Buy Camping Lanterns

Coleman Lanterns

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:11 +0000

It’s pretty tough to write about camping lanterns and not talk about the lanterns available from Coleman. I’ve mentioned a few in passing but wanted to devote some more time to the subject.

Coleman has been selling lamps and lanterns for around 100 years, ever since W.C. Coleman started selling lamps in Oklahoma around the start of the 20th century. Since then the company has grown to over 1500 employees and has offices in two states. They are generally regarded as the world leader in lanterns and light sources for all purposes and occasions. Coleman lanterns are available today in stores across the nation and across the globe.

The most popular lanterns available from Coleman are their line of battery powered camping lanterns and flashlights. Not only are they great for camping – small, lightweight and durable – but they can also come in handy in emergency situations, such as the power going out in your house or your car breaking down on the side of the road. Coleman has a wide range of battery lanterns available, from personal sized ones that are great for backpackers to family sized lanterns that work great when you are car or RV camping.

If you prefer the traditional gas or fuel powered lanterns, Coleman also offers many options for you as well. These lanterns are generally a bit bulkier than the battery powered ones, making them less suitable for backpacking, but gas and fuel lanterns can come in handy in cold weather situations where the low temperatures can sap the power from batteries. Some people also just like the looks and feel of these traditional lanterns more than the newer models.

If you often camp with your family, you’ve probably run into the situation of a child wanting their own version of your toys to play with. Since children playing with a real lantern usually leads to a broken lantern or even an injured child, Coleman has a special line of durable camping lanterns made especially for kids. These lanterns are made of plastic, so they don’t break as easily, are battery powered for convenience and offer on-and-off switches made for little fingers to manipulate.

No matter what situation you need a light for, you’re sure to be able to find a Coleman lantern that is right for the job. They can do everything from provide enough light for reading your book after sundown, to helping you pitch your tent at night, to lighting your entire campsite. It’s no wonder they are the world leader in camping lanterns.

5 Great Fuel and Gas Lanterns

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:42:23 +0000

Now that we’ve seen some of the battery powered lanterns out there, let’s take a look at some of the fuel and gas powered camping lanterns available. One thing you’ll notice about these lanterns is that they are generally larger and have shorter run times than the battery powered ones. They do, however, provide a brighter and clearer light in exchange for this.

First up are a couple of propane powered lanterns. This first one is made by Brunton and is available at Amazon for about $120 US. It will run for 3.5 hours on high and probably double that on a lower setting.

As you can see, it is larger than the battery powered lanterns and, due to some fragile parts inside, these sort of lanterns usually need to be transported in their carrying case. Due to their bulk, these propane lanterns are generally not a good choice for backpacking.

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Next up is another propane lantern from Coleman. It’s also available at Amazon and is priced at $35 US.

This lantern will run for up to 14 hours and has two mantles inside for additional light. Once again, as you can see, fairly large and bulky. Great for car camping, but not for backpacking.

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This next lantern is powered by butane and is great for backpackers looking for a small and light lantern to take on hikes. Made by Snow Peak and available at REI, it stands only 4 inches high and weighs under 5 ounces (without the butane canister).

In addition, the butane canister is multifunctional and can be used to power a camp stove as well.

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Our last two lanterns are powered by liquid fuel (also called Coleman fuel) and would be great for severely cold conditions. The first one is available at Amazon and would be great for car or RV camping. It weighs in at 5 pounds and will run for 7 to 14 hours, depending on the light setting.

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And the last lantern is also by Coleman, available at Amazon for $60 US, and would be a great option for backpackers looking for a liquid fuel lantern.

It weighs only 2 pounds and will burn for up to 3 hours on one canister.

5 Great Battery Powered Camping Lanterns

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:07:08 +0000

Now that you’ve got an idea of what type of lantern to be looking for, let’s take a look at some of the specific options available. First up are 5 battery powered lanterns that would be a solid choice for just about any camper.

First up is a Coleman lantern from Amazon and is available for $25 US. This is a very traditional, classic looking lantern. It runs on 8 D-cell batteries and will keep going for 20 to 25 hours, depending on the light setting you have it on. It weighs about 3 pounds without the batteries, so it would probably be upwards of 5 pounds when it’s ready to go.

This sort of lantern would be ideal for car or RV camping. It’s a little too big and heavy to use in backpacking, and it also uses florescent bulbs, which I don’t usually recommend for backpacking either.

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The next lantern is also available at Amazon and is made by Brunton. It is an LED lamp, instead of florescent, and is a good bit smaller and lighter than the previous lantern.

The advantage of LED lanterns is that they are more durable and will also run longer than florescent lanterns. This Brunton lantern will run for up to 45 hours on three C-cell batteries. It also weighs in at only 15 ounces without the batteries, and so would probably be about 2 pounds when filled. Definitely an option if you’re going, say, backpacking in Peru (it’s also only 7 inches tall!).

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This next lantern is also a great option for backpacking. It’s another Coleman and is available at Amazon for about $10 US.

It runs on three AA batteries and weighs only 8 ounces by itself. It will very likely equal the Brunton and run for upwards of 40 hours on one set of batteries.

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The next two lanterns are somewhat different in that they are not strictly battery powered. This first lantern is actually solar powered.

Made by SolaDyne, and available at Amazon for $30 US, it makes a great backup plan for when your main lantern goes out unexpectedly. The weakness of solar powered lanterns is the possibility of being out of luck if the sun doesn’t shine much during the day. This Soladyne lantern comes with a crank that you can use to charge up the lantern manually, but I wouldn’t choose to do that if I didn’t have to.

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This last lantern is solely a crank model. Made by Wind N Go, it’s available at Amazon for $20 US.

As with the Soladyne, I wouldn’t want to use this as my main light source, but it’s great to have as a backup for camping, or even to keep at home for emergencies. If the lights go out and your batteries decide to quit unexpectedly, it would definitely be a great thing to have around.

How To Choose A Camping Lantern

admin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:37:21 +0000

There are several things to consider when deciding on what sort of camping lantern to purchase. Size and weight, your camping conditions, potential safety issues and several other factors all need to be considered. It can all be a bit confusing at first, but once you know what sort of things to look for, the choice becomes much easier. Let’s take a look at what sort of things you need to consider when choosing a lantern.

The first thing to consider is what sort of camping you do. Are you a car camper? An RV-er? A hardcore backpacker? If you’re a car camper or an RV-er, then you don’t really need to worry about things like size and weight. So long as it fits in your car, then you’re good to go. On the other hand, if you’re going to hike for a significant distance to get to your campsite, then you’ll want to choose a smaller, lightweight lantern. Butane lanterns are often a popular choice for backpackers, although there are many battery powered lanterns that would fit the bill here too.

Cost is also a factor to consider. Liquid fuel is the most economical way to go and batteries are just a little bit more expensive. Using gas to power your lantern is the most expensive method. You’ll want to weigh your budget and the frequency of your camping trips when deciding on a lantern. If you go camping frequently, then the gas lantern you’re looking at might quickly become an expensive habit.

The next thing to consider is what the conditions will be like when you’re out at your campsite. Severe cold (sub-freezing temps) can affect the performance of both battery and propane powered lanterns – batteries can drain more quickly in the cold, and the gas pressure in propane canisters can be affected by the cold as well, causing poor performance. If you know that you’ll be camping in cold conditions, I would advise you to take a liquid fuel lantern (if at all possible), or better yet, take a backup or two in case your main lantern sputters out before you’re ready to head home.

Safety also needs to be a consideration. Liquid fuel and gas lanterns actually burn their fuel, and thus become very hot after operating. If you have any small children that will be going on your trips with you, you’ll want to keep that in mind. To be clear, you can use these lanterns with children around, just make sure that the children know not to touch the lantern – or even better, hang it up out of their reach so it doesn’t be come an issue. Another safety issue is using a lantern inside of your tent or RV. Due to their heat (and possible fumes) gas and fuel lanterns should never be brought inside when they’re running. Battery lanterns are the only option if you want to use them inside.

Lastly, if you’re giving a camping lantern as a gift, make sure to take all of these factors into consideration. Lanterns do make great camping gear gifts, but not if they’re too big, too heavy, or inconvenient for your camper to use. A good method to go about getting a good lantern for them is to find out what sort of lantern they use now, and then give them an updated version of the same type of lantern.

Top Five Online Camping Lantern Retailers

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:05:29 +0000

Amazon.com

The hallmark of Amazon.com has always been the wide range of items, products, and brands available for perusal and purchase. The internet giant has hundreds, if not thousands, of camping lanterns available, ranging from big and bulky to light and small. The only issue with shopping at Amazon is actually the size of their inventory: with so many choices to look through, it’s easy to become overwhelmed before you find what you’re looking for. Overall, though, Amazon is a great place to shop and is highly recommended to anyone looking for camping lanterns or other camping gear.

Target.com

Target usually has a decent selection of brands and items at reasonable prices. They’re handy to shop through since you can often find what you want online and then head straight to the nearest store to pick it up. I would be careful of buying off-brand items at Target though, as the quality may be poor. It’s definitely not worth skimping on the price to save 5 bucks, and then have your lantern break or stop working.

DicksSportingGoods.com

Dick’s Sporting Goods has had a period of decent growth over the last few years since their purchase of Galyan’s. Having a large chain like Dick’s devoted solely to sporting goods means a wide selection of brands and generally decent prices. However, as with Target, I would be careful of buying off-brand items from them as the quality may be suspect. (Just to be clear, that’s not a knock on Dick’s at all, but I do suggest doing your research first and choosing a high quality lantern from a reputable brand.)

REI.com

I grew up near the REI store in Atlanta. I remember being able to go there every couple of years when we went camping, and I was always amazed at the sheer volume of camping gear to look at and buy. Childhood nostalgia notwithstanding, REI is one of the premiere outdoors suppliers in the nation, and while you may not be too close to one of their stores you can buy anything they make from their website or catalog.

REI doesn’t have the wide range of brands available that some other retailers will, but they do have several options in addition to their own name brand. REI is generally a bit more pricey than what you will find in other places, but the quality of products they sell is always top notch.

Cabelas.com

If you’ve been camping for any good length of time, chances are you’ve heard of Cabela’s. They’re one of the more well-known camping and outdoors gear suppliers even though chances are good that they don’t have a store anywhere near you. Cabela’s usually has decent prices and good quality gear, but their inventory is a bit lacking at times. It’s the smallest of the 5 retailers mentioned here. But if you can find what you’re looking for at Cabela’s then don’t hesitate to buy from them.

Camping Lantern Guide

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:37:47 +0000

One of the most important things to bring on a camping trip is one or more light sources. Not only from a safety angle – if you cut your hand at night, you definitely want to be able to see to bandage it – but also simply from an enjoyment angle – it’s hard to have fun at your campsite if you’re constantly tripping over everything. Flashlights are great for smaller areas, but what if you want to light up your whole campsite? For that you definitely need a camping lantern.

There are basically three types of camping lanterns: liquid fuel, gas, and battery powered. Liquid fuel lanterns burn white gas (also called Coleman fuel or camping fuel), unleaded gas or kerosene. They are very cost effective and produce a fantastic light source, but they do burn very hot and can produce burns if you’re not careful.

Gas powered lanterns run on propane or butane. They are very convenient – you usually just purchase the propane canister, attach the lantern and you’re set – but the gas is more expensive than liquid fuel. Regular propane lanterns are generally a bit too weighty and bulky for backpacking, but butane lanterns are often lightweight and thus a good choice for people who will be doing some hiking.

Battery powered lanterns, in contrast to the first two, don’t actually burn a fuel, but instead work just like flashlights. They are easy and convenient to use, but you usually give up a bit of light quality compared to the gas and fuel lanterns. There are also solar powered lanterns that fit into this category – charge them up during the day, and they’ll run for several hours at night. Battery powered lanterns are also the only option for taking inside your tent or camper. Both the gas and fuel powered lanterns are unsafe for inside use due to the fumes and heat generated when running.

Probably the biggest factor to consider when choosing a camping lantern is whether you’ll be car camping or backpacking. If you’re going car camping, then you choose your lantern based on ease of use, light output and looks. If, on the other hand, you’re going to be backpacking, then the number one concern is going to be weight and size. You definitely don’t want to be lugging in a heavy, bulky lantern to your campsite when a smaller, lighter one would have done as good of a job.