I have a few oil lamps, they work ok and don't stink to bad. On Walmart oil its like a nickel and hour at a low setting.

I much prefer a propane lantern, brighter and no stink. Get an adapter to run on BBQ tanks. If you are careful you can cook on them too. About 15 cents per hour on low using bulk.

 

Was thinking the propane route but figured buying the multiple little cans of propane to become costly (could be wrong). I guess I could do the larger grill size containers, but if I'm doing multiple lights around the house, then I would need multiple big grill containers for each

 

Can't really help you with that limited bit of information.

What do you consider bulk? 4 or 12 or 144
What price range are you looking into?
What are you trying to do with these? Supply the neighborhood?
Camp style? SO... you want a wire handle at the top or something?
Do you want these for short time use or to last a life time?
Any concerns about Kids and fire?

A pic of what you think you DO want would be helpful.

 

Understood....
Bulk for my needs would probably be about 8 for periods when there's no light so we can light up different parts of the home. As far as price, I'm looking for economical units, non fancy, but not crap. Would preferably like 10 - 12 dollars a piece, maybe less for bulk. Camp style I'm guessing would be the cheapest and most durable. I would use them for short term use hopefully but would not rule out longer use given who knows what. I also would buy them for long term use as short term disposable units usually are junk and not worth buying, especially when there's a chance of leaking and causing destruction or fire.

 

We bought some of these oil lanterns they aren't horrible and the price is right.

Amazon.com: Stansport 12" Hurricane Lantern (127) : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: Stansport 12" Hurricane Lantern (127) : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

When you say they "weren't horrible", what does that mean?

 

Bought one the other day when I was looking for the lamp oil at Walmart, around 17.22 Already have 6 of different types, but this one seem study enough. Found some on Amazon few years ago that screwed onto mason jars and included a chimney. They were at a good price then but not so much now.

 

Try "parrafin oil" or kerosene as search words.

 

Amazon.com: 4 Pieces Small Hurricane Lantern Oil Lamp 8 Inch Hanging Kerosene Lantern with Wick for Halloween Christmas Party Decorations Camping Hiking Backpacking Emergency (Red) : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: 4 Pieces Small Hurricane Lantern Oil Lamp 8 Inch Hanging Kerosene Lantern with Wick for Halloween Christmas Party Decorations Camping Hiking Backpacking Emergency (Red) : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

A propane lantern puts out way more light and heat than any oil lamp i ever used. The little 1# throw away cans are very expensive but very portable. They can also be refilled (up to 10 times is my limit). One of the local RV places will fill a 5 gal BBQ tank for $5 during the summer - that's about a nickel an hour on low.

I have a total propane camp set. 5 gal BBQ tank. A propane tree that screws into the tank. A lantern screws onto the top of the tree. 2 hoses screw to the side of the tree, one goes to a converted Coleman fuel 2 burner stove (on a folding stand) and the other goes to an IR heater/cooker. I use the second lantern on refilled # cans to walk around camp. I also have a hose that goes from a BBQ tank to any one item of the above devices.

 

Do you have an adapter on the big barbque tank to recharge the little tanks (sorry if I missed that in your post)?

 

Propane lanterns aren't really good inside a home. Too bright, too hot, dangerous carbon monoxide.
Oil lamps used to be used in homes when people were smarter about fires.
But the best thing in the current century is LED lanterns. See other threads here about
LED lamps which run hundreds of hours on D batteries. Rechargeable is another option.
Not going to burn the house down or asphyxiate the kids, and very bright.

Walmart has several, cheap as 3 for $15.

If wife objects to the rustic lantern look, Amazon has rechargeable desk lamps that look nice and are better for reading and similar work than a lantern (less glare, light focused on the work).
I have 3 of these, they use 18650 batteries which can be charged with any USB charger. (I use a solar panel to keep mine topped off).

 

Propane lanterns aren't really good inside a home. Too bright, too hot, dangerous carbon monoxide.
Oil lamps used to be used in homes when people were smarter about fires.
But the best thing in the current century is LED lanterns. See other threads here about
LED lamps which run hundreds of hours on D batteries. Rechargeable is another option.
Not going to burn the house down or asphyxiate the kids, and very bright.

Walmart has several, cheap as 3 for $15. If wife objects to the rustic lantern look, Amazon has rechargeable desk lamps that look nice and are better for reading and similar work than a lantern (less glare, light focused on the work).

Good points.

These are great, inexpensive, last a long time and put off a good amount of light.

Amazon.com: Energizer LED Camping Lantern, Battery Powered Lantern, Water Resistant and Shatterproof Emergency Light, Pack of 1 : Electronics

Buy Energizer LED Camping Lantern, Battery Powered Lantern, Water Resistant and Shatterproof Emergency Light, Pack of 1: Electronics - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

I have 3 or 4 oil lamps for when batteries run out. But our last outtages we just use the LED flashlight lamps the Harbor Freight gives away periodically. They use AA's and I've only run one down enough to replace the batt.

 

Instead of buying bulk, try just picking them up at garage sales, flea markets and goodwill. Several reasons… if you buy bulk and they all suck, then they ALL suck. You can find them way cheaper at the other places I mentioned. In fact, I find them so often I have to pass on them unless it happens to be a better one I have it a killer price. I tend to buy the pretty ones that sit on table tops but have hanging ones and wall mounted ones. All bought super cheap.

Yes, you will find enough in time for winter. Now is garage sale time and people are fall cleaning getting ready for the holidays. Just spend some time looking…. Unless you are 200 miles from the nearest town, then shop online, read reviews. But be aware you get what you pay for on new Chinese made goods.

ETA I agree with the others LED lanterns will be the first thing you grab in an outage. Easy, safe so you can concentrate on other tasks. Fuel lanterns are backup to LED for me.

 

Yes, someone just suggested this and I agree, it's a great idea. Thanks

 

Yes I made my own throw away can filler adapter nearly 40 years ago. There are ones for sale.

Propane usually burns clean. Never go to sleep with any unvented oxygen consumer burning. A battery powered carbon monoxide detector or 2 is a good plan. Smoke/fire and a propane detector is a good idea too.

 

Two cautions.

1. Burn anything, gas or oil, and it produces carbon monoxide CO.
   Have a large number of lamps burning and in a well sealed house, things can get bad fast.
2. Condensation. One gallon of paraffin / lamp oil produces one gallon of water.
   Burn gas and it also produces water.
   Damp equals mold leading to illness.

 

The CO I realized but wasn't sure how much of a concern it would be given this is how homes were illuminated back when. But I also understand that homes back then weren't as well sealed as they are today. The water part I did not know, thanks

 

Home — The Source for Oil Lamps and Hurricane Lanterns

Antique Lamp Parts, Antique Lantern Parts, Oil Lighting, Victorian Lighting, Log Home Lighting, Western Lighting, Lighting Props and MORE!

lanternnet.com

By camping I assume you mean a lantern not lamp!

These guys tend to sell good workable items! Their store brands are nicer, but Dietz is very workable too!

They also sell oil lamps for use inside the house.

The Aladdin Lamps burn a lot more fuel, but also make way more light! They’re not exactly beginner lamps, but those and the GauDard-Kosmos Oil Lamps put out lots of light!

A couple Dietz rising cone units and a couple basic flat wick lamps will get you a long way!

SD

 

I messed around with a W.T. Kirkman years ago. They are not very bright and you have to store fuel (and wicks). Plus the whole potential for fire (though they are generally pretty safe). Might want to store extra glass too. I broke mine pretty quickly.

They can be safe indoors, just use the right oil (you should have CO2 detectors anyway). As far as producing a gallon of water per gallon burned: It takes hundreds of hours to burn a gallon of oil so that's a non-issue.

 

Make that CO detectors. As in carbon monoxide. People breathe out CO2, so unless there's a whole lot of heavy breathing goin' on it's not a problem. Carbon Monoxide, on the other hand, kills.

• Every year, at least 430 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning.
• Approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. visit the emergency department each year due to accidental CO poisoning.
• Red blood cells pick up CO quicker than they pick up oxygen.
• When you inhale CO, your body replaces the oxygen in blood with CO.
• People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.

This wasn't much of a problem in homes built back when oil lamps were common.
Now, new homes have to pass infiltration tests, meaning they're so tightly sealed, any gas leak or fumes from burning material can built up to dangerous levels.

 

I got mine at used/antique shops around $20 each. I had a couple of those cheesy red ones and they leaked.

 

Every one of those cheap red lanterns I ever owned leaked.

When we moved out here I donated every oil burning lamp I owned and replaced them with battery operated lanterns, flashlights and headlamps. Stocked up on batteries then built up our inventory of rechargeable batteries and provided ourselves with multiple means of recharging them, including solar.

The fire hazard was more risk than I wanted. Last thing we need out here is an unintentional fire.

Modern battery operated lanterns have LED lights that use minimal power, batteries last longer than they did with incandescent or even compact fluorescent bulbs.

Just a thought.

If you're set on oil lamps, look into Aladdin lamps. Pricey for sure but the best out there.

 

I use hurricane lamps for outdoors and the barn specifically, but also have them in the house. My experience: I like Dietz and W T Kirkman as both of those can actually be carried from the house to the barn in high winds and not be blown out. The Walmart brand and other cheap ones would get blown out in those same winds.

I like that I can hang those lamps in the barn so they are safe (we put up specific hooks for them over the kidding stalls and other stalls) and the livestock can't accidently or, with goats and cows, on purpose knock them over 🤪.

The negative for me with hurricane lanterns is the way they cast their shadows - specifically under the lamp. So, when hung up (to keep them safe from the animals) there is a dark area where it's harder to see. That can make it a challenge when helping to deliver a goat kid at 3:00 a.m. In the house, they can sit on the table or counter and I don't have the same issue with the light. And, they are certainly no where near the brightness of a lightbulb.

I love Aladdin lamps - they truly do give off great light. They also look really nice. The downside - they really aren't made to carry around and the mantles can be shattered easily if precautions are not taken (like when moving them around), as can the glass chimneys. I like the ones that can be attached to the wall with a metal reflector behind them to reflect the light into the room.

The safest lights I use are ones like solar Luci lights. They have the added advantage of being safer, no smell and no added cost for continual oil.

I agree with above posters that LED lights have come a long way and there are some really good ones out there now.

 

I have six tall lanterns in the house and burn the paraffin wax in them. I use them during a power outage and they actually heat a 1300 Sq ft home during the winter. I place them around the house and yes I have Carbon Monoxide detectors. I also have 4 Hurricane lamps for outdoor use. I still have single can propane lamps and stove. I was an avid backpacker in my younger days and still have all the stuff I used for that. I have about 4 gallons of the paraffin fuel and 40 gallons of Kerosene for a tower heater. They are a great way to light and heat a home when the power is out! I occasionally light one in the living room when it's cold to add ambiance and a little heat.

 

The Best Hurricane Lamps / Oil Lamps are Feuerhand ( Firehand ) Made In Germany by the same company for well over 100 years ( 129 years ), I tested some out a short while ago with a Tank full = 1/12th of a gallon they run for 28+ hours, A 1/12th of a gallon is about a cup full of kerosene, These Lanterns are Galvanised and then powder coated, So I bought 2 of them,

Feuerhand | Since 1893 | Moments Made Light

German brand for patio and garden culture | Quality since 1893 | For a lifestyle around light, fire and sociable enjoyment. Buy now

www.feuerhand.com

 

So I’m kinda a lamp/lantern guy. If you want just light for short term sure, LED’s work great and are safe. I’m more on the long term scale and have the ability to use a variety of fuels but I have a few headlamps and maglights of varying size.

For a solid, tried and true light source, a hot blast lantern works great and sip fuel. I have one that is good for a medium light and has a big enough fuel tank to run for 48 hours straight. Aladdin’s are nice but drink a lot of fuel and the mantles are finicky and you can have a run away if you aren’t watching them during the first 30 minutes. Hurricane lamps are ok but don’t really do it for me. Rayo round wicks lamps look nice (good for use with the wife) and are about equal output of an Aladdin but no separate mantle. Coleman makes a bright kerosene lantern. That’s all kerosene stuff! If you are looking for a low/medium kerosene light source I would go with a hot blast lantern. You can even have multiple colored globes which could indicate statuses. (Red is emergency, blue is dinner is ready, green is everyone is fine)

Propane is infinitely adjustable and easy to use. I like the coleman northstar propane lantern. Very very bright.

Then you have a multitude of white gas lanterns that in an emergency can use gasoline but the generator needs to be serviced or swapped more frequently.

 

So I’m kinda a lamp/lantern guy. If you want just light for short term sure, LED’s work great and are safe. I’m more on the long term scale and have the ability to use a variety of fuels but I have a few headlamps and maglights of varying size.

For a solid, tried and true light source, a hot blast lantern works great and sip fuel. I have one that is good for a medium light and has a big enough fuel tank to run for 48 hours straight. Aladdin’s are nice but drink a lot of fuel and the mantles are finicky and you can have a run away if you aren’t watching them during the first 30 minutes. Hurricane lamps are ok but don’t really do it for me. Rayo round wicks lamps look nice (good for use with the wife) and are about equal output of an Aladdin but no separate mantle. Coleman makes a bright kerosene lantern. That’s all kerosene stuff! If you are looking for a low/medium kerosene light source I would go with a hot blast lantern. You can even have multiple colored globes which could indicate statuses. (Red is emergency, blue is dinner is ready, green is everyone is fine)

Propane is infinitely adjustable and easy to use. I like the coleman northstar propane lantern. Very very bright.

Then you have a multitude of white gas lanterns that in an emergency can use gasoline but the generator needs to be serviced or swapped more frequently.

I have quite a few Lanterns From Glass Kero Table Lamps, Hurricane Lamps, 5 Coleman LED Lanterns a brand New Coleman 639 Kerosene Lantern and a breand new Coleman 295 Powerhouse Duel Fuel Lantern,

The LED Lanterns are the best because there is zero maintainence and they are safe as can be, The Coleman 639 Kerosene model is a fantastic model out of the fuelled Lanterns and looks like the Colemans from about 80 years ago, It's just Awesome.

 

My best hurricane prep light that I have used is the cheap solar yard lights, pathway stuff. Normally a dollar a piece on sale.

buy 10, store them until needed, I buy a few every year and have used them during hurricane power outages. 4 or 5 around the house at night, stay on most of the night. Recharge next day in daylight, bring in at night, repeat.

 

you want a variety of lighting sources - there's no "one is good for all" >>> not even mentioned are open flames and total DIY if necessary like candles and Tiki wick type pot torches ....

because of propane being a "forever" storage fuel and safer than any other liquid fuel >>> definitely want to push this direction for prepping ....

for post-SHTF savaging - utter reliability & dependability >>> Coleman type "white gas" lanterns - literally millions & millions since the turn of century - using vehicle salvaged E gas vs regular lead eliminates the fouling problems - bulk stock plenty of "mantles" and you have an uninterruptable lighting source >>>> Mantles

 

you want a variety of lighting sources - there's no "one is good for all" >>> not even mentioned are open flames and total DIY if necessary like candles and Tiki wick type pot torches ....

because of propane being a "forever" storage fuel and safer than any other liquid fuel >>> definitely want to push this direction for prepping ....

for post-SHTF savaging - utter reliability & dependability >>> Coleman type "white gas" lanterns - literally millions & millions since the turn of century - using vehicle salvaged E gas vs regular lead eliminates the fouling problems - bulk stock plenty of "mantles" and you have an uninterruptable lighting source >>>> Mantles

Yes, my objective is having a variety for different uses and back ups

 

INSIDE I use the typical oil lamps and store bought lamp oil.
OUTSIDE I use the Hurrican style oil lamps , BUT in these I use Kerosene.
They will take lamp oil but when using kerosene they are brighter , they also smoke a bit more and if your wick is not right , they will smoke up the globe quickly.
Both fuels store long enough that it's a non issue.

 

Absolutely,

I love the easy life and safety factors of the LED's but at home these are my all time favourites,

 

And in keeping with my Trash Tech mentality -

 

And in keeping with my Trash Tech mentality -

View attachment 475238

Simplicity at it's best!

 

You will pay from $8 to $15 a piece for new, I have only found 4 and 6 packs on amazon when I looked, Got most of mine from yard sales. Make sure you get extra wicks, I bought the rolls 15 foot for $7 each

 

I bought mine in bulk by the case from Sportsman's guide a number of hears ago. I have 24 of them not including others I have picked up at yard sales. They are decent quality, and burn the same as my Dietz lanterns if you trim the wicks and do a little tweaking as needed. I think I paid around $4 per unit, I am sure they cost more now...Kersoene is preferred over propane, you can store it in bulk, a 5 gallon jug will last a long time, the small lanterns will burn almost 3 days on a pint, uses way less fuel than propane and they are much lighter and more portable. I prefer the small ones over the larger ones, but that's just personal preference.

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/4-kerosene-hurricane-lanterns?a=956757

 

It doesn't say what brand they are, They look like a version of the one I posted, But either way they are great beacuse they give you light and a small amout of Heat.