Candle recommendations

[uncleboob]

Okay, so I’ve been using a couple of the bushlite lanterns for a while and haven’t found decent candles for them yet.

They are supposed to use ‘standard’ emergency candles, I find these a big of a pain due to trimming down to fit etc etc...also the burn time on these isn’t great...probably 1-1 1/2 hrs...and there seems to be lots of molten wax leakage which makes for a messy tidy up when they’re done.

I’m thinking that a better quality candle might burn better, any recommendations?...or is it time to turn to the oil lamp on winter evenings?


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[Laurentius]

You could do worse than buy a uco lantern, they use their own proprietary candles, a bit pricy but they do last longer than ordinary household candles, I doubt if one would fit in a bushlite lantern though

 

[Tengu]

Why not make your own and have the pleasure of messing about with molten wax?

 

[MrEd]

I use a couple of uco lanterns but I make my own candles for them, using beeswax from my hives. Took a lot of faffing about to get the right wick for a proper burn but I got there in the end.

Will post some photos at the weekend, will get the stuff out. I made a mould from silicone and cast then candles in the that.
I use my uco lanterns a reasonable amount just because if like the softness of real candle light

 

[Oliver G]

+1 for the UCO lantern, I tend to pop it on the under-ridge line of my tarp and it gives me plenty of light, though if it's too windy put it on the deck with a windshield around it and that'll keep it going and reflect more light back at you. I'm fairly convinced the citronella candles work too.

 

[uncleboob]

I use a couple of uco lanterns but I make my own candles for them, using beeswax from my hives. Took a lot of faffing about to get the right wick for a proper burn but I got there in the end.

Will post some photos at the weekend, will get the stuff out. I made a mould from silicone and cast then candles in the that.
I use my uco lanterns a reasonable amount just because if like the softness of real candle light

Funnily enough I was thinking about wicks this morning. What I have noticed with the candles I have is that the wicks burn fast. So the wax melts and then just runs off rather than burning...ending in a messy pool. I think if the wicks were much better quality then the wax would burn more efficiently. Where do you source your wicks? Many thanks j


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[uncleboob]

You could do worse than buy a uco lantern, they use their own proprietary candles, a bit pricy but they do last longer than ordinary household candles, I doubt if one would fit in a bushlite lantern though

I did originally have a couple of uco’s, the tea light and the candle version, but switched to bushlites due to the ‘convenience’ of using a standard candle...as with most things it hasn’t proven straightforward!


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[uncleboob]

Why not make your own and have the pleasure of messing about with molten wax?

...I think this may be where this is heading!


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[uncleboob]

+1 for the UCO lantern, I tend to pop it on the under-ridge line of my tarp and it gives me plenty of light, though if it's too windy put it on the deck with a windshield around it and that'll keep it going and reflect more light back at you. I'm fairly convinced the citronella candles work too.

I’d agree with the citronella observation, certainly improved things when I used them


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[MrEd]

Funnily enough I was thinking about wicks this morning. What I have noticed with the candles I have is that the wicks burn fast. So the wax melts and then just runs off rather than burning...ending in a messy pool. I think if the wicks were much better quality then the wax would burn more efficiently. Where do you source your wicks? Many thanks j


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I pinch them off the wife who make candles for her market stall. Will ask who she buys them off. Flat braid or square braid and sized appropriately is the key.

a wick that is to large will burn to hot and you get a big melt pool, this photo show a candle in my uco that has a to large wick and causes



I haven’t yet found the ‘perfect’ wick for the uco for the ‘perfect burn’ but have found as good as I can be bothered to keep experiment with, technically I am doing it wrong because I am using a flat braided wick in beeswax which apparently should be used with a square braid wick. I dunno. I am
Not selling them so haven’t got into the minutiae if it all tbh

 

[lou1661]

I use Prices household candles in my Bushlite. They are slightly thinner than the ones I got with my Bushlite and need a thumb length trimming off the bottom to make them fit (always handy to have some wax soaked cotton wool pads for fire lighting) they last ages, never really timed it!
would I go back to a UCO lantern? Nope. The availability of useable candles in small shops everywhere does it for me (found appropriate sized ones in a small bush store in Namibia, try that with a UCO!)
Louis

Prices Candles

 

[Oliver G]

I've just been mulling over the option of oil candles which you could refill with lamp oil or whatever you can get which lights, the main hurdle I can think of is how to stop it spilling. You can get spill resistant wick holders but I wouldn't have a warm fuzzy feeling that my kit might not become significantly more flammable if I fall over.

 

[SaraR]

In addition to choosing the right size wick for the candle width and compositions, it's useful to know that wicks apparently have a "right side up". Not enough of an issue, since dip candles are made one in each direction on a U-bent length of wick, but it makes enough of a difference to perhaps be worth considering for lantern candles.

 

[uncleboob]

I use Prices household candles in my Bushlite. They are slightly thinner than the ones I got with my Bushlite and need a thumb length trimming off the bottom to make them fit (always handy to have some wax soaked cotton wool pads for fire lighting) they last ages, never really timed it!
would I go back to a UCO lantern? Nope. The availability of useable candles in small shops everywhere does it for me (found appropriate sized ones in a small bush store in Namibia, try that with a UCO!)
Louis

Prices Candles

Ill have a look at those, thank you. Do you get much mess and waste with these? I seem to spend more time chipping the hard wax off than I do enjoying the light!


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[uncleboob]

I've just been mulling over the option of oil candles which you could refill with lamp oil or whatever you can get which lights, the main hurdle I can think of is how to stop it spilling. You can get spill resistant wick holders but I wouldn't have a warm fuzzy feeling that my kit might not become significantly more flammable if I fall over.

Those are entirely a new proposition to me! I did consider swapping to using the small miners lamps which I imagine were made to manage a bit of tipping!


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[uncleboob]

I pinch them off the wife who make candles for her market stall. Will ask who she buys them off. Flat braid or square braid and sized appropriately is the key.

a wick that is to large will burn to hot and you get a big melt pool, this photo show a candle in my uco that has a to large wick and causes

View attachment 64061

I haven’t yet found the ‘perfect’ wick for the uco for the ‘perfect burn’ but have found as good as I can be bothered to keep experiment with, technically I am doing it wrong because I am using a flat braided wick in beeswax which apparently should be used with a square braid wick. I dunno. I am
Not selling them so haven’t got into the minutiae if it all tbh

Fantastic! It’s amazing the complexity and considerations of the basic candle! Appreciate the info, cheers j


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[uncleboob]

In addition to choosing the right size wick for the candle width and compositions, it's useful to know that wicks apparently have a "right side up". Not enough of an issue, since dip candles are made one in each direction on a U-bent length of wick, but it makes enough of a difference to perhaps be worth considering for lantern candles.

Is that to do with the direction of the thread once formed into the wick do you think?...I hadn’t realised that a dipped candle had a doubled over wick...wonder if that’s why it burns more efficiently?


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[Oliver G]

Those are entirely a new proposition to me! I did consider swapping to using the small miners lamps which I imagine were made to manage a bit of tipping!


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I think we may have to get advice from another industry save cobbling something together that could be dangerous. Step forward the Caterers!

We Can Source It Ltd - Reusable Chafing Dish Fuel - 6 Hour Burn Time - Relightable Wick - Non-Flammable - For Catering and Buffet - Cool Touch Container - 2 Pack : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen

Great prices on your favourite Home brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

With the added benefit of being able to warm your brew on top of the candle.

 

[lou1661]

Ill have a look at those, thank you. Do you get much mess and waste with these? I seem to spend more time chipping the hard wax off than I do enjoying the light!


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Not much waste. I will clean up my lantern and light it up this afternoon. Give you some idea of burn time and excess wax drips.
Louis

 

[SaraR]

Is that to do with the direction of the thread once formed into the wick do you think?...I hadn’t realised that a dipped candle had a doubled over wick...wonder if that’s why it burns more efficiently?


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Not sure why it makes a difference, but apparently it really does.

With dip candles, you take a long bit of wick and hang it in a upside down U-shape over a rod and then as you dip the two ends in the wax, each end forms one candle, so of course, that means that in one of the candles the wick will be the right way up, and in the other candle it will be the wrong way up.