Candle Lantern: Safely use in a tent? How to clean?

[Patrick Corry]

This is my candle lantern, owned originally by my great grandfather. It's got a thin metal/soldered seam case with a dedicated tube internally for a slender candle. It's about the size of a cigar case. The glass panes hinge on all four sides, and the top and bottom interlock with tiny folded upper and lower edges of the panes to create a tightly fitted, secure closed lantern with a slide bolt closure. Ingenious. Shown here on a canoe seat I'm currently caning for a restoration. It's not outrageously heavy, and I regularly carried the lantern when I was young and strong. I only used it when leanto camping in the Adirondacks. It's certainly viable still for canoe tripping, but I doubt I would use it in my tent!

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

This is my candle lantern, owned originally by my great grandfather. It's got a thin metal/soldered seam case with a dedicated tube internally for a slender candle. It's about the size of a cigar case. The glass panes hinge on all four sides, and the top and bottom interlock with tiny folded upper and lower edges of the panes to create a tightly fitted, secure closed lantern with a slide bolt closure. Ingenious. Shown here on a canoe seat I'm currently caning for a restoration. It's not outrageously heavy, and I regularly carried the lantern when I was young and strong. I only used it when leanto camping in the Adirondacks. It's certainly viable still for canoe tripping, but I doubt I would use it in my tent!
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Patrick, that's an interesting piece of equipment and surely a valued family heirloom.

Pictured on nice canoe seats. Is that real or artificial cane?

It's about the size of a cigar case.

I was a Camel guy. Know nothing about cigars or their cases. Is it bigger than a Steve Allen bread box? (What's My Line - 1953)

 

[Patrick Corry]

Haha, I also smoked unfiltered Camels! Until I wised up and got healthier. The seat is a mahogany frame and real cane in the 7 step method. The last step (7th) is the binder cane around the perimeter. The case is probably 3/4" x 4"x6". That's a pair of Ash seats in the background.

 

[scoutergriz]

Haha, I also smoked unfiltered Camels! Until I wised up and got healthier. The seat is a mahogany frame and real cane in the 7 step method. The last step (7th) is the binder cane around the perimeter. The case is probably 3/4" x 4"x6". That's a pair of Ash seats in the background.

I used to smoke Pall Mall unfiltered, not because they were good though- because they were cheap and nobody ever wanted to bum one...

 

[ppine]

I used to use a candle lantern. Most of them are not that stable. I do not like the risk in a tent.

There are so many good battery operated lights now. I like headlamps, stationary electric lanterns and small rechargeable LED lights.

 

[Odyssey]

As a young tripping family we were enthusiastic about candle lanterns of different sizes; from 1 to 4 candles per. But on one trip our son accidentally touched the top of the big lantern during a card game and that changed everything. As a nervous dad the risks became insurmountable to me. ie I became even more nervous, ha. From then on we left the candles at home and went artificial. Batteries baby!
Crazily I do light up candles at home. I was too nervous to continue with the oil lamps (we lived thru lots of power outs for years), but I do like pleasant home scents besides wood smoke and good cooking. So I'm into smokeless safer candles around the home. But camping?
Look away from the fire and let your eyes adjust. Enjoy the smoke scent. Carry a headlamp dangling round your neck just in case.

 

[Gamma1214]

I was too nervous to continue with the oil lamps (we lived thru lots of power outs for years)

LOL We lost power for about 3 hours yesterday evening. I fired up the old white gas Coleman lantern right on the coffee table. Enough light to read by and a little heat as a bonus.

 

[ppine]

We did a lot of camping and traveling around even in winter when we were young. I remember a trip in the snow that was really cold, Oregon I think. I have vivid recollections of being in the back of a pickup with a canopy on it. We have 5 people in there with a Coleman gas lantern. The amount of heat it generated was astounding in a small space.

 

[Penns Woods]

We did a lot of camping and traveling around even in winter when we were young. I remember a trip in the snow that was really cold, Oregon I think. I have vivid recollections of being in the back of a pickup with a canopy on it. We have 5 people in there with a Coleman gas lantern. The amount of heat it generated was astounding in a small space.

As a young family, We did a lot of camping in are old canvas tent. My son was very young at the time and the wife needed light so we used the Coleman gas lantern. To my surprise it gave off enough heat to keep the tent comfortable. From that time on I used the lantern to help heat the tent.

 

[jdeerfoot]

On a Wabakimi Project trip many years ago Uncle Phil used a small Coleman stove to dry out our tents. 2009 was a very rainy year in NW Ontario and after a few days our tents became sodden. We erected the tents and while they were empty he carefully placed the stove in the tent while it was in a pot lid . Within a few minutes the tent was dry (until the next rain shower).

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Rereading the thread, this caught my attention...

I've mainly only used candles in the shoulder seasons to add a little heat for changing and to drive off some condensation....

I had forgotten about that benefit. It really does make a difference in a two man backpacking tent. Might have to give that another chance.

 

[scoutergriz]

LOL We lost power for about 3 hours yesterday evening. I fired up the old white gas Coleman lantern right on the coffee table. Enough light to read by and a little heat as a bonus.

I've had the power go out at -20c (-4f) for a full day- my big buddy heater in the basement plus a lantern on each floor (yes I opened windows a crack, you need 20sq,in on average per appliance) kept the house at a comfortable 15-16C (+60f) overnight, when the power came back we were sitting pretty while the neighbors were all dealing with split pipes.
Another time we were snowshoeing into an unmarked lake and using nylon tarps for shelter (there were about a dozen of us) and my big 500cp 236 Empire lantern kept us all warm and dry overnight after 3 days of freezing rain and even dried all the wet liners

 

[wjmc]

I had a small Camping Gaz butane lantern which was an important part of my fall tripping outfit. It was useful for area lighting around camp, but its principal function was to get me out of bed on cold, damp, gloomy September mornings in northern Saskatchewan. Wake, reach into the vestibule, crack the valve and click the igniter. Immediately the tent was suffused in warm light. Five minutes later, the temperature was up noticeably, the humidity was down, and the gentle hissing of the lantern drowned out the patter of sleet on the tent. It was then easy to convince myself to dress, roll up mattress and sleeping bag, and get moving. I remember one unseasonable mid-September snowstorm when it was particularly appreciated.

 

[Erica]

It never occurred to me that a propane lantern would take the chill off inside a tent. What a great idea.

 

[Boatman53]

When I was living in a wall tent I had an Aladdin mantel lamp and it gave off wonderful light and heat. We seem to have a power outage at least once a year here in Maine and now that I think about it I should buy another one for times I’m not running the generator.
Jim