There are several types of gas lantern. They are chiefly used to produce light when you do not have a battery light or access to an electrical socket. In fact, they are most often used for emergency situations, when the power goes out at home, when you are camping or sitting in the garden later in the evening. They offer much more light than most torches and they are handy because you can stand them on a table, carry them, or hang them up.
There are quite a few models of gas lantern. However, they differ not only in design, but also in the type of fuel they burn. Some people like the old fashioned style kerosene or paraffin lamps. They like the design, the historical facet and possibly even the smell.
Their advantages are that the fuel is cheap and easy to come across. However, their disadvantages are that they smell and are very hazardous if knocked over. The storage of surplus paraffin or kerosene is also a grave hazard, should a fire break out.
If you want one of these old style kerosene lanterns, they are widely available at camping, army surplus and hardware suppliers. If you are going to use them for emergency lighting, it is best to have four or five on hand, clean and ready to fill.
The wicks should be trimmed and the glass clean. Keep them in plastic bags to stop dust building up on them. Keep one already filled with kerosene so that you can fill the others by its light. It is safer and less wasteful this way.
However, the modern equivalent of the kerosene lantern is the propane gas lantern. Propane gas lanterns burn with a very clean flame, which is also quite hot, so it does warm up its immediate surroundings, possibly to a distance of a foot or two. Therefore, it can keep faces warm on a cool evening in the garden.
Propane gas lanterns are fueled by gas canisters. They come in various sizes from quite small to large, but the gas does burn for a long while. The small canisters are best for emergency use and the larger ones for use on camping trips or in the garden. They are relatively cheap, are clean to burn, provide some heat, are light weight and are very safe.
On the safety side of things, it is obviously very important that you follow the manufacturer’s directions when using any kind of gas lantern, because they are all a potential fire hazard, especially when camping in a wood.
Make yourself acquainted with the operation of the lantern you decide to use before you have to use it. The gas lantern may get hot so be careful with it and get used to lighting it in the daylight so that you know what you are doing, when you need the gas lantern for real. One last tip, if you are taking a propane gas lantern on a camping holiday, take enough canisters with you. The supplier should be able to let know you how many hours they will last for the use you are going to put them to.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with the propane outdoor heater. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.
