As we go through life and we see and hear about different disasters, whether they be man made or natural disasters there runs through our head all the different things we need to do to be prepared. One area of preparedness I would like to talk about is power outages or failure. You are probably like most that think well what if the power goes out I need a back up generator, or solar panels with packs, or you have no idea where to start at all. While these things are great and I'm not discounting their value they can be very expensive and require lots of storage space and room. There are simple and inexpensive things you can do to be better prepared for when you have no power and you need light and as you work your way towards things like that $5000 dollar generator!!
Power Outages or Failure:
Non-Scented Wax Candles - About $.50 each or so and they can almost store anywhere!
100 Hour Candles - Only $3 to 4 dollars and they last, well 100 hrs and can be found at preparedness stores or even the local grocery store (Maceys) and refill fuel canisters can be purchased for the candles.
L.E.D. Flashlight - Preferably an LED flashlight vs. Incadescent they are brighter, more compact and have longer battery life.
Emergency Flashlight - These can range from hand crank for power with built in radio, to solar powered and even ones that plug in to the wall outlet and when the power goes out they turn on which is great if it is nighttime, Simply follow the light! Emergency Flashlights usually start at about $20 and can go as high as $100 dollars for all the bells and whistles.
Portable Fuel Stove - These small compact stoves can range from $20 to $200 dollars and there are many fuel source options from: Butane, Propane, White Gas it really just depends on your preference and if your uses will be for more than just when the power goes out i.e. camping or picnics. However they are great for cooking when the power goes out and the refill canisters cost about 2-3 dollars and average cook time is 1 hour per canister.(Always use in well ventilated area) Found a good little stove at Maceys Grocery Store along with fuel refills for a good price!
