Vintage camping equipment, lanterns, stoves, accessories...

[Lizbeth]

I have seen some of you on other sites talking about vintage camping equipment. Now we can share here too and people that don't go to other sites can chime in.

I've always liked old stuff of all kinds. I collect vintage kitchenware and campware. I've recently bought a couple of old Coleman lanterns that need to be cleaned and brought back to life. I also have a stove that needs the same treatment.

All my cast iron cookware is vintage except one lone chef skillet which is the new style Lodge. I have a large collection of wooden spoons. I have lots of junk.

[kdhanso]

Hi Lizbeth,

I love old camping gear and have several Coleman lanterns and stoves. I also like using cast iron while camping and at home. This is a great site for Coleman parts and repair help. You'll find detailed tutorials under the technical assistance section.

The Old Town Coleman Coleman Center: Lantern & Stove Repair Home

Ken

[Donna D.]

I understand the appeal. My mother would say it's because it allows us to relive our youth. I have an early 1970s electric crepe pan. It's no longer made and hasn't been for 25+ years. It needs a repair and "small appliance repairmen" no longer exist except for mens shavers. It's "cheaper" to throw out something than to fix it. I refuse to throw out the crepe pan and look for someone to replace some of the wiring in the handle and a fuse. Someday.....

[james kent]

My inlaws bought some camping gear back in the mid sixties. Used it for a week and then stored it. We found iit still there when we had to clean out the house. I now have some Coleman equpment that is over forty years old,still in original containers, and only used a couple of times.I tried out the stove and the lantern and the seals are still good.

[jen b]

My dad unveiled for me a Coleman 2-burner propane stove thingie that we'd used on camping trips in the 70s, when I was a kid. So it's about 40 years old now, but I think the design of these hasn't changed at all! So it doesn't look vintage except for the original box.

[Alf S.]

Hi: All... I have a couple of wooden stir stix from the Galloping Gourmet. They are vintage as the GG drank more wine than he cooked with and so ended his career. The stix take the place of spoons and spatulas so one goes on every camping trip...along with the wine!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Lizbeth]

Ken, that is a great site. I want to add a few more links when I have time.

Donna, I know just the kind of crepe maker you have. I hope you can get it fixed!

James, good find. Do you know what models they are?

Jen, cool you have the stove from when you were kid. Are you going to use it?

Alf, you ARE older than dirt! I Remember GG and his stix to even though I was but a baby (hah!). I remember the Frugal Gourmet better...

[Lizbeth]

A few more links to lantern and stove information....

Manuals and other paperwork
Old, Dirty Coleman Paper

Parts, technical help and forum
OldColemanParts.com

Picture and descriptions of vintage stoves and lantern, index at bottom of page
Coleman stoves pre-1945

I made a cheat sheet out of this information to carry in my wallet;
Lantern, Stove and Iron Index

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Lizbeth

... I remember the Frugal Gourmet better...

Graham Kerr... RIP

Oh crud, that was the Galloping Gourmet. See what happens when you get older? Everything gets mixed up!

[Cyndi B.]

Our cook kit is older then me and my husbands has had it longer then me.

[james kent]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Graham Kerr... RIP

Oh crud, that was the Galloping Gourmet. See what happens when you get older? Everything gets mixed up!

Ha! That's called being a Vintage camper.

[Cyndi B.]

Yeah, the old using the ancient.

[james kent]

I still have my Boy Scout mess kit from 1952, a 194?, 242C lantern that still works like it should and my Coleman single burner back packing stove in it's metal canister with the vinyl cover. Also an Ekco pressure cooker from 1949 with excellant seals.

Lizbeth
Thanks, it's great to have the documentation for some of these Coleman products. Perhaps this material should be in the Documents section.

[Lizbeth]

James, one of the lanterns I have to clean up is a 242C. They were made from 1942-1950. The bottom says 8 5, so it's either May 1948 or Aug 1950. I think it's 1948.

The other lantern I have is a 228E 4-57, it's in pretty good shape.

Here is information on how to identify and date Coleman lanterns.

We went to get fuel today to try the 228 and the only place that had any in stock was a sporting goods store and they wanted 13.00 for the gallon, it stayed at their store.

[Cyndi B.]

I think I am achiveing that fuel. White gas. Boy Scout juice.

[Orlen Wolf]

Originally Posted by Lizbeth

James, one of the lanterns I have to clean up is a 242C. They were made from 1942-1950. The bottom says 8 5, so it's either May 1948 or Aug 1950. I think it's 1948.

The other lantern I have is a 228E 4-57, it's in pretty good shape.

Here is information on how to identify and date Coleman lanterns.

We went to get fuel today to try the 228 and the only place that had any in stock was a sporting goods store and they wanted 13.00 for the gallon, it stayed at their store.

Interesting to note that you have a 242 lantern. I also have a 242 but it has a strange anomaly; The model number engraved on frame base is 242A but there is a B stamped over the A. The date code stamped on the bottom of the fount is 10. Since there is no month zero and the 242 B series is listed as manufactured from 1938 to 1942 I assume that it was built in January of 1940. I also have the filtering funnel and some original mantles.

We think that it was bought new by my wife's father and was used to light their tent home in the mountains where he logged before WWII so it is a part of her family history. That would also match the assumed build date.

We found it hanging in a corner of the storage shed in the backyard about 20 years ago. I'm going to clean it up a bit and put it on a shelf with the other family heirlooms. Hopefully I won't start collecting Coleman stuff to add to my other collections.

[Lizbeth]

Orlen, that is a neat story. Is the fount green? Heck with a little lovin' ot could still glow!

[Anne H]

I have an old backpacking stove - optimus 99R - over 35 years old. I can't get rid of it even though was never as efficient as the one I have now. I'm not even sure it still works - I may try it sometime (if you hear a giant explosion, you'll know it didn't )

[Phil 4500]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Graham Kerr... RIP

Oh crud, that was the Galloping Gourmet. See what happens when you get older? Everything gets mixed up!

You had me wondering when you wrote Graham Kerr...RIP. A quick google search of Graham Kerr would seem to indicate he is still alive and kicking (or is that galloping)

[james kent]

You have me looking closer at the lantern and it's stamped "Made in Canada 8 36. Would this then be a 242 B model?