| Think quickly - if you found yourself stranded far | | | | emitting diodes - technology has been used for |
| from home with no easy access to things like | | | | decades in such things as watch displays and |
| lights, running water and shelter, what things | | | | digital alarm clocks, but they were always |
| would you want to have at your side? If you | | | | considered too expensive and too low powered |
| suddenly found your modern home without the | | | | to be used for workhorse lighting tasks like |
| power to run such conveniences as electric lights, | | | | flashlights and emergency lights. As late as 2002, |
| can openers and microwave oven, what should | | | | one of the leading researchers in the field of |
| you have at hand to get you through the hours | | | | lighting estimated that LED lights would be in |
| or days till those utilities returned? | | | | common use in the home within twenty years. A |
| The U.S. government recommends that every | | | | year later, he admitted that he had grossly |
| citizen should have - either in their home or in | | | | miscalculated because, "...we erred in presuming |
| their car - 72 Hour Survival Kit, and if you've | | | | only incremental advances and excluding... major |
| thought about the questions above, it should | | | | technological breakthroughs.." Those breakthroughs |
| come as no surprise that two of the first items | | | | made it far less expensive to manufacture LED |
| listed in that kit are a knife and a flashlight. No | | | | lights, and brought them within the price range of |
| matter what your emergency may be, a source | | | | the everyday consumer. |
| of light and a good cutting edge will always be | | | | So why should you consider replacing your |
| important. | | | | common flashlights with LED flashlights? The |
| A Swiss army knife has been a mainstay of | | | | reasons range from better light to longer battery |
| survival gear for decades. More than just a | | | | life. They include:o LED flashlights use a two-step |
| cutting tool, a well-chosen Swiss army knife is a | | | | process that produces light that is closer to |
| survival kit in a compact, folding package. There's | | | | natural sunlight. And unlike typical flashlights that |
| far more to them than the one or two cutting | | | | go out when the battery power is low, LED |
| blades and the bottle opener that features in | | | | flashlights often continue to function at a dimmer |
| most of the cheaper knives. Features that are | | | | brightness for hours or even days.o The bulb in |
| important in a Swiss army knife include: | | | | LED flashlights draws far less power, increasing |
| - locking blade | | | | battery life astronomically - some LED lights boast |
| - compact size | | | | battery life of over 50,000 hours. No more |
| - lightweight | | | | frustration of worn-out batteries, or lights that die |
| - sharp, durable cutting blades | | | | when you need them most.o Unlike typical |
| - at least one sawing blade | | | | tungsten lights, LED flashlights are sturdy enough |
| - a can/bottle opener | | | | to withstand being jostled and dropped. In tests, |
| - a flint | | | | every LED flashlight dropped from 4-6 feet onto |
| A Swiss army knife is not, strictly speaking, a | | | | concrete survived and continued to provide |
| survival knife, though. For that, most survival | | | | strong, bright light.o LED flashlights come in sizes |
| experts recommend a fixed blade knife that can | | | | from tiny to super - small enough to hang from a |
| be used for cutting, sawing, knife hunting, skinning, | | | | keychain to full size utility lights that can illuminate |
| cleaning, notching and a multitude of other uses. | | | | an entire room. |
| There are dozens of available styles and types of | | | | Indeed, flashlights are not the only LED lighting |
| survival knife, making it easy to choose the best | | | | that you'll find handy in an emergency. Battery |
| one for your use. The most valuable of them | | | | operated LED kitchen lighting can provide |
| combine a sturdy, sharp, fixed blade with a hollow | | | | illumination not only in an emergency, but in areas |
| handle that holds the most important items for | | | | that overhead and typical lighting doesn't reach. A |
| you to have with you in an emergency. Those | | | | few strategically placed under counter LED lamps |
| items may include matches, tinder, aspirin, | | | | or sticks can make it easy to find pots and pans |
| disinfectant, a small flashlight or signaling device | | | | or stored foods in dark spaces. Likewise, LED |
| and a whistle. Before choosing a survival knife, | | | | lamps mounted on the wall of a closet, |
| you should check your state and city statutes to | | | | crawlspace or attic can help prevent accidents |
| ensure that the knife you want to purchase | | | | and make it far easier to find precisely what |
| doesn't violate any laws. | | | | you're looking for. |
| If the last time you bought a new flashlight was | | | | If you haven't considered your 72 Hour Kit, this is |
| more than a few years ago, you may be | | | | an excellent time to put one together. Today's |
| surprised at what technology has wrought in just | | | | modern technology offers many options to |
| a few short years. LED technology has given us a | | | | ensure that you're prepared for any emergency |
| new class of LED flashlights that won't die on you | | | | that might happen. |
| just when you need them most. LED - light | | | | |