Backpacking lantern?

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Thanks Mike!
I won't have a canister stove … some other alternatives?

You have four choices…

1) Place a LED headlamp with a floodlight beam pattern on the group facing up and pretend it's a fire. A heavier version of this is take one of the LED lanterns.

2) A small candle lantern

3) One of the small butane lanterns if you are willing to carry the extra weight and need a lot of light.

4) Take a portable DVD player and one of the "fire in the fireplace" DVDs :)

Candle lantern.

Tea candles are lighter than the candle lantern…and give a feeling of warmth.

I recently saw at Wal*Mart a very small LED Lantern for around $6 not the keychain one either. It was about the size of a regular candle lantern.

If you place your headlamp in a small plastic bag and shine it upward, the bag diffuses the light a bit providing a poor man's lantern.

Sometimes wood stoves are permitted even when campfires fires are not. Check http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/10793/index.html?skip_to_post=78669#78669 to see if your destination is one of the lucky ones…

I got one of these for xmas. it's pretty nice!

UCO Mightylite XL Compact LED Flashlight/Lantern

http://www.amazon.com/UCO-MightyLite-Compact-Lantern-Torch/dp/B000Y3PGIY

Search around for a good price. I think REI stopped selling them.

I've tried a few of the alternatives mentioned above. First, I have a Brunton "Glorb" which like all LED's, gives off a "cold" light. I've also tried lanterns using fuel canisters but the mantles tend to disintigrate when packed and carried, meaning you need to install a new mantle every time you light the thing. Short of an actual small fire, I'll defer to the previous suggestions for a candle lantern. They'll give you the warm glow that I personally find much more satisfying than LED's.

You might try the Coleman Packaway Lantern, at 8 oz reasonably light and it packs really small. You can read about it at http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Lighting/Lanterns/Coleman%204AA%20Pack%20Away%20Lantern/.

G'Day mate
If its just ambiance you’re after there are some tiny led candles they use for wedding decorations. I got a couple of the submersible ones from a wedding I was at. They’re only about an inch dia by 1/2 inch high and last for a couple of days if left on. I found a place to get them on line for you. http://www.weddingflowersandmore.com/iris.html
You won’t be able to perform surgery by them but if you want something to sit around in your tent with your friends and sing kumbiya they would be just fine.
Darren

For a fireless flame you might take a fake flickering tea light. Wt: 1 oz. – like Darren suggests…

I don't know of anything that can replace a real campfire.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned though is fill up a clear Platypus reservoir with water and shine the LED directly into it. The semi-clear plastic filled with water has a nice diffusing effect. It may not give the illusion of warmth, though…unless you have some orange or red gatorade powder along with you. However, I've done this in the middle of the night when I had to leave my campsite and just wanted a visual way to come back and find it; it's a nice little beacon.

…or just build a small, illegal fire and cover up your traces really well the next morning.