“However,” says the popular YouTube prepper who goes by the name Prepper Potpourri, “the more lumens a flashlight has, the faster the power drain,” so her advice is to figure out your flashlight’s needs as best you can and whether you want one that uses replaceable or rechargeable batteries. More lumens translates to more light - for example, 800 lumens puts out roughly the same amount of light as a 60-watt bulb. You could potentially spend a lot or a little on one, so what constitutes a good flashlight? Foremost is the amount of light it puts out, which is measured in lumens.

Thanks to advances in LED technology, today’s flashlights are brighter, lighter, and more efficient than ever. They might look pretty, but “candles are a fire hazard and should never be used as a source of light,” says Stephanie Fox of the American Red Cross. If you want to be prepared for a power outage, don’t bother stocking up on tea lights. The recent increase in the duration and frequency of power outages has kept a lot of us literally in the dark - and for a lot longer than we’d like.

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist Photos: Retailers

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