Well, it’s that time of year that I personally love. But I know that everyone isn’t a fan of blustery nights, and many of you dread the upcoming snowfalls.
Truth be told, I’m not a fan of the stormy weather, just the gorgeous landscapes that autumn and winter bring us. This year, I’ve made a change to my storm prep kit that I’ve been wanting to do for ages. Instead of more candles in jars, I added a couple of Fueuerhand Lanterns to my emergency kit.
Made in Germany, Fueuerhand Lanterns are quite possibly the absolute cutest emergency supply ever. At just 10.5″ inches high, with a 5 1/4″ inch diameter font (fuel tank), I love that these little darlings fit anywhere. They’ll burn for about 20 hours on a full font of oil.
Here in Tiny House, anything that rests comfortably on our Skimpy Mantle over the Faux Fireplace is a big plus. They look great, not industrial at all, and fit right in with our 1930s house and 1940s furniture. And the colors! Rich and vibrant blue, green, yellow, red and black, with a super tough SUPRAX lab-quality glass globe that will certainly stand up to our four curious cats.
These are the heaviest compact lanterns I’ve ever seen–and working at Lehman’s these last three years, I’ve seen a LOT of lanterns. They’re all steel, plated in rust-resistant tin, and THEN painted in one of the five colors above. The fonts are leak-proof too. The quality is top-notch, and each lantern feels rock solid even before you fill the font.
You’ll definitely want a fuel funnel too, so you can fill the fonts without making a mess. I use either Aladdin Lamp Oil, or KleanHeat lamp oil because I don’t like the kerosene-ish smell that other fuels give off. (Prep tip: Keep a couple of gallons on hand from now through spring, so you’ll always have a source of light and heat.)
When you’re getting your winter prep kit in order, think about adding a couple of these lanterns–they’re just the “little bit” of upgrading you may need.