hey, it's 0600 and i'm still awake, so lets try to type out something that makes at least a little sense 😛

light is another very important factor, ya'll know this or you wouldn't be here.
we've all read that not only does it provide a safety aspect to things (working in the dark is always fun and safe isn't it?) but it provides psychological comfort. (not that the dark doesn't have it's only psychological comfort too)

lets see if i can keep this on track with light from start to finish. . .
before power was easy, people worked when the sun came up, to bed when it went down. . . research is showing that people would sleep 4 hours, be up a couple hours and sleep 4 more hours (i'd love 4 more hours sleep) i'm not sure exactly how this fits into survival or post fan situations yet, but i put it out there for your thoughts.

after the sun we have electric power, and by GOD it's getting expensive. i've hedged my bets against the power company by spending a wack load (yes that's an actual amount of money) on LED RU13 (i think that's the number) lights, plus the CF bulbs. of course nothing gives light like the soon to be gone incandescent lights, so i have a large stock of them, and a few heat lights, spot lights etc. but cheap light isn't cheap. i've replaced all my halogen bulbs with $22-29 LEDs, yet, one of those bulbs burned out after only 9 months, Home depot wouldn't take it back. . ..grrrr.

next comes flash lights, i have some decent LED head lights, work great for reading or doing up close work in small areas, not so great for lighting a room. my go to flash light is an AA mag light with a replacement LED bulb. i light the metal body (works as a tool of self defence) and they stand up well. i have a couple AAA mag lights (didn't read the discription correctly when i ordered them 🙁 ) and a 4x D cell. i keep some round LED lights, AA, have a hanger and a magnet, i have like 20 of them. bought some with batteries for $5, then i found out the dollar store sold them, bought 20 at $1, and a few more later on for $2 still a steal!

a couple of LED light sticks from wal mart $14 about. . .work great, lots of light, better then the one crappy tire sells. . . works on 2 or 3 AA cells.

i have a number of pelican LED gun lights, not as bright as the surfire, but do the job. M6 model i think? i keep some on my firearms, and others just around for use.

candles, i have the Mountain equipment co-op white camp candles that fit in the USO? lantern, i have a 1 candle lantern and the 3 candle model. work great, provide heat in small areas.

of course i have oil lamps. . . as you've read below, i but the bigger models from home hardware when they go on sale, they look nice and work just fine! i've also pick up some lamp tops that fit mason jars, a guy in the states makes them. my buddy ordered them for me and i'll be picking them up soon. a couple of hints from the maker. . . "add river rocks to the mason jars, it raises the level of oil making less work for the wicks to suck it up. it saves oil and makes them more efficient" this guy lives 17 miles from his mail box i guess. . . he's "way out there" but the theory is sound IMO.

i have a number of light sticks, 12 hour ones, (order in bulk to save money) and some smaller ones, you'd need 2 to read by comfortably, but in a hall way they are safer then a candle for a night light. no heat either!!!!

of course matches for candles, lighters, are important!
i like wooden matches and i buy bic lighters on sale.

security lights, i have motion sensors with flood lights on the barn, i have flood lights (soon to be motion activated) all around the house. (but can turn them off) i have 2 IR lights that provide day light like vision thru my cameras and my night vision monocular (NVM). i'd light to add more IR lights down the lane/near the road. . .but not this morning.

i also have some of those IR light sticks, and the trip wire/traps that snap them. this will give a bright light glowing from the trap when the trip wire is tripped. BUT only thru my cameras or NVM. this of course could be set up for a regular light stick but that of course lets the intruder know i know he's there!

i've got a bunch of those LED light strips, they are a 1/3" wide stip, cut to any length, and wired to a 12 VDC system, and provide a nice light any where i can power them. i've got some started to be wired to my bus bar, they can be individual disconnected, and eat very little power. i plan to use them in the kitchen, closets, and halls. just need time to get them all wired/run and working. (time is the key :S)

but like i said dark has it's advantages, you want to keep them for yourself and not an intruder.

know the layout of your house, and proper! so you can move in the dark at least inside, most people know their house pretty well, but make sure tripping hazards are not left around (good luck to parents). but having a person coming on your property in the night does mean his eyes are adjusted, and him sneaking about is in his advantage. taking that away with security feature is not what this is about, but knowing they are their, and if advantageous to you, sent a blaze of high powered lights his way is a sure way to take control of the situation. . . (taking there advantage away in the dark has it's own psychological effects too)

but as you can see, light is important for many reasons, and there are many ways to provide it. pros and cons to each (too much/little light, heat, need for fuel/batteries, expire dates, fire hazards etc), but no one prefect method either.

(disclaimer. . .38 minutes later, i'm actually tired 😀 so i'm not going to read this again for grammar, sorry, but it's just the way it is at this time of the morning )