The sudden surge of hurricanes in September 2017 caused many of us to reconsider or create an emergency preparedness plan. Even if you don’t live in a hurricane zone, FEMA recommends everyone has a disaster supply kit ready to use at a moment’s notice. One of the most important items in your kit is a flashlight. Your family’s lives and yours may depend on your flashlight, so make sure you invest in a quality and dependable flashlight that will best meet your specific needs during a disaster.
Here are 5 key features to look for in an emergency flashlight:
Brightness
First and foremost, your flashlight provides you with a light source in an emergency. The flashlight you choose for your disaster supply kit should be a bright light around 600 lumens or more for two reasons: first, so that it provides a large enough flood of light so you can see a large area in the dark and second, to provide a powerful beam of light should you require a search light.
Variable Output
An emergency situation can quickly become a fight for survival and you may not have the opportunity to charge or replace the batteries in your flashlight. If your flashlight only has one or two modes of output, it may drain too much energy from your battery leaving you without a flashlight. This is why it’s critical to choose a flashlight with variable modes of output which include a high/turbo setting to briefly use for search and rescue and a low setting to use for normal use. By keeping your flashlight on the low setting, some flashlights are able to give you runtimes up to a month long.
Long-Lasting Rechargeable Battery
The flipside to a variable output is having a long-lasting rechargeable battery in your flashlight. Choose a flashlight that accepts rechargeable lithium batteries. Lithium batteries contain enough energy to provide both high-output light and a long runtime compared to traditional alkaline batteries such as D cell or AA. Rechargeable flashlights can be directly recharged from a usb charging cable. Rechargeable flashlights would be the preferred option as it provides you greater opportunities to recharge your battery such as through a cigarette lighter in a car in the event of a mass power outage.
Ability to Charge Your Phone
In the event of a power outage, you may not have the means to recharge your phone. The ability to make an emergency phone call could mean life or death which is why you should include a power bank in your kit. Instead of adding another item to your kit, you can select a flashlight that has a large enough battery which allows it to function as a power bank to give your phone enough of a charge to make an emergency phone call.
Durable Waterproof Construction
Finally, if you find yourself in the aftermath of a hurricane or flood, you’re going to be around water and may even need to use your flashlight under water. This is why your flashlight needs to be dependable in any condition so it’s best to choose a flashlight that is waterproof up to several meters and will not break just from being dropped.
There are so many flashlights out there to choose from that it can become daunting. Powertac has designed the HERO flashlight to be the ultimate rechargeable compact light and portable charger with all the features you would need to help you during a disaster.
Want to be Extra Prepared? Include a Powertac Solar Panel in your disaster supply kit so you can charge your flashlight and phones off the grid.
Article Posted: 10/30/2017 04:19:25 PM