Hi,
I spent 2 years living on a little island just off the coast of Papua New Guinea and of course, electric lighting was a real luxury...we had power for 2 hours per day between 4 and 6pm. This was back in the mid 80s.
We had to use a hurricane lamp outside those hours. We had a kerosene fridge too so always had kerosene on hand. I found both to be a pain in the arse: the fridge was great when it worked but too often we'd come home from school to find our little house full of soot and the fridge out. The lamp inside the house stank.
Was never able to fix the fridge so just had to keep pulling it apart and cleaning it every week or so.
We solved the lighting by picking up some 12volt lights to run from a car cigarette lighter. Ran them from a 12 volt battery which was connected to a charger plugged into the power. Switches on the walls and it was a great set up. It charged up for 2 hours per day and was enough to keep the lights going and our radio.
Now back In Oz, I go campig and am onto my second Coleman dual fuel pressure lamp. I picked my second one up the other day at a garage sale for $10...it was hardly used at all. I also picked up a great kero pressure lamp some years ago but gave it to a friend...not sure if he still has it.
My Coleman presssure lamp is the go to lamp for checking out Aboriginal engravings at night. Put the light source down on the rock and hey presto, you'll see stuff that's just not visible in daylight.
KB
Interesting living on an island and although I have never used a kerosene fridge knew plenty of farming people of years ago whom did. Kero fridges were a bit of a fire hazard and some houses had a concrete enclosure for where the fridge was located because of this.
The burners needed regular cleaning as you have noted.
Many years ago spent a few months in a farm house with no electricity at all. A wood burning stove, hurricane lamps and for quick boiling of water for tea used my Dad's Primus pressure stove.
Still have the stove which is in working order.
Coleman lamps are very bright, I use Shellite in mine. (Also have a Coleman dual fuel twin burner stove, the green box one). Best not to put Australian unleaded fuel in them as the generators can be damaged.
Unleaded fuel sold in Australia has additives which are not good for lamps and stoves.
Knew a group of 4WD'ers whom made the mistake of putting unleaded fuel in their Coleman dual fuel stoves and they all had to have the generators replaced.