Liquid fuel vs. propane bottles for lanterns and cook stoves

Waldog - September 26, 2021

I’m new to this website and just thought I’d throw in my two-cents worth.  I have noticed on most prepper websites there is a general disdain for “white-gas” lanterns and cook stoves.  I have been using Coleman lanterns and stoves for decades. (I guess I just leaked my age as a ole coot,  LOL!) I truly believe that liquid fuel light and cook sources are a better option for prepping.  Here’s my reasons why

1)  A double mantle Coleman gas lantern will provide you with about 40 hours of BRIGHT light per gallon of gas.  If you need light 4 hours per day, one gallon will work for 10 days.  Cost at Walmart is $7.64 for one gallon of Crown White Gas Camp Fuel.   One gallon of gas for a 2 burner Coleman gas stove will provide about the same time.  In order to achieve 40 hours of operation with 1 lb. propane bottles, that will require a case of 6 bottles at a cost of $45.00. Both Walmart, AND Amazon are sold out!  Propane lanterns and stoves are easier to light but, much less effective when they are operated in cold temperatures.  White gas is slightly different to light, not harder, just different.  And, white gas is not effected by cold temperatures.  One other positive note is that Coleman gas lanterns put out a LOT of heat!

2) Many people will be concerned about carbon monoxide  Anything that burns is going to give off CO.  The there will be no difference in CO between propane and gas lanterns and stoves.  Millions of homes have gas cooking ranges that are used daily with no ill effect.  You just have to use common sense.  When I was kid, we had a power outage that lasted about 4 days.  My Dad got out Coleman lantern and stove to use in our house. The lantern was shuffled between the living room and kitchen while cooking.  Although inconvenient, we had plenty of light and hot food.  No one got sick or suffered with CO due to the sized of the house and limited daily use.

3)   The older Coleman lanterns and stoves are a MUCH HIGHER QUALITY than what is available new.  I have found good serviceable lanterns and stoves at garage sales and antique shops.  I have purchased lanterns and stoves on eBay that were reasonably priced and just like new.  HOWEVER, over the last two years the prices on Coleman Lanterns has skyrocketed!  A run-of-the-mill Coleman 220 Lantern used to cost about $20.  Now, they are selling for $50+ with some collectible ones selling for several hundred dollars.  Coleman gas stoves are still pretty reasonable as most people want propane.  I outfitted all three of my kids families with multiple lanterns and stoves for their prepper/camping needs.  My son-in-law wanted nothing to do with a gas lanterns,  He felt they were dangerous and outdated, UNTIL my daughter used hers on a desert camping trip.  Now, he uses that lantern all the time and really likes it. He doesn’t have to deal with empty propane bottles and 1 gallon of Crown Fuel take up a lot less space.

4) Solar is wonderful but costly and bulky compared to gas lanterns.   I use solar on some of my HAM equipment. 

38  

My old white gas fueled Coleman two burner stoves have been retrofitted for propane.  more convenient and the fuel is safer to stockpile and store.

My lighting is all electric- either wall socket or solar panel.  Initial cost is significant, but cheaper to operate, especially  in the long run.  Also I can keep my phone charged easily

Living in sunny SoCal does have some positive factors….

 

Good afternoon Waldog,

Welcome to the TP.com forum. I’m sure you’ll find it a place for valuable information. Much, if not all, about prepping is discussed here.

Here, too, had been using Colement canterns and stoves for dcades. You didn’t need to tell me the quality has been reduced.

Why some preppers do not like white gas stoves and lanterns is because of the many variables now required of a prepper.

For sheltering in place with just 1 or 2 people there is no real problem. Other preppers must prepare for a vehicle evac. This can change the fuel cost comparisons. 

Some preppers with young children prefer use of pizeo-electric starters instead of a match or lighter.

In an open boat, there are other factors to consider. White gas stoves could be considered undesirable.

Some preppers will always be wearing thick gloves. What’s the best appliance for them ?

Now, for a F,LC (Feet, leather covered) evac … infantry style, the small hiking stove with 1 or 2 cartridges helps on both the weight and volume factors.

The variables are numerous.

Again, welcome to the forum and get comfortable with the subject matter presentations.  Plus, with some extra time there are the “kits” section and some others.

 

Thanks for the welcome Bob! 

I fully understand that everyone’s needs are different and I certainly respect their perspective.  I just wanted to add my two-cents-worth of information to anyone unfamiliar with liquid fuel options.  I’m 69 and most people I have met that are 50 and younger have never used a white gas lantern or stove and understood that there are different options besides propane.  Unless they are dedicated preppers and researched all options.  I just wanted to share a low cost way to provide light and a cooking source. 

Actually, pressurized KEROSENE lanterns are my personal preference but that’s an entirely different topic.  Be well, keep your powder dry and God Bless!

 

Good evening Waldog,

Forgot to ask; … does Coleman have any single burner stoves using the Coleman 16 oz propane cartridge ? Goal is to standardize fuel inventories to only the Coleman propane cartridge.

The old Coleman white gas stove they later added the aluminum container is gone away but the alum container houses my hiking stove using the various size Isobutane mixtures.

A couple of years ago I found an old supply of draw string mantles for the lantern.  They were in same waterproof can with couple of tubes of Harley chain greace. Like me, Harley slow learners and finally learned about drive shafts like BMW machines that out-performed the hogs.

When alone on an evac even if starting out in truck, my favorite stove is still a field jacket pocket fitting stove using a fuel tablet. A second tube of fuel tabs is space and weight conscious. Do need fire to start. A WP tube of WP matches is my choice. 

 

Check this one out : Coleman Gas Stove | Portable Bottletop Propane Camp Stove with Adjustable Burner.  They are quite common and available on a popular shopping website.  It’s not very compact and actually pretty tall.  Visualize a Coleman 1 lb propane bottle standing vertically with a single burner on top.  It doesn’t fit in any containers that I am aware of.  I hope this helps.

Be well!

 

Good morning Waldog,

Will check this stove on return this afternoon.

Thank you.

 

I see many preppers switching to or coming into prepping with electrical lanterns. No fuel to spill or leak, much less finicky with just a single button press to turn it on, and multiple ways to charge them. Some people swear by and are used to the old pressurized lanterns though and love the high light output that they produce. 

How durable do you find the mantles to be on your lanterns? Do you have a large store of these as part of your supplies?

 

I think I “reported” your post by accident!  I don’t know if that’s a bad thing or not. If it I goofed up, it was an honest error.

To answer your question about mantles; yes they are delicate and have to be changed periodically.  If your lantern doesn’t get banged around and is treated with the same respect you would give a kerosene lamp, your mantles should last quite a while.  I have had mantles in my lanterns that were a couple years old but, had only been used 4-5 times in that period and were still good.  The new Coleman mantles are pretty crappy and VERY DELICATE.  The best mantles are available on eBay; PEERLESS MANTLES PART # 2C-HG w/ THORIUM FORMULA REPLACES COLEMAN #21 MANTLES.  I think they come out of Canada.  They have a mildly radioactive element of Thorium.  That’s the reason Coleman doesn’t make them any more.  The thorium mantles are stronger and brighter than any other.  I recommend having a dozen or so with your stash if you use Coleman Gas Lanterns.

 

No worries! Thanks for letting me know.

Good tip on the more durable mantles and the potential radioactivity risk with them. When researching and looking into lanterns I learned about mantles, how fragile they are, and how if they are broken your lantern is useless. I didn’t know how fragile or how often you have to replace them, so thanks for sharing your experience. That is something I would stock up on, because as we are seeing today, there are shortages of all sorts of things lately.

Having a mantle gas lantern sounds like an excellent solution for a home base, but if trekking through the woods and moving around a lot, I would probably lean towards a wick burning or electrical lantern to have less shock waves going through a mantle. Do you feel that would be a fair solution or is it really not something to worry about as much as I am?

 

If your on foot and backpacking then a small candle lantern or very small oil lamp would probably be best.  If your 4 wheeling in rough back country, I’d stick with the Coleman lantern.  My family has done that in the back country of Colorado since 1935.  Thorium mantles USUALLY survived 4 wheel country journeys.  I wouldn’t be too concerned about the radioactivity.  It is so mild it’s barely detectable with lab equipment.

 

I’ve always wondered about the difference between the Coleman fuel and propane, but honestly never took the time to research as all my camping gear is propane. 

I do have fond memories of camping with my dad or dealing with power outages and he’d haul out the old Coleman lantern and fire it up. The light and heat output from those is impressive. 

Around the home I’ve been slowly building a supply of oil lamps for emergency lighting. The lamp oil is inexpensive and easy to store. Plus, I just like the “hidden in plain site” decor aspect of them. 

Welcome to the forum. Lots of very nice and helpful people here. 

 

I love oil lamps as well.  Check out “Aladdin” oil lamps.  They put out about the same light as a 60 watt electric bulb.  They burn about 3 oz of kerosene an hour.   Always use 1-K grade Kerosene. It should be labeled “water-clear” or “Pearl-clear”.  Stay away from red-dye (taxed) kerosene.  Never use “lamp oil” or “paraffin oil”.  One of the nice benefits of kerosene, it is much less flammable than white gas and has excellent long term storage characteristics.  Pressurized kerosene lamps, like Coleman 237, or 639 and the European Petromax lanterns put out about 400 watts of equivalent electric light.  That’s BRIGHT!!

 

ditto on converting the Coleman “white gas” stoves to propane – the extension hose in addition to the adapter gives you the option to use the 20lb (BBQ) tanks – that’s ALOT of cooking on a two burner …

I also convert my Coleman propane lanterns to the large propane tanks using the extension hoses – part of my emergency perimeter lighting are spaced lanterns that I hang on garden “shepherd hooks”- days & days of all nite lighting without any hassle or worries …

in regard to the Coleman gas lanterns – the retail fuel sold is ultra pure naptha – if you have an Amish community nearby there’s probably a bulk supplier for the fuel somewhere close – the Amish buy by the drum and cheap/gallon …

if you get into a fuel pinch – regular leaded gas will work in the Coleman products – the generators clog up eventually – it’s a maintenance item that you should be stocking – in other parts of the world without the “Coleman white gas” available – they add automobile carburetor cleaner to the gas to supposedly keep the generators from clogging as fast >>> check out the UTubes on Coleman generator cleaning & rehabbing – worth having that info on hand ….

mantles – 100,000s of old Coleman lanterns sitting around unused for years & years – they’ll be coming out for use in an extended grid down – most all will have busted mantles with no spares – GREAT STOCKING ITEM FOR BARTER >>> buy direct in bulk >>> https://www.americanmantle.us/american-mantle-products/camping-lanterns-mantles.aspx

someone mentioned the heat off a gas fuel lantern – they can be multi-use for light/heat/cook – good answer if storage space is limited as in Tiny Prepping >> prep in advance for the necessary changes …..

 

Do lanterns that use a mantle get hot enough for cooking?

I have a couple wick burning kerosene or lamp oil lanterns and have wondered if I could cook on it. This YouTube video says that my wick style of lantern isn’t hot enough to cook or boil water on.

 

I am not aware of any pressure gas mantle lanterns that could be used for cooking.  They certainly put out enough heat but, the heat isn’t very adjustable.  There are “wick” type kerosene stoves available that are still used.  Do a search under a popular shopping website for “kerosene stoves”.  I’ve never use one and don’t know how efficient they are.  They are cheap and very popular in undeveloped countries.

 

Thank you! I’ll do that.

 

This might be helpful:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pzBqrIlZI8

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrfZC_y3C3Y

if you can find one of the old version Coleman single burner stoves >> it’s the ticket – durable as hell and all the components parts are standard across Coleman – you can put 10″ cast iron skillet on top and cook a big meal …

 

Those Coleman stoves look much sturdier than the kerosene one that Waldog shared.

It’s interesting that he is running gasoline as the fuel in each of those. I’d like to know what it smells like and if it releases harmful fumes compared to kerosene or white gas.

 

The Coleman stoves are VASTLY superior to the cheapie kerosene stoves I mentioned.  I just added that info since you mentioned you were investigating cooking with kerosene lamps.  The Coleman gas stoves put out a lot more heat and are much more adjustable.  You can run car gas in the stoves but, as he mentioned, it clogs up the stove and eventually won’t run.  I don’t think there is a odor issue running gas.  I strongly recommend the Crown Camp Stove Fuel as you don’t want your stove to quit during an emergency.  You can get Crown fuel at Walmart and many other places.  It’s about 1/2 the price of regular Coleman fuel.  It’s the SAME STUFF however.  I talked about shelf life of Crown/Coleman fuel earlier.  Expect a sealed gallon CAN to last at least 7 years.  I have used “open” can fuel that was at least 15 years old and stored in my unheated garage and it worked fine!

 

I like that. I could use the same kerosene for lighting and also cooking. Thanks for the video.

 

I fabricated a cooking plate that sits on top and is height adjustable to regulate heat – only thing I’ve never tried is baking using my portable oven – works for everything else ….

 

Good afternoon Waldog,

Some time ago, did not Coleman have a lantern that instead of a cone top, had a flat one … or perhaps a second changable one with flat surface ?

It’s from a fading memory but thought the lantern instructions said, soup could be made on top of flat top.

 

I’m sorry, I don’t know of a factory cook top for Coleman lanterns.  I have seen homemade attachments for heating water.  These guys my be able to help you   https://intlccc.net/

 

Good evening Waldog,

Appreciate post.

Actually not in need of soup … as long as Waffle House has some outdoor dining …

The linked website is super ! I’m a(n) historian and can say just spent some time on site. Will be returning to it.

Coleman name has been a name of reverence here since even before Cub Scouts – along with eg Johnson and Johnson, Levi jeans, Ontario knife company, … the foundation companies throughout the fruited plain. 

 

Hey Waldog, 
Echoing Hikermor here: I like white gas for the energy density and portability when backpacking, but I’d rather spend a bit more to have a fuel source that stores much longer without degrading and is safer to use. Coleman lanterns and small stoves can be hooked up to larger propane tanks with the “tree adapter”. Pretty sure that would get you much closer to the cost per gallon of liquid fuel. A single 20 pound grill tank would be all I needed for most emergencies.
While I still love the propane lantern for its nostalgia, my go to for power outages has been a Milwaukee tools led lantern. Expensive, but it’s at least 5 years old and still works like new and the batteries can be charged with a car adapter charger, small solar or inverter generator. And it has a USB port to charge devices.

Oh, and the mantles on my Coleman are at least 8 years old, surprised they’ve lasted this long.

 

the retail available propane tank “tree” are great for setting a kitchen or work area – splits one tank for providing stove/heat fuel and hanging some lighting – trouble is the cost – it’s like $40 for a 1/2″ pipe and some fittings >> you can DIY a better version for a 1/4 >1/3 that $$$ cost – and you’ll still want extension hoses involved …

 

Good morning Dave H,

Would you not still need a couple of propane cartridges for an evacuation, whether elective or required ?

An alternative solution could be to use a small pocket size stove fueled by fuel tablets.

Remember to prepare for “realistic, worst case scenarios” (FEMA).

 

Bob, yes I think I would rather evacuate with a smaller and more portable container. I guess I haven’t thought about it much, but if I were leaving my home in my vehicle after a disaster I’d probably bring a 20lb tank. In my area, on foot, I’d bring a good fire starter. I keep two one pound tanks in my camp kitchen bin. Another bin on the shelf with more one pounders in addition to the big tanks. It’s always good to have options

 

Just for info, Coleman states that their fuel in a sealed can has a shelf life of 7 years.  From personal experience, I have used Coleman fuel from a previously opened can that was at least 15 years old and it worked the same as fresh fuel.  At least I couldn’t tell any difference.   Since it is nearly pure naptha, without the additives of regular gasoline, shelf like is MUCH longer.  Although, not as long a propane. 

 

What Is The Shelf Life Of Coleman Camp Fuel?

 

And one more thought. I’ve found white gas stoves to be more finicky, they take a little practice to figure out pressuring the fuel bottle, getting the starter flame going, using when it’s really cold, etc.

 

White gas stoves are a little different.  Propane is easy!   However, propane isn’t nearly as efficient when used in COLD weather.  I’m talking WELL BELOW FREEZING.  Gas stoves take a bit more effort to get going in cold weather but, once it’s is heated up, it’s much more efficient than propane.  I wouldn’t say gas is finicky, just different.  Same can be said of gas lanterns.  But, I’ve been using them for years so my opinion is a bit jaded.

 

Didn’t realize it was that long, I thought I read two years somewhere. Maybe that was for opened containers. 

 

You don’t find  many fuels with a lifespan of 7+ years. That’s pretty good for us preparedness folks.

 

I don’t really have anything new to add, just reiterate that the best prep is diversity in my opinion. So we have well-used coleman lanterns and stoves, (LP conversions available for the stove), but also candle lanterns and boxes of candles, oil lamps from expensive Alladins (the kind with a wick AND a mantle) to $10 walmart jobs along with gallons of oil, kero. We have various rechargeable lights, all AA based or 5v chargable and a whole load of charging options, including a cheap set of solar path lights like this, and these solar tent lights look super-cool.

Oh, a good tip is to tape your spare mantles on the bottom of your Coleman so you always have ’em.

 

Pops, there’s the argument that you should collect gear that runs off the same fuel source ie. propane stove, propane heater, propane lantern. But you make a good case for diversity, and with supply chain issues you may be onto something. 

If you have a propane stove, kerosene heater, and oil lamp you are more resilient to shortages on fuel supplies such as if there was a rush and shortage on propane, then you aren’t out of luck for your heater and lighting.

Thanks for getting me thinking!

 

you’re 100% spot on – you want stocking depth with the more versatile and reliable fuels like LP – but diversity is key also >>

I prep tools for wood harvesting – includes the ability to get burnable construction lumber out of damaged buildings – not as eazy as it looks without proper gear & tools …

fuels should also include electric – most people only think grid down and no power – my particular scenario could well be a piped natural gas outage and continued power thru nuke plants >> if you aren’t prepped with an electric hotplate and portable electric heaters – don’t expect to find any available post SHTF