Gas Lamps

[Ukdave2002]

This year will be our first year caravanning, 20 years ago we used to camp mainly in France, and still have all the equipment. Rummaging through our camping trailer to see what may be of use in the caravan, I came across some gas lamps. As a kid it used to be my job to fit and commission the mantle and light the lamps.

Does anyone still use gas lamps for outside lighting? I like the idea of a real flame, (nostalgia?)but can see the practicality and weight gain of using led lamps probably wins these days?

 

[otherclive]

Ive still got a mantle gas lamp that I take camping, but also have a couple of LED rechargeable lanterns for use in the tent as the gas lamp doesn't charge my phone too well. But as you say there is something nice about a real flame apart from the noise!

 

[Jcloughie]

Very romantic.

My first thought was, are the mantles still avvailable? Seems like the are,



About the cost of an LED lamp.

(A very quick search so perhaps cheaper elswhere).

John

 

[otherclive]

Mine is a camping gaz lamp not quite back to the era of caravan gas lights and foot pumps.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Oh yes..

Gas lamps the constant hiss, the warm glow, A pleasant nostalgic light, but hopelessly inefficient, and produce a lot of heat.

Each one consumed between 100 to 150W of energy but only put out 150 to 200 lumens of light energy. By comparison that would be about the same as a 20W filament , 15W Halogen, 10Wflourecent, and 5W LED.

There were also several risks. If they are starved of copious fresh air, the mantle starts to burn gas quite poorly, capable of producing high levels of CO. There were incidents of caravanners having CO poisoning when they blocked the draughty ventilators!

If the mantle is damaged it can release long flames that could ignite dust on the fitting or even possibly reach the wooden walls of a caravan.

As with so many things there may be applications where a mantle is good solution, but these days there are probably cheaper and far more efficient alternatives for most people.

 

[Paullus1959]

I vividly remember some of the static caravans we stayed in during the sixties and seventies having gas lamps.
I also have two Coleman lanterns, a single mantle, a Dual-Fuel Powerhouse with two mantles, and a Camping Gaz one. I bought the single mantle way back in the early eighties and was the primary lighting source while camping, for years. I still use them in the garden to add a bit of ambience to BBQ's. I only recently found out that the very expensive Coleman Fluid recommended for these lamps is actually Naptha and I bought ten litres of the stuff for less than the cost of one litre of Coleman Fluid.
The hissing sounds and the smell bring back wonderful memories.
Thank you for the reminder.

 

[Mickyjb]

I have a Camping Gaz lantern - using the resealable cylinders - that I still use outside (which includes in the awning) as a means of reducing battery draw when off-grid.
I was talking to a member of the Historic Caravan Club, at a country fair where they were exhibiting, and the limiting factor for the use of gas lights is now the cost (and fragility) of the mantles. As Jcloughies' post shows ~£16 to £18 per mantle is a lot considering the likelihood of their survival on todays roads.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Still got a brass Tilley lamp!!

Useful for night time beach fishing (wrap a pastie in tin foil and plonk it on the top, warms it up a treat )

 

[Ukdave2002]

I found a couple of full 901 cylinders, together with some 4ft extension poles for the lamps, so will give the lamps a bit of a renovation and hopefully take them with us. After a bit of shopping around I found mantles for about 30p each if you buy in bulk, so even if they don’t last too long , not the end of the world!

 

[Jcloughie]

I found a couple of full 901 cylinders, together with some 4ft extension poles for the lamps, so will give the lamps a bit of a renovation and hopefully take them with us. After a bit of shopping around I found mantles for about 30p each if you buy in bulk, so even if they don’t last too long , not the end of the world!

30p! Better bargain than the £18 I found. I would grab a load a load and put them, on eBay for say £15.

😀

John