Hi. I’m sorry if this has been asked many times before. I did try searching but couldn’t see anything relevant and hope I’m asking in the right place. I recently returned to sea fishing after a decades long break. I seem to feel the cold a bit more these days and vaguely remember some people using a tilley lamp in front of their beach shelter for a bit of warmth as well as light. I think a few wrapped pies in tin foil and warmed them on the top! Is there a lamp that is reliable, reasonably robust and easy to get to grips with? I’m reasonably handy, but ideally models that don’t need too much faffing with to set up and keep going? Any suggestions for lamps I should look out for are much appreciated. Money as with the fish is in short supply, so budget options are very welcome.
Thank you. I’m enjoying reading some of the posts here. I had no idea there was so much to learn about these lamps. Any particular models to look out for? I should have said before, but any that are less likely to mean hands covered in meths or paraffin would be best to avoid tainting the bait.
I think if it were me, I'd probably get either a Vapalux 320 or a Tilley X246 Guardsman. Both very reliable and well built lanterns for the job in hand, though if I had to choose between the two, by a Rizla width it would be the Vapalux. Just my tuppence worth.
As someone who used to fish the beaches in mid-winter, I have to say Muzzlefish nailed it. Tilley fine and Vapalux 320 just ahead by a whisker. My mate used a Coleman but I was and still am frightened by hot petrol under pressure. Ah, I remember those days thawing lugworm over the lamp and threading my frozen finger onto the hook! Now I light my lamps in the garden and fish once it warms up a bit.
I'd suggest a bulletproof Tilley Guardsman, but fit it with a spirit cup/wick then you only have to worry about carrying a squirt bottle of meths for starting it. Alec.
Thank you. I’ve seen lots of Tilleys but the model isn’t always clear. Will try and find some vapalux too. My friend was raving about hipolito(?) but haven’t seen any of them.
I’m hoping i have a few more years of winter fishing in me, but absolutely with you on pressurised petrol
Any Vapalux or Bialaddin will be good - and arguably all or better made than a Tilley although spares are a little more difficult to source. The later Tilley models suffered from cost cutting. A lantern with four vertical legs rising from the tank is likely to be a good choice; the later ones had cranked legs. Even some of the last four-vertical-legs X246s were a bit iffy - but it remains the easiest single factor to distinguish between more major changes in the most common Tilleys.
Thank you, that’s very helpful. Sometimes the description on the auction sites isn’t great or even seems completely wrong. I have seen a few but they either have missing bits or over budget so far.
Those newer bent leg Tilleys are ok though I remember having to heat them twice in really cold weather before they would light. From my limited experience, the Vapalux and Bialladin are a bit better, though good ones can be expensive and cheaper ones might require a bit of fettling to get them to work again. If a lot of bits are needed, costs can mount (I need a new Vapaluv/Bialladin vaporiser at £40+ for one lamp) but if only new seals and washers are needed (for just a few pounds) it is satisfying to get an old one back to working order. The folks here helped me enormously to get to know how to do it. Good luck with the search.
Having just missed out on a straight leg Tilley, i managed to get hold of a Hipolito which looks to be in ok shape (fingers crossed). Will post pics when I get a chance and hope I didn’t mess up too bad!
