I think that a 75 watt equivalency is about right. In my experience, though, the normal 2 mantle Colemans in comparison are only about 100 watts. This lantern, cmopared to other Coleman white gas lanterns, is more compact, light, and very sturdy.
The only problems, compared to a regular Coleman gas lantern, is that the gas tank is smaller, so you have to pump to maintain pressure more often. Also, because of the small gas tank, you have to refill more often, it usually lasts about 3 hours. I heard other people carry extra gas in an aluminum water bottle. It is a single mantle, and uses a different mantle than the usual 2 mantle lanterns sold by Coleman.
All in all, a good product. Sometimes when I get bored, I'll light it up on my balcony and the "hsssss" of the generator and the smell of the gas burning will bring back memories of camping.
Sigh. Coleman Exponent Dual Fuel Lantern
Fired it up for the first time yesterday and I am impressed with this tiny lantern.
I did a side by side comparison with my trusty Coleman 200A. both on full shriek
and the 229 was no less bright. And did i say that it's tiny?
For those of the nay sayers that complain about frequent pumping,
I say that was not a problem for me. I got almost a half an hour before the
light slightly dimmed. I could have waited a bit more, but I was really
into checking this lantern out and so I pumped it up again with similiar results.
Looks very well built also. If you are looking for a gas lantern that does not
take up a lot of real estate, packs well, and performs as good as any single
mantle lantern, the Coleman 229 is for you. Besides the ladies will remark how cute it is!
It is a bit of a luxery for backpacking but I have a family of 5 kids and so spread across this many people its a pretty affordable luxery. We have had for a few years and this lantern has always worked. It does need to be pumped-up about every 10-15min but its a great item especially as days get shorter and more time is spent inside of one's tent on hiking trips. Lots of omnidiretional light for social settings where headlamps are not as useful.
I puchased the 226 model (precurser to the 229 model) in the early 1990's. I just replaced the pump cap (8/2008) after over 15 years of use. I used mine 100's of times and it always lights. Other than sitting on my backpack and breaking the globe, which was mine not coleman's fault, I've never had a problem with it.
We purchased this lantern to complement our "one box of gear" car camping kit.
Using the traditional Coleman design and technology (pump, mantle, etc.) , it throws a LOT of light for being such a little feller; certainly much more than my old Gaz lantern. Easy to fill, easy to light, and stable illumination in the wind make it ideal for the purpose intended. Because of its small tank size, tank pressure requires more frequent attention than its larger 2 mantle cousins (as a usage tip, I suggest not filling the tank to capacity, otherwise you cannot pump enough air into it to keep it going for an extended period of time), and the #20 mantles it uses are more difficult to find (I'd recommend stocking up on a few). It is (back)packable, but with a size/weight penalty.
All in all, a good, reliable product that performs as expected-which is what I need and expect from my outdoor gear.
UPDATE:
discovered since my original view that this lantern also works very well as a kerosene pressure lantern... this is fabulous, as kerosene is safer to store and use than Coleman fuel
to run kerosene, you will need to perform a 'hot prime' before lighting.. this means you'll need to position a metal cup (i originally used one from a tea light candle for a test, but found that a 1/2" copper pipe cap secured w/a small strip of brass works just fine to prime) next to the lantern's generator... fill the cup with denatured alcohol (not rubbing alcohol) from your local home improvement store - Coleman sells little priming bottles for its kerosene lanterns (check the parts pages)... light the alcohol and let it fully burn and heat the generator, then crack the valve... if you get fireballing or smoke, you have not primed hot enough!
this lantern works great on kerosene - a real bonus!
i also found that you do not need to buy the special small mantles for this lantern - just buy the 'string-tie' #21 mantles, pull out the string, and if you run Coleman fuel, fold in the top of the mantle, slip onto the lantern, tie off and clip... #21 mantles will work just fine... i use a #21 full size when burning kerosene - works perfectly!
and, if you go to your local R/C hobby shop, buy a small sheet of K&S flat brass and fabricate your own 'reflector' for less than $2... mine looks like OEM and can remain attached even when the lantern is put away into its Coleman carrier!
you can also 'bush harden' your lantern using an 11" piece of stainless mesh (#30 x 30, 0.012" wire diameter), cut to the height of the glass globe, and secured w/2 brass machine screws, washers, and nuts - never worry about breaking glass on the trail!
ORIGINAL REVIEW FOLLOWS:
have to agree with the previous reviewer (by date)... i just fired my new 229 up today and did a compare with my 200A as well - just as bright! alas, Jafe Decorating does not do the tinted globes for the 229 (have amber globes for my 200A and 228, along with a frosted globe for my 285)... but i like this little lantern! it fireballed a bit upon first firing, but quickly settled down to a very controllable flame... generator replacement looks pretty easy (undo main bolt, life frame off the fount)...
Amazing little lantern. Can't imagine why you would want a full size when this is available. Pump it up once an hour and it lasts an entire evening. Coleman recommends a #21 mantle which can be hard to find. I find the #20 standard mantle works just fine. Runs fine on premium octane unleaded. Amazon was great. - Coleman - Camping Lantern - Backpacking - Camping'
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