Hurricane Parafin Lantern

[johnnytheboy]

Hi There,

I'm in the middle of a garden project and i'm looking at outdoor lighting that will be outdoors permanantly. I have fence posts down each side i'm thinking on screwing on either morrocan lanterns or parafin hurricane lanterns but what i was wondering was how robust the cheapo hurricane ones are, i had one years ago for camping but i cant find it.

I was wondering if anyone has left one outside for any length of time and how it lasted?

Sorry not really bushcraft kit usage but its a bushcraft garden - sort off - it will have a laavu anyway!!!!

Thanks in advance

John

 

[jungle_re]

i bought one fairly recently and it was pure dog egg (cheapy from go outdoors). The wick extending wheel just chewed the wick to bits and the rolled joint on the bottom of te tank leaked really badly after the first use that i had to throw it away.

 

[johnnytheboy]

The one i had all those years ago was a great lantern had it for ages until i couldnt get wick anymore, it got it from some army surplus shop in devon, ma da bought it for me, being tight it defo wasnt expensive one?

I have been browsing ebay and there are some that look ok!

 

[w00dsmoke]

I used one as my sole form of lighting for 18 months and they are fantastic. Get a decent quality one and it will still cost less than a tenner and buy a meter of wick and away you go with some parafin. Mine lasted ages and was left out on every single night on the branch of a tree and it served well. They really are stormproof and will withstand everything except falling branches!

 

[johnnytheboy]

Any brand you can recomend? and where i can get some wick?

 

[w00dsmoke]

I bought an ex war office lantern in olive green froma car boot sale...the wick is available from all good country town iron mongers. It comes in different widths. I bought some a month ago for tinder tubes from an iron mongers in Callander.

 

[Chainsaw]

Try crocketts(sp?) or simes(sp?) in falkirk for wick or even some of the garden places, SWMBO got a citronella lamp to annoy the midges which came with wicks.

Cheers,

Alan

 

[w00dsmoke]

Johnyboy,

if you do get a lantern and can't get the wick pm me and I'll pick you some up the next time i'm buying some.

WS

 

[Matt.S]

The cheapo Blackspur ones are ridiculously thin galvanized steel and frankly rubbish. I expect but don't know for sure that if you were to leave it out in the elements it would die very quickly. I have one of the ex-army ones. Cost more up front but worth it IMO.

 

[SiWhite]

I have one made by Feuerhand which I picked up form an antiques place - superb, really nice and I use it most evenings in the winter.

 

[rik_uk3]

Hurricane lamp wick here

LAMP WICK

The cheap ones are OK, I use a couple in the garden but I give them a quick spray with Plasti-Kote paint and they last years.

 

[johnnytheboy]

Thanks guys, yip blackspur stuff is all junk, they sell it at the motor trade cash and carry place i goto.

It will take abit searching i guess to find some old decent ones, the problem is when i have been on ebay, they really all look the same!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[retrohiker]

Deitz kerosene (parafin) lanterns are popular over here in the states although the Coleman white gas or propane lamps still outnumber them by a wide margin.

 

[rik_uk3]

Thanks guys, yip blackspur stuff is all junk, they sell it at the motor trade cash and carry place i goto.

It will take abit searching i guess to find some old decent ones, the problem is when i have been on ebay, they really all look the same!!!!!!!!!!!

Spray them with plasti-kote, they (Blackspur) will last years.

 

[Nohoval_Turrets]

Any of the ones you get in hardware shops are rubbish. Dietz lanterns are really good. You can order them online in a few places (all in the states, but these things are so cheap that even with shipping it's still reasonable):

http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/Lanterns fron Survival Resources.htm
[lanterns only]

http://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WKL&Category_Code=DL
[lanterns, wicks, globes, reflectors]

They don't make as much light as the coleman pressure/mantle jobbies, but they don't sound like a jet engine either.

 

[rik_uk3]

The cheap lanterns use similar wicks, similar designs, same light output; the difference is the finish of the body, thats why I suggested spraying with Plasti-Kote.

IIRC Dietz lanterns are made in China now and the build quality has suffered.

If you want to spend extra its as well to buy in the UK or Europe, this company is good and shipping is OK.

http://www.pelam.de/index.php?cPath=28_40

Emails in English is no problem, good company.

These look fun for you preppers out there

http://www.pelam.de/product_info.php?cPath=28_109&products_id=530