Mix of flashlights, lanterns will keep darkness at bay
Posted on Saturday, August 4, 2007
Flashlights are easily forgotten. They are used only once in a while, and it’s hard to remember where you left them. Do you even own one ?
But when you need a flashlight, you really need it. Considering the number of lengthy power failures from storms in recent years, it’s a good idea to have several flashlights at home.
“I give them as gifts all the time,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council in Washington. “People usually don’t think to buy them, but you need to have them when you least expect it. Adequate lighting helps prevent falls, the most common home injury.” Homes should have a mix of emergency lights, Appy says. Her favorites: Wind-up combo flashlight / radio units. They’re good for making children feel secure when the lights go out.
Flashlights that provide five minutes of light when shaken or hand-cranked for 30 seconds. They’re handy for long-term power failures. Waterproof flashlights, necessary in floods. Lanterns that illuminate entire rooms. You can take them on camping trips, too. The technology behind flashlights and lanterns has improved, says Betsy Laakko, a representative for Energizer, the flashlight and battery manufacturer based in St. Louis. Most use a cluster of lightemitting diodes (LEDs ) that shine brighter and last longer than before. The company makes a room-lighting lantern that can 1 last 1 / 2 months using one set of batteries.
Laakko was one of the hundreds of thousands of St. Louis-area residents without power for a week last summer after a storm. Besides flashlights and lanterns, she used headlamps. The strapon lights are what The Geek’s nerdy friends wore in the movie Sixteen Candles, but they can be useful.
“My husband and I could walk room to room and up and down the stairs handsfree,” Laakko says. “It made it easy to carry water and other stuff as we were helping our kids.” Emergency lighting for the home is relatively affordable. Many flashlights cost about $ 10; area lanterns start at $ 20.
Another option is a gaspowered generator, a boon for people in power failures. But they can cost more than $ 500 for portable models and at least $ 10, 000 for the types that hook up to your home’s power supply.
Although candles are inexpensive, Appy definitely prefers flashlights.
“Candles are dangerous,” she says. “It’s easy to light a candle and lose track of it and fall asleep. They often burn unevenly, and they really don’t cast enough light in a room to be useful.” AREA LANTERN Number: One per floor Where to store: Drawers or cabinets in main living spaces FLASHLIGHT Number: One per bedroom, including guestrooms; one per kitchen; one per vehicle Where to store: Nightstands, kitchen drawer and vehicle’s glove box HEAD LAMP Number: One per person 5 and older Where to store: Near firstaid kit or other emergency supplies PERSONAL LIGHT Number: One per person Where to store: Purse or briefcase BATTERIES FOR EMERGENCY LIGHTS Keep a big supply of AA and D batteries, the most common types you’ll need for flashlights big and small. Keep them in a cool, dry place.
Each family member should know where the batteries are. Don’t store batteries in the refrigerator.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
