There are four types of camping lanterns to choose from:

• battery operated
• liquid fueled
• gas fueled
• candle

There are different advantages and disadvantages to the different types that need to be considered when buying a camping lantern. Not every type can give you exactly what you need for your ideal camping experience, however they are all useful in their own ways.

Battery Camping Lantern

These styles of camping lanterns obviously use a rechargeable of disposable battery for power. A battery camping lantern is very easy to use, it is quite dependable and of course is quiet while it is running, which is often a clincher when people are choosing which type to buy. They are pretty safe because there is absolutely no flame, which can become dangerous especially around kids. So there is no fire or burn risk. The light is often dimmer than the other types of lanterns, because as the power runs out, the light will go down, the brightness is directly related to the amount of power left in the battery.

pic: flickr

Gas Camping Lantern

A gas camping lantern is also a very dependable source of light for your camping area. There are two common types of gas lanterns, the butane and the propane. Gas fuel has its advantages, it is extremely convenient to buy and it is also really bright in the lantern. It is however a little more dangerous as there is an open flame and when you light it it can always get too hot. This is one too be careful of when you have kids around. It is fairly weighty and deciding to bring more gas will only add to the amount of weight you need to carry. It can get pretty noisy, and wen its bad weather, rain, then it might not work properly.

Liquid Fueled Camping Lantern

There are three types of liquid fueled camping lanterns available.

• Fuel
• Kerosene
• Unleaded Gas

These fuels are very cheap and you are able to keep the lantern light for the whole night. The heat that this type of camping lantern provides can also warm the area that you are in for the whole night. However, the disadvantages are there, it is quite noisy, the heat it produces can be a problem with children, and of course it has an open flame.

Candle

The candle is not a special type of camping lantern, but can be used and has its advantages as well. It gives light and can also work as an insect repellent which as we know is pretty important when camping. This is done through the citronella components of a candle. It is obviously the simplest kindof lantern that is available as there is no fuel or battery required to keep it running. However it can of course cause fire, expecially when there is strong wind around. The light that you get from a candle lantern isn’t great and you often need more than one to be able to see what you want.

As you can see there are many different types of camping lanterns available for you. Now that you have some knowledge of the different types you can make a more informed decision on what you need from a camping lantern.

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• Unleaded Gas is used in new lanterns and is often used in duel fuel lanterns, ones that also burn coleman fuel. It is of great benefit because if you run out of coleman fuel unleaded fuel is very readily available.
• Coleman fuel is the main fuel that is used in lanterns. It is otherwise known as white gas or camping fuel. You can find it in nearly every camping store.
• Kerosene is the least popular of the three but it is still widely used. This is mostly due to its low cost. Kerosene is cheap but it stinks and produces a lot of smoke when you burn it.

There are a few advantages to using a liquid fueled camping lantern. They produce a really bright light, as opposed to battery lanterns which can often be quite dim. They are really economical to use as the fuel burns pretty slowly and is really cheap and easy to replace. Another really big advantage is that a lot of us go camping in winter and it is pretty cold, so when you are burning liquid fuel camping lanterns they give off a lot of heat and it can also be used as a heater in this case.

However as with every thing in life there are also disadvantages. As mentioned is can be used as a heater as well, which means it is pretty hot. This can also be a negative as it is quite dangerous and can cause serious burns if you touch it. This is an important consideration for when you have kids around you. Another negative to liquid fuel camping lanterns is the fact that they are loud enough to cause a disturbance. They are not like a motor, however they do emit a sound, this can annoy some people.

So as you can see they are a pretty good option to consider when buying a camping lantern however they are also better for some than others. You need to make sure you buy extra mantles for them, and if you have kids yo have to be careful because they get very hot. However if you have a stove that uses fuel, which many do, then you can double up, and you only need to buy one source of fuel, this makes everything much cheaper.

Here is a video about turning on a propane lantern.

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Safe

This may be the single most important factor to consider when choosing your type of camping lamp. Kids are often camping with the family, and a battery powered lamp is definitely one of the more safer options. The other two types are both fueled camping lanterns and thus always have an open flame. An open flame and children are always a bad combination. Not too mention accidents can happen, whether you have kids or not. It is easy to knock it over and set everything alight. This is a very important consideration to make, and if there are kids involved, then you need to be pretty careful about your choice. A battery powered camping lantern has absolutely no flame, and other than a little bit of heat it gives off, is totally safe to have around your kids.

Cheap

Battery powered lanterns are the cheapest to buy and maintain. Obviously batteries are easily replaced, however, you can also get a camping lantern with rechargeable batteries, and this is a great option because then you never need to buy new batteries, and it keeps them even cheaper. This is an important point for many people especially in the state of the economy at the moment.

Quiet

There is nothing worse than trying to sleep and you hear the tick tock of your clock and it keeps you up all night. It is the same with a camping lamp. Gas fueled camping lanterns are very loud to run, and if you have them on when some people are sleeping, not only can it be dangerous with the flame, it can simply keep people up. A battery powered one is obviously basically silent, and won’t disturb anyone.

Negatives

There are however as always negatives. A battery lamps light is very much dependent on the power left in the battery. If your battery life is low then you won’t get much light. This can be a big problem, especially if you didn’t bring replacement batteries. There is no doubt that a gas fueled camping lantern is much brighter and gives off better light.

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It is important to keep your camping lantern clean and maintained. It increases the longevity, and is very easy to do. It is a very simple process and with the help of these few easy suggestions can be very beneficial to the life of your camping lantern. A clean lantern will make it also run much more efficiently, and will more than likely give out more light and be more useful to your whilst camping.

The first thing you need to do is after every single camping trip is to make some time to clean your camping lantern. Simply by using warm water and soap, something along the lines of dish washing detergent, you should wipe down the outside of the lantern after every trip. It will attract dirt and dust. Not only that, bugs are attracted to the soft like that the lantern gives off, and you will end up with a lot of bugs on your lantern. Leaves and other kind of debris can get on the inside of the lantern as well, that’s why it is important to clean it up after every trip. Once you have cleaned this area, you should make sure it is completely dry before you put it away because it may develop rust or similar damage.

The mantles are an important part of the camping lamp and also needs to be clean. If there are any cracks or tears on the mantle you should replace it before you next head out on another camping adventure. Make sure the connecting valve is cleaned as well.

At the end of each camping season you should do a much more thorough inspection of your camping lantern and clean each part of it extremely well. Cobwebs and spiderwebs might have built up on them because you may not have gone camping as much as previous seasons. In this case you need to take the lantern apart and clean out any tubes or areas that look like they may be clogged. A bottle brush works really well for this.

After you have thoroughly cleaned your camping lantern and replaced any parts that are cracked or broken you should store it well. The best way is in an airtight plastic bag. This will prevent any insects and stuff like that to get inside and clog up the open areas. This can occur when its sitting for a length of time, hence out of the camping season, in your garage! Then once the camping season is back and you are ready to get into it again, your camping lamp will be pristine and as clean as it was after you finished iving it the once over.

If the lantern that you have is a fuel one then you need to empty the fuel tank before you put it into storage. The fuel can build up in the tank and then your lamp will run much less efficiency.

So, keep your camping lantern clean, and you will find that it will last longer, and run more effectively, giving you a lot more light!

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• Solar panels that utilise the energy from the sun. Each lantern comes with a small solar panel that you can let charge during the day.
• Each solar camping lantern has a battery back up in case your power runs out, therefore you won’t be left in the dark. However the batteries are usually low voltage so they are a little bit better for the environment.

Solar camping lanterns have a long life, and that makes them a pretty good investment. But you also need to know the negatives. of course, carrying around a solar panel, no matter how small, is always a pain. If you are a hiker, then it probably isn’t a great idea as you usually want a little weight as possible. However, for a large group of people or a family going camping it may be a good idea. If you are taking a car with you, then you will be able to carry a solar panel with you without any problems, and help the environment. So, as you can see, it really depends on what type of camper you actually are, as to whether a solar camping lantern is the choice that you want to make.

Some solar camping lanterns have a motion sensor attached. Think about the actual great uses for this. if you want to get up and go outside and go tot he toilet, you don’t need to fumble around for the lantern, your solar camping lantern will actually turn straight on for you. This is a good addition, however, as we can imagine,means the whole thing is a littl bulkier.

So we can see, that this kind of lantern definitely has its up, but also its downs. It is not for everybody, but could be a very sound investment for people that can afford to take extra baggage, as it is a renewable power source and this will increase longevity. Take into account what kind you actually need, and think about whether this is an investment for you.

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