Emergency Light Sources
When we turn off our home lights on a normal night, we still have street lights, neighbors’ lights and city lights glowing. But when the power is out all around, the darkness can be unnerving. Times like these make us wish we had one flashlight that worked! Here is a list of sources to help with lighting choices when the power is down.
Flashlights
- plug-in variety: great initial source, but no where to recharge
standard battery powered: Aren’t you always out of batteries? - hand crank: crank for 1 minute and get 30 minutes of light with no need for batteries or light bulbs
- LED shake light: 20 minutes of light with 30 seconds of shaking, no need for batteries or bulbs
- squeeze light: no batteries; just squeeze the handle repeatedly to generate light
- solar powered: needs 6-9 hours full sun to charge, can use back up batteries, more costly than other choices
- book lights: wonderful for reading, but not a good choice for other lighting
Candles
- taper: burns only about 4 hours, provides good light, but can tip easily
pillar: burns 8 hours or up to 100 if emergency variety - votive or tea light: short life with wax puddles, but small enough to buy and store easily
- fragrant/jar: soot and scent are drawbacks…but at least we all have one
Lanterns
- kerosene: great light source with one brand burning up to 75 hours!
- battery operated: very convenient and easy to use, but big batteries are hard to keep on hand
- propane: easy to find, propane cylinders are easy to use
Oil lamps
- Oil candles: small candles sell around $4, burn 100 hours, clear oil-less soot
- Hurricane lamps: produce a lot of light, amount of light output is controlled-dim to bright, produces some warmth, oil easy to find at mass merchant
- Light sticks: fair amount of light if very dark, safe for a child, lights up to 8 hours, around $2 each
Fireplaces
- Gas models are very costly to burn, so stock up on firewood!
There are several items that sell out quickly in an emergency. They are important to have on hand before disaster strikes: matches, batteries, lighters, propane wands.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
-Benjamin Franklin
If your organization deals with a topic related to emergency preparedness, and you would like to participate in the 2010 Fair, we'd love to hear from you! Just fill in the form on our homepage and we'll get back to you with the details.