For the train of thought we have been going with here, something happen and you are staying at the house. So far we figured out all kinds of stuff but now the sun is going down and we have to prepare for the night. A night when no lights come on when you flip the switch......................
Hopefully we have a few flashlights around the house. Hopefully we have good batteries for the flashlights. Yet the flashlights are not good for lighting a room up. We can not sit around and play monopoly or cards easily by the beam of a flashlight. We want to be able to push the darkness away if we can. We, people in general, do not enjoy the darkness. We can not see what is around us and most of us fear, even if we do not admit it, what is out there in the night.
Doesn't matter how cool you are during the day...... something goes bump in the night, you want more light.
Most of us do not really remember how dark it can be without electricity being brought into our homes. The kind of dark where there is no glow from the router, microwave or digital clock. The kind of dark where there are no streetlights or the reflection of those lights off the clouds. For most of us even if we turn all the lights off in our house, there is still the glow from the neighbor's house or other light sources. Here we are talking about options when it is dark, dark........
Candles are a good place to start. Most of us have candles somewhere in the house. Even lighting just one candle will push the dark back enough to allow you to sit around a table or in some cases light a room enough to comfortably see what is around you. Keep in mind being able to light a room is of great comfort to the little ones when something is happening.
Gentleman or Ladies, if your significant other has a "thing" for candles you can use this to your planning advantage! Buy them candles as if you are indulging them but know you are secretly stockpiling for an emergency. Heck even scented candles burning brightly in the dark are better than sitting in the dark!!! Just do not burn to many scented candles at once. Why? Because you never know who they might attract................... hehehehehehe
Before we go any further we have to remind everyone about the dangers of having an open flame inside of the house. Does not matter if it one candle or several hurricane lamps. You have to safely use the sources of light or you can end up burning your home down and adding to your problems! Here are a few basic rules to follow when using open flames inside the home.
NEVER, NEVER PUT THEM NEXT TO A CURTAIN!!! Not even if you pull the curtains back and think you have tied them in place. The heat rising from the flame can travel several feet and still cause things to catch on fire!
NEVER, NEVER PUT THEM WHERE KIDS WILL KNOCK THE FLAME OVER!! If something can be knocked over kids will figure out how to do it. Like moths, kids are drawn toward the flame!
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER LEAVE A FLAME UNATTENDED!! Fire has a mind of it's own, ask any firefighter, if you leave the flame alone it will find a way to burn something! You do not want to wake up to the sound of your fire alarm (you have smoke detectors right?) or to the heat and smoke of a fire out of control! You could find yourself going from a bad day to a horrible situation quickly!
Oil lamps, hurricane lamps or other lamps using liquid or gas are something most people seem to have or are something most of us can afford. Maybe you have something you use for camping? Camping items can quickly be utilized during an emergency and hopefully you have experience using the items. During an emergency you do not want to be trying to put together and fuel up a lamp or something you have never used before! If you do have a lamp try to ensure you have a lamp with a cover of some type. Do not leave an open flame like in the above photo if you do not need to! It is too easy to get burned, plus glass covers or other types of covers magnify the light. You can light more area with less energy.
Containers like these for candles are a great idea!
An easy, inexpensive tool for lighting during a power outage is the Luci Inflatable Lantern. We have talked about these before and for a while now my Better Half has kept one in the kitchen windowsill! I literally got up from the table I am typing at, walked into the kitchen and grabbed the lantern to remind myself of the brand name.
Some folks sell items like this. I bet some of us out there have already figured out how to make their own? Looks like a good weekend project. Maybe I will give it a try myself..... if I can ever clear the To Do List!!!
My personal favorite non-emergency emergency lighting system is Christmas lights!!! Over the last few years we have changed out our regular plug in lights for these. Not only have we saved on the electric bill during this time of year, we also have ready made emergency lights! I have found the same issues with these as the garden lighting. some last only a few hours and some stop working all together. Yet we have enough working lights I feel good about being able to festively light up the house if we needed to!
A little prior planning can really help out when the power goes off. You can comfortable sit in your little circle of light and keep the Boogie Man at bay!!! Once you have done this going outside and looking up might be an interesting idea..... You might be surprised how many stars there really are out there without city lights. You might also gain more appreciation for why our ancestors thought more of the sky than we might do now..................
As Always,
Be Safe!
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