Tilley Happy Mantles

Is it just me or am I overly happy with the Happy mantle?

Just fitted some tonight and they sit better. I'm able to get a better shape and they look more like a pre-formed caravan mantle if you know what I mean.

The slip on ones seemed to bunch up at one side.

Any thoughts?
Cheers

Brian

 

Hello Brian, I also like to use the happy mantle, sometimes the rings rust and stain the mantle, but the stain burns off after a few hours.

The ones which I have had do, Jeff.

 

I agree that they certainly are easier to install, and they do shape nicely! I do love my Thorium though...

 

Hi

I used to think Happy Mantles were the best for the above given reasons but now I prefer Base Camp's own brand "bulk" mantles. They seem to pull in well and give a good light.

Regards, Jeremy

 

I also like the 164H, but I am now trying out the 164X, and so far I also like those. They run much better on my vapalux than the vapalux own make mantles, they seem not to survive the initial burning off too well, unless, of course, I had a batch of duds.

 

I was using Base Camp mantles to begin with and then 2 old tilley ones I got.

I'll try the 'new' 164x mantles that I got and see if there's any difference.

Cheers

Brian

 

I guess my problem is that I don't have a controlled environment to compare mantles in. My metrics are easy of installation, how well they "inflate", and how rugged they are. I like the Happy Mantles because they have a silly name and are easy to install. I like the BaseCamp Pro mantles because I can fit them to lamps other than Tilley. What I don't like is that most of the Euro-mantles don't have thorium

 

Well of course, a thoriated mantle will always be better, they are a joy to behold.

 

The Happy Mantles appear to be Thorium. My friend has a geiger counter and they are certainly radioactive. This applies to brand new Happy mantles as well. Standard Vapalux mantles don't seem to be radioactive which is why, I assume, the Happy mantles are much brighter on my Vapalux.

 

I'd be very interested in seeing a report on various mantles (Tilley, Vapalux, Base-camp) with numerical metrics for comparison.

 

On my Vapalux m320's I have tried Happy mantles and while they burn off very nice to a round globe shape they are not as bright as the V42 Vapalux mantles.

The Happy mantles I tried had 'non-radioactive' printed on the package but I have seen other Happy packs without this information?

I am thinking of getting some Thorium 164 mantles from Base-camp to see if there is any difference to the Happies?

Steve.

 

I've no idea if my Happy mantles are radio active or not as the packet didn't say either way, but the fact they arrived and I could light my lamp for the first time made me happy