RV FEATURE
MY EARLY-YEARS FAVOURITE
My earliest camping memory is with my parents using the wellknown and highly-regarded ( at the time ) Dolphin torch . Big and bulky , these torches packed a heavy 6V non-rechargeable battery . They featured a single button that turned the torch on and off ; no flashing modes , no red , blue or dimming features . Not only was the Dolphin torch waterproof , it could also take a fair old knock by being dropped or tossed into the ute . Times were simple , and this torch worked a treat … until the battery went flat , and no one remembered to pack a bulky , heavy spare battery .
Around camp , we had an LPG lantern screwed to an extension pole on a gas cylinder . That little glass lantern , complete with its original packing box and a handful of spare mantels , is still in my shed , though it hasn ’ t been used for decades . Yes , I ' m a hoarder .
It was almost guaranteed that I would need a new mantel on every trip back when I used this light . Once lit and burnt , these lanterns are extremely fragile and don ' t take well to corrugations , rough tracks , or being bumped in the slightest way . The gas lantern shed an enormous amount of soft , warm light around the campsite , enough for a few families to congregate for meals and socialising . They were great , with a few drawbacks , but back then , there wasn ' t really a better option .
From my teenage years in the 80s , my old gas lantern survived many a camping trip .
/ 49