At Forest Fundamentals, we are longtime UCO lantern users, over the years we’ve made numerous DIY Oil Inserts from old aerosol, and metal tubing. Eventually, we decided to create our own—introducing the Forest Fundamentals Oil Inserts!
COST EFFECTIVE: Oil Inserts are far more cost-effective than candles. A 20-pack of candles costs approximately £44.99 ($56.52) and offers 180 hours of burn time. In contrast, a 4-litre bottle of paraffin or lamp oil costs about £16 ($20.12) and provides approximately 640 hours of burn time. That’s 22.5p ($0.28) saved per hour of burning—excluding the cost of the oil inserts!
ADJUSTING THE FLAME SIZE: Oil Inserts allow you to adjust the flame size by lengthening the wick. Additionally, oil lamps burn brighter and are more wind-resistant than candles.
REPLACEABLE WICKS AND REFILLING: Easily replace the wicks outdoors, no special tools are required. To refill the Inserts with fuel, simply unscrew the main cap to access a wide opening for easy refilling.
LONG BURN TIMES: A full lantern holds 25ml of fuel and provides 4 hours of burning. For multi-day use, a small 500ml bottle of lamp oil will provide around 80 hours of burn time—equivalent to 8.8 replacement candles.
SAFETY-FOCUSED DESIGN: O-rings make the Oil Inserts fully watertight, preventing leaks and allowing for safe carrying of fuel inside the bottles.
DESIGNED FOR FULL COMPATIBILITY: The height of the Inserts allows the lantern to fully close with the Oil Inserts inside for easy transport. They work just like candles—only with lamp oil!
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
NOT AFFILIATED, JUST COMPATIBLE: We would like to emphasise, this is a Forest Fundamentals product designed for compatibility with UCO Original Lanterns but is not affiliated with, endorsed, or manufactured by UCO. It is independently developed and produced by Forest Fundamentals.
BUYING REPLACEMENT WICKS FOR YOUR INSERTS: To ensure the wicks fit and prevent leaks, we recommend purchasing replacement wicks directly from our shop. Our wicks are custom-sized specifically for the Oil Inserts. Please avoid using wicks from other retailers, as they may not provide the same reliable fit. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
WHY DID WE DECIDE TO DESIGN OUR OWN OIL INSERTS?
At Forest Fundamentals, we are longtime UCO lantern users. Over the years, we’ve made various DIY Oil Inserts using everything from mini aerosol cans to metal tubing and old bolts.
The biggest challenge we encountered with DIY options was achieving a watertight seal and issues replacing the wicks.
Eventually, we set out to solve these design flaws and upgrade DIY Oil Inserts by designing something fully compatible with the lanterns. Meet the Forest Fundamentals Oil Inserts!
A Detailed Look At the Design of our oil inserts
Optimised for use with the UCO Original Lanterns
A Detailed Look At the Design of our oil inserts
Replacing the Wicks and Refilling the Inserts
A Detailed Look At the Design of our oil inserts
Other Design Features of the Inserts
The designing
of the inserts
The design process: Why we chose to design our own inserts
The designing
of the inserts
The CAD and
3D Printing Prototyping Phase
The designing
of the inserts
The CNC Machining Prototyping Phase
The designing
of the inserts
The Wick Testing & Development Phase
