You are sitting at home, on the couch, watching TV. All the sudden, everything snaps off and you are sitting there in the dark. You know you have what you need, but where is everything? You are pretty sure there may be a flashlight in the kitchen junk drawer, if the batteries in it are still good, if they aren't, you know you don't have any spares. Where are the candles? There are a couple in the master bathroom closet, you are pretty sure. No lighters in the house, but there has to be some matches somewhere, right?
Off you stumble, in the dark, to try to find what you need. This is an accident waiting to happen. You can trip on shoes and fall, run into a door you thought was open, stab yourself on something sharp when feeling around in a drawer. What if your flashlight batteries are dead, and you don't have any matches? What will you do?
Off you stumble, in the dark, to try to find what you need. This is an accident waiting to happen. You can trip on shoes and fall, run into a door you thought was open, stab yourself on something sharp when feeling around in a drawer. What if your flashlight batteries are dead, and you don't have any matches? What will you do?
It's very simple to avoid this situation. Make a power failure kit. You can put it in a box, assign it a drawer or keep it in a duffel bag. As long as you know where it is at all times, you'll be good!
When the power goes out, the first thing you will need will be light, so the first thing that you will need to put in your kit is a flashlight. Flashlights are good for immediate light and the best thing to have if you need to walk around your house and need something portable. However, since they run on batteries, you will also need to have other sources of light that will not run out as the batteries die. The best choices employ the centuries old light source: fire. Candles are the cheapest and easiest source of light for long periods of time. The unfortunate thing about candles is that the fire is usually out in the open, and therefore a fire hazard. If you decide to use candles, it is better to have a glass globe that you can put the candle in. Make sure you have matches or a lighter to keep in your kit.
My preferred choice for my power failure kit is an oil lamp. They are not that expensive, and neither is the oil. I store my lamp without oil in it, and keep a full 32 ounce bottle of oil in my kit. This will give you light for a long time and is even good if you need to take it outside because wind will not blow it out.
This is the lantern and oil that I have in my kit. I got them from Amazon for about $20. The lamp comes with a wick, but you may want to buy some extras.
This is the lantern and oil that I have in my kit. I got them from Amazon for about $20. The lamp comes with a wick, but you may want to buy some extras.
If you would like more information on types of oil lamps and how they work, the video below has lots of information so you can make an more informed decision on what lamp you would like for your power failure kit.
Another really important thing for you to have in your power failure kit is a portable radio and extra batteries. It does not have to be a fancy emergency radio, it can be any battery operated radio that will get local channels for weather reports and hopefully reports on when the power will be coming back on.
The last thing that I put in my power failure kit is a deck of regular cards and a deck of Uno cards. It can get pretty boring during a power outage once the phone, tablet and laptop batteries die. I also have a short stack of games in my linen closet that do not take electricity: Monopoly, Chinese Checkers, Jenga and Boggle.
There are many other things you will need during a power outage, but once you have light you can find warm clothes, food and drink and blankets. I kept my kit small on purpose with only the essentials because I feel that is all that is necessary. Just don't forget to replace the batteries a couple times a year for fresh ones.
Have a great weekend,
Jade :)
Have a great weekend,
Jade :)
Image Credits: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrik/21685805201/sizes/n/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/86079236@N03/7889858850/sizes/n/ http://amzn.to/1WJjB2X http://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-12-250-Weatheradio/dp/B00G3RXP1K/ref=sr_1_64?ie=UTF8&qid=1456344067&sr=8-64&keywords=emergency+radio
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