My reward - Fire! Hurricane lamps.

[wildcat45]

I've been sorting out the back of the house this week and we've been thinking of ways of lighting our back yard. It's all been trdendily painted in pastel shade green, we have a brick outhouse and nice plants etc. If I was an estate agent I'd call it an attractive sun trap outside living space, but it's a back yard.

I suggested a couple of kerosene lights to hang round the eating/drinking area and got immediate permission. Quite literally the green light and I ordered a red one too.

So, silly question. Where do I get kerosene or parafin? I've got a bit of diesel in a can. That has a pretty low flash point but would it work?

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

I aim to working up to a Tilley lamp if these are a success.

[battered]

Petrol station. 5L for a fiver.

[wildcat45]

Oh great cheers. The obvious answer I guess. It never occurred to me. Feel a bit daft now.

[bomma220]

Amazon -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/RYE-OIL-LTD-PARAFFIN-LITR...

Quite a few sellers on ebay too. HTH.

[V8FGO]

You could also try your local garden centre, kerosene for greenhouse heaters.

[battered]

Those hurricane lamps are pretty good. I got one a few years back in Poundland, can you believe. I used to use it in my somewhat rustic conservatory when I lived in France, it fitted in well with the basic feel of the place. These days they are a bit dearer but they last more or less for ever. I've yet to have one break down. :-)

[wildcat45]

I have childhood memories of them. There were power cuts a lot when I was small in the early 70s and I have memories of my Dad pratting around with them and a roaring bright Tilley lamp.

Another dumb question. Is Kerosene the same as parafin?

[battered]

Yes it is.

[wildcat45]

Cheers.

I'm already getting into the mood. I'm sitting outside having made my wife eat my Chicken Madras with me in the yard. I cooked it on my camping stove when about 10 meters away there's a perfectly good kitchen. I'm getting warm having emptied a load of charcoal and wood into the garden incinerator - going to buy a fire pit tomorrow - and I'm now on my own drinking Jura.

The oil lights can't come soon enough.

Even the dogs have abandoned me.

I'm living the dream!

[battered]

There are worse things to do than sit outside on a warm evening drinking Jura. Let the dogs sit where they want.

[grumpy52]

For atmosphere, the hiss of pressure lamps take a lot of beating .The stark brightness casting shadows whilst drinking malt or rough red wine cannot be beaten .

[battered]

I used to stay in a mountain hut that was lit by gas mantles. They used to give off a gentle putter, rather like a small engine heard at a distance. That was a nice way to light a place in the middle of nowhere, and helped take the edge off the fact that it was never very warm and always damp.

[guindilias]

I have a cabin lit by a stack of these, no electricity. Lamp oil gives a far cleaner burn and less smell, but I've yet to find anywhere that does it for a reasonable price in large quantities. I'm sure it's used as something else in industry and you could buy it by the barrel, but I have yet to find out what!

[battered]

In France they sell "petrole desaromatisee" which is purified paraffin. It burns cleaner and is for lamps, fondue sets, etc. French supermarkets sell it for about 1Eu a litre.

[Foliage]

id use citronella oil, but its a tad more expensive

[chrisga]

B and Q sell 4l bottles of paraffin if you're stuck but it isn't cheap from them.

And would def recommend a Tilley lamp over hurricane every day of the week. The light is so much brighter.

[wildcat45]

I'm going to work up to a Tilly lamp if these are a success.

It's a shame I've got into this now. My late Dad was really into this. We even had a camping kettle that worked by fire. Not that we ever went camping.

[hutchst]

Foliage said:

id use citronella oil, but its a tad more expensive

This. It will keep the area free from flying insects, particularly the biting kind.

[guindilias]

Yep - not for inside lighting though, as it's mildly toxic - I don't know how mild "mildly" is, but probably best left outside!

[guindilias]

Hmm, it appears that "mildly toxic" means "Don't worry about it at all" - http://commonground.ca/2012/10/health-canada-bans-...
"Apple seeds contain cyanide, don't they? Best ban apples then, in case someone decides to extract and inject the cyanide".
Bit of an overreaction.