{"id":41343,"date":"2023-07-10T10:39:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-10T17:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=41343"},"modified":"2023-07-05T10:42:27","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T17:42:27","slug":"preparedness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/preparedness\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparedness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once a week we\u2019ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, but the possibilities they inspire are new.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bright, oil\/kerosene-powered lighting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aladdin Lamps<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aladdin lamps have been around for 100 years. At their brightest, they\u2019re about as radiant as a 60W incandescent light bulb, so you can easily read by them. They burn kerosene or lamp oil, and employ a cylindrical wick that heats a Welsbach mantle (it\u2019s bright incandescence comes from thorium and cerium oxides). Similar to a lantern, but without the pumping and compressed air hissing. As such, the Aladdins are perfectly silent. They\u2019re also more fuel-efficient than a pressure lantern, yet provide almost the same amount of light. Though they\u2019re not more fuel-efficient than an average oil lamp, they can make a typical oil lamp look like a nightlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lamp on the right (above) does not use a mantle, just a wick. They are both using the same fuel; I use Klean-Strip\u2019s \u201cKlean-Heat\u201d which is a purified kerosene substitute usable anywhere kerosene is specified. A bowl of fuel can put out a lot more lumen-hours than a battery-operated lamp, making the Aladdins perfect for off-grid use or in the event of a power failure. I have an off-grid cabin in San Benito County south of the Pinnacles National Monument. Though I spend most of my time at my on-the-grid home, I\u2019m partial to using an Aladdin at both residences. After trying other lamps, including a basic oil lamp I bought at Wal-Mart, I finally got Aladdin\u2019s Genie III shelf lamp, the basic no frills version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When properly adjusted they are essentially odourless and smokeless (the only time there is a slight smell is right after extinguishing the flame). By raising and lowering the wick, you can dim the lamp, too. If you raise the wick too high, though the fuel\/air mixture becomes too rich and they start to soot\/smoke, just like any other oil lamp. Properly adjusted, the wicked fuel creates a blue flame that heats the mantle. An optional chimney extender creates more updraft allowing you to operate the wick higher and get even more light. They recommend this for high-altitude (5000-ft.) operation. \u2014 Bruce Bowen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Simple lamps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Book of Non-Electric Lighting<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For off-the-grid living, you have a lot of options for non-electric lighting. (Solar-battery powered LEDs are not covered here.) This booklet goes through the advantages and disadvantages of different types of petrol-burning lamps. \u2014 KK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n