Lanterns

[Spinach]

What do you all use and do you have any tips for anyone just getting into ice fishing and purchasing a lantern?

I have a few different lanterns, but I like my Coleman Northstar propane lantern the best, it gives out a lot of heat and is the brighest lantern i have ever witnessed. I prefer the propane lanterns over the fuel.

I store mine in a soft sided Coleman (green) case, wrap the globe with a neoprene Coleman pad and then wrap it under a towel. I used to break my mantles occassionally when riding in the back of the truck, wrapping it with a towel has really saved me a lot of money on mantles.

What do the rest of you use for lanterns and how do you transport them?

[HD]

Towel, really? I might have to try that.... I gotta find a way not to break them dang mantels when you run across the lake, and you have the lantern in the fish trap behind the 4 wheeler......gotta be a better way..... I like the propane ones too, cause you have heat and light in the trap.....just have to carry extra mantels.

Bad part about it... I hop from spot to spot and they break.....you can't wrap it cause it would burn.....don't know......arg!




Hunter

[Spinach]

I'm guessing you have the double mantle lantern? I never have problems with the Northstart breaking mantles while i'm on the lake running around.

Back when I had the other double mantle lanterns, I would wrap the wire around the lip a few times and make sure it was tight. that seemed to make a difference in breaking the mantles.

Another thought would be to maybe add one of those light deflectors to the globe? I'm guessing it would eliminate some of the air going into the globe area. Not sure what someone could do to eliminate the vibration except for wrapping the mantles tighter?

Oh..... I use a hand towel for transportation in the truck only and for storage. Those lanterns can get pretty hot in a hurry.    You ever grab the nut on the top to tighten it up while the lantern is burning? I did once when i was a kid and it burned the skin off my fingers, I'll never do that again!

[HD]

Yep, it's a double mantle lantern, and yep, the only time I really have trouble with it is when I'm baha'ing across the lake on the 4 wheeler.

Is the single mantle better?





Hunter

[thunderpout]

I used to use a big northstar, now I use one or two little coleman propane lanterns. The whole thing(minus the tank) fits in the palm of yer hand, their plenty bright and I never break mantels on em...I put two in a wool sock and that fits right in a small pack that holds all my ice fishin necessities.(flybox,headlamp,forceps& flask!)I like to keep things small & very portable when trap fishin....Plus I use a 12v LED rope in the trap so I dont have any fumes at all.....    -thunderpout

[ThunderCAT]

I actually use a 48-LED light that is operated on 3 AA batteries. It gives off a tremendous amount of light - perfect for my Yukon - lights the back of the sled too, which is nice. Only problem is I need to remember to bring the light into the house when I get home...if it sits out in the cold the batteries are done. But I can usually get 10-15 hours out of one set of batteries, and I secure it to one of the poles on the house. I'm loving the set-up!

Here's a link to it:

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200342912_200342912

[Spinach]

I'll have to look into that LED light, I run the rope lights allready but they don't give off much light.

I'll stop into Northern and check these out. Are you using zip ties or what do you use that you can take it in and out so easily?

[Fish Guide]

Heres  a simple solution...fish til dark and go home, LOL

[HD]

I'm gonna stop on the way home today to check out those lights, maybe stop at Gander too. That would eliminate bringing the latern, cause I got one of those small sunflower heaters that goes on the small tanks I can use for heat if I need it.


Thanks,




Hunter

[thunderpout]

Not many sport outlets have much Ice stuff left.  Pat, I found these velcro cord "wraps" at Home Depot... good for mounting rope lites to anything...if ya find led rope lites, the ones that are 12v will run off a 12v gel cell for like three days straight...same batteries yer flasher uses....    -thunderpout

[HD]

Naw, I was stopping by Gander for a new yote call, northern is on the way, so I'm gonna look at the 48 LED









Hunter

[Spinach]

I'm allready running the rope lights and they work fine, I'd like more light though and will be checking out the 48 LED light at Northern.

[ThunderCAT]

I am using velcro strips to hang it...sort of like this picture.

Like I said, you will LOVE the amount of light this thing gives off...but it's a pain to switch batteries frequenty (perhaps just as much as you would swap out a 1lb tank I suppose?). I would suggest rechargeble batteries so you have a fresh set each trip.

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[thunderpout]

Yo ThunderCat... how much do they get for those at Northern?  I saw a version of those at an RV place this fall, but it had a different funky hanging hook that went thru the middle of the light. They were like twenty bucks, Im guessing they're cheaper now....     -thunderpout

[ThunderCAT]

I think mine was $12-15 somewhere in there...