How many flashlights/batteries is enough?

For a blackout, I diversify - candles, kero, Coleman Liquid and Propane, flashlights.
I have 6 old "hurricane Lamps" in my storage room with a couple gallons of lamp oil for them. They are the old glass ones with the cotton wick. They work the balls. Of course i have flashlights for portability as well. Batteries run out eventually....u can even use cooking oil in a hurricNe lamp.

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you guys are costing me money!!
Hurricane lamps. Find em at yard sales all the time. They can burn cooking oil which is cheap as hell.

hurricane lamps
 
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So - going to the other end of the spectrum - I ordered 10 of the $5 LED lights on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Hausbell-Cree-Mini-Flashlight-Piece/dp/B00CEOII9K

Surprisingly they are pretty bright and we have used them for some night hiking (clipping on backpack straps to light up where you are stepping)
For the price will order another 10+ to put away

Not as good as CR123 lights, but in a major disaster can distribute to the family and perhaps neighbors as needed

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ETA - I also have a bunch of these and a case or two of candles in case I need more light and/or power outage is longer than expected

http://www.amazon.com/UCO-Original-Candle-Lantern-Anodized/dp/B006WG9MFU
 
I quit at page 1, but here's my 2 cents:

There are some incredible flashlight/lanterns that use LEDs. Batteries last forever and you get a good light off the nicer ones. Some are a little 'blue' from my experience, but good enough for most things.

Rechargeables work if you have a source to recharge from, get a vehicle charger for more than a day or two.
 
I'm a flashlight junkie also. I have a basket full of them and one in every room it seems. I'm a night shift worker, so that is my justification.

Thing is, I have really good night Vision from living like a vampire for the past 10 years. I hardly ever use them.

How many are enough? The correct answer is the exact same as the one for "how much ammunition is enough?"
 
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Just make sure you have some headlamps, i find those so much more useful than handhelds. Both for working or for power outages. My wife laughs at me though whenever I wear one.

I upgraded my lantern after the last power outtage to the Streamlight Siege (3xD) - it's so much brighter.

I'm with you on the headlamps. I have multiples. Had a nearly flat tire the other day (and no, it wasn't me who let it get that way) and grabbed one of the headlamps out of the van when I pulled in to get air as that part of the lot wasn't lit well enough to see what I needed to do. If I had just a handheld light it would have made it even more of a pain.

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Thanks for the input - now I think I can justify one or two more.

I have 3 small flashlights. I'm just feeling like that's not enough[smile]

I'm trying to limit my flashlights to AA (will accept both alkaline and lithium). Now I'm going to look into the Eneloops, too.

3 is definitely NOT ENOUGH. And Eneloops are great!
 
I have a Fenix that I carry and a streamlight in vehicle,but don't overlook dirt cheap ultrafire flashlights for having here and there. It all depends on how much you want to spend it seems to translate into reliability.
 
i got a mess of those old school mag lites, some take 4 d cells, some 3, and several of the 2's. somehow they never seem to be working when i need them. [crying]
 
i got a mess of those old school mag lites, some take 4 d cells, some 3, and several of the 2's. somehow they never seem to be working when i need them. [crying]

This might help - Malkoff Devices Maglite Drop-ins

The LED bulb doesn't slurp down batteries anywhere near as fast as incandescent does. Not cheap, though. I converted a 3 D-cell Maglite last year, and still think it was well worth it.
 
Nitecore 1000 lumen P12GT for $42 (40% off).

Use Coupon Code: 40OffP12GT

http://www.midwestflashlight.com/products/flashlights/40293/nitecore-p12gt-1000-lumen-flashlight-cree-xp-l-hi-v3-18650-x-1-cr123a-x-2-nc-p12gt-detail.html
 
Just want to add something to this after throwing away a 15 year old 6D Maglight.

DON"T STORE THEM WITH THE BATTERIES IN THEM. Just. Don't. My maglight was missing for a while (over a year) and finally turned up again. The batteries had corroded and the only thing I could save was the LED conversion bulb.
 
[rofl] This is the support group for me.

I have a very serious flashlight addiction. I became a FourSevens dealer in part because of this.

I can quit whenever I want. I don't want to right now. Next year isn't looking too good either.
 
[rofl] This is the support group for me.

I have a very serious flashlight addiction. I became a FourSevens dealer in part because of this.

I can quit whenever I want. I don't want to right now. Next year isn't looking too good either.

Do you need an intervention? [smile]
 
I got about 9 flashlights I've accumulated over the years, 5 of them are what I consider my go to ones made by Nitecore and Fenix. I store about 5 boxes of 123 batteries.
 
Beginner preper here. I am curious, i have seen flash lights with either hand cranks or push levers to power the flash light. Are these good to have?

Didn't see any mentions of these types of flash lights.
I have a couple hand crank flash lights that are built into radios. I personally find them annoying... It is a lot of cranking. Plus if you suddenly need them, the battery probably already drained so you have to crank for a while.

I find shaking easier than cranking so I have a shake light too... But it is very dim and also is going to be dead when I need it... I am not about to shake it once a month just to keep it charged up.

Someone gave me a flashlight with a little solar panel built in... I think it will last 12 hours on a full charge. I leave it in the window so it is ready to go even if I ignore it forever.

But batteries are so cheap, and LED lasts so long on a set of batteries... I haven't seen too much need to use anything other than battery flash lights. Plus if you have to, it is easy to charge rechargeables from a car battery.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
 
Beginner preper here. I am curious, i have seen flash lights with either hand cranks or push levers to power the flash light. Are these good to have?

Didn't see any mentions of these types of flash lights.

I have one with hand crank and solar cell that i got for the kids, but they prefer my Fenix lights. [laugh] Like Prepper said, don't waste your time, batteries are so cheap and last so long, just stock up on some, or get lights that can use rechargeable batteries.
 
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