The polar vortex has been heard loud and clear… winter is here! So bundle up and get to work because as they say
chance favors the prepared.
One thing in winter that I like to prepare for is the potential for loss of electricity. The last thing you want to do when the power is out is to spend time blindly searching for a flashlight. My one simple tip for organizing part of your emergency prep can save lots of time and frustration. Oh, and best yet it won’t break the bank or take a tremendous amount of time.
Light boxes are easy and an extremely handy way of organizing your light gear in the event of an emergency. Flashlights have a way of disappearing in my house so I find it necessary to have them stored out of reach of little hands. Currently, I have two boxes where I split my gear based on how I anticipate using them. Easy to grab flashlights, a couple of glow sticks, and a small flashlight for each child are in my upstairs box because this is likely the first box I will grab if the power goes out. Heavier duty flashlights, lanterns, and even more glow sticks are stored in the basement in one container. Keeping these items stored in a designated location reduces the hassle of finding them while increasing the likelihood that they will actually get used for their intended purpose.
Take a moment and knock out this simple emergency prep:
- Grab some shoe boxes or smaller plastic bins. If they aren’t clear take a moment to label them now.
- Round up all of your light gear. This is an area where you can easily build your inventory over time so no need to go out and spend a lot of money. I would recommend ensuring you have a good quality heavy duty flashlight to start. Other items you may be able to find on sale like a camping lantern, emergency candles, headlamps, and glow sticks. Inexpensive flashlights from the dollar store are great to have on hand for the kids.
- Check all batteries and replace as needed.
- Consider where you would easily be able to access the items in the event of a loss of power. Remember, it may be very dark so consider hazard areas like stairs or deep closets.
Preparing in advance allows us to spend the time with our family and not frantically searching for items. Do you have any fun family memories from a power outage to share?