Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 5-Gallon Propane Tanks and Coleman Lanterns????

Pardon my ignorance, but can one run a Coleman propane lantern straight off a 5-gallon tank with just say a 12 ft hose equipped with the proper fittings? Or, do I need an inline pressure regulator?

For over 50+ yrs, I've used free standing Coleman lanterns charged with Coleman gas, but some visitors are exhibiting obvious coughing issues with extended sit downs in our wall tent. We run a well vented wood stove too, but a couple folks insist they are reacting to the gas burn. I mostly ask because I do not want to dink with dozens of those little green bottles during Cookie's 20 or 30+ day fall/winter outings. I see hoses for sale, but no mention of regulators.

Appreciate the help, and please don't turn this into a Covid shot deal.

I've done it in several camps using an inline regulator. Perhaps someone here is more knowledgeable than I, but I've had no problems doing it with a regulator.


L.W.

Look up three port propane post .I put my latern on the top and use a colman hose for my 2 burner cooking stove

We had some folks saying our propane powered forklift was giving them headaches. We then got an electric forklift on trial without telling anyone about it and the same dang people were still complaining that the forklift was giving them headaches.

^^^^^This^^^^^

Bry:

Is there a regulator in that tree hookup? If not, then it's likely safe to do a direct hookup. My desires though are to run hose from an inside eve up to ridge pole center. Optimal lighting location for cooking and general socializing. I don't want a tank sitting square in the middle of our floor space so no tree.

https://www.amazon.com/DOZYANT-Converter-Replacement-Connects-Appliance/dp/B08257GC87/ref=sr_1_9?crid=Q3JGA67HI440&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5hPpRjV1HJjW6xs1ULzXkGwrOnsbVqVcgsnOAROCzRa-qOu_4NoXceVfdkvMejoa0mAMYD2-aWCNfuPkcEnD8dEhd5J6C_5LKLTnroMGiRirjpL-KsbC3L17Vx2Wm390NqOG12TmdWwnvtP61twurEYGKfYw35qlNK9aOqovxUidYaBVdHDamLl6a0kX1ia8-iWmoPCf5nyINPh1lO4Vi1W-3JCRF0lw346bcYRgQgR8IzdBV4X7X80lBKr38I7m6gMswqhYm1FCSefrlns7xW6uynpryrmRXnAbLfbKrME.dnQrbaRbds3nf_YCv_7FajjDF3BHQhLJ3iFk-AmYctg&dib_tag=se&keywords=lantern%2Bpropane%2Bhose&qid=1712538738&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=lantern%2Bpropane%2Bhose%2Clawngarden%2C122&sr=1-9&th=1


I don't know why it won't copy right but do a copy & paste of the above address and it'll give you the hose you want.

used that many times with a later and a hose coming off for a stove

No regulator required.

Never needed a regulator off a 40 lb tank

Run them coughing sumbitches off.

They run at tank pressure and have multiple ports. Should work fine, you’ll just want to be sure everything is secured well. Search “propane tree” and you’ll get multiple brands of the same basic idea.

Propane or Coleman fuel won't make much of a difference INSIDE a tent. A bunch of people inside a tent even without a lantern still produces a lot of CO. Why not just put a CO monitor inside the tent...

Phil

Battery lanterns beat hell out of propane

Thanks troops. Given the hoses for sale with the proper fittings and no mention of regulators, it seems direct hookups are possible. Also, there's no regulation with the green bottles. If one sees a mushroom cloud over SE Oregon this fall, and I seem to have vaporized, and a 12 x 14 wall tent falls from the sky, one will know what happened. There will be a dandy yard or estate sale at our home, as the kid has little interest in most of our doings.

Appreciated,

^^^^
I agree with Hanco. And much more efficient at producing light not heat.

With the latest lithium battery technology and led lights, you’ll save a ton of money over the long run vs propane.

I hope to NEVER go back to Coleman lanterns.

Stammster: Given occasional sub-zero temps and at least frost every morning, heat is a good thing. Our location below is at about 4,200 ft elevation.

We do have a 200-amp hr lithium battery (about $1000) setup and solar panels on our accompanying camp trailer, but the battery is mounted on the exterior. Wonderful outfit, but its downside is the battery won't take a charge once our sustained temps fall below 32°. It's common for such conditions to persist for a week or more, and in that interval, the trailer furnace can eventually run the battery down. Beings we're bush whacking with no hookups, there's ice in the dog's bowl most mornings. The wall tent is a very popular place for 6 to 7 visitors most evenings given its wood stove. Typically, we're in the tent for 5 to 6 hrs each evening in late Oct through the 3rd week of Nov. Pretty much just sleep in the trailer, since it has to be winterized.

We've had several instances where folks pull in with a trailer in the late afternoon, and they're gone when we rise around 05:30 in the morning due to their frozen water lines and fully discharged batteries.

Here's our setup for that venture:


Toss out some apples and the does come in. Since the rut is on, a buck will show up eventually.

A little small quiet generator is the ticket.

Yes

Completely doable, plenty of options and fittings. Of course a world is at your finger tips via the search tab on this same internet connection youre using.

Now, as for the pardon of ignorance…yes, it happens but wouldnt it be fun if we still had the 112 lb drunk guy from Az cuss you out for not knowing and then start 3 fights with others on the thread for completely unrelated topics.

hanco:

We do have a 3000-watt Honda generator, and it will go for about 25 hrs on 5 gallons of fuel. We've also cooked with propane for decades, but with the exception of a couple green bottle lantern runs, never done the lights from a tank. On our other ventures like weeklong float trips etc, we can endure with about 2 gal of Coleman gas for everything.

Any points lately?

Slum: I did try some surfing, but could not shake anything out directly addressing propane lanterns/tanks/regulators.

Thanks,

Yes you can run them like that.

Yup. This works great.

An appliance that can run straight from a 1 lb disposable bottle can be run from a bulk tank without a regulator. The regulator will be built into the appliance. That includes lanterns, stoves, and heaters.

What HANCO said...Ryobi makes a string of 3 work lights that run on the 18volt+ battery system, also there are several rechargeable LED lanterns and work lights...nothing to get hot, no fuel or LPG leaks to worry about, and small solar panel chargers can recharge the batteries during the day.through USB cables

Again. Once temps fall below freezing, lithium batteries have to be warmed before they will take a charge. Just ask the Tesla owners up in Montana and Minnesota. They are absolutely wonderful though during our summer months (quick charge and sustained discharge voltage), so I will shout praises from the rooftops for that portion of the year. For continuous winter operation though, lithium sucks.

Nothing like the hiss of a gas lantern and a tent when it's cold anyways.

Yeah, me too. I put the tank next to the folding table with the lantern on top, one short hose for the stove, another for a Mr. Heater which I could turn off and on without climbing out of the fart sack. Leave widows unzipped, don't sleep with them burning.

This is the best way to do it. But if you don't like this setup, you can hang the lantern from the ceiling and run a hose from the 20# tank to the lantern.

AND as others have mentioned, you can install a "T" in the hose and run a space heater or Buddy Heater off the same tank.

One plus for using a Buddy Heater is that it has an oxygen sensor that will turn off the Buddy Heater when the oxygen gets low. There's no audible alarm but you shouldn't be running the Buddy Heater and the lantern at the same time.

I've run the same setup for many years, with a double adaptor so as to run stove and lamp off the same gas bottle, with no regulator. Back when I had a 3-way fridge I ran that off the same bottle.

Having said that, I wouldn't have a gas lamp inside a tent. I have an open-sided gazebo for cooking and eating. There are two reasons I wouldn't have one in a tent, the first being the risk of fire: these things give off a lot of heat, and tent materials are flammable. The second is that they burn up the oxygen, and in a closed tent that is a risk.

LEDs are so efficient that you can get a lot of light with minimal power consumption, and that is what I use in the tent. In fact I also have clip-on LED lights for the gazebo too, and these light it up so well that the last couple of trips I haven't even bothered to bring the gas lamp.

The regulator is built in as mentioned prior. The 5 gallon tank will run a lantren, long enough for our deer and elk seasons. A couple years if thats all you are using it for.

Not all of the lanterns have regulators. Newer ones yes, but some other makes and older Colemans no. Depending on temperature tank pressure is usually 145 psi. @ 70 deg. but can get as high as 315 psi. @ 130 deg. Lanterns usually run on, or recommended pressure is 20 to 40 psi. And at any rate if the lantern is connected directly to a Coleman 1 pound tank the built-in regulator (if it has one in its valve) should be sufficient. But if connected to a 20 pound, or 5 gal tank with a long hose, the hose length is still going to be at high pressure. If a hose is used its best to have an inline regulator at the tank.

Phil

I use the propane post like others mentioned. If you have an Ollies store nearby, they recently got a ton of Coleman stuff in, they were selling the propane tree posts for 5 bucks.

I just picked up one of the Northern Novas, 3000 lumens, that joker will put out some light.

As far as the disposable green coleman bottles, I switched to the flameking refillables. Can buy the kit and refill them yourself off a 20lb tank.

I have a Big Buddy Heater. It has 2 connections, a high pressure and a low pressure. The high pressure uses a 1lb bottle or you can run a hose direct from a bulk tank without a regulator. The low pressure is used to connect to an RV line with a regulator. It has a quick release connector so you have to have the right hose to hook it up.
The Buddy Heater has only a high pressure, used for 1lb bottles or a non-regulated bulk tank.

The pressure in an LP tank is usually between 100 and 200 psi depending on the temperature. It doesn't matter how large or small the tank is as long as there is liquid propane in it. The pressure is caused by the liquid changing to a gas. (Vapor Pressure)

Jerry

I know folks who use "Buddy" heaters on tanks bigger than 1# often need/use an in-line fuel-filter, they're only about $11.

Yes easy ..but switching to led is even better

Goodbye Coleman..... Milwaukee GIDDS2-2490388 M18 Led Lantern/Flood Light https://a.co/d/9vmsygW

I got a Chinese knockoff fan and three LED lights setup runs on the M18 system keeps the heat in the tent instead of up on the ceiling....thinking it's about the greatest setup I've had... Camping Fan for Milwaukee M18 18V Li-ion Battery, Portable Tent Fan with 180LM LED Lantern, Hanging Hook, Remote Control, Battery Operated Outdoor Fan for Travel, 1800CFM 6.5" Personal Fan, 3-Speed https://a.co/d/j361fEw Add some 3M red tape over the light system and you can keep your night vision .. that way you ain't stumbling over a bunch of stuff when you walk off in the night to drain your monkey !

I've got the newer version of the Cabela's six man with my Mr Buddy and this fan setup.... you lay on top of the bag while you're asleep!

Phil is correct, an in-line regulator never hurts even if the device has a built in regulator, if flame of device isn’t sufficient the regulator can be turned for max line pressure or eliminated entirely, never hurts to error on the safe side

Does changing the tank location fix the coughing concerns if the lantern is still in the tent? Or is it the type of gas being burned?

Are these people close enough to the forklift that they can hear it operate? If so, what race are they?

Just realized I had a Little Buddy hose that would connect to my Coleman 2 burner propane lantern. Hooked it up to a tank and works just fine. No mushroom clouds in SE Oregon.

Thanks for the comments/suggestions/guidance.

The Flamekings will work but mostly with stoves. I messed with refilling pounder green bottles and on a OPD valved tank you can only get gas from them upside down until about half full because of the way the valve and safety float is engineered. If you use a bigger than 40#er and you turn it over to fill a 1# you'll fill it full of whats called heavy ends which is all the crud and stinky ethyl mercaptain which will most defineatly plug the generators on lanterns. Most of the price of the 1# green bottles is the small package but part of it is getting cleaner fuel.

I've refilled the 1lb bottles for years. Put it in the freezer for 15 to 30 min. That condenses the gas and you can get more in. Weigh a new full one so you know what a full one weighs. Then, when you think a bottle is full, weigh it. If you're doing it right, you can overfill it. Then you have to bleed a little off. You don't want an overfilled one as they can swell in the heat. A small kitchen scale is a big help when refilling them.
I've found that after a few refills, the valve will sometimes start to leak. You can smell it and often hear it. If in doubt, dunk it in water. It's time to rid of that one.

Dibbs on the two handed rods!!

No liquid fuels inside my tent. The fire risk isn't worth it.

Whatever you buy try it at home first. Walmart had 2 bulk tank adapters that take the place of the 1 lb bottles. The Coleman Stove I use in Florida would only work with the more expensive adapter.

Yeah something like that or a gen set with LED lights.