| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| 2steps |
Non Electrical LightingHaving spent from yesterday eveing to an hour or so agao with no electricity I was wondering if anyone could advise me on ways of running lighting without electricity? This is the second time this monthWould it be possible to run a lightbulb (or a few) from a car battery for example and can they be charge anyway apart from in a car? Something I could keep in the cupboard and get out when needed Having no electric wasn't such a big problem but having no lights was. Cooking by candle is no fun and neither is trying to entertain an 8 and 4 year old. One decent light in the house and we'd have no probs |
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| gil |
How decent a light ? To read by ?
You could get a Tilley lamp (paraffin). Also, is your stove electric as well, or did you have something to cook on ? If not, keep an eye out for those larger camping gaz stoves with at least two rings that come in a case - apparently Woolies were doing one really cheaply a couple of years ago (think I was told it was a tenner). If the kids want to read, get them head torches - also useful if folk need to get up in the night and the house / stairs are dark - if they get bored with reading, they could always play at being miners or explorers. |
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| nora |
I have a little camping gas lamp. Its nice and bright and its small so can easily be kept out of the was when you don't need it. | ||
| nora |
http://www.surplusandoutdoors.com/ishop/877/shopscr46.html
Heres a selection of them 
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| dougal |
Candles are a *very* cheap standby. They store well too.
You can get quite decorative (yet cheap) enclosed lanterns (sold for patio decoration) which provide a measure of portability and safety. You get more light from candles if you put a mirror behind them 
Gas lamps provide an excellent light for folk that do a bit of camping, but such an 'emergency only' thing will rarely earn its keep. An indoor (mains) gas lamp would be fine standby - but they are rare and would need a CORGI installer. Thats going to be expensive. If you want to invest something, but not that much, think of a small generator. It may be a bit noisy, but it'll run plenty (plug in) lights, and the telly too... The cheapest new ones are around £100. A wind-up torch is a great thing to have. But batteries don't actually store much energy. And they need to be kept charged. And ordinary car battteries don't like being discharged (drained down) to low levels - their forte is providing a brief high current for starting. There are special "deep discharge" batteries, but they are more expensive... In Britain, electricity cuts are pretty infrequent, and usually brief, so few people invest in alternatives... |
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| Treacodactyl |
This may sound a little daft but some of the head LED torches are very good now. Woolies are selling an 8 LED torch which runs for hours on 3 AAA batteries. This gives out enough light to work, read etc.
As for a general light there are some mains rechargable flourecent work lights at a reasonable cost. |
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| 2steps |
gil, fortunatly our cookers gas but thankyou. if the gas ever goes off I have a microwave, slow cooker and steamer so cookings no problem
dougal, we have some candles which is what we've used the last two times, but personally I don't feel safe with them. Having seen the damage fire can do (my sisters flat got burnt out) they just make me uneasy. hot wax, fire and children 
Love the idea of the head torches, children would properly love them to play with anyway. The problem isn't that the supply is cut, is that we have a token meter and lately have had some problems with it or having money for it. Due to get a new one fitted but was interested in alternatives |
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| dpack |
i lost a good friend to a candle started fire , and nearly lost two more to another candle started fire . parrafin storm lanterns are good , especially if you use a reflector . led torches are good . pressurised petrol lamps , that says it all , work well and scare me witless . camping gas lamps are no worse than camping gas stoves , a moderate risk , but do use o2 and produce fumes so are only "safe"in good ventilation . led equipment and rechargeable batteries would be my choice . if in extremis resin rich pine knots burn a treat with plenty of light .if your power cuts are frequent a generator may be a good idea for the freezer . 12 v lamps will work of a car battery but a headlight unit drains the battery in a few hours . | ||
| culpepper |
we have some oil lamps that we bought about 20 years ago.They use paraffin or lamp oil.You do need somewhere to stand them that is not going to entice the littlies to try burning bits of paper over the chimney.
The head lights sound excellent and atleast are safe. |
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| Treacodactyl |
If you're near a Woolworths, this is the one I've just got. No idea how long it will last but it's nice and bright and the batteries should last a long time.
http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50475328 |
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| 2steps |
thank you. theres a woolworths in town so I'll take a look next time I'm there 
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| dougal |
I do fully appreciate the dangers of candles. And children. You can make them quite a bit safer (the candles that is) by using them in lanterns, as I suggested. I've got some glazed lanterns from Ikea, I'm sure they were well under a fiver each. They use (ordinary, low profile) tealights. I think that sort of thing should be very much safer than tall naked candles - especially if those are precariously perched, or example, in the neck of a bottle. I'm sure there are places other than Ikea, where such lanterns might be found. |
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| Helen_A |
Would second (or is it third?) the wind up torches. They provide for warmth as well through the exercise of the winding (or is it just my children who think that the winding is fun?) We have a wind up radio as well.
Otherwise for light. You could look at finding a quilters/sewers 'lamp' basically a glass bowl that you fill with water and spreads and (apparently) amplifies the amount of light you get from the attendant candle. For 'fun' you could look at the new Mathmos LED based lights - keeping them on charge until you need them - that are designed for display (they have a variety of options in colour and design, and are constructed to reflect out the LED produced light into patterns). I'll admit that I have an interest in finding power and light sources that are not dependent on the national grid. Except if the power goes down I'd be internet -less anyway so...?? Helen_A |
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| dougal |
2steps, I recognise that cost is going to be crucial.
Hence my emphasis on the safest way of using the cheapest solution (candles). However, clockwork LED torches needn't be terribly expensive... http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/subprod/clockwork-torches-0001268.aspx remember - no battery cost at all, and the 'bulb' ought to last forever... |
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| 2steps |
like the wind up torches, they'd be ideal
my dad thinks he still has a gas lantern from when we used to go camping we can have too
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| wellington womble |
I'm sure CAT or someone does a lantern that you just charge at the mains. Failing that, our camping lantern uses batteries (which we charge at the mains and last ages with just occasional use) It can't have been very expensive, as we camp on a budget.
Wind up torches are good though, and head torches are hands free! |
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| dougal |
Here you go! £2.99 each... EDIT eventually managed to shorten the URL so that it works with the {url=} tags !! |
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| Lozzie |
Bumping up this thread in anticipation of the Downsizer Challenge. During the regular power cuts in the 1970s, my parents regularly used this lovely old oil lamp, which seems to be in good order, although it has no lamp oil in it.
Does anyone have any hints and tips about maintaining and using these things? (Parents no longer around to ask!  ). I seem to remember somewhere reading about someone putting SAND in the bottom of the oil reservoir in order to prevent it from accidentally exploding  - are modern fuels safer, though?
Eeeek just look at that dust 
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| oddballdave |
Go to a camping supplier, you are looking for a 12V fluorescent lamp!
I have one about three years old. Crocodile clips on the wires means that it will clip to any 12V battery (Car, motorbike, van) Any 12V battery can be charged with an indoor charger. As a purely fun exercise I was looking at fitting a collection of motorbike headlights in my shed and wiring them all up to a spare battery. Be careful though 12V Lead acid batteries are dangerous:- Poisonous fumes given off when charging. The acid is dangerous if splahed DC current is capable of giving a heart stopping shock Short circuit a battery and it could explode. Do not consider a 24V truck battery. As long as you treat them as a dangerous weapon they are fine. Dave |
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| Silas |
These are perfectly safe, use parafin or lamp oil and try not to knock it over, even of you do, it is unlikeley to catch fire unless the parafin gets onto some wickable surface like a carpet. Check the wick and trim off any excess burnt and keep the flame low enough to give light without smoke. We use these all the time, and candles. At night, we only use candles and lamps like thses to light our main rooms as we prefer the softer lighting. ( Unless reading, of course!) |
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| Lozzie |
Thanks Silas, that's wonderful advice. I have got some lamp oil now and I need to figure out trimming the wick as it makes a terrible smell when I have extinguished it. Maybe because it is old, and rather dusty.
Have discovered that this lamp is a reasonably valuable antique one from America so I shall take extra special care of it - the light it produces is beautifully soft and rather hypnotic. I have a 12v rechargable florrie upstairs somewhere too! What a contrast! |
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| Silas |
DONT BLOW IT OUT!!!!
If you do, you will get through wicks like they were going out of fashion ( ! ) and also get the parafin burning smokey smell. Just lower the wick until the flame goes out, the oil will actually pot the flame out, but don't forget to raise it again before you light. This way wicks will last for years and years and you will not get the smell. |
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| Lozzie |
Sir, yes sir! There will be NO blowing out of the oil lamp flame sir! 
Thanks again. |