Fighting the darkness... With a Coleman

One of the most troubling parts of a crisis is the lost of light.  Darkness is naturally unsettling because we are deprived of one of our critical senses, sight.   As with other concerns, I looked for systems and redundancy in creating a solution.  Of course i have batteries and flash lights,  I also have a solar power generation system as part of my trailer that can provide light at either my home or a camp/evacuation site.  But looking for cost effective implementable and flexible solutions is key.

To that end I have also invested in lanterns to provide alternative lighting.  Now the one on the right is propane powered and I use it camping regularly, and using either 1 pound tanks, or on a 20 pound tank from a propane tree that also fuels my camp stove.  It is reliable and bright, and a great light source in camp.  In a short term crisis it would be find, but the major constraint is fuel.  Propane is very bulky in small tanks and may not function in cold temps.

Now the two on the left are the ones I want to focus on.  Since flexibility is key in my prepping, there was no better solution then the Coleman Dual Fuel lantern.  Not only do they run Coleman white gas, they also run on gasoline.    While it is flammable, it requires the same precautions as to store as propane tanks, but has a shelf life thats almost unlimited for my purposes, and works in the coldest temps. Also, Coleman white gas being a liquid is far denser then propane gas, a single gallon can replace up to 8 single tanks. so from a storage perspective its a far better solution. I have friends who have found and used 20 year old white gas that their father stored away, and it burned just like new.

Even better, the convenience of propane has made these lanterns very affordable on the secondary market.  New (old stock), and slightly or unused ones can be found cheaper then it will cost to ship.  I personally spent just a bit more to get ones with the protective case, but the protective cases alone are 15 to 25 dollars, so if you factor in that as a separate purchase, my actual lantern cost was cheaper then what many others cost.

A small inventory of mantels and fuel, and for under 100 dollars total, I have greatly increased my ability to light a campsite if need be.