Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Coleman lanterns

What ever happened to those tougher mantles they used to sell, in a gold package if I remember right.

They seemed to last much longer than the standard fragile kind.

About 20 years ago I took a 4 D battery Coleman latern with a fluorescent bulb elk hunting. My hunting partners made so much fun of me for that "girly little lantern". Then after breaking 2 mantles and spilling Coleman fuel all over the table it was now dark and they still couldn't get their old gas lantern going. They finally relented and had me push the button on the side of my battery powered one.

The next year they both had battery powered ones too. Not all my memories of the old gas ones were good. Lots of spilt fuel and broken mantles, especially when hunting with friends who like to drink a lot.

Twenty years later I still have that battery one in my camp box and it still works. New batteries every few years gets it through 5-6 campouts a year.

Bb

This.

Good days. And nights.

Yep.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...2/all/any-coleman-lanter-collectors-here

Ive carried them at night for miles gigging flounder, hung over the side of the boat for crappie or whites, hung in camp houses and on treelimbs outside tents and used a few times following blood trails of deer or bear.
Always had double mantle around but rarely used except in big camps and needed more than one.

Running those lanterns all night in an unvented tent will kill you... just a reminder.

Kent

I have 2 propane lanterns but haven't used either in years. Solar lights have replaced them...as long as you get enough daylight to charge them

me too but love the heat from a propane lantern and of course the hiss

That’s us nice condition. Been repainted?


I have two of those and a C3H8 lantern. I like the convenience of the propane.

Batteries and propane fail in cold weather and you can't heat a tent with a battree lantern. Isobutane is a little more reliable in cold weather as long as you stay above 0° F, but nothing beats white gas/multi-fuel appliances for reliability under all conditions.

Also, anecdotal, but the village folk swear a hissing lantern keeps bears out of camp at night. So there is always one hung up in camp central to the tents and turned down low.

Might be heresy but can’t argue with what works -

Petromax lanterns older patent than Coleman and puts out 500 watts of light

Also capable of all fuel use

The original military surplus still the best and available

Durable Dependable and doesn’t need batteries

Not knocking Coleman’s but Petromax are worth a look
Your mileage may vary but my Coleman sits on the shelf as backup and never needed


There is room for all God’s creatures ... right next to the mashed potatoes

I have two 220J dual mantle lanterns at the remote cabin, and a single mantle tucked away in the garage of like era . I have a wall-mounted propane light at the cabin as well, plumbed into the 100lb tank outside, but could not use it this year. The watch bear crimped the line, and I had neither cutter nor flaring tool there. Wife wants two more installed next year. That'll light the place up- pretty dark in there no matter how manny of the others we have going.

Both 100 lb propane bottles there still have some fuel in them - dunno how much. The propane light is definately better to read by.

I also have a couple Alladin lights there that need mantles and chimneys, and some kerosene lamps. My now deceased neighbor gave me 2 1/2 drums of somethings a couple years ago - still up at his place. The half drum was Blazo - got that open, filled a couple gallon cans and took them to my cabin.

I think one of the other drums is kerosene. Maybe gasoline in the other (labels weatherd off, bungs rusted.tight). Broke the brand new POS cast pot-metal wrench trying to open one of the full drums.

Made my own out of steel just today, for next year. It aint pretty, but hell for stout, and cost me nothing not in stock in the garage. Those drums are coming open!

I should be good for light-fuel for the next 50 years at the rate we use it there.....

Just saw they have dual fuel lanterns for around $100 . Plenty of 220Js on ebay for around 50. Think I'll pass on those $200 Petromax German things, tho they sound really good. At least for now - until I see how much those propane lights are going to run me. She may be stuck with just two (I have another already at the cabin- just need the right connection bar)

I miss Blazo.

If your fly fishing hat costs more that $150.00 you must get a Coleman single mantle kerosene fuel lantern.

Same here. Just got tired of messing with mantles and gas.

I have always had a couple. They just work. Never tried propane. I like the hissing sound of a coleman liquid fuel lantern.

Depending on what kind of batteries your lantern uses, there are now solar chargers for many of them.
In the summer it doesn't get dark here until 10.30pm. A lantern just isn't needed unless you're night fishing.

Still have the double mantle Coleman and the steel rod hanger my old neighbor gave me in the early 80's. The hanger was made to hold it up on the beach surf fishing. My dad had a similar rig but his finally disintegrated in the salt.

I still have the double mantle Coleman lantern from YMCA camp in the early 1970's. I have two of the earlier models with the nickel plated tanks that have been electrified, they have LED bulbs inside the mantles and look real rustic in my man cave.