Looking for good emergency house flashlights

LEDBE
michaelramm

michaelramm

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
3
Location
Northport, AL USA
I am looking to standardize the 'emergency' lamps in our house. I am looking to get 5-6 flashlights and place them throughout the house for when the power goes out. I have a 9YO and a 5YO so they need to be simple enough for them to operate in pitch black.

Any recommendations? They don't have to be LED, but I don't want el cheapo lights either.

Any help would be great!
Michael
 
How about some el cheapo LED's? Home Depot and Target have 1 LED lights in a 2-pack for about $5 that run on a 1D battery, and output maybe 10 luimens, They look a typical 2D light with a simple side switch. This is the kind of light you wouldn't mind trashing.

Welcome to CPF, Michael.

Geoff
 
I would recommend anything that uses AA's because it's easy to find other items in your home that use the same battery just in case you need to replace batteries and you run out of new ones.
 
Flying Turtle said:
How about some el cheapo LED's? Home Depot and Target have 1 LED lights in a 2-pack for about $5 that run on a 1D battery, and output maybe 10 luimens, They look a typical 2D light with a simple side switch. This is the kind of light you wouldn't mind trashing.

Welcome to CPF, Michael.

Geoff
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I was gonna suggest some cheapo RAY-O-VAC lights with SMJLEDs in place of the stock PR2 bulbs, but the turtle's idea sounds pretty good.
 
If you want a light you can find in the pitch dark (immediately after the power failure) then my vote goes for some PALights or Safe-lights with the locator glow function. I swap a flat lens in place of the std focusing lens to give more flood (I find this more useful for interior work). I have 4 around my house and one in my camper van. There are various models with different functions, the "Star" model is the simplest (locater glow or on, with a 25 minute auto off).

These run the locator glow for up to 2 years before needing a new 9v battery, but you can swap in used batteries from smoke alarms for cheap running. Note that 9v lithium batteries won't fit.

I have other lights with more battery power (rechargeable AA eneloops and 18650s) for lighting during an extended power failure.

Another alternative would be a tritium marker on each light to help you find it in the dark.

Whatever you choose make sure you carry proper preventative maintenance on it at regular intervals (checking functionality and replacing batteries as needed) . Lithium primary batteries are good for lights that go for very long periods without use (due to their extremely long shelf life). A light with zero parasitic drain when "off" is also desirable for this purpose.
 
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As long as you have some good long running lights or lanterns for the long haul haul, I think any inexpensive light will be fine as long as they are loaded with lithium batteries. Emergency lights might sit in a kitchen drawer for five or six years before they get used.
 
My daughter (3) has no trouble wielding and operating a 2D maglite-- in fact, that's easier for her than just about anything else I've got. Twisties in particular give her fits because she can't always remember which way to turn it to get the desired results. there are any number of led drop-ins for incandescent models, plus Mag's own MagLED version. The MagLEDs will probably be in the ~10-15 dollar range at lowes and/or home depot for their black friday deals.
I have NIMH LSD rechargeables and malkoff drop-ins in mine, but there's nothing wrong with a stock MagLED and a couple lithium AAs with a spacer or adapter.
 
Mini mag. 2Aa everyone knows how to is them. Off the shelf.. run for along time
 
Having gone with no power for two weeks in the wake of hurricane Ike, a very hand light to have during a power outage is one of the many battery operated flourescent lanterns. They put out a lot of useful light and last quite a while on a fresh set of batteries. I have several that I keep in the closet in case of power outages. It is not a primary go to when the lights go out, but if they stay out for any period of time, the flourescent lantern will be a very helpful tool.
 
Some Mini Maglites for walking around with/sleeping with in your pocket. also good for candle mode. i use a garrity table lamp (r200g it is discontinued but bound to be on some hardware store shelf) 6D Maglite for beating the crap out of any intruder (extended power failures may lead to gangsters roaming the streets). Energizer WeatherReady Lights.

http://www.energizer.com/products/flashlights/preparedness/Pages/emergency-lights.aspx .

that could probably all be bought for under $250 so great if you're on a budget.

i have many energizers, and they are great for the money. you can buy the mini mags and energizer weather readysat the target; and 6D mags are sold at academy sports and outdoors ( hope to be getting me one soon)
 
THANKS so much for the recommendations! I have been busy and just today getting back to the forums. I will start browsing our Lowe's aisle is search of some decent cheap lights for our house.

Again, thanks so much!

Michael
 
I would suggest a light that runs on lithium primary batteries if they're going to be stored away until the power goes out. I've kept alkalines in my backpack for a couple of months to use in some high voltage test equipment I use, only to find out they have leaked without ever being used. It all comes down to how much you want to spend. Maybe one or two decent not too expensive single cr123a lights from 4sevens or itp lights and the other four from a Lowe's would suit your needs.
 
For that purpose I like the MagLEDs, a Rayovac Sportsman lantern, or just about any basic light. Bike lights are good for bouncing light off ceilings at low power, depending on the light. Having lost power about 90 minutes ago I can say they all work. Those you can recharge are a good idea if you use them a bit. The lights had flickered earlier so I had the lantern out. And like many a member had a light on me and others stashed about.
 
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I missed your goal to standardize, sorry. You can probably find package deals for Christmas shoppers, and I do suggest a lantern. Buy some spare batteries as well. Happy shopping.
 
Flying Turtle said:
How about some el cheapo LED's? Home Depot and Target have 1 LED lights in a 2-pack for about $5 that run on a 1D battery, and output maybe 10 luimens, They look a typical 2D light with a simple side switch. This is the kind of light you wouldn't mind trashing.

Welcome to CPF, Michael.

Geoff
Click to expand...
People have put the LED pr base bulb in other incan 2 cell lights using nimh and they work well for the most part. I would recommend some cheap LED tap lights modded with a resistor across the switch to allow them to faintly glow all the time. It uses up the batteries faster but in an outage you can see them after a short while.
 
get some old-style 2D lights with the magnet on the side. originally LED, or use an LED drop-in. stick a couple on the refrigerator, and others around the house.
 
What I like is at least one LED lantern that uses AA's, a few single cell AA LED flashlights, and one or two larger (C or D cell) LED flashlights and/or 6 volt LED lanterns. Even though they're not all AA's they are all using standard batteries. The AA lanterns out there put out enough light for small rooms, last a long time, and weigh nothing (nice to carry from room to room or if you want to hang up a light). A larger light can sometimes be more reassuring for a lot of people so having one or two on hand is a good idea.
 
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I recently acquired two neutral Olight S35s and one cool S35 with exactly this role in mind. The S35 runs on 3AA batteries and has a circuit which is especially efficient with alkalines. I keep eneloops in mine in case I need to use them immediately. I would switch to alkalines in an emergency but only keep the alkalines in the lights while they are continually on. I read somewhere on CPF that is a way of reducing the chances of alkalines leaking in your light. Certainly you don't want your emergency lights ruined when you need them.

Another suggestion is pak-lites which run on 9volt batteries and are surprisingly good. I always carry one with me because it does have an incredibly long runtime. They come in different colour leds which could be entertaining for younger children although of course the difference colours are functional as well.
 
Do go around and check the batteries every 3 months.

Bedside, Desk, Bathroom, Kitchen.
HouseFlashlightssmall.jpg

KISS single mode if possible.
I have a Dorcy 180 lumen and a Quark MiNi AA at my bedside now.
I have a Mag P7 at my desk now.
(The Civictor Fenix and EDC-P7 are shelf queens now.)
 
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