Northstar... as in the brightest star in the sky
Written: Mar 20 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Bright, well built, easy setup.
Cons: Base tends to fall off when the lantern is hanging up.
The Bottom Line: Just as the name implies, this lantern provides a bunch of light. The single mantle is very easy to set up and use, and the instastart is wonderful.
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| ncphototrekker's Full Review: Coleman Northstar Instastart Tube Mantle Propane L... |
Who says your day should come to an end when the sun goes down. With Coleman's Northstar propane lantern you can continue on with your day long into the night. This lantern allows you to cook, have quality family time, read, just about anything you could do during the day. This lantern is bright.
This is the first lantern I've owned with the tube type mantle, and I was skeptical about its performance when we purchased it. I have used several of the tandem globe mantles over the years and have always been pleased with this type. The first thing that I noticed with the tube mantle is its ease of use. The globe would require that you burn them before lighting the lantern. Not so with the tube. You secure it to the top and bottom mounts and light it...it is that simple. The instastart won't work for this initial lighting, but a match will light the propane without issue and will do the initial burn-in of the mantle.
Speaking of the instastart feature, this is the first lantern I have had with this luxury. I've been a bit old school over the years and resisted this feature...I was stupid for doing so. This thing is great and makes lighting the lantern so much easier, especially when the lantern is hanging up high. All you have to do is twist the dial all the way to the right until it clicks. It usually only takes once unless things are damp.
The build of this lantern is great with metal, glass, and hard plastic components. There is a cage around the glass which protects it from accidental breakage. The top is designed well to keep any rain out of the critical areas. There is a base that has feet that flip out for stability on table tops, or on the ground. It can be left on for hanging, but I have found that it tends to fall off as the propane cylinder starts to sweat. That is no big deal to me.
I have yet to actually time how long the propane lasts, but I have found that I usually go through two cylinders over three nights of use in the winter months. During the summer when it stays light longer, I can easily make one cylinder last for an entire weekend. I usually have it set for 3/4 power, or full as I like the light it puts out. With it set lower, you will double the time it takes to go through a cylinder.
To really appreciate the light that this lantern puts out, you have to step away from your camp site. It is impressive standing in close, but moving away about 75-100 feet, you can see this lantern casting light clear up to the tops of the trees and in a diameter of nearly 100 feet. You will have no problems finding your camp sight if you need to walk away for a while at night. It is just like finding the North Star.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ncphototrekker
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 in Electronics |
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Member: Greg Kiser
Location: Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 4 members
About Me:
I am a semi-professional landscape photographer based in North Carolina.
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