preparedness - lighting

[emordnilap]

We have battery torches, candles, and 3 Aladdin 23 parafin lamps which give very good, almost too bright light. Of course they need consumables, are prone to breaking, and are a fire risk, but they are very bright.

Have you a link to a supplier or two?

[emordnilap]

Heh. One of the problems highlighted in the programme Blackout was the increase in house fires.

What's your hurricane lamps? Can you give a link to a source?

It was several years ago that I bought them plus a load of spare bits (the ebay stuff often doesn't offer spares), pretty sure this was the place:

http://www.hurricanelamps.co.uk/

Thanks for that. I like the look of the Petromax pressure lamps. Anyone any experience with pressure lamps?

BTW, I love the box for storage further down that page. £50 though!

[adam2]

I can recomend this supplier for oil lamps of all kinds, including Aladin lamps.
http://www.base-camp.co.uk/Wick%20stove ... ps/Oil.htm

[featherstick]

We have battery torches, candles, and 3 Aladdin 23 parafin lamps which give very good, almost too bright light. Of course they need consumables, are prone to breaking, and are a fire risk, but they are very bright.

Have you a link to a supplier or two?

Keep your eye on ebay. I got the last two very cheaply - 40 quid the pair - because they were collection only. Otherwise they can be expensive.

[emordnilap]

This lantern looks interesting. It doesn't appear on their European website.

[adam2]

This old post refers to an easily made LED emergency light that is ideal for relatively long term, simple emergency lighting.

Comments or enquiries about that particular light might be best added to the thread to which I link.

http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/vie ... hp?t=19297

[RenewableCandy]

My best LED torch uses 2 D cells and has 7 LEDs, I don't think I've had to replace the batteries since we got it, and I use it every week. I won it at the Help For Heroes raffle held on Car-Free Day in 2009 I inherited a load of D cells...btw are they best stored indoors or somwhere cooler, anybody know?

We do have an oil lamp but although I have bought a proper wick for it, we've never actually dared light it!

Finally, there exist little 7-LED stick-on lights that are useful for cupboards etc. If they ever start making those with warm-white LEDs I shall certainly be tempted.

[adam2]

My best LED torch uses 2 D cells and has 7 LEDs, I don't think I've had to replace the batteries since we got it, and I use it every week. I won it at the Help For Heroes raffle held on Car-Free Day in 2009 I inherited a load of D cells...btw are they best stored indoors or somwhere cooler, anybody know?

We do have an oil lamp but although I have bought a proper wick for it, we've never actually dared light it!

.

I would advise replaceing batteries after no more than about 3 years in use even if they appear sound, due to the risk of leakage.

Batteries of all common types store best at a low and even temperature, rapid or frequent temperature variations may shorten the shelf life and increase the chance of leaks.
I store bulk stocks of batteries in a picnic "cooler" which of course does not actually cool at all, but does maintain a relatively even internal temperature.

I would try the oil lamp, outside initialy if you have grounds for concern.

[RenewableCandy]

Oooh, ta. Point taken about the oil lamp in particular. I don't fancy having to faff about with matches and bits of string in the dark.

[fuzzy]

paraffin lamp heaven:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/hootflipflopan ... bworthdiy/

[adam2]

paraffin lamp heaven:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/hootflipflopan ... bworthdiy/

Yes, very useful, have purchased from them before.

[emordnilap]

paraffin lamp heaven:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/hootflipflopan ... bworthdiy/

Yes, but I can't see any actual lamps there.

[adam2]

paraffin lamp heaven:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/hootflipflopan ... bworthdiy/

Yes, but I can't see any actual lamps there.

They do sell a couple IIRC, but are mainly stockists of spare parts for oil lamps and heaters, including many obsolete or hard to find parts.

[adam2]

LED Christmas tree lights have recently improved significantly and if battery operated are worth considering as emergency lighting.

I recently purchased some sets of 50 lights, powered by three AA cells. The light output is surprising and lights a small room sufficiently for safe movement or rough work.
A merit of using a string of decorative lights is that the light sources are spread over a length of several M and the light is therefore glare free and shadow free, unlike a torch , lantern, or candle which approximates to a point source.

The claimed run time is "up to 120 hours" but that is Chinese hours. My own tests suggests that 50 hours is more realistic for a reasonable light output. They do in fact remain lit for 120 hours or more but are too dim to be of much use by then.
The measured current consumption with fresh batteries was about 50ma.

For prolonged use it might be worth replacing the supplied battery holder with one that takes D cells. D cells cost about twice as much as AA cells but contain about 7 times as much energy.

A string of battery LED lights is especially suitable for lighting a stairway since each step would be lit and the user of the stairs would cast no shadow.

[johnhemming2]

LED lighting is now impressive and does not necessarily require fossil fuels. There are even hand powered torches.