Lantern Alternatives?

[Iceburyman]

Galyans used to sell a small lantern, like the size of a red bull can. It holds a candle which is spring loaded to provide continuous flame and is enclosed so the wind won't blow it out. I really like mine and have used it camping several times. It has a foam rubber removable cover to protect the glass. Real simple, inexpensive. Even has some citronella candles to keep the skeeters away, really helps on the ice, haven't been bit once...

[B mac]

My mistake. I saw 1 pounders at fleet farm last night for under $2. They also had a battery powered lantern that uses 4 D cell batteries. That seems like a much more expensive route than the propane lantern. This leads me to believe that the only way to go is LED with a rechargable battery.

[kjgmh]

I like luckyc's idea of the portable jumper pack. I think that they would work great. You can use them to power the light and to power the LX3 if you forget to charge it when getting in late. The one we have for work can be charged from the vehicles cig plug when the truck is running too.

[Whoaru99]

I f;ound a nice headlight at Wally for about 10 bucks or so. It's a Rayovac that takes three AAA batteries. It has a couple of bluish-white LEDs, a red LED, and a small incandescent with focus adjustment. The switch allows you to select any one of the three lighting modes. Batteries last a long time as long as long as you stay mostly with the LEDs.

[pathogen]

I have used Tonka Boy's candle trick for a long time---it works wonderfully!

The LED headlamp is really the way to go for in-house lighting and you can get some really bright ones that run on 3 AAA batteries for a hundred hours or more. However....for those of us that like to tinker, just for the sake of tinkering, I found a do-it-yourself page on LED headlamps:

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/led-headlamp/

Granted, you won't save much money (if any), and it isn't as snazzy as a purchased unit but there is a feeling of accomplishment when you make something yourself that works just the way you want it to. And being that we FMers are more intelligent than the average joe, I would expect anyone who wants to build his own could improve on the design immeasurably!

[pj4]

gus, did i read that right, unbreakable screen globe. the glass globe for gas units? tell me, where you get them? i hate hearing the glass rattling around the protectve case just before you open it to use.

[gophish]

tonka boy you are a genius just to let you know.
i agree headlamps are pretty sweat. i never used them for ice fishing yet. but catfishing atnight they are great, and even better, if you havent done this you are going about it all wrong...use them for hunting night crawlers in your yard.
we used to carry flashlights and buckets and by the time you set them down the worm was gone. headlamps doulbed my success, sounds funny with worms but its hard on the back and the quicker i get done the happier i am.

[Gus]

Sportsmans warehouse also carries the candle type of lanterns. Look pretty neat. I may pick out up and try it. So far I've been satisfied with my propane lantern with the unbreakable screen type globe.

[jr1318]

what i use is 2 12 volt screw in led bulbs in clamp holder and run them of vex battery get about nine hrs run time, theyre great dont have to worry about burns, got bulbs on hsolist for 12.00 each

[Reel Time]

I use a Coleman Northstar propane lantern (the brightest they make). I attach it to a tree on top of a 5 1/2 lb propane tank.
It takes up very little room and lights up my Otter 2 Mag like it was day time. Only problem I have is keeping my mantle from breaking up, (I carry extra). I did have a coleman flourecent w/ 2 bulb but is real dim and the batts die quickly in the cold. I try to test all my equipment at home before heading up to the LOW, just makes sense, Low is a pretty harsh place to learn that your equipment doesn't work like you want it to. We learned that the hard way with our heater!

[Deep_Sinker]

Cabela's also has a great rechargeable lantern. It is super bright, lasts about 3 and a half hours, and comes with an AC/DC charging unit. Works great hanging from the ceiling of my portable and on the floor as well. Cabela's price is about $25.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jhtml?id=0011831515197a&navAction=jump&navCount=0&indexId=&podId=0011831&catalogCode=UD&parentId=&parentType=&rid= &_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fitem-link.jhtml.1_A&_DAV=search&hasJS=true

I am sure that there are many great lanterns out there, but this one is top in my book.

[oscar]

Gus, I would also like to know where to find the unbreakable screen globe for a gas lantern. I've been looking for them for a long time. It seems like I always manage to break the globe at the worst possible times.

[blkfrg]

I made my own wire globe for my coleman. Used some wire mesh, about a quarter inch spaces, and a second layer of steel screen door material. It holds up well in the wind and no more $$$ for the thinning glass of the coleman brand. Form the mesh to fit the globe area without the mantles attached and then secured the screen to the mesh with wire from bread twist ties. Could never find one that was commercially made, so just did it myself.

[folke2000]

FYI
Bass Pro has the steel mesh globe for about $10.00 bucks. I searched their web site and found it.

[Guest]

Gander Mtn. has the Cyclops for $39.99 3 LED and 1 white light.

------------------
en kala
(I fish)

[fishermn]

I found a nice alternative to the larger coleman lanterns or the battery powered lights. It is a miniature butane powered backpacking latern. Gander sells two different brands, a coleman and a Markill. I bought the Markill, as it has automatic ignition, and overall seems a bit more robust. The isobutane is a bit pricey, but seems to last fairly well. The unit puts out a decent amount of light and is just about right for my fishtrap guide. I havent tested it in real cold weather yet, but it seemed to do well yesterday at about 5 - 10F.

[KB]

I found an LED lantern that I tried out over the weekend. It has 12 white LED lights encased in a typical lantern. The lantern has a variable switch to change the brightness. Takes 4 D batteries that it says will last up to 40 hours on the brightest setting. Could have been a bit brighter for the 6x8, but no more mantles for me.

[This message has been edited by KB (edited 02-04-2004).]

[so haaad]

Just start a big bonfire, that will do the trick!

[B mac]

KB,

Who makes it?
Where did you get it?
How much?

Thanks. B.

[huntnfish]

I just got off the phone with an electronics store that sells those lights that go underneath cars to light up the ground. They have 7 or 8 LED's on them. I think he said they were about $15. I haven't gotten over there to check them out, but they sound like they would work.

[KB]

B mac,

I found it on hsolist, just do a search. Got it for $21, but had to throw in $8 for shipping. Can't remember the name off the top of my head.

[B mac]

Perfect. Thanks, I appreciate the info.

[rod bender]

KB, How would the LED lantern be for a two-man flip style shack?

[KB]

rod bender,
I would think that it would work great for a two man flip style house. The only problem that I had was low light in the two far corners of the 6x8, but for the style you're talking about, the light should work great. The light is not going to overpower you, but it's definately enough to see.

[rod bender]

Thanks KB, I might just give it a shot. I currently use a combination of a lantern, LED head lamp, and flourecents velcro taped to the poles. Your LED lantern sounds like the ticket.