Hoodoo said:
The Coghlan candle lanter is very light and dependable. It has become my all time favorite.
I have something like this, but I think it is from Coleman. Very cheap, and cheaply made from white metal or aluminum, but tiny for packing, and I've used it for years with no complaints.
Most often I just pack candles. Church candles are best as they last a long time. Most churches discard them about the length that they become useful to the camper. I make a lantern (if needed due to wind conditions) from a tube of birch bark with pinholes for light.
To make a birchbark lantern:
Take a piece of birchbark. Make muliple small holes in the center with an awl. Make a slit on one side, and a tongue on the other. Slide tongue through slit making your bark into a tube. Take a piece of wood, sawn across the end grain, and shave the sides so it fits snuggly into the bottom of the of the tube. Sharpen other end of wood to stake into ground. Using your awl, make a hole in the end grain. Sharpen a sliver to fit in the hole. Melt bottom end of candle to fit onto sliver.
You can also make this into a hanging lantern by attaching watabe (spruce root) to two holes bored in either side of the top of the birchbark tube.
Nothing special, they take a few minutes to make, and can be discarded into the fire when you move on.
PG