Customer Reviews

Coleman One-Mantle Compact Propane Lantern

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this lantern- good light output, compact and comes w/ carrying chain. One drawback- it's very hard to find mantels for. I visited 5 local stores to find replacement mantels, before I finally found them at Kmart. I recommend buying mantels when ordering this product (to save money on shipping) or check availability locally first. Coleman Mantels #51

This single mantle lamp provides plenty of light, runs for more hours than I counted on a 16 oz can, packs great and uses easily available mantles. I have two. Many department and sporting good stores carry replacement globes. Once used, all mantles damage easily. A single mantle lamp saves money.

I wanted a small lantern since all dual fuel/two mantle lanterns I've seen (except the one exponent model) are bulky and clumsy inside those cases. I've rarely needed a lantern to be on high but I wasn't sure if this was going to be bright enough at that setting. Well, it's brighter than I thought it was going to be and allows me to do everything I would I have done with a bigger lantern at an upper-middle setting.

Having a metal guard around the globe is great too. I store this (and the other one I have) with all my gear in a duffel bag and even though it gets shuffled around at times, nothing happens. The chain handle is also great for hanging it on a rope without having to untie that and feed it through the handle since either side can be detached from the globe.

Works as advertised. I also have a Coleman 2 mantle dual fuel lantern, and I love them both. Only giving it 4 stars because mine does not sit perfectly straight when screwed on the propane bottle.. meaning its a little off square. I am sure no one else has noticed, and it does not affect performance, but it bothers me enough that i hold back the last star. Sorry Coleman. Either way, its a great little lantern. The chain hadle is nice, long enough that you wont burn your hand when you are walking around the campground with it.

This is a great compact and economical lamp. It also plenty bright enough with just one mantle to illuminate a small campsite. The mantles were available at my local Wal-Mart where I bought about 10 just in case they become harder to find later. It's a good buy.

It is difficult to determine which lantern is actually best for your camping needs. This model uses `slip-on' mantles and matches, meaning you have to fuss with strings, but it only weighs about one pound for backpacking. The single mantle is plenty of light for night use. For purists, this might be the best, but I purchased the "Coleman Northstar Instastart Tube-Mantle Propane Lantern", which has two mantles and they are the `clip-on' style, which is so much easier than tying on mantles. However, it does weigh about four pounds. For pure lightweight backpacking, I'd go with this model, but if you can stand three more pounds or are car-camping, I'd recommend the "Northstar InstaStart Tube-Mantle Lantern", which also has metal globe guards. Either way, Coleman is the best.

I have used Coleman lanterns and stoves for 35 years. I have never had a problem with any product that could not be fixed by a trip to a local hardware store. This little lantern is the best thing ever. We use several lanterns around the site and this lite does a great job and is very cheap and obviously packs well. Double mantle lites are great for doing surgery or reading fine print but this little one does fine for everything else!!!!!!

Overall, this lamp is awesome. For a signle-mantle unit, it really kicks out the light when you need it. It also runs for hours on end, as long as you are prudent with your settings. Why use full-bright when you can turn it to mid-range and let your natural night-vision make up the rest? We used one tank of fuel over 5 nights of camping, and I am certain that we had it on for at least 4 hours each night.

Fuel options for this unit aren't so great. You are stuck using the standard green Coleman 1lb cannister, which is very bulky (compared to other fuel containers of similar capacity). The fuel tank is bigger than the lantern! So far, I have not been able to find any compatible propane tank of a smaller capacity that would fit this. For a 2-night trip, a 1/2lb tank would be great, but only if it were half the container size of the 1lb tank. You can get away with using this lantern for backpacking, as along as you have someone who is willing to carry the fuel tank. If you are packing it solo, forget about it. Buy a candle or use a headlamp for your trip.

Again, it is not a weight issue with the fuel tank... just the size.

Attaching the mantle is not an easy job.
The holes in the mantle are small and are closed
with thread.
You have to spread the mantle open, slip it on
and then it gets caught up in the hardware.
I had to use a small pair of pliers to pull the mantle
down over the burner rod.

For me, it was a pain in butt.

My model is not the pizio ignition model yet the wires
for it are under the globe and are another obstacle for the
mantle installation.

Nimble fingers would be helpful.

I have camped with this lantern over a dozen times. Don't let the fact that it's a single mantle fool you. This little lantern really puts out a lot of light. I like it so much, that I am getting another one for a friend as a gift.