Not sold on Thermacell lantern just yet

[Mike Vines]

We went to some fireworks tonight, and I took along our new Thermacell lantern to do some realworld testing to see if this is a product I want with me in the woods when hunting.  Used it just like the box (and all of you here on Tradgang) said to, and proceded to wonder what the rave about this thing is.

All 4 of us sat within 4 feet of the lantern, and the skeeters were still landing on us and biting.  I'm going to give it 2 more nights of use to see if there is really any truth to what I have been hearing, but as for right now, I can say I wouldn't spend the money on refills for it.  Maybe 2 night of camping will change my mind, but only an actuall test will tell.

Have a great weekend everyone, and Happy Birthday AMERICA.

[sawtoothscream]

i had mine work before in a few spots.  i tried it at my house and got bit alot.  idk

[Tree Rat]

Breeze can be an issue.

[wapiti792]

Man I have found the lantern to under perform and the regular unit be awesome. The night I shot my bear in the avatar my thermacell ran out of propane JUST as the big bears got to me. From the time the bears got there until the arrow did it's job, the skeeters and black flies wore me out. I changed the propane, got the little smoker going again and the torture stopped. I think the lantern is a good idea that works ok. I think the regular unit is a good idea that I will never leave home without if I were hunting and fishing in warm weather where big skeeters live.

[RM81]

How windy was it?

[Ladams]

Lantern does not work as well as the regular unit......
Larry

[The Vanilla Gorilla]

I strap mine to my pack or keep it at my feet.  Yeah, occassionally the odd mosquito can stand the smell and gets in, but he finds out how strong my pimp slap is.

So I won't say its mosquito proof, but I know how miserable my summertime hog hunts are if I didn't have a Thermacell.

If you're still not sold on it, Ill take it off your hands!

[levibear]

Sure worked well this spring durring turkey hunting...

[Gordon martiniuk]

I don't understand there is nothing traditional about therma cells , If a someone was to use a modern coumpound all the trad folks jump all over them and say it's not trad but the use of thermacell does not make sence as hunters know sent is the worst enemy of any hunter now you use a propane powered bug chaser there are other ways to keep bugs away many people still enjoy the outdoors without these  :confused:

[USN_Sam1385]

Traditional is such a 'relative' term.

I assume that you do not use a Thermacell Gordon. That is fine, if you feel it is not traditional.

Do you ride a horse to your hunting area though?? Do you build your stand out of strictly logs and sticks? Do you hunt with a modern longbow or recurve, or do you jab the deer with sticks???

I mean, if we really wanna be 'real' about it: not a single person on here is truly 100% 'traditional', and at the same time ALL of us are. If that makes any sense..??

As for the Thermacell; I have no experience with the lantern, nor did I know it exists. The regular unit is incredible.

[Darren]

I LOVE mine. I live in Manitoba, the capital of mosquitoville. Don't get me started on the "traditional" stuff. Well said Samuel.

[4 point]

Traditional or not the standard thermacell works well.

As far as the scent goes I sat in a ground blind in sub zero temps with a propane heater going. The heat rising from the heater must carry your scent up in it's thermal. I had deer walk by with in 5 yards strait down wind.

[BigJim]

Won't leave home with out mine. I have used it in New Brunswick and in Saskatchewan during bear hunts and here in GA too. It has made bear hunting bearable! I have taken it to Alaska and tried to use it while carving Caribou and the constant breeze kept it from working around me.

I don't know about the scent. I do know that the animals don't seem to mind. I think that the hot scent rises and disipates above and maybe this is why there is no issue. I have had bears down wind at 10 yards while I was sitting on the ground. wind was in there face and no concern.

I guess that if the critter is going to smell the thermacell, it will smell you too so it makes it a mute point.
I keep two with me incase one tears up!!!
BigJim

[Javi]

I never leave home without at least two...
When the wife and I go to the grandkids soccer games as soon as I light mine up we become the most popular people at the game.. It's funny to see folks crowd around us to escape the bugs.. I really need to start carrying a few new ones with me and selling them at the games..  LOL
As for hunting; I’ve sat in a Double Bull with one running in the blind and had game within 10 feet downwind and they never noticed or at least they didn’t appear to mind the scent…

[DWT]

I was pretty skeptical after I saw a thermacell commercial on the outdoor (moron) channel and thought well heres another bullsh%$ gimmick to sell to the unwise. After a few real outdoor people I knew fell for the advertising and were positive about the performance I tried one. I took it for a week of walleye fishing in the back country of canada and I will say the thing works as advertised wich is unusual for a product advertised on the idiot channel.

[Bowwild]

I have never used one -- where I hunt and the seasons I hunt mosquitos aren't a problem.

I have heard folks rave about how well they work (especially hunters in Florida).  This is the first time I've ever heard comments about this device not working.

Sorry to see the "T" word came up again in this thread.

[Swamp Yankee]

What we need is a "Traditional" model without the push button igniter for those who rather spend an hour rubbing two sticks together to light it off.  Sorry, sometimes I just can't help myself.  

[Doc Nock]

Sounds like the majority of testamonies past and current are for the personal item.

I often wondered about the bigger "lantern", which was the topic posted.  Same stuff...bigger unit... may not equal and provide the same protection...sure sounds that way from two who actually specified the lantern's performance.

I appreciate the post! Thanks! I truly have had good experiences with the personal thermacell to where I trust it! I won't go bare skinned, but might learn to--if I spent a lot of time in the steamy South in skeeter season, but I watch the misery makers just hover out of range and not penetrate the vapor barrier...with my personal unit.

I won't waste the $$ on the lantern now though...lest someone comes up with a favorable review of IT.

Thanks

[flightmedic]

i love mine works like a charm, as far as traditional goes dont think that is what traditional means, if so we would all be in loin cloths , slinging rocks from a stick. hey gordon how traditional is the computer you used to post on tradgang, yea kinda hard to be total traditional, just my opion.

[Hawkeye]

OK, flightmedic..... but where would you get the LOIN CLOTH?!?!?!        :eek:      

PS- I love my Thermacell!