Original Candle Lantern, Green

This little candle lantern has a lot of good, and some bad going for it. I think the good outweighs the bad by a considerable margin, so I gave it four stars. I'm not sure why there is such a price difference between the different colors, but I bought the silver aluminum one because it was the cheapest.

The good:
* Compact, and collapsible. This is a light source that will give you long lasting light in a tiny package (when collapsed) that is about 3/4 the size of a normal can of pop.
* As the candle burns, an internal spring automatically pushes the candle up. This is nice since it means that you won't have to twiddle with the candle as it burns.
* The glass shield is nice, and I have no worries about it protecting the flame from wind. If dropped, there is almost no risk that the candle will light anything in the house on fire.

The bad:
* Cheap metal. I mean super cheap metal. I'm no Hercules, but I think I could probably mash in the base with my bare hands. Since I pretty much only plan to use it in the event of an extended power outage, I can overlook this bad point.
* It only works on UCO candles. UCO candles are kinda short and squat, and I've never seen any candles in any store shaped like them. So, if you're going to use these candle lanterns for your "Go Dark Bag," then I suggest that you stock up on UCO candles. This is not a big deal for me as the UCO candles are made to burn longer and I'd buy them anyway.

I bought one UCO Candle Lantern for the "Go Dark Bag." I'm kinda-sorta up in the air as to whether or not I'll buy another one. I probably will since it would be nice to have two candle light sources in the event of an extended power outage.

EDIT - I just noticed that this little bad boy is MADE IN THE USA. What's funny is that I've stopped even looking for the MADE IN THE USA label, and as I was unscrewing the candle mount there it was -- MADE IN THE USA. Anything MADE IN THE USA automatically scores at least one kudos point. So, that makes this a FIVE STAR product.

The lantern is fairly durable.
Easy to store in small spaces.
Candles are a little pricey, but not bad.
Here is the biggest problem. I used it alot when I first got it.
I would blow it out, next time I used it, it would go out after a bit. I looked inside and
the wax melts the sides to the spring and plunger. I would have to take it
apart, clean the wax, trim the candle so the spring and plunger would push the candle up in
the correct place.
It is a pain.

Handy for camping, I have the red one. Well made and when you collapse the unit, it protects the glass. After you slide the glass chimney down for lighting, it can be a bit tricky to grasp and pull it back up, but if you don't push it down all the way when lighting the wick, its easier to grasp. Or, after lighting you can push down slightly on the top of the frame and then pull back up, and then grasp the glass and pull it all the way up. The glass is made with a smooth edge so, no worries about sharp edges.

Otherwise, what can you say about a candle? It puts out enough light to see around a picnic table at night and visit with friends, but you wont be doing much reading with the light from this thing.

It is handy to pack, when camping, and you can set up 2 or 3 for more light. Get a few extra packs of the replacement candles and you're all set.