So I need to think of cheap and effective ways to light an outside party. So far I have come up with tiki torches but they seem kinda dangerous-drunk people and fire- and planning the party around a full moon but thats iffy because if it's foggy or cloudy everything gets fucked.


* My bad, this is for underage drinking parties where electricity is not an option and where things could preferably be ditched if piglets should arrive.
Thanks for the replies so far though.

Halogen lights in trees? :confused:

"Rent" lots of cheap halogen flood lights from walmart, and run an extension cord to your neighbour's outlet.

I really don't think you'd have any problems with drunk people and tiki torches, unless it's going to be a bunch of immature HS kids there getting drunk.
What about building a fire?

Spatula's idea is pretty good, if you want that much light. Just make sure you mount them high enough so that they're not shining right in people's faces.

halogen floodlights are the way to go if you need a decent amount of light, and you dont have to tidy up afterwards. be careful with the power lines - make sure that where possible they're 3M or so up in the air when between trees, dont lie them on the floor whatever you do - and when they are suspended between trees, first put up a rope between the two points, then attach / wrap the cable around that. far far safer than dangling mains cables around drunk people :). It might be cheapest to buy a 100m reel of mains cabling than using commercial extension leads. Also dont forget about if the weather isnt perfect - the standard home security floodlights are IP45 or so rated, but mains plugs etc aren't. Also, halogen lights suck up a fair amount of juice so you may need to use several mains sockets. Also, RCD protect the sockets that you do use, drunk mates getting killed by electrocution is a surefire way to bring a nasty end to your party :)

Another similar alternative, a bit more expensive, but probably nicer, is the strings of light bulbs that builders use around scaffolding. You can rent or even buy them fairly cheaply.

if you dont mind it being dimmer, but cooler, buy a few hundred glowsticks off ebay and spread them around on the floor / in clumps in trees, etc. Tie one to either end of 2m long strings and throw them over tree branches. Hand out glowsticks to people coming in (the bracelet style ones or something)

Another similar alternative, a bit more expensive, but probably nicer, is the strings of light bulbs that builders use around scaffolding.I thought you were about to say "strings of christmas lights," to which I was going to say "that's a great idea." But since you didn't, I'll suggest it. What about stringing christmas lights over or around the areas you want lit up?
Since he first said something about tiki torches I'm assuming he's not exactly wanting a ton of light.

yeah, christmas tree lights are a wicked idea! only problem is in getting hold of them when its not christmas :(

try china, dealextreme.com or somewhere might have LED light nets or something you could use.

^I bet the attic would be a good place to start looking. ;)

Bonfires are the bomb.

12 Volt car light bulbs, like headlights or the little indicator bulbs.
I get then from scrapped cars.

So I need to think of cheap and effective ways to light an outside party. So far I have come up with tiki torches but they seem kinda dangerous-drunk people and fire- and planning the party around a full moon but thats iffy because if it's foggy or cloudy everything gets fucked.


* My bad, this is for underage drinking parties where electricity is not an option and where things could preferably be ditched if piglets should arrive.
Thanks for the replies so far though.

Give everybody a couple of glowsticks. How much square footage/meters or whatever? Propane lanterns are an option, but not super cheap. Tiki torches seem like a good idea unless you're in a field or forest that you could catch on fire.

oh yeh - I also have a coleman LED lantern that runs on a couple AA batteries - wasnt more than $10-15 bucks, as i recall. Get a few of those and hang em up . . .

Have the party during the day.

Bring cars, hook up their batteries to floodlights?

how many people are going to be there???

10-15 people 4 or 5 tiki torches would do fine, also keep some water around for the one drunk asshole that tries to lean on the torch,

20-25 you could get away with just a few more torches and add in some glow sticks but a bonfire would be best

anymore than that and you are probably into bonfire or large hallogen lights, so take your pick

Headlamps.

Bring cars, hook up their batteries to floodlights?

The failure of such as plan will be very apparent in the morning. I would advise against this unless you want to give everyone a jump start the next day.

So I need to think of cheap and effective ways to light an outside party.

So what the hell happened, charlie? I demand closure! Results! Whadja do?

Just light a big bonfire or if you've got alotta christmas lights, you could use those. trippeh.