The power has gone out! Now what?

The power going out can be scary and discomforting especially if you have kids. You need to have some ways to light up whatever you are doing. You need to provide some light to give comfort and make the time go by faster. 

Some lights have better uses than other lights. Some lights will be just for lighting up the room enough to walk around in. Some lights will help you see what you are doing or reading. All these options will be great for camping or being outside after dark. Every light listed below will have a purpose and a place in your preps.

Here is the thing about having non-electric lights. You need to have a very good supply of batteries on hand at all times. Most of these options will probably take batteries.

9 Ways You Can Light Up Your Home When The Power Is Out

1. Flashlights. These are just handy to have all the time. You can buy some of the cheap ones and some expensive ones. We keep the cheap little ones in almost every room of our house including the bedrooms. You should always have a flashlight in a night table drawer or beside the bed.

You can buy different kinds of flashlights too. You can buy the battery powered ones and I recommend that. You can also buy hand-cranked and/or solar powered flashlights. I have a few of these and they can be useful, but they take a fair amount of cranking and their time of use is limited. However, they are rechargeable.

2. Headlamps. Headlamps are handy to have. They make working on anything in the dark a bit easier. If you are trying to read or sew in the dark, they work well for that too. I would have one of these for every member of the family too.

3. Booklights. These are great to have on hand to read. I would give these to kids to read, color, draw, or anything else that will keep them occupied during a power outage.

4. LED and Battery Powered Lanterns. These are very handy to have. They are a favorite of my kids to use because the light is pretty bright. You can read and do a fair amount with the light they give off. If you are looking for something to hang from a ceiling or a hook, these lanterns will work for that and be safe to use. I would also check out these hanging camping lights for the same purpose.

5. Oil Lanterns. These are nice to have on hand. I would use the LED Lanterns if you are moving around much, but the oil lanterns are good to use in a room that needs light to move around in. As always, be careful using these around children. If you use oil lanterns, be sure to keep a supply of lamp wicks and fuel to keep these lanterns going. The oil lanterns have a lot of different choices including glass, metal, lamp oil, kerosene, and much more. This is my preferred lantern, but you should choose what works best for you.

6. Candles. Candles are great for lighting up an area and keeping the dark out. Candles can be reassuring to those who are afraid of the dark. While candles that smell are good to burn, you really want long lasting, odorless candles. Plus. smelly candles can be overwhelming after awhile. I would stock up on plain white tapered candles, emergency candles, and these 100+ hour emergency candles.

7. Propane Lanterns. Propane lanterns are good to have in an emergency situation. I would not use these indoors unless you have excellent ventilation. However, these are very good to have working outside or to have to be in a tent for any length of time.

8. Battery Powered String Lights. These will be like candles. They will provide a nice glow for a room and will make the power outage less scary especially for kids. These may not seem important, but I would keep a few on hand to help light a bedroom or a bathroom.

9. Solar Powered Lights. Whether you use indoor or outdoor solar powered lights, I would keep a good stock of these on hand. The power of the solar lights will vary, but they are rechargeable which is ideal in a situation with no power. As long as you are getting some light during the day, you can run these at night until everyone goes to bed. Just make sure you are charging these outside or by a southern exposed window to get the best charge during the day.

With any kind of light, you need to use some common sense. Battery or solar powered lights would be your best choice for emergency situations. They will not be dangerous to use most of the time and would be a brighter light to use. They are generally rechargeable or will just need new batteries.

If you do use candles, oil lanterns, or propane lanterns, you need to have good ventilation, exercise caution and be careful where you use them. You need to keep children away from these things until they can understand the dangers involved with using gas and fire. You need to make sure nothing gets smoky. Fuel containers need to be free from damage and in appropriate containers.

I realize some of you have generators and your lighting options would be better. Most plug-in lights take minimal wattage and would not drain a generator. However, I would still want to use non-electric lighting instead of wasting the fuel from a generator on lights. That is your choice though.

What is your lighting preference when the power is out?

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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