There was no other Civil Defense material with the lanterns or the mil-spec boxes they came in. Refillable fuel lanterns seem to be getting more and more scarce – people love their LEDs. However, you can get lanterns that take a Coleman propane tank to save yourself on the filling and pumping efforts and save space on a fuel can.
If you have no previous knowledge of the lantern you are working with, or if you do not know how long it has been sitting, please perform each step. This will help you confirm that your lantern is safe to use, and that it functions as in should. If you need to make any repairs, I will provide links to other sections of this website. Coleman made this inverted lantern for military trial. A similar lantern was made by The Mantle Lamp Co. of America.
This test is where the propane lantern shines…literally. Putting out 1500 lumens, it is the brightest of the three. Then it was the gas lantern at 860 lumens, followed by the LED at only 360 lumens. The LED battery powered lantern is the one you should get. After a full season of use, this is the lantern that I always grabbed when I needed light. My second favorite lantern is the gas powered one, and coming in third place is the propane powered lantern.
This lantern, in Dean Dorholt’s collection, is date stamped April 1929 (lower image). The L220 lantern above came with a Coleman reflector that appeared in the 1920 Coleman Parts Catalog 27 (no part number). The reflector was designed for the earlier LQ lantern but also fits in L220 and L228 models. The spring steel reflector rests against three of the uprights and the shiny inner surface reflects light from the mantles. The ventilator and mica globe were removed for this image. Coleman made the Model 200A for 32 years beginning in 1951.
The hard plastic carrying case has two sides that fold down so that the lantern can be easily packed for travel. Coleman made this model for their Sunshine Safety company (post 1923). It has many of the same parts as Quick-Lite Model L327.
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, coleman sleeping bag 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 embossed ventilators date it to 1922 or later. But I was intrigued–and ready to check out some new camping gear. After a year of use, I found myself always grabbing the LED lantern when I needed light, and for many reasons. It is really just a big flashlight with an on off switch. You don’t need to find a propane tank, or look for a funnel and a gas can.
This is me documenting my quest to design the quietest soundproof box for portable generators. I did a lot of research and put some science into this design. Don’t forget to check out my other articles, like Pop Up Camper Canvas Replacement. Also check out the Best Lake Reviews On The Web.
This one, in Patrick Fay’s collection, is dated April, 1948, and has the original globe on which Coleman appears in large faint green letters. This was the last version to have a nickel plated brass fount and the pump is held in by two small screws, not a spring clip. The brass sided, green painted fount is also characteristic of that time.
The valve wheels on these lanterns are brown plastic and there is no decal on the side of the fount. So far we have only seen the CANADA stamping under the collar on Coleman – Wichita made 237s from the first half of 1954. Coleman continued making the 242C lantern until December, 1950, even though they were making the new Model 200 above. The steel parts may have been a way to use up surplus parts.