Your Picture of the day.

Eighty year old Tilley lamp still lighting up the night.

 

Made a couple of rabbit gum traps.

 

Coleman 227.

 

Lookin' nice and peaceful there ,,,,
How's that retirement going for ya so far ??

 

So far, so good. Got my INDEF retired ID today, have appointments with Social Security next week and I've added two new super economical reading lights over my favorite chair and my bed so I can shut them off without getting up.

Hardest part is training myself to maintain a reasonable wake/sleep schedule.

 

I'm not fully retired ,, just have longer gaps between jobs. Been self employed for years ,, and my sleep habits have turned to crap. Can't seem to get to sleep till 2200-0500,,, and then that affects the next night. And I'm not a fan of taking pills.
Good luck with them sleep habits ,, if you find the cure ,, pass it on .
Congrats, and enjoy . It's just about fishing season ,, are you a fisherman?? If I was in your AO ,, I'd build me one of them scooters with all my tackle , poles and beer cooler and ride my gear out to the end of the pier .

 

My Dad beat the sleep thing with routine.....Out at 0500 to get the paper, fiddle around and watch the morning news then on to doing something until lunch. He would nap after lunch once in a while for 30 minutes or so, then back to piddling with something until supper time, watch the news and In The Heat of the Night rerun, then off to bed at 2100. He never stopped being a Marine.

 

Went out in seach of hogs today, did not see one but saw the biggest Bobcat i ever saw. Very dark colored
The seat i made myself. Folds up so it goes into a backpack. Fits on any tree from 3 inch to 3 foot.

 

I think I'll name the smudge pot "Greta."

 

Thought i would try my hand at making a piece of jewlery.
The wood was planted by george Washington between his mothers house and his sisters.

 

That's really nice ,, I'm no expert,, actually I have no knowledge at all on old jewelry ,,, but that piece of jewelry is nice ,, it kind of looks like it could have been crafted during Washington's era .

 

What started as an incomplete $20 rescue project, that looked like it was found in a muddy riverbank, has turned into a pretty nice little lantern.

 

Is there an alternative elements for these lights ,,, I know these elements can fall apart with a good bump ,, but is there a field type replacement if you don't have a factory replacement on hand ?
I remember my Dad telling me not to touch the elements when replacing them ,, as the oils from your fingers would ruin the elements ??

 

Short answer. No.

There are a few exotic, expensive and tiny butane backpacking lanterns that use exotic metal mantles or are "mantle-less." I have small butane lanterns, like the Brunton Glorb, that use mantles as small as a thimble that are incredibly durable because of their tiny size and make bright light.





I had a Coleman propane lantern that rode around in my trunk for about 5 years before I found it again. Mantles were intact and may still be.

Mantle quality varies. Peerless and Lighthouse mantles are incredibly tough for something that's basically ash. Coleman mantle quality has been so poor lately that I've had 4-5 in a row fail when first lit. Chinese and Indian bulk import mantles have been better quality.

You can pack a dozen spare mantles in the space half a pack of cigarettes takes up. Their weak radiation is stopped by cardboard.

Nothing is going to make light from gasoline or kerosene as efficiently as a thorium treated mantle. That's why anybody using them should be stacking them deep, along with fuel.

Good news is that you can develop a plan B, C, D and beyond quite easily. Solar powered battery LED stuff is amazing, and have proven quite robust. Some Amish communities are using solar/battery/LED lighting. Can't cook on an LED, so we still need fire. Non-mantle liquid fuel lighting and cooking gear has been around for many generations, and there are solar cooking options if the sun is shining. Candles are easy to store and will make enough light for a slower time if the power is never coming back on. And then we descend into primitive lighting with animal fats and oils and lighter pine, and start going to sleep when it's dark and doing what's necessary to survive during the day.

 

Old meets new.