Seriously - Ice is here....and therefore, electricity is on the mind. More accurately, lack of electricity is on the mind.
What is your plan for light? (I know - there are some things that might come before light in regards to a power outage - heat, food, etc. but right now we are talking light).
You have so many options - you have batteries (rechargeable) for lanterns and flashlights. You have double mantle lanterns that use gasoline or white gas. There are candles. And then there is the old school kerosene lamp.
We have candles but our main source of light is the kerosene lamp.
They are easy - its old school technology, so you pretty much make sure you have a wick, kerosene and the lamp is in good condition. If you have ever watched any of the old westerns you have seen kerosene lamps and may have even learned how to use one :)
*****They are dangerous - as all fire plus flammable liquid are - and therefore should never be left alone or burning after you go to sleep.... They should also be kept on a sturdy foundation (table - counter)...
Here is why I like kerosene..... Its relatively cheap. The lamps can be picked up at Walmart or any camping supply for less than $10 (I got mine for $5) in addition to the 2 that my grandfather handed down to me. Those 2 are my favorite - love those lamps..... The kerosene can be picked up at Home Depot or Lowes for less than $40 but if you take your own container and google "kerosene" and your location you can find a dealer selling it for less than $4.00 a gallon which would make it 1/2 the cost at Lowes.
Kerosene keeps really well. If you did buy a 5 gallon drum of it at Lowes, it would keep for years - YEARS..... *** Do your own research but be wary - those that say it only keeps for 6 months probably have a reason to resell you some quickly :)
Another GO KEROSENE reason is that you can burn your lamp 5 hours a day EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR and only use 12 gallons of Kerosene. $100 will get you light for a year. Personally, I dont see me burning 5 hours in the middle of the summer since its daylight savings and also Kerosene puts off HEAT!!
This leads me to another reason I love Kerosene - the heat.... Several lamps going can heat quite a large space.
So my reason:
1 - Fairly cheap start up cost
2 - Comparatively cheap long term cost
3 - Comparable to a 50watt bulb
4 - Light PLUS heat
5 - Long term storage friendly
Now - WHAT YOU MUST KNOW.....
* You must trim your wicks to keep the carbon down
* You must use in a well ventilated area (Kerosene lamps burn "good air" and expel "bad air"
* You could burn your house down - seriously....
*** Disclaimer - there is more info out there to ensure you use your lamp to its maximum benefit while keeping the risks to the absolute minimum. Do your homework - we are talking about YOUR family, YOUR life and YOUR home.... :)
This is also the beginning of our "lighting" plan.... It would make a "dim" world view if this is the plan entirely :)
As always - Pray - Praise - Prepare
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5 comments:
Right now I have a combination of battery powered lamps and propane. Kero is my next move in lighting.
I love my aladdin lamp, burns kero/parafin(UK) and is as bright as a 60w bulb. Also have hurrican lamps and led lamps. The ufo camping led lamps they have about 60 leds and throw a good spot of light,great for reading under.
half(UK)
I got hurricane lamps that will burn just about anything flammable. Diesel, kero (essentially the same, kero is a bit cleaner), lamp oil, any medium oil that will work it's way up the wick. Flashlights, candles, chem lights, and a Coleman propane lantern. If all else fails, a fire in the fireplace lights up the living room good enough (though I wouldn't want that in the summer 'round here!)
Years ago I noticed a four-pack of "emergency" candles - glass candle holders about nine or ten inches tall, with a candle poured in. The wick was down about an inch.
I had used two, now. In the 2007 Oklahoma ice storm the first one stayed lit, non-stop, for three or four days, when the lights came on. It made an adequate night-light, and didn't smoke much.
I tried re-lighting it when lights went out in a storm sometime later. The wick was about 6 inches down, and I couldn't get it to light. But I still have two left.
Other than the candles, the plan is pretty much to wait for daylight.
I have oil lamps. we started with a few antiques from my Grandmothers collection, then added on. Oil lamps and lamp oil are quite common in my area because we live near an Indian reservation where more than half of the residents are not even hooked up to the grid. We also have a wood stove with a glass front so we will always have both heat and light.
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