Hello everyone,
I’m looking for a simple lantern for my elderly parents to use during power outages.
I’ve recently got myself a LT1S, which I LOVE, and am tempted to get one for my parents, but I’m concerned they could get lost in the UI.
They have no probs with charging things from a phone charger, so any 21700/18650 with a built in USB charger would be suitable.
It’s just the UI I’m concerned about.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
-Simple L/M/H type of UI
-No “deep UI”, preferably no strobe or SOS or red, etc.
-Warm light
-AA batteries (at worst), or 21700/18650 with a built in USB charger
-Size and weight doesn’t matter
-Waterproof and shockproof doesn’t matter
-Hanging hook doesn’t matter
-Extended battery life doesn’t matter, 5 hours of “medium” light between charges is enough
-Budget around MAX $75 USD
If you’re concerned about them getting lost in Anduril, place it into simple mode. The odds of them correctly entering the input to enter advanced mode is remote.
What do you consider as elderly? I’m 70+ and I certainly consider myself capable of walking around in a pitch dark home with a flashlight. Heck I even consider myself capable of walking around the house in the dark with a flashlight and…….scissors
You think it’s safer for someone to walk around the house in the dark without any lighting (you did say anyone elderly without any qualifications)?
Easy to find batteries. Super simple UI. Now this is not necessarily what I would recommend, it just showed up with a search for D Cell LED lantern. I am sure there are many others. Maybe better even. But with just a dial for brightness (can’t get much more intuitive) and 500 hours on low. Pretty bright on the top end (though maybe not 750 lumens). Maybe a decent option. Something like this and a 12 pack of D cells and they would be set for anything short of Armageddon.
I don’t see what the big deal is about carrying around a flashlight, and carrying candles is a recipe for starting a fire in my opinion.
I’m a grandparent and 70+ and I consider myself capable of using a flashlight. :person_facepalming:
To answer the OP’s question we had a power outage the other night and I pulled out my LT lantern for the living room and a BLF Q8 to use when I was walking around the house. Not particularly hard to use of course, as in press switch and light comes on, ramp light to desired level, and press to turn off.
Even lights with complicated UI’s aren’t a big deal to use just to get light. Granted that some have the ability to be configured in many ways but to get light one just has to press the switch (long, short, whatever). If my wife can turn on my lights to see her away around in the dark then anyone can
I think what’s considered elderly (as in unable to function well with tasks) has changed over the decades. When I was a kid I thought that anyone in their 60’s was decrepit and in need of assistance with most things. That’s because the people I knew in that age group were pretty much that way. Things have changed over the years for many reasons and people in their 60’s and 70’s may not be in any more need than those in their 50’s.
Of course things in less developed parts of the world, or even poorer parts of developed countries, can be much different with respect to aging.
When my parents were still alive — I bought 3 plug in lights at Home Depot —- you set them on Auto ( Hall , Bedroom ,Kitchen) when the power goes off they come on automatically ( that’s the dangerous part, getting caught in the dark trying to get to a flashlight) — then if you want a flashlight just unplug it from the wall
We have one in each of our Hallways — They work great
These are similiar
Perhaps it depends on what we define as outage and user.
For me an outage at home just means lighting up my living room while we wait for the power to come back on, and there’s really nothing for us to worry about until it does. I’m guessing you have more things to worry about during an outage than I do?
If I needed to take medicine, or more importantly use the bathroom , and I couldn’t carry a flashlight due to needing a cane or walker, then I’d use one of my headlights. But to be honest if someone is the condition where they can’t carry a flashlight when moving around then they shouldn’t be moving around at all.
I have lights like these in the hallways and living room and they are indeed good to have, especially to get to other light sources. The problem I’ve noticed is that over the years they don’t stay on as long when the power goes out, and some didn’t even come on at out. Testing them periodically is important and how often that is done by people is open to question I assume.
I have not had to use a walker but definitely had to use a cane and I can assure you that walking around with a flashlight was not an impediment! I believe it was in Junior Highschool that my teacher told us to be careful using absolutes! And at 76 I would fall into that elderly class so arbitrarily assigned. Oh, and I use a 660nm red flashlight when my partner decides to turn off the lights early and I have not set up my evening meds. Both the wife and I have multiple lights available on our bedstands as well as pretty much everywhere in the house. A flashlight or headlamp is absolutely necessary during a power outage as I need to head out to the back of the barn to start the generator.
