Make Light Weight Tee Light Candle Lantern from plastic.

[Scott Ashdown]

I often make use of a couple of those disposable plastic cups when camping. You know the sort that you might use at a party or at some public events. They are lightweight weighing virtually nothing and are nice to drink from. Well, the video below video shows how I recently used them to make a hanging tea light lantern that protects the tea light from the wind etc yet still enable me to use them later as cups without having holes burned in them from the flame. This works well because I am using items I already have with me backpacking and so makes them truly multi use.

Tea Light Lantern Video

I should also add that the chain and bulldog clips that you see in the video, you can use them to clip to the side of your METAL cooking cup / pot to suspend it over a fire if your into that type of cooking which is useful for getting the temperature you want (The cup / pot needs a lip though for the Bulldog clip to catch on to).

[Bob Gross]

Scott, here in the colonies we call that a tea light candle.

–B.G.–

[Ken Thompson]

Nice video. You can use colored liquid as a diffuser, mood enhancer. Gatorade, cider, etc..

[Scott Ashdown]

Your absolutely right and I even spelt it wrong more than once!!! I'll correct it.

[Jared Dilg]

Neat video! The water liner is to regulate cup temperature, right? Pretty smart!

[Scott Ashdown]

Yep, the water keeps the cups from getting too hot. You'll find that the inner cup wants to pop up and float on the surface of the water of the inner cup, hence the bulldog clips keep the inner cup pressed into the outer cup and the water therefore up the sides between the two. Some water will evaporate between the two but at no point did I have to top the water jacket up, the water level must always be above the height of the candle. When the lantern swung I did get some of the liquid Tea Light wax spill into the cup. It did not damage the cup and at the end I simply wiped it out with a cloth. I have only tried this with the make of plastic cup you see in the video. So worth trying with other makes. I'm thinking of a small light weight reflector to be threaded high up on the chain, maybe just even a bit of tinfoil, to dissipate any heat going directly upwards just for those that want to hang this in their tent.

[Scott Ashdown]

Find below a picture of my titanium cook pot and lid being hung by two bulldog clips and a chain. The clips keep the lid firmly in place and will easily take the weight of food / water inside the pot. This is useful for suspending a pot above a heat source, e.g. fire to get the temperature you want, e.g. to simmer. Your pot will need a lip for this to work to suspend the pot as well as a dip in the lid near the rim if you want to suspend it with the lid on as well.

As per my entry above, I use the clips and chain for making a Tea Light Lantern. The chain I sometimes use to wear my id card with emergency contact details etc and the clips to hold maps, paperwork together as well.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Scott
Loved the idea so I made my own version (single use)

I cut down the plastic tumblers to about 3" (the inner is a bit shorter) and used the top of a soda can to keep the candle from touching the sides.
total weight (without water) is about 1/2 oz.
Note that I sanded the cups to give the light a bit of diffusion.
I was surprised that when I did my wind shake tests (had that dangling from the apex of my Moment) the lantern swung about but the candle remained in place.
Eventually I will find a narrower solution (for storage) and I will glue the top part that is now held in place by the clips , so the weight (and size) will drop a bit more.
Nice idea, thanks…
Franco

[Dale Wambaugh]

How about a recycled water bottle and just drill/punch the top edge to hang the cord? Good idea on the can. The bottom section off a aluminum beer bottle or energy drink can might fit in a smaller water bottle.

[Franco Darioli]

Dale
The lantern is water cooled so it needs two walls that can nest one inside the other or two different plastic bottle one slightly smaller than the other.
First I will try to find smaller plastic "glasses"
But I will get there…
Franco

[Dale Wambaugh]

Ahhh, now the photo makes more sense– I can see the water layer. Interesting idea.

[Franco Darioli]

In use (rainy night in my backyard…)

BTW, the fabric above it was warm (and dry…) however the container itself was cool after an hour or so in use.
Franco

[Bob Gross]

If the container was still cool after an hour of use, then it was over-engineered. Maybe make it into a water pre-warmer, but then you would have to use it for an hour before tea time.

–B.G.–

[Franco Darioli]

Over engineered

yes I can see that two plastic cups with some water in between is a bit too complex .
I am waiting now for a simpler solution…
Franco

[Bob Gross]

There is such a thing as the point of diminishing returns.

–B.G.–

[Franco Darioli]

In other words you felt compelled to put a negative comment without having anything positive to say yourself.
Nice attitude…
Franco

[Bob Gross]

I haven't yet made any negative comment.

Would it be too much to try to use dental floss as the suspension?

You could substitute olive oil for the water. It would add some ambience, deal with heat differently, and you could cook with your lantern afterwards.

–B.G.–

[Scott Ashdown]

Franco, good to see the evolution of the idea. I particularly liked the idea of using the bottom of a drinks can. Weighs next to nothing and would also collect any melted wax that spilt over the edge of the Tea Light its self, making it easier to wipe the cup out after use. I could also use the bottom of the drinks can as a small priming pan for my alcohol stove if necessary. I am looking for smaller plastic cups which will make them easier to store but retain their use as cups rather than permanently attached to each other. However, I see the appeal of a dedicated unit.

Bob. Whilst there can often be room for improvement, I can't see how two cups, one stacked in side another is over engineered. You back your statement up with your observation that the cups were still cool after an hour. Surely that is the point, to keep the cups cool.

I cant see how using olive oil would add anything. Water is more readily available and if it spills it will evaporate without staining items etc. Oil can be messy and I would not want to be having to empty the lantern of oil after use. Oil can also be flammable if the right combustion temperature is reached and so adds an unnecessary complication. Given the small amount of water held between the two cups I can't see how suggesting it be used to warm up water is of any practical use let alone using the lantern with oil in to cook with. I don't know how well dental floss would work as I have never used it for any application other than flossing.

Scott

[Bob Gross]

"You back your statement up with your observation that the cups were still cool after an hour."

That was not my observation. It was Franco's. I think he is big on olive oil as a multiple use item.

–B.G.–

[Scott Ashdown]

Bob,

You know the only diminishing returns around here are your contributions to this thread.

[Gary Dunckel]

"I am looking for smaller plastic cups…"

I thought this would be a fun little project to play with (boring day yesterday, and also fairly breezy on the patio). The only plastic cups with lips that I had were small ones, 2.5" tall and 2.5" diameter at the top. It turned out that the wind kept blowing out the candle. So I'm thinking that the cups need to be deeper, maybe 4+" tall, to better shield the candle from wind.

I didn't use olive oil, but I did floss my teeth while I watched the candle try to burn…

Thanks for posting–this gave me a new gear thing to play with for awhile.

[Franco Darioli]

Scott
Having done some more experimenting it became obvious that my original 8" or so bit of string was about the shortest to avoid overheating the fabric and possibly melting the string itself.
I added a "reflector" (temporarily) , that shortened the string and caused it to melt, so it would be a lot safer with some metal chain. I plan to use hanging wire the type used for paintings. (I should have some around…
BTW, my cup is 3"x3" . The height works well but I think that it can do with a bit narrower diameter .
Because I am after a single use item if and when I find a smaller solution I will then punch in two metal eyelets to replace the clips.

Franco

[Bob Gross]

Here is an idea. Instead of pure water, why not try a mixture of oil and water? If you find the right mix that you can colorize, you will have a lava lamp effect?

–B.G.–

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