Keeping the lights on in a post SHTF world and how to do it

Hello my friend and welcome back!  In today’s post we are going to look at a few ways to improve you lighting situation in a post SHTF world, so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.

There are a ton of products on the market for lighting up homes and tents as well as seeing where you are walking at night.   The trouble is that many of them rely on having 120 volts to charge or use them.  In a grid down situation, 120 volts AC could be hard to come by, but don’t despair, because with a little imagination you can easily overcome it.

Let’s start with devices that have batteries in them.  The first thing you need to do is to be sure that they have LED bulbs on them because they are much more energy-efficient to use.  Next, be sure you have rechargeable batteries for them (get the good ones not the cheap stuff because they never last).   You will also want a 12 volt charger for them.  There are many of these on the market, just look around and try to find a good sturdy one that will last a long time.  It would really suck to have the batteries and then have the charger crap out on you.  This is one area where it will pay you to go for quality rather than price.  A solar charging system and some deep cycle batteries will give you the ability to keep them charged.

Solar Powered lighting is designed to charge it’s self from the sun.  These are great because they can light up a large area and use very little power doing it.  Something else that falls into this group is solar-powered sidewalk lights.  On most of these, you can remove the long stake on them very easily.  You can then just set them outside during the day to charge and bring them inside at night.  Now don’t get me wrong, these are not like the lights you have in your home today, but they will provide a little light to keep you from hitting your toes on the way to the kitchen or restroom.

Let us not forget the old faithful Kerosene lamp.  It has been used for many years, and will no doubt be used for many more hundreds of years.  Just be sure you have plenty of Kerosene and wicks for them because they do go fast, it always seems.  Be prepared, but be smart as well.

Something else that has become popular in the recent years is to fill clear plastic bottles with water and either place them so they penetrate both sides of the walls, or place a small light over them and use the water to help disperse the light in a 360 degree pattern.  It’s a pretty simple idea and in a post SHTF situation could prove to be of tremendous value.  Whether it’s powered by the sun or batteries’, dispersing the light efficiently is the key to getting the most out of your indoor lighting.

If you are concerned about the threat of an EMP, you could also put them in a cardboard box and set them inside a metallic container like a clean metal trash can.  Seal it with metal tape for connecting duct works together.  It can be purchased at almost any hardware store for very little.  While there is not guarantee that this will protect them, it at least gives them a fighting chance at surviving an EMP.

You can also purchase 12vdc lights at automotive supply stores.  You just need to consider power usage when choosing them.   Several fully charged deep cycle batteries do not hold as much power as you might think.  The trick is to have a good solar panel system to keep them charged even on cloudy days.   If you have a big enough system, then you can add and “Inverter” which turns 12vdc to 120 Acv.  While this could solve some of your issues,  you should always use it and all power consumption devices sparingly.  Just remember that they won’t be making replacement parts any more and you won’t be able to go shopping for them, so use them little and service them often.

By planning out what you might need now, and gathering it up, when the time comes, you will not be left in the dark!

I guess that is it for today and I hope you have enjoyed todays post, so until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared!   God Bless America!

-The Sargent-