You need a camping lantern for the dark nights...

You need a camping lantern for the dark nights when you're camping. There are all kinds of them available and you should pick carefully with safety in mind.

Just like everything else related to camping and hiking and sleeping in tents, I love my camping lantern. Now I have to be honest with you, I've not tried every lantern on the market but I finally followed the advice of a friend of mine and I ended up buying what is known as a UCO candle lantern. These things are just the greatest thing since sliced bread! I really couldn't be happier with the way it works for me.

I realize that they may not be as bright as some of the gas powered lanterns but they are excellent value for the money. The first thing I like about the candle lantern is that they are a telescoping device so when you are on the move they can become very small and not too heavy. Secondly, they don't cost an arm and a leg. There are different brand names available but they'll generally be within a couple of dollars of each other.

I don't use these little camping lanterns for lighting up my campsite really, I let the fire do that, I use them to light up my tent! Now I know that many of you are saying to yourself that there's no way you should have a lantern of any type in your tent. I agree that there are hazards to consider when doing so, and I am NOT telling you that you should. What I am saying though is that I feel safe using candle laterns over any other type of camping lantern. Safe enough to let it burn all night in my tent. They use a specially formulated candle called a UCO candle. These things will burn for about eight or nine hours at which point they're finished. My experience is that they are dripless and essentially smokeless too. They're housed in the telescoping body of the lantern. There is a spring that pushes the candle up as it burns down, keeping the flame height adjusted automatically. The flame itself is enclosed in a glass tube with a steel top. Mine has a reflector that reflects light back down to the ground.

These little lanterns give off enough light that in my opinion you could read by it, but they're not so bright that if you wake up in the night it hurts your eyes to look at. They also seem to keep your tent warmer which is quite welcome when camping in the spring or in the fall and best of all, they seem to help combat the effects of condensation. When you breathe at night your breath condensates in the cool air making the inside of your tent more humid and even making your sleeping bag feel damp. When you use a camping lantern like these candle lanterns, that inconvenience seems to be avoided to a large degree.

I've only seen them avaiable at outfitters and specialty stores so if you're looking for one be sure to ask for a candle lantern that burns UCO candles.

There is another type of camping lantern that burn tealight candles. I've not tried it myself so I really can't comment on it. My sense is that it would carry the same benefits with regard to adding heat and battling condensation but I think that they would not burn as long and would require refuelling more frequently. The UCO candle lanterns will burn about as long as you sleep.

Of course there are any number of gas fuelled units available. They certainly give of a really nice bright light that is quite adjustable. The problem I have with this type of camping lantern is that they require cans of fuel. You have to pack fuel to bring with you and to be environmentally responsible you need to pack those cans out when you leave. They can add substantial weight to your load, especially if you're using a camping lantern from a department store, and are a compressed gas hazard no matter what. You will likely have cans of gas any way to do your cooking but why bring more than you need? These gases can be a particular hazard inside a tent and should never be used in a tent. We've all heard stories ranging from exploding tents to the oxygen within being displaced by the heavier gas and the occupants suffocating.

In my opinion, the only camping lantern worth using is the telescoping candle lantern and UCO candles. They're safer, theyrequire less packing and in fact your load becomes smaller as you use them. They add some heat to your tent and help to keep you drier when morning arrives. I'm not suggesting in any way that you should use them in your tent, I'm merely saying that I use them in mine and have had no problems with them. They're cheap, packable, warm, dry, lightweight, everything you want in good camping equipment.

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