For those wanting both a stove and light that will operate off a small gas canister, Coleman once produced what was probably the lightest lantern option. Does the F1 Lite still have a place for the modern backpacker and camper?
Many backpackers will opt for a stove operating on a gas canister. These are simple, effective, usually compact and often reasonably priced. If carrying a gas canister, there is then the option of using a gas powered lantern with it. While LEDs give a brighter, more effective and certainly safer light, a gas lantern provides a warmer and aesthetically pleasing light with, bonus, a modicum of heat. Useful on long cold winter nights in a small tent, though it then has to be used with great care not only because of increased risk of fire or damage, but also ensuring there is sufficient ventilation in operation. However gas lanterns can be bulky and heavy. But there have been just a few that are remarkably compact and lightweight. Coleman’s F1 Lite lantern may be the smallest and lightest ever made.
When new, the lantern came in a card box, complete with a tough protective carry pouch with drawcord closure. This pouch additionally has a hard plastic cylinder that provides increased crush protection. A mantle has to be fitted prior to using the lantern and Coleman supplied just one of these. There is a clip on wire hanging loop and a basic set of instructions.
This lantern was part of Coleman’s Exponent range. This is of little import as Coleman have had a habit of replacing one branded product range with another, The Exponent brand mostly replaced the previous Peak range of gear, though I am unaware of any Peak F1 Lite version of the Coleman Exponent F1 Lite lantern.
The F1 Lite is a gas lantern. The gas outlet has a mantle over it that glows brightly when lit. This mantle is the most fragile component. It is protected by a stainless steel mesh globe that goes over it and is rotated into slots to hold it in place. Below the mantle and globe is a lightweight metal and plastic valve block with wire control valve.
The lantern by itself, with a fitted mantle, weighs 83.2g, and could in theory be carried as it is, perhaps nested next to a small stove inside a cookpot, both wrapped in a cloth for protection. The wire hanging loop weighs a further 5.2g. The pouch weighs 10.4g and has an extra 19.7g plastic cylinder. Any or all could be carried, in total lantern and accessories come to 118.5g. Coleman also released a 77g F1 Lite stove, however that had only modest performance.
There are a couple of niggling issues with the F1 Lite. With such a lightweight product, it is frustrating that the carry pouch adds considerably to this, especially if including the plastic cylinder. Of more concern are the two attachment points for the wire hanger. These are simply closed wire loops on the top of the steel globe and it is best to ignore them and clip directly to the globe for increased security.
The screw on connector is constructed of especially lightweight material and will not withstand excessive torque when tightening down on to a gas cylinder. There is no problem if careful when doing this and it is just one example where the search for lighter weight can compromise robustness.
It is simple to use. Screw it on to a standard 100/250/500 lindal valved gas canister, turn on the gas via the control knob, and light by holding a lit match near the mantle, through the little hole in the mesh cage, though I normally tip it slightly on its side and use a lighter. It will run for five hours on a large 500g gas canister. Do not leave it lit while asleep and preferably do not leave it unattended.
The light output is extremely modest, reported as being just 38 watts, which is around 570 lumen. However I would say that it is less than that. This is much an irrelevance as my use is around camp and as emergency lighting in the house in the event of power outage. For both of those scenarios this amount of light is easily adequate. It does knock out quite a bit of heat and care has to be taken. It shouldn’t be placed closer than 100mm to a wall or anything flammable, and requires a good deal more space above, at least 400mm. Tent fabrics are all extremely vulnerable, DCF especially, and great care should be taken if using this lantern inside a shelter. When the lantern is turned off the globe remains hot for a couple of minutes afterward. It should be allowed to cool right down before handling, and certainly before unscrewing it from the gas canister and stowing it inside its baggie. That unseen killer, carbon monoxide, is a factor too. The F1 Lite puts out a minimum of 2m³/h/kW and sufficient ventilation must be provided.
Gas lanterns do have their fragility; not only are the globes normally glass, which can break, but also almost always have a mantle. These can be damaged with rough handling. The F1 Lite sidesteps the first issue by incorporating a steel mesh globe. This does have the disadvantage of obscuring some of the light. The mantle however, remains a fragile element. The lantern can be protected a little by the hard plastic cylinder in which it is stored and carried inside the drawstring baggie but the mantle will still be damaged by severe shocks and knocks. In general use however, it is remarkably robust and I have only ever damaged one mantle when in transit. Drop it on the ground however, and it is very likely to break the mantle. They are simple enough to replace however, but this require a little knowledge and time, and a replacement mantle. But it is all far removed from just flicking the switch on an electric light.
If the F1 Lite gas lantern mantle is broken a new small size mantle has to be fitted. These weigh just 2g each and replacements are easily available. I covered the procedure for fitting these in another post, linked below.
Lanterns such as Coleman’s F1 Lite have fallen out of favour in recent years as LEDs conquer all, however this little light can still be a viable option in some situations, particularly if you want to enjoy the heat given out from the light when in use. First appearing on the market in 2010, the F1 Lite is no longer made or sold by Coleman but examples can still be found in good used condition on auction sites for not-a-lot-of-money and replacement mantles remain easily available on line. Look around a bit and you might even find a retailer sitting on new old stock.
This has been part of a series of blogs looking at small lanterns and lighting options suited for lightweight backpacking, or for use in the home and elsewhere. One of these is the similar Primus Micron, a 121g lantern that also has a protective metal mesh globe. Despite the heavier Primus having a dodgy piezo ignitor, that is the better gas lantern as it is much sturdier and delivers more light. However, if weight is a primary concern and you still want a gas lantern, then the Coleman F1 Lite remains a solid choice.
- BRS-55 Dream Candle, a gas-powered candle
- Cool Camp gas-powered candle lantern
- Light diffusers– small silicone shades that create a 360° spread of light
- Montbell crushable lantern shade, converts a headlamp beam to a 360° spread of light
- Nitecore ML21 magnetic lantern for attaching to Nitecore 21700 series HPi batteries
- Nitecore NU25 headlamp, 2017 version, lightening the headband
- Olight Obulb, battery-powered 360° LED globe lantern
- Olight Perun 2 Mini, right angle-flashlight with headband
- Primus Micron gas lantern, with steel globe, an ‘almost’ unbreakable gas light for plenty of light and heat in camp
- RovyVon Aurora A5x Red, what was probably the best handheld ‘glow-in-the-dark’ keychain light there is for backpackers, until…
- RovyVon Aurora A5R, third generation handheld ‘glow-in-the-dark’ keychain light (2022)
- Silicone light diffusers
- Sofirn BLF LR1 2.0 lantern. The best battery powered lantern available. Not for backpacking though
- UCO Candle Lanterns, old school light and heat
- USB-A LED lantern– minimal 360° lighting in a small tent
- USB LED lights– there is nothing lighter, nothing smaller!
Three Points of the Compass 