Great Items for Emergency Lighting

Originally posted 2017-03-27 21:29:31.

Are you afraid of the dark? I don’t blame you, especially in a situation where your power has gone out! It’s no fun sulking in the darkness when the grid goes down, and as we’ve seen in many natural disasters, storms can shut down power to millions of people in an instant. That’s why I’ve collected a few awesome little tools that you can use in the event that you need some emergency lighting. Please note that when using any item that uses fire, PLEASE be safe and practice proper fire safety. Don’t burn your house down being a dingus!

Bulk tea candles

Tea candles are a great, cheap way to ensure you have the ability to provide yourself with emergency lighting if need be. They are available in bulk packages, with the ability to be able to place multiple candles in a room to provide light (and a little heat) if the situation deems necessary. Tea lights generally will burn for around 3 hours before they are exhausted. A word of caution with tea light candles, however – is that you should really only burn them inside of some sort of protective covering, such as a glass or other holder that is designed for candles.

Lantern and Emergency specific candles

These types of candles are designed to have a very long burning period, and are used in emergencies or in candle lanterns. The pack I purchased contained 20 candles with a 9 hour burning period for each candle, giving the user plenty of potential light. Again, these are designed for use in specific candle lanterns, and if you are not using them in such a setting make sure to properly secure them in a glass or proper candle holder for safety.

Solar & Handcrank flashlights and radios

These are a must have for anyone who wants to prepare for power outages. The model I own is the iRonsnow Dynamo Emergency Solar Hand Crank Self Powered AM/FM/NOAA Weather Radio. It’s an awesome little item! You can charge it via the sun, or manually by cranking the handle to create a charge. The flashlight isn’t the brightest in the world, but will more than suffice in the event of a blackout. Also, it gives you the ability to listen to radio on AM / FM frequencies, as well as the NOAA weather news – essential during a big storm! As an added bonus, you can use the flashlight’s battery bank and connect your cell phone to charge it up. I keep one of these at home, and one in my car in case of emergencies.

Portable power hubs and lanterns

I bought one of these portable lanterns out of curiosity, and I am continually amazed how useful I have found it. In my case, I got the Goal Zero 32001 Lighthouse 250 Portable Battery Charger USB Power Hub and Lantern. It’s a lantern, mini generator, and USB power hub all wrapped into one. I use it in the garage, the pantry, the basement, and anywhere that there isn’t a light readily available. I know these are produced in several different sizes, so look into the right size for your own situation. They are incredibly handy, in my experience.