The Northstar was the brightest of all the lanterns that we tested. It puts out 1500 lumens on the highest setting and consumes a lot of fuel in the process. One 16 oz canister of propane lasts about four to five hours on high and about eight hours on medium to low. It is fully adjustable and can be set lower if you are trying to conserve propane.
It turned out to be such a pain to use, that I don’t use it much anymore. I have the Northstar edition, and it comes with an electronic igniter, but it didn’t work right out of the box. It didn’t want to make a spark, so I bent the electrode down to make the gap smaller. That helped a little bit, but it still had a hard time igniting the propane. The other thing to notice is the the color of the light. The gas lantern gives off a very warm yellow light.
If you come across any vintage mantels (the little sock like element that glows when the lantern is lit) I would pick these up. The old ones went out of production as they are radioactive and were deemed dangerous to manufacture. The danger posed by them for users is very minimal however (just don’t eat them, you rube), and they burn brighter and hold up longer than new ones. That said, if you are squeamish about them, the new ones work just fine. The Coleman rechargeable lantern is the biggest and heaviest of the rechargeable lanterns that I reviewed for this project. It is a fine lantern for car camping where space and weight are not a concern, but definitely not for any lightweight camping adventures.
These Rayovacs are a good, long lasting battery, but are also affordable. You could spend more on name brands like Energizer or Duracell, but I think these work just fine. The batteries I bought are Rayovac High Energy D cell batteries from Walmart for $5.97 a four pack. I needed two of these, so that costs approximately $12 per refill. For this test, I used a Canon D6 DSLR camera mounted on a tripod. I used manual settings to keep the exposure the same for all three lanterns.
Protecting the glass dome is a wire metal cage with a handle attached and a metal lid that screws on and off so that you can remove the glass dome when the mantle needs replacing. Beta Test Program memberships are available for purchase only on The membership fee is published on the Site and is subject to change from time to time in Ace’s sole discretion. Your membership is returnable for a full refund of the purchase price within forty eight (48) hours of purchase.
It’s human instinct to want the safety and security of illumination. Coleman made the L220 (above) and L228 (below) for a short time in 1928. To accommodate the pump, which is mounted into the center of the fount, the fuel pickup tube had to swivel for removal (below the 2nd set of threads). Note the air tube along the left side of the fuel pickup tube, which is necessary for the Instant Lite feature. Coleman made this model for their Sunshine Safety company (post 1923). It has many of the same parts as Quick-Lite Model L327.
Compared to these classic lanterns, your modern LED lantern is a toy–and toys are for kids. So it’s time to get a real lantern–and become the coleman lantern master of your campsite–and a master of the night. The propane lantern is so hot, that all the bugs that flew into it, instantly died.
Coleman RVs have been around for half a century, and since then, the Coleman Lantern travel trailer has become one of North America’s most popular RV travel trailers. Coleman Lanterns are built with quality in mind, and they provide amenities that set it above and beyond. See our selection of Coleman Lantern RVs today at your local Camping World dealership and online.
These lamps, notably ‘The Efficient’ Pendant Arc lamp No. 6, were manufactured by Irby & Gilliland in Memphis, Tennessee. Note to readers with old lanterns hanging around in their basements—Wilmot says the glass globes alone can go for $75 on eBay, if they’re rare varieties. coleman canopy The correct, original globes add the special touch to old lanterns, and Wilmot has been known to buy a rummage sale lantern just to source the globe. He uses them too—he brings at least two lanterns on each camping trip, and rotates through his collection trip to trip.
Press the pump handle down and lightly place your finger over the hole in the end. If the pump raises, you need to clean or replace your check valve. This product is not cheap, especially if you purchase a case (which we recommend), but it is bright. It is made from quality parts and works well for car, RV, and cabin camping. We used it practically every night for over ten weeks and didn’t have any problems. The plastic base is not very durable nor does it stay on when you lift the lantern by its handle.