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.