A candle In The Tent
I have only used it in shelters when I was alone.
Back in the day before LED headlamps, every shelter was stocked with at least several wine bottle "candle holders." A must when hiking in the fall.Originally Posted by Sarcasm the elf
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A tea light candle with something around it isn't likely to generate any wax or significant fire danger.
So does anyone else have this in their head after reading the thread title?AAE8DCBC-6D73-44EC-930C-E03FBF40960C.jpeg
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Agreed, I was more envisioning the mess made by taper candles used without proper holders. I've scraped a lot of wax off of shelter floors over the years thanks to them. Of course as the old truism goes you never notice the times people do things responsibly, it's only the irresponsible ones that stick in your mind.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Back in the pre-LED flashlight/headlamps days, when all lights were incandescent, and thus quickly drained batteries, candles were a way of getting a long lasting light where you didn't need to carry a large bag of batteries on a long trip. I used the UCO candle Lantern (a brass version) as a light source frequently on trips (from around 1990 into the first half of the 2000's). I always cleaned it up after a trip, so never had any issues with buildup effecting the springs etc.
When used inside the tent, I usually hung it from the highest point of the tent (depending on tent height, I somethings used a string to hang it lower than the included chain allows. You certainly don't want to hang it right next to the tent fabric due to the heat generated). With it hanging, no way it was going to get knocked over, as even if you hit it, it just swings. Even bumping it over on the ground shouldn't do anything if you act quickly as it's enclosed in glass/metal with only some vents on top, so you can upright it up without harm other than maybe some wax on the inside of the glass. I have an optional reflector that dropped over the top that focused all the light downward where you had enough light to read under it.
Sleeping with a still burning flame source doesn't seem smart, if in an enclosed tent. You do need to consider ventilation vs burn time as it does burn a small amount of oxygen over time. I don't fall asleep very easily, even at home, so I'm not going to accidentally drop off in the tent with it still burning. In fact, I don't see how you could unintentionally drop off to sleep unless you are tempting fate by laying down and not doing anything to stimulate your mind except maybe listening to some music. In which case you should have already put it out. That said, if you are in a shelter, and you can put it somewhere safely, I don't see the harm, if you are alone. Other people may not appreciate it. I'm talking a candle latern. If using a candle, you have to consider a shelter mouse (or someone half asleep) bumping into it during the night.
I still have my candle lantern, but only use it car camping today due to the weight. It's not very heavy, but definitely weighs more than an 1 ounce LED based light you can get today. I have thought of taking it out in the winter, but since its usually cold, I typically go to bed quickly when it gets dark, to stay warm, so I don't think it would get much use. And if I want to read today, I can just use the Kindle App on my smartphone which is backlit and doesn't need an external light to see. It might be useful if you went with several people, but I mostly camp solo.
Edit: I just looked, and UCO now has a candle lantern that uses those tea light candles (UCO mini Candle Lantern). Only weighs 3.5 oz which is almost half the weight of my original lantern. This might be a slightly safer method of using tea lights when camping. They now also offer Citronella based candles for their original lanterns to help repel mosquitos. Where were these when I use to use my lantern in the spring in Yosemite? I may need to rethink carrying one.
Last edited by Miner; 02-04-2023 at 18:21.
For educational purposesAgreed, I was more envisioning the mess made by taper candles used without proper holders. I've scraped a lot of wax off of shelter floors over the years thanks to them. Of course as the old truism goes you never notice the times people do things responsibly, it's only the irresponsible ones that stick in your mind.
Im Wondering how you repurposed the; hopefully reused, or then recycled all the scraped candle wax.
Or did you just toss it in the fire pit for you know what..
Me and when would see others on a cpl of occasions would pile it in the corner of the shelter or set scraped wax by the fire pit for others.
Considered littering by a few.
SAFEST METHOD: Centuries old. Time tested and proven. Use a little olive oil and a cotton wick. You can make this candle anywhere and use it everywhere. If it gets knocked over by accident the flame goes out. It does not keep burning. It puts off no harmful toxins in the air. It burns all night and into the morning. It provides good light and heat. It is still used in the middle east to light houses without electricity.
+1, it's probably like sticking a candle to the top of your head. You could do it, but it's probably not a good idea.
-- Probably written after hiking 8 miles and drinking a beer or two.
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