Coleman Peak 1 Backpacker Lantern

“On a whim, I picked up one of these little gadgets at Wally World and tried it out over the weekend.

It gives off a lot of light, nearly as much as a larger propane or gas lantern. It uses the same butane/propane canisters that the Pocket Rocket stove uses. It will burn for 7 hours on the smaller canister, which is two or three nights worth depending on time of year and hours you need light.

It is a tad heavier than a candle lantern, and would require a padded pouch to carry it in the pack. Also, extra mantles are necessary.

It seems to me it would be a fine addition on shorter trips where you would want good light in the evening - early spring and fall. On longer trips the weight would be prohibitive, considering the need to carry extra fuel canisters. It would also add to pack volume. But on a two to three night trip, you could get by with just two canisters: one for the stove and one for the lantern.”

“I think the Peak line has been replaced by Coleman Extreme.”

“Damn night. I think the govt. should install electric lamps at all backcountry campsites.”

“I used to carry a single-mantle lantern that attached to the same fuel canister my stove used. I found it pissed off others in camp because of the light and noise. Everyone else wanted to sit in the dark to talk and watch the stars (and/or camp fire).

When I switched to a Pepsi can stove of course I stopped carrying it. I certainly don't miss the room it took up, or the weight to carry it. And I don't miss all that extravagent light, either. When it comes down to it, you only really need light when you are doing something - which really isn't that often. Those other people were right, it really is nicer to kick back in the dark and enjoy the night view!

Now my only light source is two Photo II LED lights. One red for extended battery life and to keep night vision when necessary. The other is white for natural light reading and camp chores. Either one is a backup to the other if a battery dies. The red will last for over 100 hours and the white for about 10 hours. Extra bonus, an LED will never burn out. Total weight for both is less than 1/2 ounce and both will fit in the palm of one hand.”

“What about 12v path lighting on all trails so that we can safely hike at night?

It is a safety issue, someone could sue the park.”

“Darn keyboard... :-)

"Now my only light source is two Photon II LED lights..."”

“I think there should be street lights along every trail, at least torches.”

“Let's sue NASA to install giant mirrors overhead that keep in sync with the dark side of the Earth. No more darkness anywhere, ever again. The plants will love it, and "night" hiking will be much easier!”

“$hit, sorry I didn't submit my gear list beforehand for approval.”

“Try and get with the program, Geo...”

“Dog pile on Geobeets thread.”

“Geo: on the other hand, I will continue to use mine for car camping trips with the family, although once dinner is done it goes out so we can see the stars. I just think you are setting yourself up for too much weight to make a bunch of light you don't need in the backcountry.”

“I've been hiking/backpacking/car camping for 35 years, so I think at this point in life I'm pretty much able to determine when I need light and when I want to look at the stars, both of which I generally do. I'm also pretty much able to determine whether I want to carry something in my pack or not.”

“Car Camper!!!!!!
CMB will be sooooo displeased! ;-)

Wait! I car camp sometimes, nevermind. ;-)”

“What's the low rumbling noise I heard from the general direction of Philadelphia?”

“Let's see, when I posted a thread about my digital camera, some gear head breathlessly warned me that it is made of titanium and therefor should not be placed near a fire, like I always toss cameras into the fire (actually, I hardly ever build campfires, but that's beside the point).

Then when I posted something about Photon lights, somebody breathlessly informed me that they bought a similar light for $3. I hope they're as happy with their cheap light after they've had if for as long as I've had my Photon, or that it's backed up when it breaks.

No I get sermons from ultralight wanks who hike in the dark?

$hit, you'd think I'd have learned something in 35 years of hiking, but apparently not.”

“The remanants of Geobeet's lunch being expelled in aerosol form from his hingdquaraters.”

“Learn to spell, Bruce!”

“Geo, at least people are replying on your gear threads. It could be worse, you could be ignored.

I've seen those little Exponent lanterns too. I might consider carrying one for family backcountry trips. I have a full-size Coleman Dual Fuel for car camping trips. That thing puts the sun to shame.”

“I got one of those to Bit. Burn your retena's off.”

“Why should titanium not be placed near a fire?”

“Definition of forum: "A medium of open discussion or voicing of ideas...a public meeting or presentation involving a discussion..."

We come here to voice each person's ideas, beliefs, and experiences. Each person then takes away his/her own conclusions. My opinions are my opinions, and yours are yours. You don't need to agree with what is said, everyone "hikes their own hike".

But you also don't need to take offense with other's opinions, or else don't come to a *forum*. What you want is a lecture, given by you. Sounds like you don't like listening to other's experiences/opinions on anything (cameras, light sources, etc).”

“Before you two go getting all snitty with each other, would someone please tell me why titanium should not be placed near a fire?”

“It wasn't titanium, it was magnesium. Magnesium burns REAL GOOD.”

“That explains it.

I've been familiar with the burning properties of magnesium ever since high school chemistry class. Some of the stuff we pulled back then would have gotten us hard time in today's zero-tolerance society.”

“Nah, not getting "snitty". I wasn't offended in any way. However, I think he got offended by the jokes on trail lighting. Hey, everyone was just joking. From what I have seen, it happens on every thread!”

“Oh yea! This one time on McGuyver, someone got trapped in a meat freezer. He was on the outside. He made a torch out of a pipe and crushed up magnesium from the wheels of a wheelchair.”

“Reminds me of the story one of my old Chem profs used to tell us, about the idiot who tossed an entire brick of sodium in to a decorative water fountain. He said you could hear the explosion all the way across campus.”

“When we found out what sodium could do that was a whole other story, too. Looking back, I'm glad we never left any in any of the water fountains like we talked about doing.

"Snitty" was tongue-in-cheek.”

“that'll teach you guys to talk about gear.

just don't nobody bust on my backpacking skillz, or there WILL be a rumble!”

“Now back to regularly scheduled programming...

Anyone see the backpacker's lantern that uses a metal mantle? I need to go hunt it down, may be something that Geo would like to test? Sounds great not having to replace those fragile mantles over and over - not to mention that those cloth mantles are radioactive. No joke.”

“Lyra do you use those Skittles as backpacking snack?”

“Nuff said folks. Everybody go back to the bull$hit threads for the rest of the week and by Friday somebody can rant that there are no backpacking related threads on the board.

BTW techntrek, I've been on this public board awhile too. Didn't just stumble on it last week.”

“Geobeet are you being paid lyour monthlyl visit from your 'Frinend"?”

“Prepare to get your a s s whipped in the Ithaca cook off!

I will be the champion this year.”

“you're so weird, must hike! :-)”

“Geo, you can pack whatever your heart desires on your own back. Just don't get mad if someone doesn't agree with you.
Hike your own hike.”

“Everything is radioactive. It's just a matter of degree.”

“lyra needs to just go on a hike. ;-)”

“Found it on rei.com - Brunton Liberty Lantern. Uses a platinum mantle (yeah, yet another metal in this thread).”

“$100 and half a pound without gas cart.
I do believe this will be later on my list.”

“Article on radioactive mantles:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/031205.html”

“SS: certainly not something that would make its way into my pack, either! But maybe something that others would like since it doesn't have mantles or a glass globe.”

“Coleman, the best-known U.S. manufacturer, phased out thorium gas mantles in the early 90s. (Today its mantles are made with nonradioactive yttrium.)”

“Bit beat me to the first point. Second was that radiation from thorium was negligible, lower than background radiation. Hardly cause for concern.

But the article is certainly interesting.

The thorium mantle was, if I'm not mistaken, first used in Aladdin kerosene lamps, which remain in production for primarily back to nature and survivialist markets. They're also handsome lamps to have around for power outages.”

“Thorium is an alpha-emitter too, so a sheet of newsprint, or a few centimeters of air is sufficient to stop it. Just don't eat the darn things.”

“There you go again bit, crushing my idea of fun - throwing cameras in the fire and eating lantern mantles. Must all the pleasures of life be dashed so cruelly?”

“I have one of those lanterns in my gear pile I could have let you have for free Geo. I haven't used it in at least 10 years.

Just don't get your magnesium camera too close to it.”

“Well, you've spent so much time using radioactive lantern mantles, I'm constantly afraid your brain might have been cooked from the inside out by them, like from a tanning bed, Geo. So I feel that it's necessary to remind you of these things.”

“Coleman is out of the thorium biz, but "Other firms still sell thorium mantles but have moved their factories to developing countries."

Watch out for any non-Coleman refills you might pick up.”