Preppers know that in the event of a large-scale electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, your home will lose access to the power grid. You may also have trouble operating small electronic devices.
To ensure that your home has access to emergency light sources before SHTF, stock up on survival essentials like candles, flashlights, or gas lamps. (h/t to UrbanSurvivalSite.com)
After an EMP attack, having flashlights and extra batteries or other emergency light sources in your stockpile ensures that you have one less thing to worry about during a power outage.
Glowsticks
Before dismissing glowsticks as a silly option for a light source, consider its many uses. There are even glowsticks that are sold for lighting purposes, and these products glow brighter and last longer than glowsticks used at raves and parties.
While you can't use glowsticks to light up an entire room, you can use one to read when it's dark. Hanging several glowsticks from your ceiling can also make it safer to navigate your home at night.
Glowsticks are also a safe option if you have children at home. Instead of leaving a candle or kerosene lamp in their rooms at night, you can give them glowsticks so they can sleep without being scared of the dark.
When stocking up on glowsticks, invest in bigger and brighter glowsticks.
Candles
Candles are a low-tech option that's worth considering if you have the extra space in your stockpile.
Before SHTF, stock up on candles and matches. Compared to other lighting methods that make use of fire, like lamps, candles aren’t as dangerous since they only create a small flame.
However, there are also disadvantages to using candles. They're not the best source of light, especially when used in a large room. You may even end up using your whole supply, and lighting too many candles at once can be a fire hazard.
It's best not to rely on candles entirely. Use candles for small rooms, like bathrooms, and rely on other methods for lighting larger areas inside your house.
Flashlights
When prepping for an EMP survival scenario, it's better to have old-fashioned incandescent flashlights since newer LED flashlights could be ruined if you're too close to ground zero.
Stock up on old flashlights and batteries. To protect your supply, build or buy a Faraday cage.
A Faraday cage or box protects electronic equipment by blocking the static and non-static electrical fields.
Kerosene lamps
Kerosene lamps are much brighter than candles and one lamp can easily light up your living room. But like candles, kerosene lamps present a fire hazard since one lamp bears a larger flame that continuously hovers over a container of highly flammable fuel.
With the right precautions, kerosene lamps are still safe to use. Stock up on lamps and enough kerosene in a non-plastic container so you have enough fuel for your lamps. (Related: A prepper’s guide to surviving a power grid attack.)
Propane lamps
Like kerosene lamps, propane lamps produce the same bright light. While propane lamps are often used at campsites, they're also suitable for lighting up your home following an EMP attack.
Note that propane lamps produce a lot of heat and use up a lot of oxygen. To ensure your safety, only use propane lamps in a well-ventilated area and keep them away from flammable objects.
Leaving propane lamps in an area that is not well-ventilated, like a cramped room with closed windows, may lead to poor or dangerous air quality in your home. Never leave a high-heat object like a propane lamp near anything flammable.
If you wish to use propane lamps during a long-term power outage, make sure you have enough propane tanks to keep your lamps burning for as long as you need them to.
Before SHTF, stock up on prepper must-haves like candles, flashlights, glowsticks, or gas-fueled lamps so you have access to emergency light sources during a power outage.
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