I remember camping with my family when I was a kid. We had a camping lantern, which require a liquid fuel and my father are always alert to stay away from it for fear of knocking over and spread fire everywhere. Fortunately, there are a lot of select that day, so we do not need to have special concerns.
After all, most of the lanterns on the market these days is still difficult to say if they use candles or propane or liquid petroleum gas. In this respect, we need to know that even if they are not a danger that they may have been buried years ago, can still become very hot and can still cause fires if not used properly.
I've seen some lanterns that are battery operated and have fluorescent type lights. This type of lantern is perfect for the true urbanite that is just trying to get away with their family for the weekend. A lantern like this is obviously far more kid friendly and you would have no worries at all using one. The only problem with this type of lantern is the battery life and the fact that battery disposal is somewhat harsh on the environment. If you're opting for a battery operated lantern then it would be a good idea to look into some sort of LED technology. These little lights last for an incredible number of hours from their battery source. You could even consider using rechargable batteries and a solar charger to keep them usable every night.
For the outright good lighting type of camping lantern I would opt for some sort of gas lantern. Coleman is the obvious first choice for many campers but if you're hiking or canoe tripping then you may want to consider something compatible with LPG fuel. Not because they really give a better light but because they're smaller and easier to carry. The Coleman lantern would barely fit into a backpack. The Coleman ones work very well though and like the LPG models have adjustable flame heights so you can ensure it lasts' longer.
My personal favorite camping lantern is the candle lantern. These guys are small and light and in my opinion the greatest camping gadget ever. They're a telescoping tube that takes a specially formulated candle that burns for up to nine hours. The candle burns all night long and the flame height is regulated by the spring that pushes the candle upward as it melts away. The candles are designed to be essentially dripless and smokeless which is a plus because when they're burned up you don't have to worry about lugging around empty fuel cans out of your campsite. All that will be left is a half inch of wax and because it's designed to burn you can pretty much throw it in your fire to let it melt away. These offer enough light to read by but not so much that it hurts your eyes if you wake up in the night (I use one in my tent overnight). I don't recommend fire in your tent but if you do decide to use them you'll find that on top of giving you some light they'll help dry out the condensated air from your breathing which helps get rid of that "wet sleeping bag in the morning" feeling. Also they may give a few degrees of temperature to the inside of your tent which is a bonus if you're camping in the spring or in the fall.
No matter what type of camping lantern you choose,you need to be aware that if you bring batteries or fuel cans to a campsite, you need to take them with you when you leave. Our parks and forests won't stay beautiful with people leaving their junk all over them. Be responsible.
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