Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

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FB01
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Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by FB01 »

Hi,

Which is the best flashlight you guys recommend to keep in home for emergency? I am looking for something which is chargeable easily.

Thanks,
JR
Thanks, | FB
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hand
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by hand »

You'll probably need to be more specific in your requirements description if you really want to get to the absolute best for your needs:

1) What type of emergency - power outage? flood? tornado?
2) What duration of emergency - minutes, hours, days?
3) What is light used for - indoors, outdoors, intruders, varmints?
4) Always plugged in / fully charged when not in use?
5) Specialty batteries for high performance, or common batteries for ease of replacement during emergency?

In reality, most LED flashlights have such good runtime, that barring really unique needs, almost anything you buy will likely be sufficient for the occasional power outage.

Believe it or not there are forums dedicated specifically to flashlights! Try candle power forums if you want to dig enough to get to the absolute best for your situation.

Personally, my emergency flashlights to handle multi-day power outages are as follows:

1) Older 2D cell Maglights with moderate brightness LED replacement bulbs which I expect to last days / weeks with medium usage
2) A couple of random AA LED flashlights powered by Eneloop rechargeable batteries for general use during non-emergency & emergency if needed (1 per family member)
3) A high performance AA led headlamp (zebralight)

With a Costco pack of AA batteries in the garage + ability to easily buy or scavenge AA's in an emergency, I feel pretty covered.

At one point I considered an always plugged in / always charged device, but Eneloops plus a Costco pack of AAs ended up a better solution for me.
sc9182
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by sc9182 »

LED One with working set of batteries.
ddurrett896
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by ddurrett896 »

Not a flashlight, but I bought one of these and was impressed. Ended up buying another! Bright, works great, holds a long charge and deflates making it a small package.

https://www.rei.com/product/100705/mpow ... ar-lantern
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threebuns
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by threebuns »

I don't know if you're an outdoorsy individual or not, but I have a decent black diamond headlight that I would rely on in an emergency, but I primarily use it for camping. It has different lighting modes, it's hands free, and perfect for all types of situations, emergency or not.
user5027
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by user5027 »

The flashlight app on my smartphone. I use it until I find the next item.

We have three of these (one for me, the wife and one guest)...
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rayovac-Inde ... /202968174

Best style for dealing with a power outage and are great for working with your hands and while walking the dog. They use three AAA batteries but are LED and sip the power.
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House Blend
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by House Blend »

A year or so ago I picked up a very handy nightlight/flashlight combo. Plug in a charger at a convenient place where you need a nightlight (e.g., bathroom or hallway). The flashlight rests on the stand and charges via induction (similar to Mac laptop rechargers). If it detects sufficient ambient light, the nightlight stays off. If sufficiently dark, it gives off a soft glow from a watt or 2 of LED light. If the light is removed from the stand, or there is a power failure, then it switches into full-on flashlight mode.

It's nice having that flashlight readily available and visible when you are most likely to need it.

(I took a quick peek on amazon--didn't see an exact match, but there are many things that look similar.)
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telemark
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by telemark »

For emergency use what matters is shelf life. You want it to work when you need it, even if you haven't thought about it for years. So I wouldn't recommend anything rechargeable: rechargeable batteries, even eneloops, have a relatively short shelf life compared to alkaline batteries. So I suggest any reasonably bright LED flashlight with alkaline batteries rated for a shelf life of five years or longer. If you want to get fancy, you can buy the Energizer Lithium AA cells; these should be good for 10 years, and as a bonus they work well in freezing temperatures.
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Nosferatu
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by Nosferatu »

Carson
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by Carson »

We have the original version of this one (7 years and going strong) and this current version. We keep one in the basement and one on the main floor in fixed locations that are convenient to access in a power outage. No issues.

https://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-9054 ... B000LF1KKS
DSInvestor
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by DSInvestor »

ddurrett896 wrote:Not a flashlight, but I bought one of these and was impressed. Ended up buying another! Bright, works great, holds a long charge and deflates making it a small package.

https://www.rei.com/product/100705/mpow ... ar-lantern
I'd second this recommendation for the MPOWERD Luci LED solar lantern. We just them for camping and they're great. The ones that we bought 3 years ago are still going strong. We just bought 2 more last week. The newer model has a charge indicator which is helpful. I've seen them at REI, Big5 and Amazon.

We also use our black diamond headlamps. Great for hiking, camping, taking the dog out at night and loss of power. We use envelop low self discharge rechargeable AA and AAA batteries in the headlamps.

We have an ANKER Powercore 20100 to keep our devices charged when camping. They also make solar panels. These would be useful at home if you lose power.
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MoneyBagsRx
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by MoneyBagsRx »

I keep the Fenix LD12 on my person at all times. Small enough to clip onto my front pocket. Uses 1 AA battery. I change the battery every 3-6 months regardless of use and just recycle the battery to something non-important (like a TV remote).

In my nightstand is a Fenix LD41. Closer to a full size flashlight that also uses AA batteries. It is very bright and can light up my whole house.

Both flashlights have SOS and blinding strobe functions. I believe both are water resistant.

Fenix has even more powerful flashlights but I had to draw the line somewhere for something I hopefully will minimally use and cost.

Surefire is also reputable. Great quality but possibly more cost.
123
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by 123 »

Consider a candle. They were state-of-the-art for a couple of thousand years. Of course they didn't have power outages back then either. What progress we have made.
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lthenderson
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by lthenderson »

123 wrote:Consider a candle. They were state-of-the-art for a couple of thousand years. Of course they didn't have power outages back then either. What progress we have made.
+1 We also have an old fashioned lantern that burns various liquid fuels. A gallon of fuel for the lantern got us through several weeks of no electricity years ago and we still had 3/4 gallon left over.
ponyboy
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by ponyboy »

Candles and matches...if you're hardcore get the ones rei sells that can light when soaked. Never rely on batteries to provide light. You may need it and those batteries are dead.

For flashlights I keep a couple streamlight stylus pro flashlights around. They cost around $20, require 2 AAA batteries and lights up an entire room.
whomever
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by whomever »

rechargeable batteries, even eneloops, have a relatively short shelf life compared to alkaline batteries.
That didn't seem right to me. I spent a couple of minutes googling. Eneloops maintain a 75% charge for 3 to 5 years (roughly speaking, there are different generations of eneloops). Many alkalines are only spec'd as having a 5 to 7 year 'shelf life', and the implication that self life means 'time before leakage', not 'maintains 100% charge'.

I don't claim I have a definitive answer from a few minutes googling, but the differences may not be that pronounced.
Other than some D cell maglites, we've gone 100% eneloop because:

1)The shelf life works for us.
2)If I was worried about shelf life, I could top them up every few years - something you can't do with near end-of-life alkalines.
3)With NiMh, I never open up a long idle widget to discover a mass of corrosion.
4)The higher discharge rates allow the possibility of small but bright flashlights.
5)With an every day carry flashlight, I don't have the 'I've used half the battery charge for mundane tasks - should I put in fresh batteries in case I need it in an emergency' conundrum. With rechargeables, I just charge them up to 100% whenever I have any doubt.

For power outages, etc, I find headlamps nicer than handhelds. Cooking dinner or reading with a handheld is a PITA. Zebralight headlamps are high quality, IMHE - bright if you want bright, long lasting when dimmed. No worry about fires from candles.
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telemark
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by telemark »

whomever wrote:Eneloops maintain a 75% charge for 3 to 5 years (roughly speaking, there are different generations of eneloops).
Thanks, it sounds as though eneloops have improved since the last time I looked. And for anything you use semi-regularly, rechargeables are better since you'll notice when they need topping off.
Many alkalines are only spec'd as having a 5 to 7 year 'shelf life', and the implication that self life means 'time before leakage', not 'maintains 100% charge'.
True, which is why you want to pick ones that are explicitly rated for longer shelf lives, which probably means spending more money. I think the Maglite in my car has Duracells in it. Alkalines rarely fail completely, they just get dimmer and dimmer until you can't stand it and replace them :)
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jabberwockOG
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by jabberwockOG »

Current flashlight technology and availability has come a long way since the days when big heavy multi D cell maglights were the best thing available to most folks. They were not very bright, did not last very long, but you could use them to club game.

For power outages in the house a couple of high quality high output led flashlights, with multiple light levels including strobe and SOS mode, running alkaline batteries will work just fine.

There is a huge difference in quality and longevity on flashlights as you move up in price. We have 2 Fenix 22Ds for travel, house, and car use.

https://www.amazon.com/Fenix-LD22-215-L ... 1SE2QWAZ7D

Also have a more serious 1000 lumen flashlight, Fenix D35, for possible emergencies and issues of a more tactical nature. Works great as a regular use flashlight but additionally in the dark this flashlight set to max bright or strobe will temporarily render an intruder unable to see.

https://www.amazon.com/Tactical-Flashli ... XVBKEP3FBP
Last edited by jabberwockOG on Mon Sep 12, 2016 1:27 pm, edited 4 times in total.
MathWizard
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by MathWizard »

I have a small plugin LED light that goes into an outlet, and stays off while power is active and
comes on when the power goes out. The power does not go out often, but this helps avoid stubbed toes
when going for a longer lasting light.

The small plugin is something like this.
http://www.batteryjunction.com/energize ... wr-v2.html

I also have a long lasting CFL lantern that looks like the following (though this is a newer/better LED version)
http://www.target.com/p/energizer-led-f ... A-14584887
mouses
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by mouses »

I have -

Monster maglite flashlights in the bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. all within easy reach. I forget if these use 2-4 C or D batteries.

The kind of lights you plug into a wall socket and they go on when the power goes out.

An old Rayovac lantern that runs on a bunch of D batteries and has florescent tubes.

Candles, wide ones, and matches.

The Maglites work as lanterns if you stand them on their base. They have lasted through every power failure my area has had.

The wall socket lights only last half an hour to an hour and are mostly so you don't fall over something while you're getting to a better light source.

The new Rayovac lanterns are very cheesy. If they weren't, I would buy a few more, one for every room. The Rayovac I have also lasts a long long time before it nees new batteries.

I have not had to use the candles yet and they would only be a last resort because of the fire danger and I have a pet, so I would never leave them unattended.

I also keep a small Maglight in my pocketbook and a flashlight in my car.

I have a battery storage shelf with a battery tester built in and I check the batteries every six months.
Last edited by mouses on Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
DSInvestor
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by DSInvestor »

We use ENELOOP batteries first but keep alkalines as spares. We have costco size packages of AA and AAA batteries in the house just in case. We spend lots of time hiking, backpacking and camping so we charge our ENELOOPs often. In the winter time, we use our headlamps daily to walk the dog after dark.

With rechargeable batteries, it is important to use a smart charger that can charge each battery individually. We use a Lacrosse BC-700. The charger that comes with certain ENELOOP kits are smart chargers I believe.
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

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Topic moved to Personal Consumer Issues.
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N1CKV
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by N1CKV »

Nosferatu wrote:Surefire.

http://www.surefire.com/eb2-backup.html
I agree with Surefire, but I think different model is better suited for a better price.
http://www.surefire.com/illumination/fl ... x-pro.html
123 batteries have a 10 year shelf life, dual mode brightness from general use to defensive blinding bright. I keep these in my hunting bag and every glovebox.
madpunster
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by madpunster »

Many a time I've found leaking, swollen batteries permanently fused into my flashlights. Especially the cool Maglite, titanium, tactical variety. So now the batteries sit next to my backup flashlights in a ziplock bag.
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jabberwockOG
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by jabberwockOG »

madpunster wrote:Many a time I've found leaking, swollen batteries permanently fused into my flashlights. Especially the cool Maglite, titanium, tactical variety. So now the batteries sit next to my backup flashlights in a ziplock bag.

Good point - keeping the batteries in a rarely used flashlight often results in fatal damage to the light. All flashlights requires regular checking (as often as monthly) of function and battery size/condition for leaks. In some ways having too many flashlights makes it more likely that multiple ones will have failed.
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queso
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by queso »

We have several and have had good luck with all of them. Surefire and Streamlight are solid options. For a more economical option you can look at Dorcy. We got one as a gift and it has been a solid performer as well. We also keep a couple Petzl headlamps around and a Black Diamond LED lantern for longer term lighting/showering, etc.
Carlton
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by Carlton »

I like the Fenix Brand.
The LD22 can run on 2 AA batteries. Buy a pack of Energizer lithium AA with a 10+ year shelf life. Slightly bigger is the powerful PD35 which uses 2 CR123 cells or Fenix's excellent ARB18 batteries and ARE-C2 charger. The HL50 headlamp is also very good, small in size and uses 1 CR123 cell. All of these lights have multiple output levels and will run a very long time on the lower settings.

(have no connection/reccomendation to store, for info only),

http://www.fenix-store.com
Nowizard
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by Nowizard »

Get a combination machine that is comprised of radio, B/W television, and LED light with a plug-in and crank capability. Costs about $75 or less.

Tim
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by CedarWaxWing »

I have all four of these and am very happy with each of them:


1. As two others have noted: A solar powered LED lantern from REI. If there is sun outside, a day of sun should give you more than a night of light.

https://www.rei.com/product/100705/mpow ... ar-lantern


2. My favorite emergency light is my favorite Pak lite that I give for Christmas and birthdays... and I take on all backpack trips. I also have 5 around for emergencies at home. The best one they have will give about 1200 hours on low setting with a lithium battery. I also secure the battery to the light with duct tape (glow in the dark duct tape to find it more easily) because if someone drops the light it can get knocked off the battery, and in an emergency... that may be very inconvenient. With the duct tape one can put on a lanyard if so desired, and with some sticky tape velco... can also put it on a ball cap to use it as a headlight. Best advantages: very very light and small, longest burn time on a battery, fairly tough. Can use old batteries that have run their course on other devices... and still get several days of low light out of otherwise useless batteries.

Everyone I give them to... goes out and buys more specifically for backpacking or for emergency use for home, RV, or that primitive cabin in the mountains... or car.



I get the Paklite super glow... four pack to get 4 lights at the best deal.. and for better switch quality, and the claimed better battery longevity. I buy my own Lithium batteries.


This is also a family business, designed by an Oregon State U. EE student.

http://www.9voltlight.com/white_led_flashlights

3. Freeplay Energy Sherpa LED rechargeable flashlight, which also has a hand crank. One minute cranking gives about 20 mins light.

http://www.freeplayenergy.com/aid-and-d ... -led-torch


4. Gerber Ulta LED flash light. Very small, very basic, 8 lumens led on one AA battery. No lens, recessed led bulb, screw switch... and very sturdy and reliable. Water proof to 3 meters. Aluminum body... and very sturdy. Very long burn time and solid as a rock.

http://www.gerbergear.com/Equipment/Lig ... t_22-80012

Best,

M
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by nisiprius »

Fairly cheap headlamps, $15-$20, and lots of them, in drawers and nooks and crannies everywhere.

From our experience camping, my personal judgement is that headlamps just plain beat any kind of flashlight or table lamp or hang-up lamp. Headlamps sort of seem like magic because _in effect_ they light up everything. And you don't have to tie up one hand holding them, or put them down and try to get them aimed in the right place.

One tends forget that in ordinary life, at night, you have many sources of light and not too much of a problem with shadows; once you are trying to light up a room with one single light, it's not very good and everything you want to see always seems to be in a shadow. That's why a room with a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling is so badly lit, no matter how bright that bulb is.

Of course, a headlamp only lights up the world for you, so you need one for everyone.

And of course, the best flashlight to have is one you can find, so you don't want to be in a situation where a) you can't remember where you keep the flashlight, or b) you think you know where it is but it's in the basement down two flights of unlit stairs. So you want lots of them, scattered everywhere.

And they keep improving LED headlamps, so a cheap one you can pick up for $15 at a hardware store... or $5 at a bargain store... is just as good as the big name-brand lamps that cost $40 at outdoor supply stores just a few years ago.

Therefore, my recommendation is: not a flashlight, but lots of 'em... and for me the sweet spot is $15 and $20 headlamps by semi-brand-names like Energizer at places like Walmart.

Another big thing is that you do not want one that has lots of features, because you do not want to have to remember that you press the left button for a second, then quickly press the right button twice or anything like that.
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by sunny_socal »

I recommend the Coast HP1:
- Takes one AA battery
- LED, lasts probably 2-3 hours on that one AA. (I buy large packs from Costco)
- Water resistant
- Beam can be focused
- Small & durable aluminum design

They can be found on Amazon, they often have 'sales' and the price is then $10:
(showing $20 today but don't buy at that price)
https://www.amazon.com/Coast-HP1-Focusi ... lash+light

I order from Amazon about once a month and just throw 1-2 of these into my basket. Eventually I'll have one for every vehicle and every room in the house. It's a great "stashlight" for those times when the lights go out (about 1x per year here in San Diego.)
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dratkinson
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by dratkinson »

The light you get depends upon what you need it for.

Home power outage, room lighting. 3-in-1 (night light, flashlight, power failure light) Lite Saver from cs-power.com. Each is good for 12hrs. I stopped looking for home emergency lighting solutions when I found this. Ordered from website.
See: http://www.cs-power.com/

Small flashlight for a late evening walk or bike riding (two fit in velcro loops taped to handle bars). Smallest 3-in-1 flashlight (inductive charger base) from Capstone: 15-lumen 4 hrs, more than enough for a walk/ride. My experience is the battery quickly loses charge so best to keep flashlight in charging base until needed. Bought at Home Depot. Capstone also sells a larger 2-mode inductive-charging flashlight; looks interesting, but never tried it.
See: http://www.capstoneindustries.com/index ... -lighting/

Headlamps are wonderfully used. Petzel Tikkina has highest-rated runtime in OutdoorGearLabs.com testing. Two modes: 4 and 20 lumen. Uses 3xAAA batteries. Many uses around the home and camping. Attach a bicycle blinky light to rear of headband and have a bicycle lighting solution in your jacket pocket. Attach velcro loops to sides of headband and Capstone flashlights (above) can supplement/replace original headlamp (to provide extra light or extend battery life). Mine received as gift, but should be available from REI, Sierra Trading Post,....

Keychain flashlight. Used and gave as gifts the Fenix E01: 10 lumen, 20+hrs runtime, very graceful failure mode, light never went out, it just dims until you are annoyed enough to replace the battery. Now prefer the 3-mode Illuminati from Titanium Innovations: 3-lumen ~30 hrs, 30-lumen ~4.5 hrs, 135 lumen ~1.5 hrs. Both use 1xAAA battery. Bought from batteryjunction.com.

Car flashlight. Keep a lightweight Coleman MAX (6xAA, in 2-rows of three) in glovebox; its bright focused beam is useful for spotting house numbers (throws a beam further than my eyes can read numbers); tested and produced useful light for a long time from 3xAA (1-row). Bought MAX from Walmart. Keep an old heavy metal 3xD led light in car between seats for close flood lighting and supplemental uses; bought from Harbor Freight.

Batteries. Use lithium, not alkaline, to avoid leakage problems.

Also have an assortment of kerosene lamps. 3/4" flat wick lamps produce 15-watt bulb equivalent. Alladin lamps produce 60-watt bulb equivalent and as much heat as a 1500-watt (5K BTU) electric heater, so can be used as small backup heat source. Can find an assortment at Lehmans.com.

Idea. A metal kerosene lantern and bottle of extra fuel can be kept with vehicle winter emergency supplies for supplemental heat/light should one becomes stranded along a winter road.

The light you get depends upon what you need it for.
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Rodc
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by Rodc »

threebuns wrote:I don't know if you're an outdoorsy individual or not, but I have a decent black diamond headlight that I would rely on in an emergency, but I primarily use it for camping. It has different lighting modes, it's hands free, and perfect for all types of situations, emergency or not.
+ 1.

Really long lasting and frees your hands for whatever needs to be done.

Could also stash a few crank flashlights so you do not need to worry about dead batteries.

Cell phone gets you going to find the more long lasting and higher light output flashlights.

Could also keep around some tabletop led battery powered lamps. I have a couple small one for camping in addition to the headlamps. Good if you want to somewhat light up a room where you want to hang out with others.

But the headlamps are the number one thing to have.
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by lightheir »

Nosferatu wrote:Surefire.

http://www.surefire.com/eb2-backup.html

That's a good flashlight, but it's honestly uber-overkill for emergency purposes. Plus, when you're dealing with a flashlight that powerful, odds are higher that if you hand it to someone, they'll put it on the 'high' mode when not needed, and thus much more rapidly discharge the battery. (Those 500 lumen lights only last 1-4 hours if they're on full blast.)

Small cheaper headlamps with backup batteries are the best bet. Headlamps keep your hands free, and give plenty of light for nonsporting purposes.

I love those super-high powered flashlights and lamps and use them extensively for running and cycling, where they are amazing. But for emergency purposes, they really have no role - wayyyy too bright and energy-intensive on the battery (or too easy to leave on 'hi' mode, which is usually the default mode.)
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by bbees »

PRICEY, but a Rigid Industries Halo 800 lumens with rechargeable battery and charger. 5 modes-Low, medium, high, flasher and SOS strobe in Morse Code. 50,000 hrs lifespan on LEDs. Throws beam 300 meters, unbreakable lens. But high can cause permanent eye damage. Comes with wall charger and AC/DC car charger adapter.
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Taylor Larimore
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Flashlights

Post by Taylor Larimore »

FB01 wrote:Hi,

Which is the best flashlight you guys recommend to keep in home for emergency? I am looking for something which is chargeable easily.

Thanks,
JR
JR:

In my opinion, almost any regular size flashlight is suitable for an emergency.

Best wishes.
Taylor
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just frank
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by just frank »

Get a name brand LED lantern (or two) that runs on D Cells....and keep a stash of D cells on hand. One set should run the lantern for days.

If you have kids, get a bunch of cheaper LED flashlights that can be 'theirs' during the outage....so they can run to a bathroom, etc.

For rechargeables, I am a fan of these guys that charge in the car lighter: http://www.firststreetonline.com/Home+S ... lights.axd
daveydoo
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by daveydoo »

N1CKV wrote: 123 batteries have a 10 year shelf life, dual mode brightness from general use to defensive blinding bright. I keep these in my hunting bag and every glovebox.
+1; this sold me (on the 10-year lithiums, at least). They don't provide too many hours of use and I seldom need "tactical" brightness, but at least it turns on after having been forgotten in a drawer for a year or two.

Steamlights are good and cheap.

hand wrote: 1) Older 2D cell Maglights with moderate brightness LED replacement bulbs which I expect to last days / weeks with medium usage
Which conversion kit did you buy for this? I have a few old four-cell ones... Thanks!
"I mean, it's one banana, Michael...what could it cost? Ten dollars?"
traveltoomuch
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by traveltoomuch »

FB01 wrote: Which is the best flashlight you guys recommend to keep in home for emergency? I am looking for something which is chargeable easily.
For a rechargeable, I recommend a Convoy S2+ using your choice of 18650 lithium battery. These flashlights are available in a variety of brightnesses (and power draws). For emergency use I'd go for one of the dimmer (and longer life!) ones, using 3x 7135 or 4x 7135 drivers - I would avoid the 8x. For extra flexibility, get a diffuser so it can be used as a (better) lantern. You'll need a charger. Batteries are $4-10 each and have a nice shelf life. The Convoy link above is to the manufacturer; they might charge a few dollars more than their resellers, but many on Budget Light Forum recommend buying direct. The battery, diffuser, and charger links are to Mountain Electronics, a US-based merchant targeting those who like to tinker with their lights. They also sell whole flashlights, but it looks like they're only stocking lights with the 6x driver. That's great for many uses, but, as above, I'd prefer a lower-draw one for emergencies. My recommendations for both this light and Mountain Electronics are very strong.

The problem with rechargeable batteries/lights for emergency use is the set of unfortunate incidents that 1) last longer than one set of batteries and 2) make charging difficult. Given that problem, I would want at least two more lights: something that uses very-common AA or AAA batteries and something that uses very-long-shelf-life CR123 (non-rechargeable) lithium primary cells. There are a range of options in the AA/AAA lights. The Fenix E12 (single AA) is a credible choice with multiple brightness levels. I like the Olight i3E EOS (AAA) for everyday carry - it's only $10, but it lacks a dim mode. The Olight i3S splits the difference. Fenix also makes a credible CR123 choice: the E15. It claims it can get 72 hours of runtime out of a CR123 on the low setting. It can also accept a rechargeable lithium 16340 battery.

These five recommendations in a list:
  • Convoy S2+ (18650) $15-20 I suggest the 7135x4 driver and a T6 3B color.
  • Fenix E12 (AA) $27
  • Olight i3E EOS (AAA, single brightness level) $10 black, $12 colors on amazon
  • Olight i3S (AAA, multiple brightness levels) $20-25 on amazon
  • Fenix E15 (CR123) $30
For more recommendations, check out http://budgetlightforum.com/ (Fenix lights are at the high end of what the Budget Light Forum might recommend. They're a solid, known quantity. But you can do well for less money if you're willing to search for a bit.)

In general, I like the headlamp idea others have floated in this thread. I would stay away from most single-mode, super-bright flashlights - for "emergency", I would want something that can extract very long runtimes from my batteries.

Let us know what you decide to get.
Last edited by traveltoomuch on Wed Sep 14, 2016 5:36 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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hand
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by hand »

daveydoo wrote:
hand wrote: 1) Older 2D cell Maglights with moderate brightness LED replacement bulbs which I expect to last days / weeks with medium usage
Which conversion kit did you buy for this? I have a few old four-cell ones... Thanks!
I chose the "Dorcy 41-1643 30 Lumen 3 Volt LED Replacement Bulb" for about $4.

30 lumens sounds wimpy, but is similar to output from the prior incandescent bulb, and adequate for around the house use.

I couldn't find specs, but assume that lower light output than some of the super bright replacements means longer run-time which was my main concern. Plus the price was right :)

As an aside, the flashlight marketplace cracks me up - many lights are sold based on high lumens which are useless / bad in many uses cases (destroy night vision, reduce runtime), when typical users should want long runtime, high build quality and good (high CRI) light. Note LED replacement above is not High CRI.
wolf359
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by wolf359 »

For rechargeable flashlight, I also use my cell phone. It's always on me, and it's always charged with enough battery to get to my emergency lighting.

For emergency lighting, I use the Energizer LED Fusion Lantern https://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Foldin ... ed+lantern

It uses standard AA batteries (8). I have keep alkaline AA batteries for long shelf life, and Eneloop AA rechargeables that I can use in a solar recharger. This gives me the benefits of both rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries.

The Fusion will light up the whole room, last the whole evening (or two), and is bright enough to do homework. During a multi-day extended power outage, it's a godsend and keeps the whole household functioning. Since it uses standard batteries, it's easy to keep it operating, and because I can use a solar recharger, I don't necessarily have to run to the store. When not in use, it stores flat, like a square panel.

We do have lots of little LED flashlights (we have kids) and big black aluminum Maglights (we have a Dad) as well, but during a power outage or an emergency, we always come back to the Fusion. Flashlights need to be aimed. Lanterns like this will light up a whole area.
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batpot
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by batpot »

I have a couple of these sitting around (last one I picked up for $6 on sale):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NIL1DFO/

also have a radio that is something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015ZNKD58/
mouses
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by mouses »

wolf359 wrote: Flashlights need to be aimed. Lanterns like this will light up a whole area.
My monster Maglites function as lanterns when they are stood...stand...on their bases.
DSInvestor
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by DSInvestor »

mouses wrote:
wolf359 wrote: Flashlights need to be aimed. Lanterns like this will light up a whole area.
My monster Maglites function as lanterns when they are stood...stand...on their bases.
The monster Maglites can also be used for self defense.
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Tamahome
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by Tamahome »

We use a Maglite if a bright light is needed. http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnpla/7 ... d=txg6YEZy

For emergencies where batteries may run out, we have several hand-crank flashlights with LED lights that are not quite as bright, but certainly do the trick with perpetual light (or as long as your arm can stand). I think these are essential to any preparedness kit if you are in a storm prone area. https://www.amazon.com/Energizer-Weathe ... flashlight

Now that I looked this up for you, I noticed a $16 lantern that would be smart to have I will likely be purchasing. (We go camping a lot, so this is more than just for an emergency kit) https://www.amazon.com/Security-Brightn ... flashlight
I'm not a financial professional. Post is info only & not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship exists with reader. Scrutinize my ideas as if you spoke with a guy at a bar. I may be wrong.
larklea
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by larklea »

Several, but the newest one that I got as an award at work,Torch 250. Three different LED lights (spot, flood, red). Hand crank, USB, or Solar for power. USB charger port for your cell phone.

http://www.goalzero.com/p/239/torch-250-flashlight
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F150HD
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by F150HD »

FB01 wrote:Hi,

Which is the best flashlight you guys recommend to keep in home for emergency? I am looking for something which is chargeable easily.

Thanks,
JR
I was looking for one too to leave at the house in a fixed spot for emergency. Sure, I use the cell phone when needed, but if powers out I don't want to drain the battery on it.

What I found, and maybe someone can enlighten me (no pun), years back we bought one for mom and dad that plugged into the wall and stayed charged. It was nice, didn't need batteries. They don't sell items like that anymore. Anyone have any idea why? haven't seen them anywhere in the Twin Cities for years.
Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.
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just frank
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by just frank »

mj13f150 wrote: What I found, and maybe someone can enlighten me (no pun), years back we bought one for mom and dad that plugged into the wall and stayed charged. It was nice, didn't need batteries. They don't sell items like that anymore. Anyone have any idea why? haven't seen them anywhere in the Twin Cities for years.
Because they used NiCad that has a high self-discharge rate. If you didn't leave it plugged in, it would fade to nothing in ~6 mos. Lithium cells last a lot longer standby, so no need to trickle charge.
traveltoomuch
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by traveltoomuch »

mj13f150 wrote:... years back we bought one for mom and dad that plugged into the wall and stayed charged. It was nice, didn't need batteries. They don't sell items like that anymore. Anyone have any idea why? haven't seen them anywhere in the Twin Cities for years.
I'm seeing plug-into-the-wall options from Pelican, Streamlight, and Maglite on Amazon. They cost close to $100 (and up). Maybe this is just a feature of specialty products moving out of your local retailers? More likely, it's result of higher-efficiency LEDs and lower-cost, higher capacity lithium batteries driving down the need/market for plug-into-the-wall-everyday rechargeables.

As just frank observes, lithium-based solutions likely work better for most purposes.
Last edited by traveltoomuch on Wed Sep 14, 2016 8:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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F150HD
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Re: Best Flashlight to keep in home for emergency

Post by F150HD »

traveltoomuch wrote:
mj13f150 wrote:... years back we bought one for mom and dad that plugged into the wall and stayed charged. It was nice, didn't need batteries. They don't sell items like that anymore. Anyone have any idea why? haven't seen them anywhere in the Twin Cities for years.
I'm seeing plug-into-the-wall options from Pelican, Streamlight, and Maglite on Amazon. They cost close to $100 (and up). Maybe this is just a feature of specialty products moving out of your local retailers?

As just frank observes, lithium-based solutions likely work better for most purposes.

yea, I dont see myself paying $100+ for a flashlight personally!
Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.
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