I have a 30 yr old Coleman lantern that has traveled with me everywhere horse camping all those years. She’s trusty and I love her. However: The cost of fuel is killing me.
I see the LED lanterns but 4 D cells, and only 20 hrs of light??? That’s 2.5 nights of light. Come on - help me out here. What are my options please?
Thanks!!
The key with LED lamps is not to use them too long. They aren’t meant to be on ALL NIGHT unless you’re using the night light mode. I get lots out of my Energizer lamp and it only cost me twenty bucks. You can always get a crank lamp. Those are very efficient but you have to get a well built one as most of the ones I see are cheapo chinese stuff that the Discovery Store used to sell.
Do you leave lanterns on all night?
I’ve used tiki torches over night. The burning Citronella fuel helps keep away the skeeters and bugs. A friend recommended this. 2 torches per horse.
I don’t camp as much as you … : ) so I’ve not checked the cost. I use the Citronella oil in the torches. It’s about $5 a gallon ??.
It’s a nice soft light and if you can place them BEHIND the horses you can see silhouettes of horses when you check on them from camper/ trailer windows. (Place the torches between horses and tall grass/woods and far enough back from horses that they don’t knock them down!!) I found some torches with a dual steel pick at the bottom. Much better than the bamboo cane ones.
I have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. I keep a coffee can, funnel, and the torch canisters and spare wicks, along with the torch liquid, in the 5 gallon pail. The funnel lives in the coffee can. I can also use the torch fuel as a fire starter. I use the funnel to fill the torch canisters AND to empty the canisters back into the fuel container if there’s any left at the end of camping season.
I have a flourescent lantern. Sucks cuz it doesn’t work when it’s really cold. Runs on batteries, but lasts a long time because of the flourescent-ness.
There has to be a way to use solar panels to create power. I have a fence charger and it charges a 6 volt battery inside the box. So what we need are appliances that run on 6 volts rather than 12.
The other option is a power inverter and take a 12 volt marine, deep cycle battery. Many shop guys hook up old car radios to old car batteries using alligator clips. It looks easy - but again, an inverter is needed to use household wired stuff.
we have a cute LED rechargable light that’s long and skinny with hangars on both ends. We used it last week while camping, about 3 hours a night for 5 nights, it was fine. We also use LED headlamps that clip-on your baseball cap visor…so some nights I used that to read instead of the hanging light. The ball cap option is also easy to just keep by the bed/cot/sleeping bag LOL and grab if needed in a hurry.
I can’t see counting on leaving a light on all night 
and it lasting very long.
I have one of those emergency flashlights that you shake a magnet through a coil and it discharged to a led.
they are not great but keeps me from falling in the dark.
my little led headlamp allows me to read. I used it all summer and replaced the batteries a few times
gabz- yeah I leave the light on all night - I NEED to see my kids at night. :winkgrin: The Coleman has performed all these years, all night, in any weather: clear, 
cloudy, rain,:no: snow,:eek::no: sleet, hail. :eek:
I’ve seen the tiki method - I love the solar idea - it’s what we use on the rig…hmmm, time to Google that!!!
Where can you get the LED headlamp /clip on item? —and I’ll also look around for the TIKI torches, as I have a trip coming up. But I’ll bet they’re out of season most places—
thanks for the thread!
OMG! You’re one of those people who leave a lantern on all night driving other people nuts! My advice is to get over it, have some consideration for other campers. Put reflective collars on your horse and use a flashlight to quickly check that they are still there. Or these little blinky red led lights that will clip to the halter. I have to tell you that many, many people would be irritated as h*ll to find someone camping next to them who basicly sets up a security light. I love dark, quiet, wind in the trees at night.
I strongly suggest you save your fuel money and hang something on the horses.
Bonnie S.
Amen! put reflective collars on them and get a good flashlight. Unless you are camping somewhere super private (read you are the only one there) that nanny-light is ugly and unwelcome.
I’d say its 50/50 who likes my light and hurries to camp next to me 
(and my hubby that makes dinner for many folks at camp:D :D) and others who take a look at my rig and light and find “other accomodations.” :lol:
We all have our little quirks.
My horses are my precious.:yes: I keep an eye on them all night - I can do that cuz I’m not passed out in my rig. 'Specially like to keep an eye on the younger one who is new to the game of picket. Safe and happy precious!!!
So, see you at camp - I’ll leave the light on for ya. 
:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::winkgrin:
IIRC, white gas, when you can find it, is almost the same as Coleman fuel. My dad used to use it. And I remember hime swearing as he cleaned the orifices on the stove. But I digress. There are some debates as to whether it is good for Coleman stoves. Guess it really DOES clog them up! I suggest you google white gas. Best thought–Coleman fuel stores for a year. Buy it on sale and just eat the price.
One alternative is a Pet Light. I got mine at Wally World. It’s a little ball with a battery inside. You turn it on at night, and honest to Pete you can see the whole horse with this litte teeny light. I hang one off of each halter on the picket line.
When I go camping, I usually set up my portable corral near my trailer( sleep in my dressing room) The last time, I kept waking up to see my mare staring at the dressing room door(her paddock was about 6 feet from trailer). She tends to be nosy…hehe. I leave her halter on her and tie a glow stick to it from the throat latch area. Works great.
The glo sticks are okay… we’ve used them. DIfferent color for each horse.
“security” lights. That’s why I like the Tiki torches. They aren’t really bright enough to be annoying, but give you backlight so you can see silhoettes or go out and check without destroying your night vision.
DairyQueen - Have you shopped at the Coleman outlet store at Birch Run? It’s right off I-75, to the south. It’s in the SE corner of Birch Run outlet mall. I’ve picked up many items there for 1/2 price. Don’t go there expecting to find certain things… go there looking for a bargain because that’s where the overstock stuff goes. You never know for sure what there will be. : )
I also shop at Dunhams and with a Kroger, Blue Cross, or AAA auto card, you get 10% off your purchases - even if they are on sale. I Buy Camp Dri, coleman propane tanks, sport clothing, shoes, boots, etc.
Places to shop for the headlights are LL Bean. Top quality and reasonable prices and shipping.
I find Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, Gander Mountain & REI ridiculously priced for anything I need.
gabz - i haven’t been to Birch Run in a while - cost of gas dontcha know? :winkgrin: But sounds like I need to make a trip
These lights sound interesting:
http://www.21st-century-goods.com/page/21st/CTGY/SPTflashlight
Solar - use of the sun to light the night!!
I’m only 20 minutes or so from there. LOL… But if you go to the BR Horse Expo (March) … you spend 4 hours there (since it’s so small) and then have lunch and head across the road to the outlet stores.
Some gals get together and stay over Sat night and get a room at one of the motels in Frankenmuth. But for Xmas shopping BR is pretty good.
The 9100 model looks really good. Did you see all the added features? Am/FM radio, Weather channel, REMOTE & Motion Detector!!! (the horses can turn it on without you!!) 3 ways to charge… and that 6 volt battery? That looks like the same one my fencer uses… So I could use my fencer to charge a spare battery before I leave!! LOL…
Sometimes, in the woods, you don’t get enough sunlight. I would want to buy some spare batteries and charge them before a trip.
Here’s charge times.
32 hours for a full charge by solar panel in bright sunlight supplies 6 hours of power on HIGH, longer on LOW.
18-20 hours using the AC adaptor or 12V car plug for a full charge supplies 7 hours of power on HIGH, longer on LOW.
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