Coleman Recalls Northstar Lanterns

With a bright 400 lumens, the Coleman Rechargeable Lantern doesn’t lack brightness. This is actually a good lantern to set on a picnic table at a state park or national park and illuminate your campsite. As much as I hate ripping on coleman lantern any piece of gear, I really fell like Coleman mailed it in on their Rugged Rechargeable Lantern. Ozark Trail (Walmart) makes a better and cheaper lantern or Goal Zero’s Lighthouse 400 is our Editor’s Choice for just a bit more money.

Coleman also made these LZ327 (left) and LZ427 (right) lanterns, known here by their Coleman numbers, for several retailers including Sears and Montgomery Ward. These lanterns have a separate post to support the burner; the air tube, which is curved in these models, opens below the mantles. coleman canopy The lantern on the left is in Doug Dwyer’s collection. The lantern on the right lacks its generator and is in Don Colston’s collection. Coleman made this version of their L327 model for their Sunshine Products subsidiary circa 1929 based on a parts comparison to dated Quick-Lite lanterns.

On a few nights the Northstar sat out in the rain without a cover and it still started the next evening without any problems. The Northstar has an coleman sleeping bag InstaStart ignition, which we really enjoyed. It typically started right up during our testing period where we used it nearly every single night.

You may be wondering, “Which one should I buy? ” I put them to the test and found one that was a clear winner. The Lantern’s powered stabilizer jacks and power tongue jack make setting up at your next campground easier than ever before. Which means, you’ll have more time for fun and relaxation.

This lantern was restored by Steve Retherford for Mike Coon, whose collection this is in. Coleman’s first production of Models 220B and 228B was May, 1930. Until early 1934 all of the founts of these two models were stamped 220B on the bottom. These models could be purchased with either a Pyrex (left) or mica globe (right).

The gas lantern gives off a very warm yellow light. The propane lantern is still warm, but not as yellow as gas. The LED was much different with its white, daylight balanced light. This product is not cheap, especially if you purchase a case (which we recommend), but it is bright. It is made from quality parts and works well for car, RV, and cabin camping. We used it practically every night for over ten weeks and didn’t have any problems.