I would add that you should carry a flashlight of some type. I always have the 2 little lights below in my pocket. The titanium one on the left can throw a beam 100+ yards if necessary. The number of times I’ve needed these little lights in everyday life is crazy. When the power goes out when you’re not at home you’ll want a light. I also recommend a small pocket knife.
Or when your husband forget to leave the porch light on and you are fumbling for the front door key . . .
The one on the left might be overkill, but the one on the keychain is perfect for that job, and has been used for just that purpose.
My keychain light is pre-pandemic, the newer versions are below. You would likely only use it on low mode, but the high mode is surprisingly bright. Again, this could be a nice little stocking stuffer.
These would be great for my boys.
Well my phone (that’s almost always within reach) had a light that can get me to the next more permanent one. We have these stashed all over the house and cars. They are remarkably strong! And we have a couple of lanterns - both battery and an oil lamp that we use. We lose power a least once a month. One month recently we lost it 3 weekends in a row. We are used to that.
I’ve got plenty of battery charges too that are always full. But honestly I’m more worried about a banking collapse than anything else. But not so worried it keeps me up at night.
I periodically think about this as it relates to earthquake preparedness, so have the requisite canned food, dried food, bottled water, first aid stuff. But one bit of advice that I’ve heard that I think is rather useful is to have a rolling trash can that you can put your “go” stuff in in case you need to evacuate.
THIS IS NOT A STOCKING STUFFER
I bought one of these for my dad. He has a lot of land out back and likes to look for wildlife at night from his great room window. It’s a great light, but it’s like driving a nail with a jackhammer.
I am a huge fan of Luci lights (solar lanterns). Have been great when losing power at shore house. Make great porch lights. Can also be chargers. I’ve given different versions as stocking stuffers many times.
My crazy cousin gives everyone headlamps at any possible opportunity. I always thought it was nuts until H had to change a tire in the dark— cellphone flashlight was useless (kept slipping) but the headlamp was in the glove compartment and worked perfectly. And now everyone is sheepishly admitting that it saved the day when… (fixing a broken hinge on the clothes dryer, finding a dropped house key in the snow when you need both hands to hang on to a railing, etc.)
So not a prepper-- but I can see how general preparedness is a good skill to practice!
I have headlamps from my nighttime ocean kayak fishing days. They’re very handy, but you sure look goofy.
Funny! I have a headlamp in the side door of my car. But because I’m lazy and left it there after a run and haven’t used it in awhile. Now I have an excuse to leave it there!
Hope it gets you out of a pickle some day!
Change the batteries!
They seem to be good for about a year. I changed them not long before that run.
Nor tornados… maybe half an hour or an hour…
We wear our headlamps when we walk our black lab at night! I like this thread. I was in the air 9/11 and grounded in Canada for 11 days afterward, unable to get home. I was on the subway during the last big NYC blackout. My house is very close to where Superstorm Sandy came ashore. I do worry about what the next thing will be and hope we are prepared. The one thing that stuck out at me reading the thread is that I really need to invest in some better phone chargers. Especially now that D23 is in college and we are not all together.
I have a lot of these for my closets, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B15B8S85/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I think they are good when we have temporary blackouts, safer than candles.
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