Toward the end of my Houston visit, I watched with great interest the news about the storm brewing in the Gulf. As I watched, I thought about the differences between life in Houston and life as I am accustomed to it in Southern California with regard to one important characteristic - emergencies due to natural calamity.
Here, we have earthquakes. There, and in surrounding areas, the seasonal threat of hurricanes and tornadoes interrupts their lives. While my personal preference is for life in Southern California, we all need to be prepared for one similar occurrence - unexpected, extended darkness. Conventional, old fashioned and inefficient flashlights go though a set of batteries in just a few hours. Ditto most high-performance LED flashlights.
I have experienced SoCal earthquakes and their follow-on power outages since birth. I was present several years ago for a TV appearance in New York City at precisely the moment the city was plunged into total darkness from about 7pm until mid-morning the next day.
I believe in being prepared for sudden, extended power outages insofar as never being too long in darkness. I don't fear darkness. I respect it and know that it is only with light that I can get around when conventional lighting fails me.
I never leave home without a $9 LED Photon X-Light Micro Keychain Light from C. Crane Company in my pocket. The entire Gadget Family has this light at all times. Its amazingly powerful LED not only throws a mean beam, adjustable from full power to significant dimmable levels, it can also provide useful light for more than 12 hours. One of these belongs in a pocket or purse of everyone, in my view.
When on the road, I never leave home without a $29.95 CC Trek 4-LED Flashlight from C. Crane Company. This waterproof and ruggedly-built powerhouse provides enough light to live by at full power for over 40 hours, and then over 100 hours of useful light. I know of no other light with these useful benefits. Cook, bathe, walk about and live by the light from a CC Trek 4-LED Flashlight powered by a trio of standard off-the-shelf alkaline AA batteries (already installed in the flashlight).
In my own home, we have several of the 4-LED CC Trek flashlights, strategically placed on hooks at each door jamb. It is this kind of illumination security that helps me know that darkness will never be a problem in any emergency in our home. We have one of these lights in the glove box of each vehicle, as well.
Why mention all of this here? It is something old hat to me, but on my visit to Houston and watching the news of the gathering Gulf storm, it occurred to me that I had forgotten to handle this with my family and close friends in Houston. During my visit, I was reminded that only a few years ago Houstonians and others in the area were without power for 10 days due to hurricane activity. Equipped before an emergency is the way to go.
Yes, it's fun to have powerful LED flashlights to detail for you at www.MrGadget.com and the Fenix LD10 R4 that I took along for fun on my road trip (and described in recent blog entries). It is more practical and important to urge you to be prepared with both lights from C. Crane in pockets, purses, vehicle glove boxes and strategically placed in homes in any area where the electrical power is prone to unexpectedly evaporate for extended periods.
You're probably thinking about the batteries. How long will they last even if not used? Today's alkaline AA batteries bought today have a typical shelf life of at least five years and are so very inexpensive. Three of them power the CC Trek Flashlights. The Photon X-Light Micro Keychain Light is powered by and comes equipped with a pair of Lithium CR-2016 cells that I find for around $2 with careful Internet shopping. Their shelf life is a respectable 10 years!
I rely on these products from my friends at the C. Crane Company, have done so for years, and recommend them to you without reservation.
Until next time . . .
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