Power & Blackouts
The $10 Item People Always Wish They Had After the Lights Go Out
By Dana Whitfield · August 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Phones make terrible flashlights. They point the wrong direction, they die when you need them for something else, and holding one means you are doing everything one-handed in the dark.
A headlamp costs about ten dollars, weighs almost nothing, and gives you both hands back. That is the whole argument, and it holds up every single time the power goes out.
What to look for
- A red light mode, so you can check on a sleeping kid without waking them.
- AAA batteries or USB-C charging — pick whichever you will actually keep topped up.
- A strap you can loosen enough to wear over a hat.
Our pickWe keep an inexpensive AAA headlamp in the kitchen drawer and a second one in the car.Basic AAA Headlamp
Where to keep it
A flashlight you cannot find in the dark is a decoration. Pick one drawer, tell everyone in the house which drawer it is, and put the headlamp back there every time.
Preparedness is mostly a storage decision, not a shopping decision.
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