# BriteLyt lanterns



## Guest (Dec 4, 2008)

Does anyone have experience with these? I want to hear your experiences if you have any.

The company has been in business well over 100 years. It's employee-owned. The lanterns are used by the military and by rescue groups.

They are expensive. Depending on model, from about $140 to upwards of $200.

I've been all over the BriteLyt website and here are some excerpts from various parts of the site:

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BriteLyt lanterns run on a variety of fuels.. kerosene, alcohol-based fuels, mineral spirits, citronella oil, gasoline, Biodiesel, diesel fuel , & almost every flammable fuel available on the market.

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All of our lanterns are of solid brass construction [with stainless steel nozzle]

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BriteLyt is not Just a Name:American Designed/American Engineered Lamps

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BriteLyt is the brightest lantern in the world (approx. 550 + watts, using only one (1) mantle).

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BriteLyt lanterns can be used as a heating unit only.

Use with or without mantle. 

(500CP Lantern output in BTU's approx: 9,500 to 11,000 per hour) with our heating unit only. Lantern, without heating adapter, will heat a 20' x 20' area - output of 9,500 to approx. 14,500 btu's per hour. 

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The Petromax, Butterfly & Aladdin Lamp Comparison Page

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Heat Out put of some fuels below: 
Gas fuels white gas out put of heat approx: 350 to 450 Degs 
Jp fuels out put of heat approx 850 to 950 degs 
Diesel fuel out put of heat approx: 850 degs.
Biodiesel out put of heat approx: 1125 degs.

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"EZ-Cook" adaptor (fits directly on top of the lantern), and the "BriteLyt Multi-Fuel Stove", for the individual soldier and whole companies to use on the field. These three items give optimum performance, for the benefit of heat, light, and a way to prepare food with the use of any of any liquid fuel available. 

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Prices are here:

http://store.britelyt.com/servlet/-strse-500CP&150CP-Specials--fdsh--Best-Buy/Categories

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I want to put this on our list-of-survival-things-to-buy (maybe with the next stimulus check HAHA), but I want to know more first.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

To be honest, I never knew there was a difference between the Britelyt and the PetroMax. I've always called what I have a "PetroMax" but I bought if from the BriteLyt people almost 10 years ago....soooo, I must have a BriteLyt.

I like this lantern when I want to light up a large area. We use it in our guest cabin which is 16' x 24' feet. The entire cabin is daylight bright with the lantern. You can read, play cards, or whatever from any corner in the cabin when the lantern is on. I've used kerosene, Coleman fuel, gasoline and diesel in my BriteLyt. I prefer Coleman fuel or a blend of Coleman and kerosene.

The lantern is somewhat difficult to pressurized using the thumb pump. I replaced the thumb pump with a schrader valve and pressurize the lantern with a bicycle pump. It takes only 2 or 3 strokes to do the trick. 

There is no comparison between this lantern and a Coleman lantern. The BriteLyt puts out much more light. Like any pressurized lantern, this one puts out a hiss which can be annoying after a while, and it does but out some heat....which is welcome during cold weather.

That's our lantern (below) hanging from the ceiling.


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## Countryboy (Oct 2, 2008)

It looks like a heck of a nice lantern, but with all the accessories it sure is salty. I'd say the manufacture is very proud of it. But hey, if Cabin Fever has had one for 10 years and it is still going strong it looks like a worthy investment. I like the ablility to burn various fuels. I've got 3 Coleman lanterns, one is a multifuel and 5 or 6 old fasioned kerosene barn lanterns but I might have to add one of these to my collection.


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## FUNKY PIONEER (Sep 20, 2005)

The people at Brightlyte are AWESOME~ I pulled a bonehead move and melted some plastic to my lantern and they fixed it for me, even though ti was my fault. EXCELLENT customer service. Plus I LOVE my lamp, very nice and bright and you can even cook on it if you need to. We always bring this camping with us.


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## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

$68 for the "Butterfly" version of that lamp. At this web site you can even get Kerosene pressure stoves, ovens and other stuff prep related. They have a whole kit with Water Filter, stoves, oven, lamps and more for $429.

http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/MilesStair.htm


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

It is my understanding that Petromax manufactures the BriteLyt lantern.

We have had one for a couple years.

It is bright.

Regular cheap oil lamps are faster lighting, so when the power goes out, we first light candles or oil lamps. Then if we are doing to do something that requires LIGHT, then we light up the BriteLyt.

Did anyone say who bright they are?

We have burned citronella oil, veggie oil, VWO, and lard [the lard was cut with kerosene to keep it liquid just like we do for fueling vehicles].

Right now I only burn clean kerosene in it. Because I found that as soon as the 'generator' starts getting clogged, then the flame pulsates. Bright, dim, bright, dim. So after three or four nights of burning our BriteLyt, you need to dedicate daylight to disassembling and cleaning the unit. It is easy to disassemble, it is easy to clean, it is easy to re-assemble. But what kills me, is that each time I take it apart, I destroy the mantle. The mantle is very fragile. Talking to the guys on the Petromax forum, they are working on developing a long term durable mantle. Which I would like.

Now there are guys who have burned a single mantle for 1,000s of hours, but they only burn clean kerosene. So their 'generator' does not gunk up.

Operating a BriteLyt takes practice.

It also takes pressure. We have been using a bike pump. Last week we had a power outage, and we pressurized the lantern using a 12VDC tire pump that we keep in one vehicle.

I like it, in that if you did run out of kerosene you could run it using any other flammable liquid. But it is truly not a long term option, since you would soon run out of mantles.

Recently I saw 2 BriteLyts in a wooden box at our local military surplus store. Lots of spare parts, manuals in multiple languages. I was surprised at the low prices, I 'think' the crates are selling for $120 each.


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## Backerly (Jan 31, 2021)

Cabin Fever said:


> To be honest, I never knew there was a difference between the Britelyt and the PetroMax. I've always called what I have a "PetroMax" but I bought if from the BriteLyt people almost 10 years ago....soooo, I must have a BriteLyt.
> 
> I like this lantern when I want to light up a large area. We use it in our guest cabin which is 16' x 24' feet. The entire cabin is daylight bright with the lantern. You can read, play cards, or whatever from any corner in the cabin when the lantern is on. I've used kerosene, Coleman fuel, gasoline and diesel in my BriteLyt. I prefer Coleman fuel or a blend of Coleman and kerosene.
> 
> ...


I found a schraeder valve for a butterfly, is that what you used? Or something different? Was it just a matter of screwing out the thumb press and screwing in the valve?


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