Best Lighting Options to Have When Power Goes Out

I have the simple candle lanterns with Tea-Candles
I buy Tea-Candles in packs of 100 from any supermarket
Windproof in the lanterns
Spill proof and fire proof (away from curtains) in a saucer with water in it
Easy to store

Gets me thru black-outs at home and function well camping outside or in a tent
 
Mudbug007 said:
I was wondering when someone would chime in with the generator option. Lanterns, flashlights, etc. are all fine for when you want to play campout in your house, but when you get serious about keeping lights and other electrical devices such as a fridge going, a generator is the way to go.

The Honda EU 2000 is a great for this or if you need more, get the parallel kit or the EU3000. Quiet power and they sip gas.

I've sold all my gas Coleman lanterns and haven't regretted it one moment. I've gone to the electric Coleman lanterns with the rechargeable batteries. They just can't be beat for convenience and efficiency. No more gas to carry around, no more busted mantels (then not having extras :( ), no more dried up washers on the pump stem, no more gummed up generators!
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I have a generator that hooks up the the three-point hitch and power-take-off on a tractor. If there is a need I can flip a switch to take myself off the mains grid and plug the tractor in to power the house. The generator is not practical to move by hand but the tractor takes care of that and it packs a lot of ooomph. It'll output normal household power and the stronger industrial power for driving heavy machinery in the field.
 
I live in an apartment building, where even storing a generator is out of the question
 
+1 on the Honda generator. I have an EU1000 (1000 watt) generator that I bought years ago when they first came out. I crank it over every couple of months and it always starts. When Ike came through Houston a few years ago I lost power for two weeks. The generator powered a couple of lights, a fan and the TV plus charging cell phones, etc. Glad I had it.
 
neeman said:
I live in an apartment building, where even storing a generator is out of the question
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Why is that? The Honda mentioned above is pretty compact. Storing gasoline inside an apartment is another matter.

Honda generators cost more. But they really really are dependable. Mine simply have Honda engines, so I didn't shell out the $1000 for a real Honda. But they are a lot bulkier than the Honda's. I can live with that.

Have used the 2800w generator three times in the last month. It is small enough that I can man handle it by myself where as the 5500w is way to much for me to handle unless I am just wheeling it around. It holds enough fuel for 8-hours of continuous running at moderate load. The small one.... well, I have to keep a gas can handy as it runs for about an hour and I refuel. I think it was $600, but there are far less expensive generators around and can be bought at places like Sams Club if you feel they will last or you can depend on them.

That reminds me that I need to spend the bucks and get an electrician out to the house to install the proper wiring to feed into the house circuits. My Brother can run much of the stuff in his house with a 5500w generator. Have to pay attention to stuff that is 220w however (stove, HVAC, well pump if you have a well, an so forth).
 
I like the little 1 cell AAA twisties. Most have 3 levels of output. On the lowest setting they will run for several dozen hours. If you put the pocket clip on backwards, you can clip the light to the bill of a baseball cap for hands free operation. You can also hold the light between your lips quite comfortably. The lights are not much larger than the battery they hold. So you can have spare lights and dozens of batteries in a small package. No roaring Colemans. No stinky fumes. No sooty flames. No fire hazards.
I have a cellular data plan for my ipad and iphone. I don't have to get off the net until the batteries in the devices expire. What we need now is a hand cranked ipad.
 
You need to isolate house hold generators so that the output does not travel back down the wire and knock a lineman off the pole.
 
Candles with untrimmed wicks can put out a lot of soot which can not only darken your walls and curtain, but can also be inhaled and cause health problems. Trimmin' here boss.
 
tiguy7 said:
You need to isolate house hold generators so that the output does not travel back down the wire and knock a lineman off the pole.
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This is important. The rule of thumb is "do not mess around when wiring the electric". When in doubt get a competent professional. If you feed energy back into the system during a blackout and cause someone repairing the lines injury you will most likely be held liable.
 
That's my rule of thumb as well.

I would have to be hard pressed to use gasoline laterns inside the house. I did pick up a couple packs of mantles the other day.

Years ago, my wife and I would frequently car camp (tent) at a couple state parks in Arkansas as a get away from the city. At first we used the Coleman lantern as is typical. Then we realized there was electricity at the camp site, so I started to just bring extension cords and plug in lights. Felt kind of funny outdoors around a fire, but inside the the tent... I liked that! No carbon monoxide issues. No fire issues.
 
I just move twice a year. My Net biz follows me everywhere. Saves me all kinds of money and hassles that would normally be wasted on heating/cooling, slippery ice, bugs, etc.
 
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