Small collapsible candle lanterns have been around for a quite a while. Even Trangia produced a couple in the 1970s/80s- Trangia Candle Lantern No. 82 and No. 83. The UCO [original] candle lantern is the current incarnation of what was formerly the 144g USA made Northern Lights Alpine 2 ‘Compact Candle Lantern’, which was also rebadged for REI and other retailers. Poorer quality Alpine Candle Lanterns were also made in China. Better quality Northern Lights candle lanterns were originally made in Japan. Those in turn were a variant on the flip top Big Oak candle lanterns, possibly even based out of the same manufacturing facility in Japan. The UCO nine-hour candles also fit Northern Lights lanterns, not that you will see one often.

UCO Candlelier lantern:

In addition to a single-candle ‘Original’ lantern, once also branded as the ‘Classic’ series, UCO have produced a three-candle Candlelier version and two small lanterns for tea lights. The Candlelier (introduced 1998) is very large, and I am simply not the market for it, though I am sure it may suit those groups car camping that want to sit around of an evening with some pleasant warm light from one or more of these. The Candlelier burn up to three of the expensive UCO candles at a time and this could prove costly over time. It is possible to boil a mug of water on top of this lantern.

UCO Mini and Micro lanterns:

There are (or have been) two tea light candle lanterns made by UCO, The Micro and the Mini. The Micro (introduced 2011) is the smallest candle lantern UCO have made and also collapses in on itself for storage and transport while also providing space for a second tea light candle to be stored in the base.

Three Points of the Compass has used a couple of Original UCO lanterns over the years. These have been the Original Candle Lantern, and the Original Candle Lantern+LED (also marketed as the UCO Duo). The weight of my Original is 132g and my Original+LED is 146g, or 163g with the optional 17g LED fitted (with two CR2032 button batteries fitted). At 213g with 50g candle this is slightly heavier than the Original without LED (186g with 50g candle). The Original lantern made of brass weighs 249g with 50g candle). Dimensions of the +LED model are 180mm x 50mm when open and 120mm x 50mm when closed, though I keep mine in a 45g neoprene cocoon for safety. The Original is a little shorter at 109mm when collapsed. There is a short chain and hook fixed to a wire bail for hanging it. Earlier models of the Original )like mine) had a wire bail handle, but no chain. When collapsed the wire bail flips round to the underside of the lantern to keep it closed. The bail on the +LED version is 12mm longer than the Original without LED. There are a couple of rather nice lantern accessories, but I’ll cover them in another post.

The UCO candle lanterns have been available in various finishes- aluminum, brass, painted (red, yellow, blue, green, black) and anodised (red, green, black). The 2022 range included original aluminum and powder-coated red, yellow, green and black. UCO branding has altered over the years and now differs from my older +LED example. Almost all that UCO do is to simply update the stickers applied to the side of the lantern. The lanterns have also been rebranded for many gear retailers, as well as being illegally cloned. Most clones will not have the spring loading to the candle while OEM products for a third party, will still have the UCO name on the base. There is also a slightly heavier brass version. This is rather lovely, but more expensive and I never purchased one as it does exactly the same job as the lighter aluminum lanterns, and I wanted a lighter lantern for backpacking purposes. UCO lamps are now made in China and reviews suggest quality may be suffering as a result. Much as I would now like to buy a brass version, reviewers suggest the present ones are of poorer quality than those from a few years back.

The bespoke UCO candles have always been a bit of a bugbear for users of these lanterns. Standard candles do not fit, and UCO candles are pricey. Some people have had success shaving down cheaper candles to fit while silicone moulds can also be purchased to make your own. I cannot be bothered with that and have always just bought the official UCO product at the cheapest price I can find. These come in packs of three, twelve or twenty-four. The ‘official’ UCO candles are designed especially for these lanterns, and it is possible to buy three different types. The standard white candle burns for six-nine hours depending on conditions. There are also blue candles with added citronella that also burn for up to nine hours but give off a slight scent that, in theory at least, discourage mozzies, midges and whatever. Almost all of the UCO candles need their cotton wick trimming before use. Just snip a bit off, leaving around 1/4″.

A third alternative is the 100% beeswax candle. These natural wax candles burn cleaner than the paraffin candles and for longer too- 12 to 15 hours, though the beeswax candles are the most expensive of the three. Note that many beeswax candles sold from third parties are not 100% beeswax and will have cheaper additives. UCO candles weigh around 50g each and provide around 1900 BTU and 20 lumen.

A UCO candle lantern can certainly knock out some heat in a small space. A small tent is easily warmed by five degrees or more. The amount of extra heat produced varies almost entirely by how much of a breeze there is. Sufficient ventilation is an absolute requirement with these candle lanterns. Also, the light from a candle is something to enjoy, the flickering light touches something deep inside I think, reminiscent in a small way to watching the flickers of a wood fire. If you are planning on using a candle lantern in a tent, do be aware that the melting point of DCF is far lower than nylon or polyester. Considerable care needs to be practiced.

As a demonstration on the practicality of candles, admittedly from a good few years ago. When John Merrill completed his ten-month, 7000-mile circumnavigation of the British coastline in 1978, he went through thirty Blacks’ ‘longlife’ candles for both cooking and lighting, each burned for eight hours, and Merrill believed them better than torches. Not that there was any such thing as decent LED lighting or battery powerbanks available to the lightweight backpacker back then.

UCO used to produce replacement burners for the Original and Candlelier lanterns that burned lamp oil but those have been discontinued. There are alternative oil inserts from third-party suppliers, often Chinese made. Quality will vary and while some get very poor reviews- leaking or poor burning for example, other users have been more positive. Some enterprising folk have made their own. I’ll look at one of these little web-purchased oil burning inserts in another post.