that I found in a hiker box, but it was for ambiance more than anything. I lived in a yurt for a couple of years and still light an oil lamp everynight for that matter.
I think I'm going to agree with Lone Wolf -- bring the candle lantern, especially for early in the hike. You can make up for the weight by dumping the mini mag light, which is appallingly heavy and eats batteries like nobodies business. Seriously. A sub-3-ounce LED headlamp is a better choice, if only because you don't have to hold it in your teeth when setting up your tent. (Try that with a mini mag light at about 15 degrees. Been there, not fun.)
I have used a tea candle and put it in my metal cup if its windy. You can save the aluminum base and make an alcohol stove that weighs 5 grams and has a burn time of 7 to 10 minutes.
A salesperson at a reputable outfitter suggested hanging a candle lantern near the top of a single wall tent to increase air circulation by convection, thus reducing condensation. Does this work? Or was it just a way to sell a candle lantern and the tent?
That, or buying a new tent after the first one catches on fire.
lanterns for wax candles do three things well.they burn everyone who owns one. they leave piles of wax carvings from idiots trashing after they clean them.and they give poor use, light etc.
heres a cool light i use since birth. lite candle on msr windscreen. the small round one that goes on the ground. fold large msr windscreen into a half an ark of a circle and stand it behind the candle to the wind. directional and way magnified by shinny foil, the candle now strobes the whole site giving light to all and folding the big one almost shut around the candle allowing light to concentrate thru a small opening lets you dim and intensify! lets see matthewskis set up shall we?
matthewski
Started using spring loaded candle lanterns years ago with the younger scouts, nice to have a constant light in camp. Later discovered they work well at keeping the mice at bay in the shelters. I also like shelters, sorry LW, I know how anti shelter you can be.
heres a little beauty i use since i was a kid. i call it my coffie table. it is two boots turned one on top of the other with a candle on it resting against the center pole of my megmid lite tent. obviously its way dangerous but in all these years it never burned anything. still its not to fall asleep around and my tent has no floor most of the time.its still cool to use as a table when the candles out for tp and a small light and maby your pipe.lets take a look.
matthewski