I always use them
I would use them while I am awake to
keep an eye on them. But LED/battery lanterns have gotten so good that I don’t think I will ever bother with a candle lantern again.
nope but
– Last Updated: Nov-16-09 6:55 PM EST –
Uco just came out with the Flip
http://candlelantern.com/ledtorch.html
You can use it upright or rotate the light so it goes through a convex diffuser lens.
Worked great this weekend in a canvas winter tent.
This light is NOT a flame..its a LED.
I have both
I have the UCO candle lantern and a Black Diamond Apollo. I’d never use the UCO in a tent but the Apollo is to bright in the tent. I usually just tuck the head lamp in the mesh shelf at the top and it lights up the whole tent.
The UCO is awesome and I take it with me every time. it’s perfect for almost everything and just feels cozy. The Apollo is super bright but the light is harsh.
-James
http://www.adventurecanoe.com
burned hole in tent…
– Last Updated: Nov-16-09 5:20 PM EST –
Not me.... the fellow I was paddling with this past Oct.
We each had our own tents. When temps got a bit nippy up in Maine, he tried to use his candle lantern to help keep warm.
He balanced it on the floor of his tent...the wax melted unevenly and spilled onto the tent floor burning a whole in it. Fortunately the flame never came in direct contact with any fabric.
I had no idea that he would try such a thing. Besides the more obvious, burning fabrics can give off nasty toxins.
I like candles ok on paddling trips and have used them to help start a campfire if needed... but never a candle in the tent for me.
undecided
I picked one up this summer when an experienced expedition paddler told me that he has used them hanging from the top of his tent to take the chill off in cold climates. He claimed that they can easily raise the temp in a tent 5 degrees.
Haven’t tried it myself yet. I guess I’m a little nervous.
NOT IN tent, but outside is great!
candle lanterns provide a nice subdued natural looking light, perfect for navigating around guylines or eating at dark…
candle lanterns with the bug repellent candles are great in summer… i light one and leave it near tent on the ground(but far enough away that it can’t contact fabric or ignite it)… drives off the bugs long enough to get into tent after blowing it out…
also, for winter camping, tents with large enough vestibules - i leave 1/2 the vestibule open, and just place the candle under the open part… again, far enough away from any fabric that it won’t start on fire, and on the ground… the radiant heat can really dry out condensation and dampness in an enclosed area, such as a tent… i don’t mind cold dry air, but cold damp air tends to lock my joints up…
however, i always have mine on the ground in case of tipovers, and far enough away from any fabric that if it does tip, it won’t come anywheres near any fabric. They do kick out a lot of heat through the top vents, so be sure any fabric is far enough overhead to not be an issue…
I have a few and Do use in a tent …
– Last Updated: Nov-16-09 6:20 PM EST –
You guys would be surprised how a UCO will remove the condensation from inside the tent in cool to cold weather. I have a Cabela's 4 man Alaskan Guide tent that I use as a one man hotel. I hang the candle about a foot from the peak and just about close it and leave it going all night. There is little heat benefit from it, but Like I said, it removes any condensation from the top. Now this is a fairly large tent with the ceiling about 4 1/2 ft. high and about 9 ft.octangular that I use strictly as a solo tent.. (Jsaults has seen it) the candle doesn'
t put off much heat from a little more than a foot away. I've thought about buying a diffuser from Campmor, but I just use some foil instead. I wouldn't do it in my MSR tents, but for the Cabela's tent, it works great. And like nightswimmer(who now has a much sought after yellow one) I hang them from my parawing
Not in a tent
but I like using one outside. As a continuous low level light source, I like it better than an LED lamp or one of those Coleman monstrosities. And in places where campfires are not allowed, it adds a little warm glow. Used mine for that reason in the Channel Islands last week. Doesn’t kill your night vision either.
Inside my tent? Yes, for years.
Not often when backpacking because of weight but always when kayak camping and it really does help with condensation.
I light it and hang it from the ceiling about an hour before going to bed and I do extinguish it before going to sleep but it makes a nice light to read by (I use the aluminum top thingy that directs the light down).
My tent is always well vented whether I’m using a candle lantern or not.
Don’t use it IN a tent
– Last Updated: Nov-16-09 6:40 PM EST –
Don't use any open flame inside a tent. There are so many ways that that could get out of control in a bad way.
Anyway, I thought they were kind of silly but I've changed my mind.
What they are quite nice for is ambient lighting (outside, of course) in the campsite. They also provide some of the ambiance that a fire does without the same hassle.
A lot of alternative ambient lighting is much too bright.
Used one
in a MSR Hubba Hubba for months. Hung it on a piece of twine about four inches below the top of the tent. Was great, never lit myself on fire… Hit my head on it a few times, but it goes right out. Enough ventilation in a well set up three season tent to not have to worry about CO2 poisoning or what not. Helps dry out damp clothes after a long day…
I wouldn’t really call it an open flame
since it is in glass and all…
used one for years
– Last Updated: Nov-17-09 8:48 AM EST –
It does require some thought to hang it far enough from the walls/ceiling so that the heat isn't a problem. I've had to rig suspension lines in my tents.
Nice warm light and a bit of heat.
Me too.
Never had a problem hanging my candle lantern from a loop in my tent. Just the thing for playing cards.
Works well
Inside the tent.
It takes the chill out of the air, removes some of the moisture, solves the little flies issue, gives an OK light.
I have had a tent fire with a Coleman Lantern in a bell tent and five of us scrambled for our lives. Damage was in the thousands but Her Majesty paid for all the stuff that was damaged, she owned it anyway.
These little candles are fine and a tent is not a plastic bag so you won’t suffocate.
Enjoy… $5.00 Great deal, if you don’t use it give it to someone that kayaks or canoes in colder clines.
Christmas is coming.
A little common sense goes a long way
– Last Updated: Nov-17-09 10:45 AM EST –
Once again, there's sure a lot of use of the phrase "don't ever do this" here. Sure, if you set the thing on the floor, sooner or later you will knock it over (especially if you have the most-popular brand, which is skinny and very top-heavy, and in that case I think the lesson will be good for you!). Hang it where you might bump it and sooner or later you will, and once again you got what you deserved. So yes, DON'T DO THOSE THINGS, but that's not the same as saying "never" use one inside your tent.
Common sense is much more rare than its name would imply, but all one needs to do is think a little and that should no longer be true. I've hung a small oil lamp (in principle, it's just a highly sophisticated candle lantern) inside the tent with no worries. The first six to eight inches of the tether is non-combustible, and I hang it far enough from the ceiling and/or wall to elimate any chance of heating up the fabric, yet close enough to the far end of the tent that the only way to bump it would be to deliberately reach up with my foot and kick it, but then, why would I choose to do that?
Of course, a lot of times I hang the thing outside the door.
In actual fact, I usually don't need long-term lighting in a tent, in which case I just use headlamp, but there are times when a candle lantern (or miniature oil lamp) is nice to have. Also, I've NEVER seen a candle lantern or oil lamp quit working, which is something I can't say for ANY brand or style of LED light I've owned.
Also, mine has an led light
in the base of the candle lantern so if I wake up during the night and need a light, instead of fumbling around for my headlamp, I can just reach up and turn on the led. Mine was a retrofit but I think they’re sold with them installed now.
All that fuss for a candle???
Carbon monoxide? Give me a break! The tent wall is barely enough to stop the water from coming in and you guys worry about AIR going out???
Fire? Jeez! The candle is INSIDE a glass enclosure with only a tiny bit of openning to let air in/out. As soon as you tip it over, it goes out (like all candles). The lantern itself is mostly cool enough to hold with your hand, except the very top part next to the flame.
Yes it’s silly to sit it on the tent floor. Not so much for fire danger. But you’re bound to knock it over and be left in the dark. And if you’re going to hang it from the roof of the tent, leave a bit of room on top for the heat to disperse. What I do is leave the string attached either to the tent or to the lantern.
Oh yes, light the candle OUTSIDE the tent and put the glass enclosure on before bring it inside. NOT trying to light it IN the tent!
I’ve been using it for about 20 years.
Yes, not exactly open
People are free to do anything they want. I’m just not recommending it.