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| You are Here: Home / The UnImaginable |
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Help Prepare Your Family For
A Hurricane, Ice Storm, Flood... |
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How to light your home
I've looked into using candles but they don't give off much heat, they're hard to read by, and they're potentially dangerous. If the near-worst were to happen, there'd likely be a lot of fires caused by candles. If you decide to use them, consider using duct tape to stick them onto a flat plate to ensure they won't be knocked over. Never leave a burning candle unattended and keep them out of reach of children and pets.
Instead of candles...
There are Coleman lanterns, which produce a very bright light, and even the old-fashioned (but still available) coal-oil lamps. Get lots of fuel, wicks, mantles - and train your whole family how to use them and fill them safely. (At age 11, I got a memorable burn when I clutched the chimney of a glowing coal-oil lamp!) Get them while you can! I also recommend a particular flashlight, the 6-inch-long Mini-Maglite that operates on 2 AA batteries. It's much better and safer than a candle.
Here's how to turn a Mini-Maglite into a kind of powerful candle: unscrew the wide end (which has the glass and reflector but not the bulb) and place it glass-side down on a table. Put the butt end of the flashlight into the opening in the wide end. The wide end becomes a wonderfully designed 'candle holder' with the bare bulb providing significant light. You can also turn this small, powerful flashlight into a dangling ceiling light. A great product! And no, I don't get a commission. Hmmm...!! To make your home more cheerful, you could use duct tape to stick light-reflecting aluminium foil to your walls.
You'll need at least one flashlight per person, plus spares. The flashlight batteries will last for about 5 hours of steady use. (That's about 2 batteries per flashlight per day.) The best deal I've found for batteries is at COSTCO stores; I tested their 'Kirkland' house-brand and found them to be about equal to Energizer, and at a cost of about half that of other batteries. I reckon that about 1000 AA batteries (gasp!) would be needed for a family of four during a 3-month period. (That's only about $6 or $7 a day. Think of the money you'll save compared to paying for electrical power! ) Remember, you'll also need batteries for your lifeline: your two all-important transistor radios which will entertain you, and inform you about what's happening at home and abroad. Count on your neighbours not having enough, and be prepared to be generous, as they will be with you. A sign on a house: "Will Trade AA Batteries For Toilet Paper"? Speaking of which...
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