With multi-day power outages this year my LED lanterns have never let me down.

Kerosene has its purpose but in my home I will only be using LED. They last forever on a set of batteries and are MUCH safer indoors.

I don't see any benefit to kerosene being used indoors with modern technology, and I`m pretty found of old ways of doing stuff too.

On the bright side this, being spring, it is a good time to buy kerosene. Prices are down as retailers clear inventory.

We have used flat wick and Aladdin lamps since I was a wee child growing up in rural Missouri. We would be without electricity several days each winter. Periodically we would change the kerosene in the lamps as it does “go bad” and gum up the wicks otherwise.
While in college and living in a trailer in KCMO in the mid '80's we were without power for 2 weeks and lived fine with Aladdin Lamps for light and a kerosene heater for heat (and LP cook stove and hot water heater). Very little if any smell – keep the wicks trimmed and only use K-1 kerosene (better quality). Keep adequate ventilation. If memory serves me correctly we used about 10 gallons of kerosene for those 2 weeks.

For Todd W: (and any others who might wonder why I would bother with kerosene)

For me, it's about diversifying and giving myself options. If I run out of batteries, I will be able to fall back on another heat/light source with kerosene. If I can't find kerosene for the stove or lamps, I might at least be able to score some wood for the fireplace to stay warm in the dark. Think also wood pellets, coal - I live near areas where you can scavange it off the sides of the roads when it falls off the trucks - shoot, even dried cow pats will burn!

I figured out a long time ago, that no individual can be prepared for every possibility. Even the very well prepared may have to resort to Plan B if the emergency lingers longer than they imagined. What I can do/have room to store/afford to buy, I think of accumulating in multiples for barter. Someone will probably have what I need and vice versa. The more diversity, the more options.

DFW- We heat with wood exclusively, so I know what you mean Heck, we got 4" of snow last night... winter is not over in these here mountains just yet!

I do have a kerosene lantern, and 2 propane... if I were buying more lanterns I think I'd go with the ones that can run on unleaded gas too those seem nifty. Unleaded gas lantern, and then one for diesel/kerosene, you have a pretty wide variety of fuel choices.. add in their battery/led and you are set

When power goes out we rely on LED but I guess if we had to we could switch to kerosene, but propane is before it in line LOL!!