I Have a Propane Problem

It was gradual. Bit by bit. A lantern here, a cooler there, and when I looked up ... I was a Coleman junkie.

Crank-handled LED lanterns and twisty radios hold no sway with me. Solar chargers don't feed my mania. Like Hank Hill, "propane and propane accessories" are what really get me all hopped up.

As other crazy old-house people have discovered before me, hanging out in our wreck of a non-electric house is not only possible, but reasonably comfortable. I'm usually the first person to hurl anti-corporate stick-it-to-the-man epithets, but this Coleman stuff is just too cool. (And I like the fact that it all runs on small one-pound propane canisters.)

First purchase was a portable Buddy propane heater . Not a Coleman, but very well reviewed. And a very efficient burn. That's the thing - you cannot just use any propane heater indoors. Many heaters are not efficient, and are for outdoor use only - unburned excess propane goes into the air you are breathing. This one is designed and approved for indoor use and has a low oxygen and tip-over shutoff. Runs on standard small one-pound propane canisters. Three to six hours per cannister.



Our "Coleman Extreme Cooler" was picked up for twenty bucks at a Coleman parking lot sale at the Outlet Mall in Lake George. It claims it will keep ice up to five days in temperatures up to ninety degrees. Haven't used it yet, but being that the house stays pretty cool, even in Summer, I expect it will serve us well. Sort of a no-brainer. I mean, it is only a cooler.



I read conflicting reviews about the Coleman air beds, but it has lasted this long. Seems like most of the quibbles came from people who spent thirty bucks on the thing and expected it to be appropriate for everyday long-term use. It leaks a tiny bit of air, but really, they all do. I like the thing a lot. The quick pump comes both electric and battery and is pretty inexpensive.



We also picked up this Coleman "Outdoor Fireplace" at the parking lot sale in Lake George. It's sort of an elevated fire pit, but it also has a grill that sits on top and a lid. I thought it was a pretty cool idea. It seems a little rickety in pieces, but it's solid once put together.



The Coleman lantern was a pretty great purchase. The two-mantle jobbie that we got is very, very bright (when set on "high"). You need wooden matches to light it. That's the thing. We found ourselves lighting tiny slivers of wood and sticking them in the lighting hole because we only had a lighter. I could do without the #21 mantles that you need to replace, but it is very bright. Runs on standard small one-pound propane canisters. Lasts about 8 hours on one canister.



Our Coleman florescent tube rechargeable is okay. Not terrific and not terribly bright, but good for a basic light. You could read by it, but you couldn't use it to cook or as a task light. It will shine about to 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low, using a fully charged battery.



Moving on to the wish-list ... a Coleman camp stove. (Can't use the outdoor fireplace if it is raining.) it has two burners, enough stovetop space for a large pan or griddle, and boils a quart of water in 4.5 minutes. One small cylinder of propane powers both burners for 1.1 hours on high, 4.5 hours on low.



The Cadillac of generators (and who wants to mess around with a generator) is Honda. This super quiet generator is extremely portable (at only 29 lbs.) as well as fuel efficient, running up to 8.3 hours on a single tank of gas. Produces only 59dB of sound at 7 meters running at full load, which is less than common speech. The built in inverter provides "clean" sine wave power, which means it is okey-doke for laptops and sensitive electronics. It has standard outlets, but also has a DC terminal charging 12-volt batteries.



We already have a portable sump pump, but has to sit in the water source. Ergo, I have to put that sump pump down the well with an extension cord. The well is in the front of the house, so looking like a big dork throwing a pump down a well is also a consideration. With this half hp transfer pump, all I would need to do is run a hose to the water source. (And the pump can stay in the house.) User reviews say it is super strong.



Special thanks to (crazy, pragmatic-yet-homespun, old-house people friends) Sheri and Juli.