Lighting

[S0NWO]

It occurred to me the other day while thinking about bug out bags, and how the universal consensus is that you should have at least one torch.
And every prepper advice I've seen so far is a waterproof LED torch because they are super bright and use hardly any battery power, so they last longer.

Then I realized that these types of torch have quite sophisticated electronics in them to drive the LED array. They will be toast in a nuclear EMP event for sure. Something that seems to have escaped the nuclear EMP preppers for some reason.

What about a big solar event / solar kill shot? Possibly.
I may need to source some old style incandescent torches, or retrofit a modern one with older technology.

 

[S0NWO]

Another thing about torches... You don't necessarily want a super bright light anyway. It destroys your night vision, and it signals to the world where you are and where you're heading.
In a world full of hungry, desperate people, I think a dim torch with a red lens filter would be more appropriate. If you get jumped in the dark, you'll want as much night vision as you can get.

 

[TechnoCaveman]

It occurred to me the other day while thinking about bug out bags, and how the universal consensus is that you should have at least one torch.
And every prepper advice I've seen so far is a waterproof LED torch because they are super bright and use hardly any battery power, so they last longer.

Then I realized that these types of torch have quite sophisticated electronics in them to drive the LED array. They will be toast in a nuclear EMP event for sure. Something that seems to have escaped the nuclear EMP preppers for some reason.

What about a big solar event / solar kill shot? Possibly.
I may need to source some old style incandescent torches, or retrofit a modern one with older technology.

I hear you. Yes some have gone back to either halogen or regular bulbs with rechargable batteries.
A CME has the E3 wave unlike a nuclear EMP. The E1 wave fries electronics. The longer E3 wave kills long wires, rail road tracks and pipe lines.
Good point.

 

[TechnoCaveman]

Another thing about torches... You don't necessarily want a super bright light anyway. It destroys your night vision, and it signals to the world where you are and where you're heading.
In a world full of hungry, desperate people, I think a dim torch with a red lens filter would be more appropriate. If you get jumped in the dark, you'll want as much night vision as you can get.

Head mounted torch with red filter would be ideal.
Light amplifiers like STARLIGHT are best for passive observation. Unlike an infra red, they do not give away your position. Another camera can see an infrared light source.
Infra red torch with a camera is better than a thermal vision is another solution.
Thermals are great for seeing heat patters but loose out to color differences and reflectivity.

 

[S0NWO]

Was thinking about solar tubes this morning.



If you have a bug out location, these are worth considering.
For security operations after SHTF, you are going to want to close your curtains so that nobody outside can see you moving about inside.

You will also likely cover the window behind the curtain so that no light escapes at night signaling to someone out thee in the dark that the place is occupied, and where they ae located.

So it's going to be pretty dark inside all the time. Which is especially problematic in places like food prep areas.
Unless you have these or some other kind of sky light.

 

[rustyshipp]

A minors lamp would be best. Very low fuel consumption and fuel can be whatever working liquid fuel you got. Isopropyl, kerosene, everclear, if it works it works.

 

[TechnoCaveman]

The oil and alcohol lamps are best. Calcium carbide lamps last but the fuel is impractical to make at home or in a chemistry lab. It requires industrial settings.

 

[Ark Barn Farmer]

What about cutting down one of those yard solar walkway lights and storing it in plastic bags in your bug out bag or location. They are small enough to be stored in quantity within a plastic tote.

 

[S0NWO]

I don't know. I know solar panels are extremely sensitive to solar events / radiation. And LEDs are very sensitive to reverse polarity voltages, which I suspect is why solar panels (being large arrays of semiconductor junctions) are also sensitive.

Circuits have protection built into then to prevent damage by accidental reverse polarity power being applied, but nothing for reverse polarity induced within the circuit itself.

They "might" survive the kill shot inside your shielded container, but there will likely be more then one kill shot level solar event, and you have no way of knowing when subsequent eruptions happening, because all the technology for detecting will be toast.