# Lamp oil for a year



## TheMrs (Jun 11, 2008)

Our goal this year was to get closer to being prepared for the one year mark. We've done well improving our food, water, heating, medical supplies, etc...but I'm still a little clueless on what we need to cover lighting.

I don't know what a one-year's supply of lamp oil would look like. We live in an earth-berm home with lots of south-facing windows, so we don't typically have lights on in the daytime. We are currently buying small 64oz. plastic jugs of lamp oil. Does anyone have any information on how many hours of light one can get out of a 64oz. bottle of lamp oil? Or..if your family is prepped for a year, what amount of lamp oil did you set aside?

Thanks for your input!


----------



## salmonslayer (Jan 4, 2009)

Rather than burn lamp oil I burn K-1 Kerosene in my oil lamps which is much cheaper. They do tend to soot more and they have an odor that some dont like but I used to live on an old fishing boat and I like the smell. Most of our lamps are antique flat wick type and we dont use them all the time but I would think a couple of 2.5 gallon jugs or a 5 gallon can would go a long way. Lamp oil or what we call parrafin in the US is just purified kerosene and it burns with little smoke or odor but you pay for that.


----------



## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Why don't you turn the lights out and use the lamps a few nights and see how much you actually use? It will also give you a chance to get skillful at using them in a less stressful time.


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Cyngbaeld said:


> Why don't you turn the lights out and use the lamps a few nights and see how much you actually use? It will also give you a chance to get skillful at using them in a less stressful time.


Same thought here. Get a measuring cup and fill your lamp with a wick thats already saturated. Do a timed burn for several hours then empty the rest back to the measuring cup, then, do the math.


----------



## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

I have lamp oil that I bought on clearence sale (garden dept) at Target but it isn't our primary lighting prep. Solar garden & Chritsmas lights are followed by candles which can be recycled, then lamp oil.

~~ pelenaka ~~


----------



## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

And don't forget to get extra wick lengths!!
No point in having lamps if you are wickless. I can buy it at the feed store by the yard.


----------



## Space Cowboy (Apr 26, 2008)

Be careful with the plastic "jug" that the oil comes in. I was moving my preps and the jug disintegrated (over everything of course). I've heard other people (after the fact) warn of this also. I highly recommend repacking it if you plan on storing it for any amount of time.

SC


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

We lost a plastic jug of lamp oil too. All they take is one little bump. Kerosene jugs properly labeled would be a good storage container. Any other suggestions?


----------



## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Space Cowboy said:


> Be careful with the plastic "jug" that the oil comes in. I was moving my preps and the jug disintegrated (over everything of course). I've heard other people (after the fact) warn of this also. I highly recommend repacking it if you plan on storing it for any amount of time.
> SC


Thanks for the heads up as it's been two years since I bought those jugs.
To tell u the truth I have never been comfortable with storing lamp oil. And as much as I enjoy a lit oil lamp on my kitchen table I stress over the fire issue. 
Perhaps it's time to discuss bartering away some of our oil with hubby.

~~ pelenaka ~~


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Checked out some 1 gallon screw top cans. They like them...... A lot! I guess I have a mission now. Find something to put lamp oil that wont deteriorate..

http://www.emptypaintcans.com/1gallonf-styletincansw1-14caps40case.aspx


----------



## patience (Dec 29, 2005)

Space Cowboy said:


> Be careful with the plastic "jug" that the oil comes in. I was moving my preps and the jug disintegrated (over everything of course). I've heard other people (after the fact) warn of this also. I highly recommend repacking it if you plan on storing it for any amount of time.
> 
> SC


Thanks for that reminder. I knew the gallon water jugs were horrible and just fell apart (slowly leaking into all the storage :smack ) I will check my supply of lamp oil in the morning.


----------



## Rainy (Jan 21, 2010)

I know this is probably a strange way to buy items, but in January i buy 12 of certain things, toothbrushes, toothpaste,shampoo, conditioner...etc... and so at least 12 things of lamp oil would be a start.
We just recently got lamp oil back at our WM store,so i may buy few more to add to my storage.


----------



## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

TheMrs, when there is no power, you go to bed when the sun goes down.

You'd need lamp oil for emergency situations, not for keeping a house well lit until midnight every night.

Remember a light burning in the dark can be seen for a very long distance.


----------



## Horse Fork Farm (Jan 3, 2006)

I have used it for a week at a time in just regular oil lamps that used 3/4 inch wicks. Last yr our electric was off 2 full weeks. It is VERY demoralizing to sit around in the dark! Light makes you feel better! They actually burned it rather quickly. I had to refill I think about every 12 hours if that gives you an idea. 

What we finally ended up doing was using our Coleman lantern hung OUTSIDE-- THE LIVING ROOM WINDOW. Don't use it inside (I know you prob know that ). It gave great light and we were able to sit and read or play cards until bed. When you hang the coleman on a porch make sure the ceiling don't get hot, they throw a lot of heat up.


----------



## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

OK...... A preppers work is never done. Now, I have to find metal cans with screw tops for oil storage. I also will have to check on my lamp oil stock today, and make sure it is not leaking.


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Tin rusts bad in my basement. We've had spray paint cans rust through because of the humidity. Has to be heavy plastic or stainless here. Might be something others who live in humid areas would want to consider as well.


----------



## TheMrs (Jun 11, 2008)

Texasdirtdigger said:


> OK...... A preppers work is never done. Now, I have to find metal cans with screw tops for oil storage. I also will have to check on my lamp oil stock today, and make sure it is not leaking.


Yeah, here I was only worrying about the quantity to have on hand. It never entered my mind that I would need to find different containers for storage.


----------



## Ode (Sep 20, 2006)

I recall seeing a person in another forum (city data I think maybe?) who wanted to get back to a more primitive lifestyle, so she and her significant other started searching. After many trials and tribulations along the way, they have ended up on an old farmstead. They live without electricity (not even solar or wind generated) and without indoor plumbing (toilets). They use a spring to keep milk, butter, and other perishables cool, and the woman cans about 7 or so deer every year as well as all the other meats, fruits,a nd veggies they live on year round. What isn't canned is dried. 

I don't know if she posts here at all, because that would be the one to ask what a year supply would mean. They use oil lamps for all their lighting. It is fine to say go to bed when it is dark, but in many places it is dark at 5 pm in the winter, and that is just too early for bed. I really don't want to sleep for more than 12 hours every night just because it is dark.

Sure there can be situations when you wouldn't want anyone to see that you had a light, but you can get or make blackout curtains for that more extreme situation. In most cases it isn't going to bring unwelcome attention to your home, unless there is some kind of apocolypse.


----------



## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I can find gallon size glass jugs at the recycle center for free. They are good for lamp oil. Use a cork to plug if you don't have lids.


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Danaus29 said:


> Tin rusts bad in my basement. We've had spray paint cans rust through because of the humidity. Has to be heavy plastic or stainless here. Might be something others who live in humid areas would want to consider as well.


Use paraffin wax on your cans. A very thin coat will do. No more rust.


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Cyngbaeld said:


> I can find gallon size glass jugs at the recycle center for free. They are good for lamp oil. Use a cork to plug if you don't have lids.


i couldn't be that lucky. You did give me an idea though. I will check with a local bar that serves a lot of wine, they may have some..


----------



## spiffydave (Mar 19, 2008)

I'd prefer to use solar lanterns vs. oil lanterns. Much safer, cleaner, lasts longer, etc.

I bought quite a few of these recently:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004B924OG/ref=oss_product

They are designed and sold for the developing world with little access to consistent electricity. It puts out more light than an oil lantern and works great.

Thoughts?


----------



## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

spiffydave said:


> I'd prefer to use solar lanterns vs. oil lanterns. Much safer, cleaner, lasts longer, etc.
> 
> I bought quite a few of these recently:
> 
> ...


Very cool! I hope you can give um a work out and let us know what you think


----------



## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

Do you like them , for 15 bucks they look pretty good ? However ,I still would like to know how long a gallon of lamp oil should last


----------



## Blu3duk (Jun 2, 2002)

Another storage container to consider for those who have the space is a 5 gallon glass carboy and while glass too over time will get brittle and is prone to breakage if something falls upon it, the carboys are really fairly inexpensive for the amount of storage time you can get out of one potentially, you would want a siphon pump to get the oil out, but that aint rocket science we are talkin about.... 

metal jerry cans are also available, though the older style are getting harder to find that dont have to have an "EPA approved" vented top.... but they too will rust after a length of time but are not as prone to breakage like the carboy would be..... about the same pricetag though..... in the $30-40 range.

Solar panel and LED lights...... would be my goal, although i fully understand the wanting to use an oil lamp.

William


----------



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

My experience with solar powered lights is that the batteries just don't hold up or somehow the charging system gets messed up. Either way I'm lucky if they last a year. The last solar charging LED flashlights I got ended up with burnt out LEDs inside of 6 months. The solar ones are not reliable, IME. On the other hand I know that when I strike that match and light that wick the lamp will be lit until I blow it out or it runs out of fuel. I can't stand the thought of paying $20 for a solar light which won't last a year.


----------



## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

One day at 'Lowes' I was looking at kerosene heaters. I saw that they had steel 5 gallon cans of kero. At that time (couple years ago) the kero seemed mighty expensive--$ 43 for the 5 gallon size. 
That would still be FAR cheaper than what I have seen ($$) for a two quart container of *lamp oil* . . . . . and that steel container will last for years and years.
So go with "5 gallons" and have a 'Long' time supply.............


----------



## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

I purchased 55 gallon drums from the feed store for $20 a piece... I keep two filled with K-1 kerosene for the Aladdin's, Regular oil lamps and the kerosene heaters (in case wood smoke from the stove would not be wise due to some unknown circumstance) There is an additive we buy which removes the odor from the kerosene when burning it in lamps or heaters. I use a Mr. Funnel when pumping it from the drums to a 5 gallon container to make sure no water makes it into my lamps and heaters.


----------



## machinist (Aug 3, 2010)

I have a plastic barrel that is made of high density polyethylene, HDPE on the little triangular molded-in label on the bottom. That is the same material that gas "cans" and kerosene storage containers are made of. The barrel cost me 10 bucks. 

Bought a cast iron crank type barrel pump at Harbor freight for about 30 bucks, and filled the barrel with kerosene. It resides in the garden shed out in the yard. The shed has a gravelled floor, so I put some boards under the barrel to prevent punctures, since the barrel full weighs around 350 lbs. or so. Been there for several years now, and now problem. UV light degrades plastic, so I keep it in a dark part of the shed with now windows. 

Something I learned by accident is that the longer kerosene sits in a jug, the more tar settles out of it! I have found a pretty thick layer in the bottom of some old unused glass lamps. I'm thinking that the longer it sits, the better it gets--up to a point of course.


----------



## wvstuck (Sep 19, 2008)

The $30 pump from harbor freight is the same one I use... Great pump and good to know you have all that fuel in the event of an emergency


----------



## Farmgirl1971 (Dec 14, 2010)

For lamps, we do have some lamp oil however my MIL would always take down a saucer, pour some cooking oil in it and light a piece of yarn she coiled in the saucer and draped over the edge....

I want to say it was plain cooking oil although it may have been peanut oil. both of which are a heck of alot more stable for storage right?

What are your thoughts?


----------



## katy (Feb 15, 2010)

As a rule of thumb for lamp oil, I would consider one ounce of oil per hour in one lamp, that of course can fluctuate with the height of the flame. Used a fair amount over the years, just never paid to much attention to consumption.


----------



## spiffydave (Mar 19, 2008)

Vickie44 said:


> Do you like them , for 15 bucks they look pretty good ?


Here is the company that manufacturers these:

http://www.dlightdesign.com/home_global.php

They've sold over a million of these lights. Again, they're made and used mostly for the 3rd world and are well put together. I don't use it everyday (my lights are working right now ), so it's hard to know how they'll hold up, but it feels very solid and very well thought out.

When comparing the longevity of these to oil lanterns, you have to think of how often an oil lantern is going to get dropped and broken if you're using multiple lanterns every day for an extended period of time. I'll guarantee you a lot of us will be dropping lanterns and the results can be pretty scary.

Personally I'd consider stocking both oil lanterns and some solar solutions. I'd prefer to use solar and have the oil lanterns as a back-up. If one of my kids knocks over a solar lantern the house won't burn down or be in danger of being burned.

Just something to think about...

I also bought their larger light - http://www.dlightdesign.com/products_D.LIGHT_S250_global.php - and it works even better, though Amazon doesn't have them in stock right now. Was great last week when I was working under the sink. A quality light.


----------



## spiffydave (Mar 19, 2008)

Here's a BBC interview with the president of d.light showing both products and talking about the engineering and how these are built much sturdier to stand up to abuse:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9EEao2kq5M[/ame]

<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q9EEao2kq5M?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q9EEao2kq5M?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Just to be clear, I have no attachment at all to this company. I've just done some research and bought the products and they seem like great alternatives for lighting during a down-grid situation.


----------



## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

solar, crank, inverter (your vehicle is the generator)++ LED's and CFL's

hate the fumes and flames!


----------



## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

It is hard to read without an aladin oil lamp or equivalent for bright lighting.

For basic lighting I would imagine the oil lamps are still brighter than the solar ones but I may just have cheap or old ones.

I would imagine you could just treat the kerosene or lamp oil like you do gasoline and store it in a red jug. We have one just for kerosene and it keeps pretty well in that. This is something you may have around the house already or could find easily maybe at a yard sale, otherwise I would guess glass would be fine.


----------



## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

kerosene = oil store in YELLOW jugs only


----------



## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

Something my son pointed out to me is that oil lamps put off heat which could be helpful....well DUH! Two years ago we lost power just before dark so we lit one of our oil lamps and put it in the bathroom, that one lamp actually warmed the room.

One of those solar lamps just may find it's way to us.


----------



## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

Solar will be fine as long as there is enough sun to charge it. But what happens on those long winter days without sun.


----------



## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Ruby said:


> Solar will be fine as long as there is enough sun to charge it. But what happens on those long winter days without sun.


crank lamps
inverters
battery bank

I'll use a tea light candle in a mason jar but between children and cats....flames and fumes are just not as safe as I can be with modern technology


----------



## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

Duh!!!!!!!

Was looking through my worldly goods today for something and found a case (144) of new 1 qt. oil bottles that were part of a hydroponics set up. I just need to buy the caps. Looking at the current price of the bottles, about a dollar each, it would be just as well to buy steel cans. Maybe cheaper when you count in the caps.


----------



## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

The other day the weatherman mentioned something about our area only having 60 minutes of sunshine in 8 days - solar garden lights & chirstmas lights still lit up.

Thanks for link on those solar lights they are now on the list.

~~ pelenaka ~~


----------



## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

mpillow said:


> crank lamps
> inverters
> battery bank
> 
> I'll use a tea light candle in a mason jar but between children and cats....flames and fumes are just not as safe as I can be with modern technology


I can understand that. I don't have either cats or kids. But I do remember those days. LOL


----------



## viggie (Jul 17, 2009)

Farmgirl1971 said:


> For lamps, we do have some lamp oil however my MIL would always take down a saucer, pour some cooking oil in it and light a piece of yarn she coiled in the saucer and draped over the edge....
> 
> I want to say it was plain cooking oil although it may have been peanut oil. both of which are a heck of alot more stable for storage right?
> 
> What are your thoughts?


One of my friends posted a tutorial for making one in a mason jar so it's a little safer: http://frugalhomesteads.blogspot.com/2009/12/make-your-own-oil-lamp.html


----------



## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

wvstuck said:


> I purchased 55 gallon drums from the feed store for $20 a piece... I keep two filled with K-1 kerosene for the Aladdin's, Regular oil lamps and the kerosene heaters (in case wood smoke from the stove would not be wise due to some unknown circumstance) There is an additive we buy which removes the odor from the kerosene when burning it in lamps or heaters. I use a Mr. Funnel when pumping it from the drums to a 5 gallon container to make sure no water makes it into my lamps and heaters.


What is the additive you use in your kero to get rid of the odor? I love oil lamps, but hate the smell of the kerosene, especially when you blow out the lamp. I take it outside to put it out, but the kerosene smell lingers and gives me a headache. Blech!

Do you treat your 55 gallon barrels of kerosene with any kind of stabilizing additive - Pri-D, for example?


----------



## mellowguy (Jul 8, 2009)

Danaus29 said:


> My experience with solar powered lights is that the batteries just don't hold up or somehow the charging system gets messed up. Either way I'm lucky if they last a year.


Mine generally last longer, but in bringing outdoor solar lights inside, I found that they put out about as much light as a night light: enough to get around the house, but not enough to read, cook, play games or tinker.

I much prefer candles than lamp oil as a fuel: more stable, indefinite storage life and safer when used in a proper lantern. I imagine they give less light and don't last as long as lamp oil.


----------

