Kevin Felts over at All Outdoor has an article, Flashlights Are Not a One Size Fits All Solution, discussing the need for several different types of lighting during a disaster. Citing problems people encountered during recent hurricanes, he advocates selecting lighting based on tasks and not just on maximum light output.
“Most of my flashlights are high intensity Surefire/Streamlight/Pelican tactical lights that I’ve been issued or bought for use on a firearm. What I didn’t think about though, is how useless those lights are for tasks like reading or searching through drawers/closets where the intense light washes out visibility of details. 375 lumens is overkill for reading anything. I also didn’t realize just how fast they would use batteries.
“A two-hour run time is fine for clearing the house in the middle of the night, or running out to the shed for a moment, but getting ready for a hurricane in the dark? Between two lights, we burned through all of our batteries (48) before electricity was restored…”
What is reasonable?
- Reasonable lumens for reading, cooking, walking around the house… etc.
- Area light, rather than a focused beam.
- Rechargeable.
- No fire hazard.
Lower Valley Assembly 