Hanging light bucket

[Freebirdusa]

I have noticed that some campers hang a white 5 gallon bucket with a light in it either on the lamp pole or somewhere else away from the camper. I assume its to attract mesquitoes to it.
What kind of set up is this? Just a white 5 gallon bucket and a light? Is there a lid on the bucket? If so what about the heat build up in the bucket from the light? Do they drill some holes on the upper side of the bucket?
Any info would be appreciated.

[happytrails]

I've never seen this before. I bet it is like you say though, for bug control. I would be interested in how/why as well.

[jbsmith]

As mysterious as the bags of water over doors in the south to keep out flies. I'd never heard of this until visiting a store in Arkansas a few years ago. Myth Busters claims it was busted, but folks swear it works. I've considered buying a small bug zapper to hang on my awning...but rather not hear the constant frying of insects.

[DJ85]

If u go to you tube and type in bucket light it will show how to make one. Me I just used a plain old bucket a electric: box outlet for a porclien.light fixture and a cfi bulb screw the box to the lid and use machine screw to hold it then seal the bolt heads. Use an old extension cord drill a hole for the cord to fit through and tie a knot in it to keep it from.pulling back through. Wire the electric outlight and install on the outlet . screw in the bulb and reinstall the lid. That's all there is to it. Works good to keep bugs away at night

[hankpage]

As Festus2 would say "Google is your friend". I Googled ... hanging light bucket and got this website on how to make it. (http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-make-5-gallon-bucket-hanging-camping-light.html) All it is supposed to be is a waterproof lamp to light up your campsite and act as more dry storage when traveling. I'm not that sure what the appeal is in hanging a bucket in a tree and then light it up so everyone can see my tacky choice of decorations at nighttime also.
I go most of the summer barefoot, I drive a truck, belong to the NRA, I listen to country music, My son owns a coonhound and two Jeeps but I guess I am not Redneck enough for a "Bucket Light". JM2¢, Hank :D

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1139 I hope I did not offend anyone ... just that my opinion gets me in trouble all the time.

[fla-gypsy]

I have seen the bucket lights. Before you do it consider if you would really use it or will it just be something else you carry around with you. Only you can decide, one look at them and I knew it was not for me.

[Freebirdusa]

Thanks everyone. I have seen them quite alot in ga around the lake campsites. I would unplug it when we retire for the night. If it doesnt help with getting the bugs away from us I might just put the bucket on a stand and use it as a lamp in my house lol Now we are really talking Redneck lol

[KJcachers]

Put a low wattage fluorescent bulb in them and they will give a nice glow that will light up your entire site without being so bright you get a sunburn from it. Bugs don't seem to be too attracted to them this way either.

[hankaye]

<Shortened for brevity>
I go most of the summer barefoot, I drive a truck, belong to the NRA, I listen to country music, My son owns a coonhound and two Jeeps but I guess I am not Redneck enough for a "Bucket Light". JM2¢, Hank :D

As long as you show New Joisy as where you're from I don't think it's gonna
happen ... Yer jest to fur North ... :rolleyes:, :(, :rofl:

the other hank(aye)

[alien_scones]

Ok on my google search there seems to be mixed uses for the bucket light.

Do you use it for ambient soft lighting?
Off to the side with a bright bulb to attract the bugs away from you?
Do you keep it mostly sealed, or drill holes in the sides so bugs fly in but they don't fly out?

Fill the bottom of the bucket with soapy sugar water / vinegar?

I might try this out with a large CFL...

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=250&pictureid=1159

[hankpage]

I might try this out with a large CFL...


When I see the the glow in the South-Western sky I will now know that it is not "Area 51".


And Hankaye ... I am from South Jersey ... home of Clamdiggers and Pineys ... they both have sand between their toes but they smell different. Don't believe what you see on tv ... after all we are the Garden State. If this does not change your mind I have some friends in the sanitation business that would love to meet you and make you an offer .................... http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1116 The other Hank

[hankaye]

Hank, Howdy;

I've picked up Hazmat from that "Area" .....
it don't 'glow-in-the-dark' that would be Yucca Flats,
A few miles Southwest from there, near Mercury, Nv.
Used ta be inna trash biddnes myself .....
might know some of your 'business associates'.
I grew-up just across Scudder's Falls (I-95), from
Ewing township. "bouncey: .

the other hank(aye)

[DJ85]

As far as this being redneck. I told that to my wife because I can't tell anymore and she told me that a bucket light doesn't even make her top ten list. We did have a good laugh remembering some of the things we have done and observed in the past. I don't hang mine from a tree it sits on the ground and it gives a glow to the campsite it keeps my wife sitting around the fire with a flashlight looking for in coming animals looking for a free meal. It has worked good for keeping bugs from gathering around the camper door

[kenn209]

We have one, but not a five gal job, Was given one as a gift from a Rally, They used cake frosting buckets from the local grocery store bakery. Easier to store and has a nice soft glow to it.

[Ruffus]

I too own a hound and go barefoot during the summer and winter too. The bucket lights are not used to attract bugs, just to annoy other campers. I use them for target practice, easy to hit with a 410 shot gun. Even easier when your on a golf cart with the head lights off. When the ranger shows up just throw up your hands and say, "Guns, what guns, aren't they illegal to have in the camp ground" and walk away.
I go camping to get away from all the lights and to see the stars.
Have fun and enjoy the great outdoors.
:wave:

[DJ85]

No more annoying the hearing those dodge cummins diesel trucks(rattle traps) come rolling into the campgrounds. There that should ruffle a few feathers

[hankpage]

No more annoying the hearing those dodge cummins diesel trucks(rattle traps) come rolling into the campgrounds. There that should ruffle a few feathers

Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the engine sound. (notice I did not say "noise")
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1120
All in fun ... Have a great day and travel safely, Hank

[DJ85]

One person sound is another persons noise. Kind of holds true with everything don't ya think. Light on light off?;)

[Terrydactile]

Mosquitos are not attracted to light so don't do it for that reason alone. They are attracted by CO2 (breath), body heat and a few other things.

[Freebirdusa]

I think I might just start dressing like a beekeeper when camping. No more mesquito problems!

[hankpage]

I think I might just start dressing like a beekeeper when camping. No more mesquito problems!

There is no stopping those "No-see-ums" If their hungry they gotcha.

[Ruffus]

Hey, Avon sells a masquito repellant (not skin so soft) that really works well. It even keeps the gnats away. Don't think it affects the Dodge Diesel noise though.

[kenn209]

I too own a hound and go barefoot during the summer and winter too. The bucket lights are not used to attract bugs, just to annoy other campers. I use them for target practice, easy to hit with a 410 shot gun. Even easier when your on a golf cart with the head lights off. When the ranger shows up just throw up your hands and say, "Guns, what guns, aren't they illegal to have in the camp ground" and walk away.
I go camping to get away from all the lights and to see the stars.
Have fun and enjoy the great outdoors.
:wave:
Let's see, I bet you hate wind chimes too!! Golf carts what's more annoying than golf carts running around a campground. Spike strips should cure that issue!

[hankaye]

hankpage, Howdy

Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the engine sound. (notice I did not say "noise")
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1120
All in fun ... Have a great day and travel safely, Hank

No problem ol'Bud, when you travel, be sure to watch out for the idiots out
there, there be a whole heap more of them than there is of us...

hankaye

[vmoore1]

As Festus2 would say "Google is your friend". I Googled ... hanging light bucket and got this website on how to make it. (http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-make-5-gallon-bucket-hanging-camping-light.html) All it is supposed to be is a waterproof lamp to light up your campsite and act as more dry storage when traveling. I'm not that sure what the appeal is in hanging a bucket in a tree and then light it up so everyone can see my tacky choice of decorations at nighttime also.
I go most of the summer barefoot, I drive a truck, belong to the NRA, I listen to country music, My son owns a coonhound and two Jeeps but I guess I am not Redneck enough for a "Bucket Light". JM2¢, Hank :D

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1139 I hope I did not offend anyone ... just that my opinion gets me in trouble all the time.
HAHAHAHAHA X2 Hank

[Ruffus]

Let's see, I bet you hate wind chimes too!! Golf carts what's more annoying than golf carts running around a campground. Spike strips should cure that issue!

Yeh Kenn209, I hate golf carts too but when I'm hosting I refuse to burn my fuel to clean up after others, especially when it means cleaning up shards of plastic from a light bucket after someone has shot it out of a tree. Whoops, did I say that??????:rofl:

[Freebirdusa]

I too own a hound and go barefoot during the summer and winter too. The bucket lights are not used to attract bugs, just to annoy other campers. I use them for target practice, easy to hit with a 410 shot gun. Even easier when your on a golf cart with the head lights off. When the ranger shows up just throw up your hands and say, "Guns, what guns, aren't they illegal to have in the camp ground" and walk away.
I go camping to get away from all the lights and to see the stars.
Have fun and enjoy the great outdoors.
:wave:

Hi Ruffus..I never thought about it annoying other campers. The buckets that I have seen never bothered me. I just figured they were trying to attract the bugs away from their sitting area. I didnt have a problem seeing the stars when they had the bucket plugged in. Im just the type guy that takes interest in fellow campers ideas. I dont want to offend my temporary neighbors while camping. To me it looked like a good idea. It just looked like a dim glow to me.

[kenn209]

We don't use ours to attract bugs away, we only use when we need extra light. After we are done with it off it goes.

Can't take your golf cart out when you have 4 flat tires!! lol

[Freebirdusa]

Ken, you could take the tires off your golf cart and ride down the rail road tracks....just an idea

[Ruffus]

Okay, I'll confess. The bucket lights are only annoying when you are camped between two groups that decide that since they have the campground lit up like day light that they can play horse shoes all night along with loud kids and music. Other than that they're okay.
Hey Freebirdusa (Richard) your profile says your from "Gerorgia", is that in Canada? Never heard of that!:jester:

[Firecapt]

I'm with Hankpage,

I've seen the posts (on more than one forum) about various lighting schemes including:

- Patio lights
- Bucket lights
- mods that keep the coach lights on or flashing
- perimeter lights

Trust me when I tell you...most of us would appreciate all lights be dimmed from dark to around 10pm and then turned off. While I'm sure that it is fun and cute to use various outside lighting scenarios, those around you probably won't appreciate it. :eek::(

In essence, the less you do that intrudes on your neighbors privacy, ambiance, or the general quiet enjoyment of the campground, the better. :thewave:

I know you didn't ask about this, just about the bucket light, sorry to use your question to go off on outside lighting; but I thought it might be a time and place to use this topic to express my feelings about outside lighting in general.

Sorry if any of this offended you :o Only wanted to share my feelings on outside lighting.

In the end, IMHO the only outside lighting you need is not around your campsite, or your trailer, but just the lighting needed to cover your immediate outside needs.

[Freebirdusa]

looks like a made a bad typo...Georgia. I might be in canada. Never know where I am gonna be from one day to the next lol

[kenn209]

That's one thing I could understand, Why would you want to make your camper running lights flash? Is that a Good Sam's Rally thingy?

[Javi]

That's one thing I could understand, Why would you want to make your camper running lights flash? Is that a Good Sam's Rally thingy?

I think mostly it is a quirky thing, but some say it's to mark the camper for folks looking for it after dark, kind of like E-flashers.. course if everyone in the CG is flashing then the one that isn't is the guy you're looking for.. :D

[Javi]

We stayed in Tyler State Park a couple of months ago and while we never saw a bucket light we did see a few large campers with very,very large lights hoisted into the surrounding trees which they burned most of the night.. quite annoying actually.. My wife loves her awing lights ( I hate the darn things) but we turn them out if we're not sitting out there...

P.S. I'd much rather you use an electric golf cart instead of your diesel to run to the dumpster or the shower house... at 2 am:D

[mikell]

Last weekend we were at a gathering that had limited power and the weather was cool so no AC needed. The first night a guy about 100 feet away had a very loud generator running all night and every light on the outside on. When someone asked why, it was for security. He wasn't happy the next night when security people showed up at 10:15 and told him to shut down for the night. But at 6:01 he fired it up and turned all his lights on again.

[happytrails]

Last weekend we were at a gathering that had limited power and the weather was cool so no AC needed. The first night a guy about 100 feet away had a very loud generator running all night and every light on the outside on. When someone asked why, it was for security. He wasn't happy the next night when security people showed up at 10:15 and told him to shut down for the night. But at 6:01 he fired it up and turned all his lights on again.

Sounds like a really nice fellow camper.:bm::bm::bm::bm:

[Ruffus]

I think what it is that some people always had a night light on when they were kids because they were scared of the dark and still are! Mother Natures lights are Stars and Moon and if your far enough North they have the Northern Lights even though I've never seen them. Each to their own, if they are to annoying we always have Rangers who just love to come out after quiet hours and always have a smile on their face when they get there.:surprise:

[KJcachers]

Some people think light means security also. Personally, I never worry about crime in a campground as I lock my s**t up when I go to sleep. If somebody wants to steal my bag chair then help yourself if you're that desperate for a chair. A lot of people also camp with dogs so I also believe the thieves know better than to tip toe around a camper at night.

[mikell]

When we bought the place we live it had a yard light on each side of the house and more farther out. They're gone now

People have camper flags for whatever. "NRA spoken" here was a good neighbor

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

I'm reminded that Light works both ways.. It may allow you to see what's
out there, however, it also allows others to see what ya got where it is and
how well it is/or is not secured.
When it's time to empty the dog (Rascal), for the night I never take a
flashlight with us. The streetlamps are spread out but there is enough
light for us...

hankaye

[Freebirdusa]

wow.....I never knew that campers decorative lights bothered people. I personally I think it looks pretty good to see all of the different ideas that campers choose to do. We normally just hang some dim lights on the awning to be able to see each other at dark. The down side is if a storm creeps up on us its a hassle to hurry and get the row of lights down to be able to roll in the awning. If you knew me , you would know that I dont like to be the guy that ruins anyones pleasure time. But I understand where some of you guys are coming from. I have seen some rigs lit up so much that its over kill. Im not offended by any comments on this thread. after losing 2 family members in 9/11 I havent experienced anything anywhere close that can bother me as much as that does. Happy camping guys. enjoy life and the outdoors while you are able. Its not healthy to let another person or persons get to you.

[flybouy]

Last weekend we were at a gathering that had limited power and the weather was cool so no AC needed. The first night a guy about 100 feet away had a very loud generator running all night and every light on the outside on. When someone asked why, it was for security. He wasn't happy the next night when security people showed up at 10:15 and told him to shut down for the night. But at 6:01 he fired it up and turned all his lights on again.

If someone is that scared then they shouldn't be camping. I've never had anything taken at a campground and rarely lock my doors. My security? Buddy & Brodey (our Britney Spaniels) and my 2 closest friends Smith & Wesson.

[Milehi]

Not to mention those bucket lights ruin it for the surrounding campers, just like a BIG spot light in your eyes. I'm against them personally. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Pawpod]

Being one who also hates high intensidey lighting on a TT we got LED rope lighting in red. Red does not ruin your night vision and we hope they aren't too bright. Still have to try them out.

[schwalbach]

Red looks Fabulous! I put them under the chassis also

See Pictures

[KJcachers]

Try a 7.5 watt night light bulb in the bucket light, gives off a soft glow.

[Dadstoy]

I usually dont run a bunch of lights in a campground, but I do have night lights at home around my barns. I like to see what I'm shooting at.

[suza]

As Festus2 would say "Google is your friend". I Googled ... hanging light bucket and got this website on how to make it. (http://www.mademan.com/mm/how-make-5-gallon-bucket-hanging-camping-light.html) All it is supposed to be is a waterproof lamp to light up your campsite and act as more dry storage when traveling. I'm not that sure what the appeal is in hanging a bucket in a tree and then light it up so everyone can see my tacky choice of decorations at nighttime also.
I go most of the summer barefoot, I drive a truck, belong to the NRA, I listen to country music, My son owns a coonhound and two Jeeps but I guess I am not Redneck enough for a "Bucket Light". JM2¢, Hank :D

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=251&pictureid=1139 I hope I did not offend anyone ... just that my opinion gets me in trouble all the time.

LOL from me!

[Htfiremedic]

Just for the record.....My name is Steve and I am a redneck....
We own several of the bucket lights, various colors, to be festive of course.
They are simple and easy to make. A trouble light, a fluorescent bulb and a tube of sealastic. I sealed all of the open points to keep water out of the electrical and it works well. We use it to light the lake edge to help find our camp sight after dark. Usually on the SC/GA line.