[Sca-cooks] incindiary fun

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

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In a message dated 7/17/2002 8:43:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
marilyn.traber.jsfm at statefarm.com writes:


> We want to get away from burning any fuel at all. Period, schmeriod - we are
> going to battery operated 'candle' lanterns for a softer, more period
> light.
>

Ya know, I understand perfectly the desire to get away from burning fuels,
both from the safety and the air quality standpoints.  But I find it hard to
consider a battery operated lantern of any sort, candle or otherwise, as a
"more period" light.  Certainly the light level may be closer to period than
many people use when trying to recreate indoor lighting with propane lanterns
(absolutely unecessary level of light when camping, in my opinion), but
electric light has diffferent wavelengths and colors than any burning source,
especially those available in our time period.  I find that the light quality
of properly used candles, securely seated tikis (ie run a portable hole
deeply into the ground and use that to support the tiki pole), and propane
lanterns turned low to be more comfortable to my eyes than any electric
light, and much more "period" than any electric lantern could ever be.
Mind you, we use battery-powered only in the tent.  And I find the blue-white
color very jarring after the yellow tinge of the flame light all evening.

Brangwayna Morgan
(who also thinks that the light of a cooking fire and the use of said fire to
cook on is a good thing, to try to bring this post somewhat back towards
topic)