hipolito h500, I bought this lantern 35 years ago brand new to light up my night fishing trips on my favourite Norfolk beaches,, its had hundreds of hours use and still works as good as new. I was wondering what other members had as their first lamps and the reasons why.
My first lantern of any kind goes back almost 70 years! I think my father gave it to me, a Dietz Monarch wick lantern! I had to have his permission to light it! What a ball I had with that lantern! My first pressure lantern was as usual, a Coleman. I'm not sure but it was either a 220 or a 200. Memory fades. I know I still have the lantern somewhere. Probably 40 years or more ago.
My first lamp was a KAYEN AP2, which I thought was a Tilley, this was about 39 years ago. Then when I had children I needed money at the time, so I sold my collection, bummer hay, then I started collecting again about 2 years ago. Funny enough my brother kept his collection, so I bought them of him and to my surprise he still had one of my lamps, which he gave back to me it's a Tilley heater lamp this photo will show you, wasn't I happy. I believe this was my 2nd lamp I ever bought.
My first lamp was a brand new Coleman, just a couple of years ago, and its still in its box never been fired. After I got it, I got a Vapalux M1 from a neighbour, and it went from there..... I've got a good few now!
The first pressure lamp I bought was an Australian made Coleman 242B. Bought it in 1990 to be used as a camping lantern. It has made it's way to Denmark with me and still gets lit every now and then. One you can always rely on. I've actually put it in the gallery here.
Mine was the FL6 in my avatar. A friend rescued two of them from a skip at the council depot where he worked. I cleaned both up and got to keep one. Fast forward over 30 years to last June 2020, glossing over a few mishaps, one involving setting fire to my parents garden, I re-discovered it in the loft. (I had planned on converting it to electric - yes I know ) A quick search on the internet and I washed up on the shores of CPL, and saw an advert for fettlebox FL6 service kits, and x246a's youtube video, and a reference to the base camp where I got a second hand pump rod and some mantles.. With no small amount of encouragment and help from members here now standing at 24 lanterns, one heater and a few other projects lined up. I know this is small compared to some people's collections here but I am very happy with them all, I have enjoyed fixing them and learned a lot since using x246a/b s in the boy scouts.
