Anybody that can advise if spraying a mantle with hairspray before travelling is a good idea? I have heard that hairspray protects a mantle against vibration, while travelling off-road. This, apparently has no effect when lighting up....
Yes, hairspray is effective but be careful how you apply it. Use as you would use most aerosols, two or three light coats are better than one heavy one. That said, it may not be necessary. It depends on the state of the roads you will be travelling on and also the vehicle itself. Estate cars are usually a lot softer sprung than 4x4's , vans and pickup trucks. I wouldn't bother if I were going down a nice smooth highway in an estae car but on a dirt road through the bush in a 4x4, definitely !
I usually take four lanterns camping and have used hairspray on the mantles. It does seem to help reduce the amount of broken mantles but strangely enough the only time I had zero mantle breakage was this past December and that was without using hairspray.
Works well. I have used it many times. But be careful with the distance, the pressure can blow a mantle far away. Like Henry says, it depends on roads and drivings skills.
Thanks Henry, Andrew and Wim, We camp often in remote areas, (off-road), in Africa. Single tie mantles are hard to find... Taking off the globe, an giving the mantle a light coat, from "far" away, is what I will try.
