I was using my Micro Uco lantern last week in my new MLD Trailstar. I found that it provided a nice glow during the long evening - not enough to read but enough to make a brew and also makes a nice overall atmosphere as it's less harsh than LEDs.
UCO lanterns?
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Yeh I'd be interested in hearing about the oil insert. Does it give off more light. Can the landers be used in a small hiking tent. It's got a good ventilation system in it.
I was thinking that too. I could use the micro to mark my pitch. Tea lights cost nothing so you wouldn't have to worry about the cost too much.I left one burning in my snow coffin in Norway so I could find my way back during heavy snow.
I seem to have acquired a few of these over the years, including a nice Brass one and a couple from REI.
The brass one is too heavy to carry about so my wife uses it for car camping.
I have to say that I've had none of the problems listed here and have not broken one yet, although I can understand that you could.
I think the light is simply better OK its not as bright as my headtorch or a host of small LED lamps that are now available, its a gentle light, something good to settle into camp with.
I use a reflector made of foil next to the glass which make it more directional, but its no spot lamp.
The brass one is too heavy to carry about so my wife uses it for car camping.
I have to say that I've had none of the problems listed here and have not broken one yet, although I can understand that you could.
I think the light is simply better OK its not as bright as my headtorch or a host of small LED lamps that are now available, its a gentle light, something good to settle into camp with.
I use a reflector made of foil next to the glass which make it more directional, but its no spot lamp.
I use my one in a small tent. your use more 02 than a candle.
the oil burner looks good, be cheaper than candles to run.
Rik I thought you like all shiny burny things.
I do, just UCO lanterns don't float me boat, I do though use beer can/tea lights from time to time if a beer drinker is with us, I'm off beer completely now.
i got one, not a uco one but very like it. I use it in a tent for a bit of light, make enough when really dark to see what your doing, i dont read by it. find it good. will dig a pic out.
Hi phil
Did that lamp come with an insert to burn parrafin? i recall seeing a lamp like that a while ago that came with an insert but for the life of me i cant remember where
my uco broke and i found the candles a little expensive now i tend to use a jam jar with a paracord handle and a tealight
No parrafin burner. Candle did, takes uco ones and ones of those sizes. got it from survival aids back in the 80s.
The reason i got this one was, all metal, brass so no rust, better top. Cant remember who made it and not seen them new for years. survival aids use to sell a few different candle lamps at the time.
Why pay £20 for a new one, I have picked up two of mine from car boot sales for only a couple of quid.
I would be interested to know where to get a mould from to make my own candles though!
I would be interested to know where to get a mould from to make my own candles though!
I like my UCO lantern. The oil lamp insert is available here http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/uco-oil-bottle-insert-for-9-hour-candle-lantern-764-p.asp (no connection, just a frequent customer). Works well but you have to be careful not to overfill it, or it will leak in use. It provides more light than a candle. +1 for adding a reflector which provides much more light and I use mine to read by okay. I think I got mine from Bob at BackpackingLight. I prefer the ambiance of a flame to a LED, but LED is the way to go when you need light for anything more than general background light. The build quality of the micro-lantern isn't great to be honest, but adequate, and handy as a marker light to find your way back to your bivvi in the dark after you've wandered away for a pee or whatever. I once wandered away from a lea-litter hut to get something from nearby and only just remembered in time to mark the position of the hut so that I could find it again (dark night, find a thing made of natural materials in a wood, not as easy as you might think and potentially disastrous! I like the tea-lite option so you don't have to worry about falling asleep and draining the batteries of a torch, although I'm not advocating sleeping next to an unattended flame of course. But a few spare tea-lites weigh very little and you can easily carry enough for a couple of weeks away. On the whole I think that these lanterns are useful and have a place in my kit.
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