Candle Lantern
Hi anyone has anyone ever took a candle lanter to use at night i have a mini mag lite i plan on bringing but i use the candle lantern to read by and save on batteries what do you think
I use the spring loaded enclosed one which burns around 8 hours,Works well.
Sure, take it. But folks are gonna tell you it's too heavy, etc., etc., etc. I used a candle to read for many years. I never owned a headlamp till 3 years ago.Originally Posted by partinj
Hi anyone has anyone ever took a candle lanter to use at night i have a mini mag lite i plan on bringing but i use the candle lantern to read by and save on batteries what do you think
I have used a small glass jar (holds about 3/4 oz) with a metal screw on lid and wick thru a hole in the lid - burns cooking oil.
I have two, both the UCO brand. The spring loaded one is heavier so I normally take the lighter one that uses tea lights. I only use them early in the year when the nights are really long. I don't find them as good to read by as my head lamp.
Partinj:
Most folks don't want the extra weight and manage to get by with a headlamp.
Plus, most of the small lanterns I've seen have a glass case surrounding the light.
I guarantee you, on a thru-hike, just about anything you carry in your pack that is made out of glass is unlikely to survive your trip.
I used to use a candle lantern frequently, the one with the glass globe and the spring. One time the candle burned completely down and cooled and it was a #$$%%^ to clean. Never carried one since but I do carry several small candles on each trip and in the winter about one for every 3 days. When it gets dark at 5:30 pm a candle is a nice thing to have, it warms the cold fingers and brings a warm glow on a lonely cold night. You just don't need a lantern for them.Hi anyone has anyone ever took a candle lanter to use at night i have a mini mag lite i plan on bringing but i use the candle lantern to read by and save on batteries what do you think
I used to use the mini mag flashlight but the LEDs have pretty much taken over the flashlight market. There is an LED upgrade for the mini mag that I found at Walmart and easily attaches to any old double AA mini mag. Right now I carry a little Dorcy single triple AAA LED flashlight for reading purposes but it seems most any headlamp will work, especially if it has a low-medium-high switch.
We took a candle lantern for our past hikes, but for me the lighting is too poor to read by (and dangerous too, IMO). Since the advent of headlamps, many of which burn a long time, even on batteries, it's worth getting. I like the Princeton Tech Aurora myself and it has 3 different beam strengths to save battery life.
Gram weenie!
Birthday CAndles are great!!!
See ya when I get there.
Used to carry a lantern (spring loaded) - liked it. Since LED lights tho, no longer use the lantern. Plus if you are using a silnylon tarp or tarptent, I'd stay away from any candle lanterns, no fire retardancy with silnylon!
to heavy
forget it when its dark go to bed you had a long day
JT's observation in re: glass and thru-hiking is spot on. Since the flame is atop the container rather than inside, perhaps a small metal container would work.
I like a candle for the reasons cited so eloquently by Tipi Walter - "a candle is a nice thing to have, it warms the cold fingers and brings a warm glow on a lonely cold night." The flickering of a real fire invokes some primal magic that LED’s just can’t match and a candle is a far more eco-friendly option than a campfire. I have heated small amounts of water in a Sierra cup over my oil candle for a warm drink and very cautiously brought it into my tent for 5 – 10 minutes to knock off the chill after crawling into my sleeping bag (extinguished before I retired).
Generally speaking, most thru-hikers are ready for sleep when it gets dark. While it sounds like a good idea to pack along a candle lantern for reading after dark, you frequently see them in the swap boxes down south.
That being said, it does get dark early in the fall. I might carry a lantern then, but not during the summer.
Used to be rather common for late fall hikers to carry a Coke can with a door cut into the side for use as a lantern.
Apart from reflecting light and protecting the flame from puffs of wind, this can-lantern kept the shelter floor clean of dripping wax.
If I feel compelled to read on the trail I usually do it on my mid-day, big meal, dry out the feet break. When I get to camp I do my chores and I am ready for bed. An hour on a mountain top, boots off, aaaahhhh.
The heaviest thing I carried was my attitude.
Montani semper liberi - Mountaineers are always free
Desire is the main ingredient for success
Precious memories... I'd forgotten about those.
For Winter, Early Spring and Fall, Candle lanterns make a wonderful addition to any hiker's arsenal if they are willing to carry the weight. Once the days get past 12 hours long, (between Spring and Fall Equinox), there isn't much of a need. For any other longerish night (is that a word) it is a bit of cheer...
I like them (spring loaded model) for the same reasons FD said. In addition, I still sometimes carry a 2 man tent (and now a very versatile MSR Trekker Tarp) and it hangs quite nicely from a small bit of string - It certainly helps a bit in cold wet damp weather.
As far as cleaning it, I kinda like playing around with gear at home on some nights - It isn't that difficult to clean with some hot water.
.....Someday, like many others who joined WB in the early years, I may dry up and dissapear....
I use a cut down, clear soda bottle that has a strip of aluminum flashing tape on one side (inside) with a tea candle. I put a little dirt/rocks in the bottom while setting up camp, add the candle, and have had enough light to cook or read. It burns for hours and can warm up a tent nicely on a chilly Fall evening.
Anyone ever try one of Tinny's "Waterlites"??? Go to http://www.minibulldesign.com/fs2.htm and scroll 3/4 way down.
I would much rather be anywhere on a trail right now
than just sitting in front of some computer reading about it.
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