These 10 alternative light sources are inexpensive yet important to have on hand for emergencies, natural disasters, or temporary power failures. Unless you plan to wake with the sun, and go to sleep when it sets, it makes good sense to have more than just your cell-phone lighting available as a short-term option.
Tap Lights – offer soft-night lighting but will use up batteries quickly, available individually from most dollar stores, plus multi-packs (with batteries included) can be purchased from most hardware and/or home-improvement stores (replacement batteries required).
Glow Sticks – available at most party supply stores and dollar stores, just shake for 6 to 12 hour lighting (glow light jewelry is another option).
Citrus Globes – eat your citrus fruit, leaving stem intact, fill with oil, and light stem-wick for several hours of candle-type light, see detailed instructions in the article “Convert an Orange Into a Candle with a Little Kitchen Oil”. These really do work, burning most of the day, as per our pictures above (citrus fruit, cooking oil, and matches required).
Candles – available everywhere, from inexpensive dollar stores and grocery stores, to high-end candle shops and crafter-supply stores, in ready-made and home-crafting do-it-yourself options (matches required).
Tiki Torches – available at most garden supply stores, or the garden section of hardware, department or home-improvement stores (torch oil and replacement wicks are required).
Solar Patio Lights – recharge daily in the sunlight, and light up backyards and dark walkways all night long, available at home improvement and garden supply stores (no other external energy source required).
Hurricane Lamps – a glass-dome lamp attached to an oil-filled base comes in a variety of styles, and can be found at dollar stores, discount stores, drug stores, and high-end department stores (available in clear glass or hand-painted designs, needs lamp oil and replacement braided-wicks).
Flashlights – can be battery operated or shake-powered, however larger multi-function/emergency varieties are also available as hand-crank powered, including cell phone charger, radio, siren, and spotlight attachments, found at most hardware, home-improvement, and discount stores, or sports and auto shops (replacement batteries only necessary for battery-operated versions).
Camping Lanterns – found in army/navy surplus stores, in the sports departments of most discount stores, and sportsman’s super stores, available in either battery operated, or controlled flame versions (requiring batteries, or oil plus specialized mesh-torch wick replacements).
Most of these alternative light sources can be used safely indoors or out, in a variety of weather conditions. It is recommended to keep several different versions of these lighting alternatives on hand for emergency use. Don’t get caught unprepared.