Fannie & Vera's Site for New
Civilian
Camp Lighting
Candles and candle lanterns are the first choice of re-enactor's for lighting.
Some soldiers with woodworking skills make and sell wooden candle lanterns for
a reasonable cost. These are a very safe way to light your campsite.
The lanterns have 3 sides of glass and a mirror at the rear, keeping the flame
protected from the wind and from flammable materials.
Old fashion candles can be purchased from the sutlers, by mail order and at
some craft stores such as Michael's. The votive candle and tea cozy candle
are not period correct, so keep that in mind as you look at those cute garden
lamps sold in the mega super markets and Kmarts.
At the Soldier's Respite we have silver candle holders and tapers for that
elegant look, befitting a fine establishment of the first order. Sure it
looks nice on the groaning board during the day, but not effective lighting if
there is a breeze.
An open or unshielded candle is a major fire hazard and should never by used
in a tent for any purpose.
Save the melted wax from your candles in a tin box for use as fire starter. A
bit of wax amongst the kindling is a great way to get a fire going.
Some
folks use kerosene oil lamps. These are period correct, but a real pain
in the rear. No matter how carefully you pack, it will always manage to
leak. They usually smoke up the glass lamp shade so the light does not
shine very brightly. And being glass, they can be broken.
If you still want to get one, don’t buy the “antique” at the local antique shop.
You can get a brand new one cheaper and the antique one is most likely just
a dirty newer model. I used an oil lamp when I first started reenacting
but soon gave it up for the reasons noted above.
Why discuss farby modern flashlights? Because safety is the number one
issue for all campers.
For safety reasons, keep a flash light in your tent at night. It is
much easier than groping around in the dark in an effort to find something and
it will be a great help if you need to make a late night trip to the
outhouse. When an emergency arises or something goes bump in the night, you
need lighting instantly.
Parents--always keep flashlights for your children to use. When they
need to carry a light this is the only safe method for them. We won't go
into detail about the terrible tragedies involving children burned by candles
and lamps before the advent of these modern life savers.
Images courtesy JOD's
Old Fashioned B & W Clipart