Oil Burning lamp!
 

Haven't had one in years, but I just picked up a new one this afternoon. They're very cheap and so is the oil. Wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a completely fresh one in with your preps along with a few gallons of oil. They make a ton of light an burn a long time. Plus, they're very romantic to use until the SHTF!!!

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Are you sure you aren't exaggerating? I have an oil-burning lamp that has come in handy several times when the electricity went out for several hours at a time. But I wouldn't try to read by it -- value my eyes more than that. In my experience, it's good enough that you can walk around the room without breaking your neck falling over furniture; but it would take more than one to "make a ton of light" don't you think? Actually, how many would it take at one time in a room to provide enough light that you wouldn't risk eye strain reading, say, the newspaper?

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

It depends on the lamp. Some types have really low candle power; other types produce a good bit of light. I wouldn't say any type produces a "ton" of light, though! Still, they beat candles.

What type did you get, Drewfu?

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

I bought one of these for reading, the mantle puts out the equivalent of a 60 watt light bulb.

http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/prod...eyword=aladdin

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Ok, maybe a ton is a bit of an exaggeration. I'm given to hyperbole, or so I'm told! I just bought some cheap one. The brand is Lamplight, out of Wisconsin.

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

OK, I see that this uses a mantle as opposed to a wick. Some of the lanterns at lehmans are "pressurized." So there is great variability in the technology here. Can you explain these variables to a noobie?

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

I've used wick lamps through hurricane power outages that lasted for days. The lamps work good, not super bright but definately useable.

I'm interested in the ancient style lamps like you'd rub to get a genie out of. If you have the capacity to grow your own vegetable oil you have a longterm sollution to your lighting needs.

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

I have six of these lamps down stairs in my 'stash' of emergency stuff. Plus some of the cleaner burning parrafin based oils, which does burn rather cleanly.

If SHTF, I do have ten gallons of kerosene that I could switch to. And several of these types of lamps do have 'reflectors' that do make them a bit brighter. I would not have used the phrase 'a ton of light', nor would I consider reading by them, unless there was more than one in the room.

But they are GREAT to have. And Lehmans is a good place to find them. I seem to find them at older hardware stores in small towns for way cheap. They just seem to have this kind of stuff in the smaller towns.

If you live in a medium to large city, also consider getting some way to 'black out' what ever room you have lights lit in. You don't want to 'let others know' you have all these good SHTF supplies.

Now if you live in a smaller rural town, hopefully more people will be better prepared. MAYBE NOT. But in every small rural town I stop in (one of my favorite pastimes, drives my wife crazy), I find a lot of 'older' not tech type stuff just like this. The smaller the town, the less 'traffic' the older hardware or 'dime store' type shops will see, hence the better the selection can be.

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

I live in a city, but there's a great old-fashioned hardware store just down the street from me. They carry paraffin lamps and kerosene lanterns and cast iron cook pots, etc. It's a tiny little place, but it's crammed full of fun stuff.

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Wal-mart has some cheap ones made in China that work quite well. Outdoor, hurricane types and the indoor types with a glass mantel. Get the ones with a wide base.

SB

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

We have several of the wick type....couple that are really old. Have an Aladdan mantle type that I never seem to quite be able to get the hang of using, I soot up the mantle, and doesn't seem to matter if I use kero, lamp oil, or whatever.

My personal favorite are the Coleman propanes.....we keep one of these handy for power outages....just flip the dial to turn on the propane and light at the same time.....almost like electric lights.

We store LOTS of propane and have 2-55gal drums of kerosense.

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Does anyone know anything about the Coleman multi fuel lantern. I've got an old coleman with the double mantel and it's been a fantastic lantern but it is recommended you only use white gas.

SB

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Actually I DO.

I have four 'dual fuel' double mantel Coleman lanterns. Two winters ago, my buddy and I took my deuce up above 9500 ft with his son and his son's Boy Scout troup.

We slept IN the back of the deuce. With the top on, with front and rear covers in place, we lit ONE of mine up. No light shined through to the outside and while it was below zero (-2 or so), the inside of the deuce it got up to about forty degrees and we had to remove our coats. The best part was I was able to slide a queen sized bed into the back of the truck for me, all the way forward. I was warm and toasty all night long. My buddy and his kid, who slept on the steel floor (it had a nice thick rug on the floor - then their sleeping bag pads - then their 20 below sleeping bags) and they both admitted to me the next morning that it got a little chilly on the floor.

I also have two dual fuel two burner Coleman stoves. As soon as I finish the 'travel case' I'm buying, I'll take a couple of pix and post it. That metal transport box will have a flame that I will paint on it, so I will know exactly what's in it. Four lanterns and two stoves. All Coleman dual fuels. Plus two gallons of white gas, extra mantels (40) plus two extra globes, a couple of funnels, and some extra items that are related to this type of stuff.

Having said all the lanterns and the stoves do use unleaded fuel. They don't burn QUITE as hot, but they DO THE JOB just find. Just don't use them inside where there will be no way to vent the exhaust fumes OR replace the Oxy in your area... THAT'S a deadly mix.

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

The wife and I just had a brainstorming session on this topic a week or so ago.

We have had kero/lamp oil lamps for a long time (we live in hurricane alley). The cost of good clean fuel has gone up enough for us to look into rechargable LED lanterns. We have a 50W of solar panel that is used for keeping the genset and other batteries up to snuff already.

We figure that it would be enough to keep two lanterns running 24/7 if need be.

Next week I'll see just how right we are. I bought 4 LED lanterns, and will road test them as soon as they arrive and let y'all know.

AE

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Genie III $104.95, In Stock

That's a pretty expensive 60 watt bulb!!!!!!:dontknow:

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

they let off smoke too, you got to keep the wick down but that limits the light at the same time

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Little trick I learned about trimming the wick for max light without having to turn it way up is to trim it like a M. That gives you two high points. Looks a little spooky (like the devils horns) but generates more light.

AE

Re: Oil Burning lamp!
 

Hey, this really works! I just trimmed mine like that and lit it up. Thanks for this useful tidbit.