Buschcraft by candlelight....

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.

Bowlin

Full Member
Nov 19, 2013
167
0
Luton, Bedfordshire
Having recently done my first "Boonesque" night out I thoroughly enjoyed having my camp-site lit by candlelight, however, I only had tea tree lights available so they only lasted about 3-4 hrs each.

I'd like some help/advice from those who regularly use candles please. I keep seeing the UCO candle lantern mentioned on BCUK and YouTube, now I don't want the lantern but I would be interested to hear whether anyone knows if the UCO candles last the advertised 8-9 hrs when used without the lantern?

If they do I might pick myself up some.

Cheers

Steve
 

Big Stu 12

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 7, 2012
6,028
4
Ipswich
Hi Steve,

I use the UCO laterns and like the candles, and they do last, but they are expensive,

Try the 9 hr tea lights, they are cheap as well.

I also have a Bushlite but dont like taht
 

Tomcoles

Settler
Jul 21, 2013
537
0
Buckinghamshire
I have a uco lantern and there the dogs. What don't u like the whole lantern idea there great. The wind doesn't effect them and last all night


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

DocG

Full Member
Dec 20, 2013
869
123
Moray
For the cost of the "specialist" candles, you could get hundreds of tea lights (literally) or packets of domestic "power cut" type that last several hours, both available at supermarkets. Personally, I'd save my money for more fun toys.

I found 30 citronella tea lights at the Co-op reduced to £1.00 recently = light and insect repellent all in one.

Sales at trendy shops also feature candles that last all night and feature what appear to be 1950s backing track scents as an added bonus (ylang-ylang :eek:)
 

Bowlin

Full Member
Nov 19, 2013
167
0
Luton, Bedfordshire
Try the 9 hr tea lights, they are cheap as well.

Didn't know there was such a thing Stu, cheers for that I'll seek some out.

What don't u like the whole lantern idea there great

Tom, I've nothing against the lantern, I just didn't think that lanterns fitted into the Boone/ Longhunter ethos, the guys I've seen just use candles. Stu perhaps you can comment on what (if any) lanterns they used in the period??

I found 30 citronella tea lights at the Co-op reduced to £1.00 recently = light and insect repellent all in one

Great idea, I wonder if they do these in the 9 hr versions? I'll have to shop around...

Cheers Gents.

Steve
 

Bowlin

Full Member
Nov 19, 2013
167
0
Luton, Bedfordshire
Cheers Stu, I agree that out on the trail I suspect that weight considerations would mean that a simple candle was used, however I might be tempted now I know lanterns were in use.

I shall have to 'road-test' Tom's one next month!!!

Cheers
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Prices do eight hour tealights, but I have some from their outlet shop that claim to last for 10hours. They were meant to be used in one of the old fashioned chafing set ups to keep coffee and tea pots hot.

Like these ones, 50 for under a tenner.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Prices-Se...ts-8-Hour-Burn-Tea-Light-50-Bag-/251492290338

They not only burn longer, but they burn cleaner too. I reckon it's worth the difference in price (no pun intended :) )

The ten hour max lights are these ones.
http://www.prices-candles.co.uk/pro...o.uk/products/productlist.asp?range=Household

I found a charity seller on ebay a fortnight ago selling Price's candles and pure beeswax sheets (that's what I bought) but I think they were cheaper than either my first link or the Price's own site link.
I'll check myebay and find their site.

cheers,
Toddy
 

fishfish

Full Member
Jul 29, 2007
2,352
5
52
wiltshire
i like to cutthe top off a redbull sized can and use that as a mould for a candle,butchers string works ok as a wick or buy some on evilbay,my red bull candles burn near 30 hours.

and what ever candle you use this is a cool lantern,cheap as chips used to be too,any jam jar will doand a bit of whitling!:
camp lantern. by fishfish_01, on Flickr
 
Last edited:

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
http://www.civilwarsutler.co.uk/products/personal-effects/tin-candle-box/

http://jas-townsend.com/lanterns-c-28.html

does that help :)

They did use laterns, and candles, but saying that they would all add to weight and kit carried, more likely to use rendered fat/oil lamps on the trail

Those certainly look period correct, although the title of the first link seems to indicate the Civil War period which was over 90 years later (nearly a century)

Last year about this time I had the good fortune to visit Daniel Boone's last home. From the tour and lectures given there I saw and learned a bit more about the candles and lighting (realize this was list last home and therefore near the end of his life and thus the most settled/civilized bit) There was indeed a candle box (a storage box for the candles; not a box for lit candles) I seems that while candles were used as we all imagined it was rarely; even at home. Probably never on the trail. They were just too expensive. The basic lifestyle was to simply finish up work before dark so that the firelight was enough to get by on until a very early bedtime.
 
Last edited:

Big Stu 12

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 7, 2012
6,028
4
Ipswich
Those certainly look period correct, although the title of the first link seems to indicate the Civil War period which was over 90 years later (nearly a century)

Last year about this time I had the good fortune to visit Daniel Boone's last home. From the tour and lectures given there I saw and learned a bit more about the candles and lighting (realize this was list last home and therefore near the end of his life and thus the most settled/civilized bit) There was indeed a candle box (a storage box for the candles; not a box for lit candles) I seems that while candles were used as we all imagined it was rarely; even at home. Probably never on the trail. They were just too expensive. The basic lifestyle was to simply finish up work before dark so that the firelight was enough to get by on until a very early bedtime.

As far as Period Correct goes, not a lot would have changed in that time, equipment would have been sparse, due to lines of communication, and travel/trade would have been slower so its quite safe that to go with that time frame,bearing in mind Boone died in 1820's and the civil war stated in 1860's so only 40 years difference in the period.

I may be wrong but hey ho........
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Pine splints burn like candles. They only last about 20 minutes though.....you can make an awful lot from one pine tree however :D

M
 

Big Stu 12

Bushcrafter through and through
Jan 7, 2012
6,028
4
Ipswich
Pine splints burn like candles. They only last about 20 minutes though.....you can make an awful lot from one pine tree however :D

M

And you get a lot of light and heat if you light the bottom of the tree.....:)

Sorry Marry... I could not resist that.. :)
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
As far as Period Correct goes, not a lot would have changed in that time, equipment would have been sparse, due to lines of communication, and travel/trade would have been slower so its quite safe that to go with that time frame,bearing in mind Boone died in 1820's and the civil war stated in 1860's so only 40 years difference in the period.

I may be wrong but hey ho........

Yes, but it's just what 40 years it was that matter. Boone's period was essentially the at the end of the colonial era whereas the Civil War was, as Lincoln put it, "Four score and seven" later, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. I know, that's more by about double than the 40 year period between Boone's death and the Civil war, but the longer period is what defines the two eras.

It included the rise of the factories (as opposed to individual blacksmiths) and the first instances of mass production. The biggest example being an order the Army placed for 10,000 rifles with interchangeable parts (where before, they had been individually made and replacement parts would have to be made to fit) And said rifles had gone from flintlock in Boone's day to percussion fired before the start of the Civil war and on to repeating weapons with loaded cartridges before the end. Not to mention the rise of the steam engine paddle wheelers and the railroads.

As I said though, the bits in the link certainly appear to be more period correct to Boone's time.
 
Last edited:

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE