There is a new mantleless lantern: Liberty Lantern It claims not to use any mantle but uses some Platinium wire mesh. I suspect that the non-luminous gas flame is used to heat the Platinium wire mesh to make it glow to produce light. If so it is very inefficient. They may have coated the wire with some oxide to increase the efficiency of emmision at the relatively low temperature the wires work (Platinium melts at 1700C (3100F). Metallic wires are obviously much stronger than thorium oxide, thus the claim of its relative ruggedness. The lantern is costly (due to the use of Platinium) at USD 110 (!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif). Expected to start shipping in January 2004. Will some super loaded guy test one PLEASE and tell us if it works as intended? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif