Build Your Readiness Plan

A readiness plan doesn't have to be big or complicated. For most households it starts with a few simple things you can do in an afternoon. Lighting is one of the easiest places to begin. A dependable light turns a power outage, a winter storm or a roadside stop after dark into a minor inconvenience.

This guide covers three places a light belongs: at home, in your vehicle, and on you. Each section has a short checklist and a suggested starting point. You don't need to do everything at once. Pick one area, finish it, and come back to the next.

Download the free printable checklist (PDF)

1. Home: know where your lights are

When the power goes out, the first question is usually "where's the flashlight?" A good home plan answers it before you need to ask.

• Keep one flashlight in the kitchen or a central drawer, somewhere everyone in the house knows.
• Put a light by each bed.
• Keep a light near the breaker panel, basement stairs or utility room.
• Store spare batteries next to the lights that use them.
• Keep rechargeable lights topped up, with the cable nearby.
• Show everyone at home where the lights are and how they turn on.

A good starting point: E3 GEN2 ($19.95).

• Runs on a single AAA battery, and an alkaline AAA is included, so it's easy to keep powered with batteries you can buy almost anywhere.
• Up to 200 lumens, with a TIR optic that throws up to 70 meters.
• Three brightness levels and a simple tail switch.
• IPX8 waterproof to 2 meters.
• Comes in Black, Gold, Pink and Grey, so it's easy to give each person their own.

The E3 GEN2 has no onboard charging. It uses replaceable batteries, which is exactly why it works well in a drawer.

Want a bigger light for the house? The QUAD ($129.95) has four light modes (flood, spot, UV and green laser), a 2,000-lumen maximum, USB-C charging and a magnetic base, so you can set it down and work hands-free.

2. Vehicle: keep one in the glovebox

A flat tire, a dropped key under the seat, or checking under the hood after dark: a light in the vehicle gets used more often than most people expect.

• Keep a light in the glovebox or center console of each vehicle.
• Keep a charging cable for that light in the vehicle.
• Consider a brighter light for roadside stops after dark.
• Optional: a traffic cone that fits your light, for signaling.
• Keep your roadside items together in one bag.

A good starting point: E3R Nova ($42.95).

• Fits in the palm of your hand and puts out up to 820 lumens, with an 86-meter throw.
• Recharges over a USB-C port, so you can top it up from the vehicle.
• IPX-8 waterproof.
• The removable clip and attachment ring let you mount it wherever is handy.

For more light at the roadside: the M5 Gen3 delivers up to 2,030 lumens, with multiple brightness levels and a strobe. Pair it with the Orange Traffic Cone ($9.95), which fits the M5, E5, E9G4 and Cadet series and works with the light on steady or strobe. (It doesn't fit the E9G5LT or E11 Gen3.)

More on this: The importance of keeping a premium flashlight in your vehicle.

3. Everyday carry: a light you actually have with you

The best light is the one you have when you need it. A small light in a pocket, purse or bag covers the moments in between: a dark parking lot, a power cut at work, or something dropped behind the couch.

• Choose a small light you'll actually carry.
• Choose your power:
  • AAA is easy to replace.
  • USB-C rechargeable means no batteries to buy.
• Practice the switch (on, off, low and high) until you can do it without looking.
• Check the charge or the battery once a month.

Starting points:

• E3 GEN2 ($19.95). Under 90 mm long, with the clip attached and a lanyard included.
• E3R Nova ($42.95). USB-C rechargeable, with up to 820 lumens.
• Step up:
  • E11 Gen3 ($59.95). 2,020 lumens. Recharges over USB-C, and also runs on two CR123A batteries.
  • M5 Gen3 (from $74.95). 2,030 lumens, rechargeable battery included.

New to EDC lights? Read Lumens aren't everything: how to pick an EDC flashlight.

4. The seasonal check (10 minutes)

A plan only works if the lights do. A few times a year, when the clocks change or before winter, take ten minutes to:

1. Turn on every light in the house and the vehicles.
2. Recharge or replace any batteries that are low.
3. Rotate spare batteries, and note the date on the pack.
4. Check O-rings, clips and lanyards.

The rest of your plan

Lighting is one part of a household plan. For water, food, emergency contacts and a family meeting place, Ready.gov has free, simple guides.

Shop the starting points

Every light above is in our Readiness collection. Use code VIP15 at checkout for 15% off.

Lifetime warranty on manufacturer's defects.