Candle Lantern Alternative

“I just got a new toy and it seems pretty promising. It's called a bonfire light. I think it's made by MGS or someting like that, but anyway, it has three LED's and will run for 18 hours on two AA batteries. So far I'm impressed. It put more then enough light. Can't wait to try it out in the field.”

“Ohhh, I found a link.
MY new toy”

“2 questions:

1) Is that 3oz with our without batteries?
2) Can you read with the low setting, or just the high?”

“Yesterday I bought one of those Bonfires too. Turned it on in a dark bedroom last night. To be truthful it didn't impress me much. Even on high it didn't put out that much light. I'm returning mine and buying a LED Princeton Tec 20 flashlight with a difusion cone on it.”

“$?
Weight?
How long does it last?
Weatherproof?”

“9v battery, led.”

“Image is a link.

Pretty slick with the dimmer switch and all, but 4 AAs? (11.3 oz, with). �
More like a fancy car-camp toy: � 50 smackers.

3 watt LED runs for 60 hours, full blast.


OR....... Pak-Lite 9 volt”

“I have the Brunton which is great for car and winter camping although I DID bring it on one backpacking trip where it was used as a site signal when some of our group was out looking for others...I like it's compact size...the Brunton is only 1W where the BD is 3W...


last edited: 3/02/08 5:07:01 AM”

“I tried the Brunton, but the glare was murder on my night-vison because of the LED shining upward..... velly bad if you're out primarily trying to see stars and whatnot.

I was wondering just how LOW you can crank the dimmer on the BD....

Candle lanterns throw the right amount of light, but are such a hassle, esp if there's any wind.

The best thing I've tried so far was a Krill Light. � I think it was the 360� Extreme (single AA). � Strange little beastie.... as advertised, it didn't even attract bugs. � The only reason it wasn't 'perfect' was it needed to be a little brighter, and the base needed to be a bit more stable. I may get a couple more of those.... They're fairly indestructable and completely watertight, but a battery leak destroyed the last one I had.”

“correction..... the 360� Extreme takes Two AA batteries, not One.

The website also seems to be saying that the 2 AAA 360� Krill puts out the same light as the 2 AA 360� (?)

”

“

”

“Oh Yeah..... � I remember that.”

“Sorry I did an adequate field test of the Primus backpacking lantern (the Camping Gaz version is actually pretty bright but the weight of all the replacement lenses kills you)

The candle lantern is about as bright.”

“or you could sit in the dark, enjoy the stars, and be glad you got away from all that light pollution...”

““or you could sit in the dark, enjoy the stars, and be glad you got away from all that light pollution...”
Yogisan

I have a variety of backpacking lanterns I have tried over the years and they all are in a storage box. I never used them on a the trip I took them on so once out and done.

The only lanterns used time and again are my Colemans for car camping.”

“If I got a couple of the BD Apollos I could turn the Coleman 222s into bookends or paperweights ---- no liquid fuel to screw with, no pumping, no mantles to tie and burn, no screwing with lighters or hurricane matches..... usually with a 20 mph crosswind. � Just set them on the table and flip a switch. � Then crank down the brightness and enjoy the stars. �

I found something functionally similar recently from Coleman for half the price, but it uses an incandescent bulb and is powered by four D-cells. � Run two of those puppies over a long weekend and suck eight D-cells dry. � It sounds like two Apollos could run for three weekends on eight AAs. � The extra paid for the lanterns would come back in battery savings (and then some).

Same thing with the Krills. � I wouldn't have to bother with candles, flames, hot wax, hot surfaces, lighters, wind..... or burning salad dressing.

”

“I'll be honest with ya, I hate the candle lanterns. At least the bigger ones. They're messy as hell, the candles don't burn evenly, they weigh more than they should, and they don't put out that much light.

Having said all that my favorite when I do take one is the cheap Coughlens tea light candle lantern. It's smaller, lighter, simpler and it puts off just as much light as the big ones.”

“I use a candle lantern quite often, I find it a good tool. The one I have works great, is small. Very usefull for my needs”

“We have a Coleman lantern that Kamper won at one of the TC's. I only bring it out for power outages.”

“I use a pelican AA battery light with the white CONE on it...for general lighting in my tent. Then a head light for everything else.

Sorry but when I am camping I want to get back to the Campfire, coffee, cigars...and relaxing.”

“Krill lamp works for me.”