Having said that, it seems like our electric goes out a lot. Like at least once every other month in the summer and monthly or more in the winter. Many times it's because someone has hit a power pole going down the big hill before the turn to our road, but the end result is the same. No lights. No TV. Nothing.
We bought a generator last year and it has been a huge blessing when the electric is out for a long period, but really, I don't want to lug that thing out for just a short time.
We also have a couple of little guys who are not fans of the dark in any way, shape or form. Here's what we've found to make life a little better when the lights are out.
First,
We purchased these two years ago and love them. Many of our neighbors have them as well now. They stay plugged into an outlet so they are always charged. As soon as the electric goes off, they automatically switch on. They can be used to provide some light to a room or even as a flashlight. We have two sets - four lights total. I keep one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom, one in the living room and one in the boys room. On full it will last about three hours. On half power, it will last about five hours. The price of the lights seems to fluctuate depending on the need. When I bought them two years ago, they were $25 for a set of two. I ordered a set for my mom after the Spring storms and they were now $50 for a set of two. Pricey, but I still would buy them.
After we had the five day power outage this Spring, I started looking for something else. Maybe something solar that would last the night.
Enter this:
This light is great. It's not terribly bright, but it's still puts out a good amount of light for a solar lantern. It's bright enough to read by - as long as you are close to it. It is actually a little too bright to be a night light on full strength, but just about right on half strength. We actually used it for the first time this week and were pleasantly surprised how well it works. I keep it in the corner of our living room window so it always has a charge. It lasted on half strength for over eleven hours. I actually ordered three more this week. They will keep our home lit up during the night so we can cook or play games without the worry of candles and kids. This lantern is reasonably priced at around $16. Not too shabby.
I purchased both of these items on Amazon.
With winter just around the corner, it's a great time to think ahead. We will obviously have winter storms. Might as well be prepared.
5 comments:
I have a plug in flashlight. I love it. Of course we always lose it. LOL. I should get some more. I got it from Lowe's for $10. It's not as nice as the ones you got. I may consider that lantern. It's not too expensive and seems really effective. Especially if we move out in the "holler". LOL. Right now being on the main street of Fairmont is noisy but at least the electric goes on quickly! LOL!
We bought a bunch of those plug in lights as well. They do come in handy. After the storm a few months back, we got ourselves a generator to keep the house powered (or some of it). We lost so much food! We can cook regardless, but our well pump doesn't work. So, we have stored a lot of water for toilet use as well as drinking. We have rain barrels full of water, but with freezing weather, that wouldn't help one bit. I think we better drain those puppies before it gets too cold. :)
I love those little lights, and the lanterns are great for the price. My next "big" purchase will be the rain barrel to water my garden next spring. Why pay for water, right?
We had trouble with finding lights that were cheap for camping this year. It may be old fashion but the plain old hurricane lamps are cheap ($15) and bright. Alasky's still sell them. The fuel last a long time. Also for our camper went to AutoZone and bought the 48 LED push lights. The ones you use for to work on your car. They work on AA batteries. They last about 5 hours. We used them to light up our whole camper. They have a hanger to use or you can stick them up with double sided tape. Also you might want to look at Leman's or on the web about how to make your own olive oil lamps. They are cheaper than candles and they go out if tipped.
We have a couple of oil lamps, but I don't like leaving them on at night while we're sleeping. And while I blame in on the boys not liking the dark, truth is, I can't see very well in the dark as I get older. I'll have to look into the olive oil lamps. Thanks Barb.
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