Our Coleman rechargeable lamps died this year, so we had to leave them in a bin, somewhere in France. Now we only own an electric bulkhead light, which is a bit too bright and a bit too lacking in atmostphere, so it's time to splash out on something new.
I'm after a new lamp for outdoors and am tempted by the Coleman dual fuel, but also a bit worried that they'll be too huge and heavy, or too complicated, or dangerous. Can anyone give the benefit of their experience and advice, so I don't end up buying a white elephant?
We have the Northstar propane and absolutely love it. So easy to use, a really good light (can be adjusted as very bright on highest setting) and it also gives off a fair bit of heat. Its one of the best camping things we've bought.
------------- Thistledown Easter
Nantcol June
Domaine du Verdon Castellane and Etoile d'Argens Frejus Aug
I absolutely love my North Star dual fuel but they won't be for everybody. I would be weary of using one if I had kids running around for instance.
It also smells a bit when you turn it off as the vapours continue to evaporate instead of burning. I have to turn mine off and store outside the tent which is a bit of a pain last thing at night. I run mine on panel wipe so this may be different with a more conventional fuel.
It is most definitely sturdy and reliable. It also gives out lots of heat which is great. The light also has much more warmth than a bulb or LED lantern too which helps to create a really nice cosy atmosphere in the evening.
If you leave it on when you go to the loo you can absolutely guarantee you'll have no difficulty finding your way back in the dark. It's lit up like a massive chinese lantern visible from miles away!
Go for it. Either petrol or propane. You won't regret it
Thanks for the info so far. When you say it 'gives out lots of heat' do you mean the body of the lamp gets really hot? Do you have to put it on some sort of heat-resistant surface?
I use Coleman 2 mantle, it's a brilliant bit of kit, I usually use it outside under my tarp hanging from a pole but do sometimes take it inside my canvas tent although it will be turned down low if inside as it is very bright. At the end of the night I turn it out & switch to a small battery job while getting ready to turn in so it has time to cool before I sleep.
As for heat, it does get hot at top & handle will also become very hot if hanging, I tend to hang it high on a pole either inside or out ( I have a hook that clamps to centre pole when inside). I run it on unleaded or Aspen 4T & as I cook with a Coleman dual fuel it means I only carry 1 fuel type.
As regards safety I know people have lots of different views about gas or petrol but for me they are both the same:- must be treated with respect & precautions taken.
The only other thing I've found with mantle type lamps is I carry them in the car rather than the trailer because the trailer bounces more & I've had to fit new mantles on arrival before now as they are very fragile & have shaken to bits on the journey when in my trailer.
I run a Scout Group and we have about 10 twin mantle lamps. We bought them to replace Tilley lamps which run of paraffin and really are a pain to get lit. We expect our Scouts to behave responsibly when lighting and using petrol lamps and therefore we are happy that they are safe.
Performance wise these lamps are very good, controllable, and as stated before also give off heat. We do use our lamps inside mess tents but would never use them inside a confined space. They are generally easy to light and will last about 12 hours before needing a refill.
It is important to remember 2 things with Coleman lamps. 1. never store it for long periods with fuel in the tank and the generator. I'm not sure what the technical issue is but particles in the fuel can create blockages and after a while you will have to replace the generator. 2. to maintain good performance we use Coleman fuel in 1 tank in 5. This also helps to keep the generator clean.
I really like Coleman petrol lamps and would have no hesitation in recommending them.
------------- Nigel
March 2012 - Dove Meadows
6th July Moving to Hayle
I have one of each - Dual Fuel and propane. They're both equally superb for light, both give off heat, and both demand more respect than a battery lamp.
To choose between them, I suppose that it comes down to running costs and fiddliness. The petrol Dual Fuel is a lot cheaper to run than the propane, but is significantly more fiddly to start and keep running.
I'd be stuck to recommend one over the other, but will still definitely recommend them both over most battery powered lights.
We use a dual fuel twin mantle & its brilliant, also use it for sea fishing, as previously said it does kick out a bit of heat so thats why I made this.
Well, I've just taken delivery of my order; ordered a Coleman DUAL FUEL Northstar and 1 litre TIN of fuel, received a PROPANE Northstar and a BOTTLE of fuel!
Coleman dual fuel products will run for ever on unleaded, ask anyone on here who's had one for years, they'll all say not to bother wasting money on coleman fuel.
I would love one of the coleman lamps, but sadly they are out of my price range just now.
I have a coleman 424 dual fuel, double burner stove though. I got it 2nd hand from ebay, it was not very well looked after by the previous owner but it has performed faultlessly, even on the funny smelling French unleaded.
I found it used about 1 litre of fuel for every week of camping, & I did very little eating-out.
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Topic: Coleman Lamp
