What does everyone keep around for emergency lighting? I have oil lamps and I also have "prayer" candles. They both last for awhile. Not sure which is the most cost effective. Any other ideas?

Candles are dangerous unattended and oil lanterns must use carefully chosen fuel to avoid toxicity. I used old Dietz kerosene lanterns after the Northridge earthquake with lots of ventilation. Chemical lights are a good option. I just secure a few in strategic locations; hallways,bathroom, outdoor staircases etc. You can walk away without worry, and they make excellent navigational points in a otherwise familiar setting. People should take extra care OUTSIDE during any power failure. It gets mighty dark ( wow, what are those shiny things in the sky?) and vehicle drivers after an emergency are even less aware of their surroundings ( us.)

Depends, I guess, on what you mean by "emergency lighting".

Most people (myself included) would probably consider emergency lighting to be of the "Hey! What happened to the lights?!?" sort. An unexpected power outage, of unknown cause and duration. Then there's the "I know the power's going to go out." scenario. Hurricanes, for example. There's also the "I'm somewhere I didn't expect to need light" scenario. Dropped keys in a dark parking lot, maybe.

I have LED flashlights scattered all over the house. These work well for the occasional power problem. I used rechargeable AA batteries in an Arc LS during the hurricanes this year. I charged up several sets of batteries as the hurricane approached. I have a couple of bricks of alkaline batteries, but never had to use 'em. For the "dark parking lot" scenario I carry a small LED light on my keychain.

Next hurricane season, I'm going to find an area light of some sort. A small lamp sitting on a table would have been nice. Flashlights are great, but you usually have to hold them, and they're kind of directional. Something like your lamps or candles. And maybe a headlamp for those "changing a tire at night" situations.

LED lights can be cost effective, too. They usually have much longer run times than regular "bulb" flashlights, so you don't have to buy as many batteries. And the bulb never burns out, so they're more reliable. (Addictive too, it seems, but let's not go there. :-)

So, what's the use of a LED light on keys you dropped in the dark parking lot ? You no longer have it ..... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Car keys on one ring by themselves. Arc AAA, Fox 40 whistle, house key, firesteel on another ring in opposite pocket. I also carry an Arc4. Belt and suspenders. :-)

We've got flashlights (my favorite went MIA recently, mutter, mutter), a small store of batteries, a half-gross of candles, 8 or 9 (maybe more) oil lanterns, one neglected wick-style oil lamp, and some odds and ends, but we went a step further.

Aladdin lamps are fairly expensive (nothing compared to a generator), involve a little bit of a learning curve, they have a fanatic cult following to rival that of Harley Davidson, are a little awkward to store, don't work as lanterns, and, IMHO, are WELL worth dealing with all of it. They've just been quietly working well for folks without electricity, temporarily or permanently, since the beginning of the 20th Century.

SILENT, steady, white light that lights up a whole room and is plenty bright enough to read by, and much safer than candles (MUCH safer than pressurized Coleman-style lanterns). Each of them is about as bright as a 60 watt bulb, they are AMAZINGLY brighter than a standard oil lamp or lantern. It turns the whole atmosphere of the house around- from "huddling in the dark" to business-as-usual ("I forgot the TV was out").

During the power outage after Isabel we had neighbors come by and ask us why we were the only house with electricity- we were the only one with lights on (that didn't have a noisy generator running in the yard).

Our solution to the storage problem is simply not to. We have one in storage, but the rest are pretty enough that they stay out in the living room and family room all year- everyone assumes they're just Victorian-styled electric lamps, and if (when) the power goes out, we have light in a couple of minutes. You can even buy electric-socket burner replacements and use them as electric lights everyday- takes a few minutes to change them back.

Even the lady in my life has come to like and appreciate them- and that's saying something. They probably won't save your life, but our memories of Isabel blackout are of a pleasant, sort of rustic summer interlude where we read books, talked, and listened to the night sounds outside instead of watching TV. Most folks don't remember it that way.

There's way too much to say about them for one message.

http://www.aladdinlamps.com/lamps/

Jewish memorial candles (Yahrtzeit Candles) are burned by jews observing the anniversary of the death of a loved one. However, they are also useful in emergencies.

They burn for at least 24 hours and come in convenient glass cups. They are small and made of parafin. You can find them in the "jewish" or "ethnic" section of any major supermarket for about two bucks.

This is no substitute for a good flashlight, but for general at-home illumination in a blackout, it's a useful thing to have.

I picked up a couple of LED lanterns from Boscovs for $9.97 each on sale.

Decent and adjustable brightness, although not as bright as a propane lantern. I don't have to worry about bulbs burning out anytime soon, runs for quite a while on batteries, don't have to worry about someone accidentaly knocking it over and starting a fire.

I've also hear that they can be had from Rite-Aid at the same price from time to time, but I could never find them there.

How are they different from a wick lantern, and how do they work?

Bountyhunter

Fair question.

Well, the Aladdin lamps combine several principles. Underneath it all is an Argand lamp (principle dates back to the 1790's), which uses a tubular wick and a tall chimney (glass) to create a forced draft on the both the inside and outside of the wick. On top of that, though, is a rare-earth impregnated mantle much like those used on a Coleman-style lantern, or on late-era gas lights, which incandesces much brighter than a flame... You lift the mantle, chimney and gallery all in one piece, light the tubular wick, and lower the whole assembly in place over the wick.. the wick with the tall chimney creates the heat to excite the mantle to incandescence, and you have very bright, white light. Takes some minutes for the whole thing to stabilize, and you have to exercise some caution to keep the fuel/air mixture from getting too rich and forming carbon on the mantle especially when it hasn't warmed up all the way, until you get the hang of it, but it works very well. The effect in a dark room is almost mystical- I think it accounts for some of the "cult" following. I mean, there are conventions of these folks, and societies with funny nicknames, and for all I know, funny hats and secret handshakes. Collectors of these lamps are very serious about every detail. Those of us just after function can skip a whole lot of that stuff.

Disadvantages are size (you can't really scale down the chimney) and the fragility of the mantle (it's basically ash when in use, and can't stand shock... or bugs doing kamikaze runs into it). In other words, it doesn't make a good lantern. But it does make an excellent lamp. No pressure or pump (as in Petro or Coleman lanterns) required, so it's silent and far, far less dangerous to use inside. Uses kerosene or lamp oil, not naptha or gasoline, which makes it much safer again. Only a slight puff of odor when you blow one out, nothing at all when it's running- it's very efficient that way.

One slight disadvantage is that they put out a LOT of heat. In summer, that means that you probably want one or two windows partly open, and you want to be REALLY sure that a breeze can't blow a curtain over the lamp and cause a fire... the hanging-lamp versions use smoke bells to protect the ceiling. In winter it's all to the good (they used the same burners for space heaters), but of course you still want to ventilate enough to prevent carbon monoxide from forming. Same cautions as for any kerosene space heater or stove... or any combustion, for that matter.

Aladdin lamps are quite unique, and put out an amazing amount of light compared to any wick lamp or lantern. It's in the Coleman lantern range without any of the noise, pumping, pressure or danger.

Since we've been discussing disclaimers, maybe I should state that I have no connection with the Aladdin Mantle Lamp Company other than being a very satisfied customer, and the only way I might benefit from their sales is by having their products continue to be available.

I have a couple of those big candles in glass jars about 10" tall and the diameter of a coke can. They burn for about a week nonstop. They are about $1.39 if you shop carefully and $2.00 or so if you don't. Either way, it's hard to get more cost effective than that, if you don't mind candles.

Aside from that, you want a few LED flashlights. There's lots of discussion of those already so I won't get into it here.

a bunch of candles and halves.
a few flashlights of different sizes.
and an old fashioned oil lamp that needs some new parts.(the metalwick holder and twisting knob on the side mostly).
cyalume glowsticks for the times when an open flame cant be used.

since were on the topic of emergency lgihting any suggestions on what brand of batteries (preferably in bulk) that isnt too expensive but has decent duration to use on our lighting devices?

1st off everyone has a key chain light and somekind of flashlight next to the bed. We have Sears/Craftsman re-chargable Ultra Beam flashlights, they are like a 6 volt flashlight. We also have 2 older re-chargable lanterns.
Plenty of batteries and a solar panel. I've been getting away from Chem lights for most things and going with LED Light Sticks. They come in Red, white, Green, Blue & Amber.
www.rangerjoe.com has them $7.50 for a pack of three, same color. Batteries $1.00 for pack of three needed for each light. Found I just wasn't using the Chem Lights except at Halloween when they expired. Item # 8800 for lights and # 8865 for batts, haven't seen them other places. Last resort is storm candles. Be carefull with candles, I believe that the Red Cross no longer recomends them because of fire danger.

I happen to be a Coleman Lantern collector so that's what we have in our house. All of our older lanterns have been totally rebuilt and pressure tested far above their normal working pressure. Properly used and cared for, pressurized lamps and lanterns are very safe. But, when using any fire generated light, the need for adequate ventilation is extremely important, especially in today's modern, almost airtight houses.

When you say Aladdin lamps, I think of those dishes with a spout like is used for pouring gravy.

What do those "gravy pourers" use for fuel?

Bountyhunter
<img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

now, that's a goood boy !! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The style you're talking about was in use for thousands of years, and would burn almost any flammable liquid, or any flammable substance that becomes liquid at temperature (rendered/ cooking fats, for example). In the time and place that you're associating with it, they probably burned mostly olive oil. The open design is not as dangerous as it would seem, as such oils won't burn without (or beyond) a wick, but they're probably not recommended for those who might turn it over looking for a switch...

The "Aladdin" company in question was the same company that used to make vacuum bottles for kid's lunchboxes. They've been through a lot of changes, and not long ago they were bought out by a group of Aladdin lamp collectors, who have improved the quality and added quite a bit to the selection.

http://www.aladdinlamps.com/lamps/

They should use plain lamp oil. I have seen (although not tried) lamps that were simply dishes with a wick laying on one side. They used tallow (rendered animal fat) as the fuel. Reported to be smoky.

Emergency lighting in our home is no problem. We have (yes, I am Flashaholic) a hundred or more flashlights, both incandescent and LED’s. Most are battery powered, but we also have some solar powered and hand cranked versions. We have several house current, 12V and solar battery chargers for NiMh batteries. We have AA to C and D adaptors to allow the batteries to be used in a variety of devices. We have a stock of both alkaline and lithium batteries, in various sizes. We have several LED and incandescent lanterns, both battery powered and solar powered versions. We have propane, kerosene/lamp oil and white gas lanterns as well. An assortment of Krill lights, LED light sticks, chem. lights, and light diffusers to fit over flashlights. Since we do some 18thcen reenact. We have a number of candle lanterns and both buy and make our own candles. Pete

Ah, a topic that's become near and dear to my heart since last year's blackout.
Here's a post I made on candlepowerforums:
Blackout lighting

To boil it down, my recommendations for the best bang for the buck in LED lighting would be:
Innovage 12-LED lantern.

Boscov's sale on Innovage lantern

I'd never heard of this store until a couple weeks ago. Rite Aid also advertised this lantern at this price, but few were to be had - a store manager might be willing to order one for you, but I've spent nearly 2 months waiting for any result on this quest, and I tried to get them while they were still being advertised.
This is not the sturdiest LED lantern I've seen, but this is a great value. You shouldn't expect to get the same amount of light from these as what people are saying about Aladdin lamps, etc., but the light output should be sufficient for reading if you're sitting at the table this lantern is standing on, and perhaps a bit farther off than that. Uses 4D cells, and reports are it should give about 40 hours of light at its highest setting (it has a dimmer switch) and much longer life at lower levels.

Another great value, and a much smaller light, is the Energizer 2-LED folding lantern:
(click on this URL, then click "flashlight reviews")
Light reviews
The 2-LED folding lantern is No. 40 in this picture gallery. It runs on 4AA batteries, folds to a variety of angles, has a hook on the bottom so it can be hung from a hook or string, and has two light levels (low and barely brighter). You should get days of constant use out of it per set of batteries. This won't give a whole room blazing light, but it's sufficient to read by if you set it nearby. The best part is the price - Office Depot sells these, in NYC stores the price is $3.29 - you could easily put one in every room for that price.
At the stores I've visited, they're at the checkout counters hanging with the batteries - very easy to pass by them because they're so small. These would probably be most useful as small area lights in rooms to allow you to navigate - like as a bathroom nightlight, etc., but you could use several to create a larger "area light" effect.

Dorcy "Cool Blue" LED flashlight
Dorcy
Dorcy makes a whole line of lights of varying quality and utility - the one in question is shown as the center package of the three here, and that is the flashlight standing alone at the right. I've seen these priced at between $6.50 and $10 - at this price point, they're a good value. It's a squat, stocky light that's very sturdy, should run for several days continuously, can stand on its tail, has a folding ring that allows it to be hung and point down. A fellow at CPF said he used this light as a low-level room light, standing it on its tail and using the light reflected off the ceiling to light a small room. It has the added advantage of also projecting a narrow beam relatively far for using such a low-powered LED. I consider it a good cheap utility light, and a light I could loan to others without being worried about getting it back.

Those are the three fairly cheap lights that I have as "emergency" lights.

One more that I don't have any personal experience with, but has been recommended as another cheap alternative, is No. 35 on that "Light Reviews" link above. Apparently Target stores have had these on clearance sales (unsure if they're still available) for 3 for $10. They run on 1 D cell each, and should give low-level lighting for days on a single battery.
Good luck
Dave

Wow! two months for a 'special order' lantern?

I might have missed it, but does anyone else have the Solar powered yard lights? I have a bunch, they have replaceable aa nicad batteries and are great for use as 'torches' at night, and if there is light in the day, they just sit there and recharge. I just saw an 8-pack of them over at Home Despot for $25 and grabbed them - the price keeps going down and the yard can always use more evening illumination anyway.

Rena

I found a battery operated "lantern" at a discount store. Since it was about $10.00, I decided that it was worth a try. It turned out to be so good that I bought a second one for this house and sent several off to family members living in hurricane prone areas.

The lantern is made by Qualstar, and uses 4 D cell batteries. What I really like about it is that you can easily read by its white light.

One family member used hers when they lost electric power for more than a week (hurricane), and she loved it for the same reason I do.

Candles and (Dietz) oil lanterns can help you to see how to get around, but they don't always make reading and close-up work easy.

We must own several billion flashlights (give or take), but it seems that we always have to search for them when we have a sudden need for one. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Just flashlights and candles for me. Nothing fancy. I'm pretty comfortable in the dark. Rarely carry much of a light when camping, hunting or doing other "normal" activities that put me out in the darkness so when the power goes out it's really not that big of a deal. I don't require "comfort" lighting... just a little light for when I reall need to see something well, so flashlights and candles seem to be more than enough. I have been through a 10 day blackout with nothing more than that with no problems. Sometimes I think it would be cool to have an ultra-bright lantern. Maybe the battery operated cousin to the old Coleman eye-blinding camping lanterns. But then I figure I would never use it and spend the money on something else. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I fly electric-powered model airplanes, so I've got a large gel-cell battery that I use for field-charging the flight batteries. It's always in my shop on a float charger. It seems like that would be a great source for powering emergency lighting. Anybody know of any 12-volt lamps that would be good to have around to hook up to that?

Easiest thing to do would be to hook up the dome light from your car to that gel cell in an emergency...free, and easy.

Hooking anything else up would require some form of voltage converter...an LED would require a zener diode, and a current limiting resistor, but would practically run forever off of a typical 12V 7.2 AH gel-cell...

Benton, you might want to try one of the 12v flouresents, on a battery it will run quite a while and put out a lot of light. The one i have in the truck is a no name that came from one of the big box stores. Keep one in your truck for use as a trouble light.

There's no shortage of lighting or appliances for 12-volt systems, they're widely marketed for RVs, boats, and even cabins. You can probably find anything you need at an RV store or marina near you, but if you want to get really ambitious:

http://www.realgoods.com/

I didn't think of RVs, that's a great idea.