Hope everyone in the Gulf Coast region go through Sally okay!

Power could go out more than 12 hours before the hurricane hits land, just because of the stormy conditions. Don't plan on charging everything a few hours before landfall.

Do a test run of your generator BEFORE the hurricane, even if you just bought it last year. Seriously. It was basically a brand new generator.

Ear plugs if your neighbor has a loud generator.

Tell people on social media to contact you by text so the panicky types don't think you died. Internet went out, but SMS still worked.

Get a SW radio. Many radio stations went down, and those that stayed up did not have programming that I found worthwhile. (This was both the luck of the draw and personal preference.) When power and internet (including mobile data) are both out, radio was my only way of keeping track of news. Do you guys know if I'll be able to get BBC on SW in the US? Which SW radio do you recommend?

I used the headlamp a lot more than any types of lighting. Time to stock up on AAA batteries or find headlamps that use AA. (I've been trying to "standardize" all my equipment so they use only AA. But there is just something about size...)

The old timers all headed out to buy ice after the hurricane passed. At first I thought I didn't need that, since I prepared by putting bags of ice in the freezer. But then I realized nobody knew how long the power outage was going to last, and without additional ice food was going to spoil.

Loved my butane stove. Being able to make hot food, coffee, hot water for washing, etc. was great for morale.

Right now I have an external battery and an inverter for my car. So these are the two sources of power for my phone. I feel like I need an additional source. The battery will last only two charges. If I get unlucky, I could lose my car.

My Wilson Electronics cell signal extender may be outdated technology. I think I've had it for eight years. It used to be able to extend my range by maybe 5-10 miles, but I didn't notice any change in the signal bars.

Initially they predicted such a historic flooding that I wondered whether I'd end up being one of those people who have to go up on the roof. Right now I don't have a plan for that type of flooding.

Move to the western US and you won't have to deal with hurricanes.On the other hand , it is distressingly easy to roast hot dogs, etc.

Thanks for the report Bingley. Stay safe.

Fora quality single AA lamp , let me recommend either Zebralight H53c or H53w. Both use a single AA battery, Eneloops recommended.

http://www.zebralight.com/H53c-AA-Headlamp-Neutral-White-High-CRI_p_194.html#

I have a similar model and also a headlamp powered by an 18650 battery, which is the best lighting appliance I have ever used/

Zebralight makes really good stuff....

Agree with hikermor if have the budget Zebralight is never a bad choice.

Less expensive is the Thrunite TH20, or Acebeam H40 both around $30 and available on Amazon.

Compared to offerings of just a few years ago, there are quite a few decent, reliable lights available.

Why is Zebralight so good as to be worth the price?

Also, I discovered that BBC stopped broadcasting in shortwave in North America... 20 years ago. Other broadcasters like Deutsche Welle and Radio France followed suit. I'm not sure what to do if I want good radio programming during a disaster.

I've never had a Zebralight but looking at that particular product I'd say any top shelf light will be in the same price range if not a bit more.

This made me think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0NfI2NeDHI

I like ZL's and pay the price willingly because of reliability, construction quality (hence ruggedness), and versatility. A wide range of user adjustable light levels to suit almost any situation.

In caving, for years the standard has been "three independent light sources. Lately a common rig has been two ZLs mounted on the helmet, one adjusted for flood and one for spot.

That is about $200 devoted to lighting, but well worth it when that is the only light source is what you are carrying....

I am very fond of my ZL H501. It has a high setting of 96 lumens and a lowest of 0.4 lumens. The lowest is bright enough to enable reading in dark. And 96 lumens is more than enough outside lighting up some 20 meters ahead and it is a flood without hotspots.

My favorite headlamp for preparedness is the Fenix HL50. It’s bright enough, runs long enough, isn’t terribly expensive at $50 from the Big River, and will run on either a single CR123A or AA battery.

Thanks. The Zebralight does sound very nice. I'll have to think about whether I want something that exceeds my needs by far.

One of the nice developments is the general high quality of several brands of lights -Black Diamond, Petzl, and Fenix all market very fine lights, both head lamps and hand helds, which will serve adequately - not quite up to ZL standards, but also less costly.

Another head lamp I have been using lately, very impressive is something from Australia called the Knog Quokka, USP rechageable, seems to work quite well, and weighs lsss than 2 oz, with a max output of around 100 lumens. I find it is an excellent addition to my survival items. AFAIK, it is available in the US only from REI - 25 bucks.

And remember to run it only outside away from windows -- Be co2 aware

amend TeacherRO's comment to... CO

science teacher