DON'T Get a Flat Tire at Night !

That's not a bad idea, but I worry about the image of me sitting in my Prius shaking a flashlight. It would probably play out like this, on a dark night sitting alone in my Prius:

"Shake, shake, shake."

"Knock, knock, knock; what are you doing in there?"

"Ah, oh, hello officer."

"I said, what are you doing in there? Are you some sort of prevert?"

"Ah, ah, oh, no. Ah, I, um, this isn't what it looks like."

"Okay buddy. Stop shaking hands with Mr. Happy and step out of that car."

"Shaking hand with who? Whom?"

"Okay, that's it sicko, your coming out of there right now!"

<Sound of me being pulled through the driver's window.>

"No! No! No! You've got me mixed up with Tony!"

Tom

 

Wow, a post from the afterlife!

 

It's amazing what you can do with an iPhone. Do you suppose that incurs a roaming charge?
Tom

 

While I carry a crank-up flashlight in each car, I also pack another which I've found to be one of the most usefull flashlights there is -- for the car, when working inside the computer, doing electrical work with lights out.

That's one of goofy-looking lights which you strap to your forehead. Usually has three elastic bands which fit it to your head. Light shines where ever you turn your head to. Some have more than one color of light ... red for example, and/or a low intensity blue light.

I gave some of them to people as Xmas gifts this year ... and it was funny to watch people take it our of the package and wear it and turn it on.

 

Those aren't a bad idea either, although probably not a good one for me. I've been known to hit my head while doing things, and I can just imagine shattering the light and then not seeing the next thing for me to hit my head on. Of course, that's just me

 

Use Li batteries in any flashlight that's stored for a while. You can thank me later!

 

I love those for any sort of emergency light - 10 year shelf life, and a long service life as a bonus.

Tom

 

I bought two FireVulcan LED rechargeable lanterns with AC/DC charging bases awhile ago. One is mounted in the garage and plugged in to maintain its charge. Since the lantern and base fit into the tray under the cargo floor, I intend to get two cigarette lighter sockets installed somewhere out of the way under the floor. I'll use one to maintain a DC trickle charge for the lantern, and still have the other available for a little powered cooler or some such. Maintaining the charge this way seems to be the only way to keep a rechargeable lantern going--the manufacturer warned me not to rely on it for more than a couple of weeks without charging it. Mounting the sockets under the floor keeps it all nicely out of the way.

 

Batteries have improved. Energizer shelf life specs (at room temperature, not in sun-baked cars): Alkaline, 7 years (80% capacity); Advanced Lithium, 10 years (80%); Ultimate Lithium, 15 years (90%).

Duracell Alkaline specs 5 years to 85%, essentially the same self discharge rate.

 

Thanks for the chuckle

 

Alkaline battery makers can claim what they like... and of course we ARE dealing with batteries stored in sun-baked cars...

Alkalines leak and can destroy the product they're in. Li batteries don't.

 

As for battery life claims, I still have two flashlights in the house with Duracells with expiration labels of Mar 2003, and they still light up well. The other batteries from that Costco batch were cycled out, many between one and three years ago. The ones in the cars do die sooner, but minimal sun baking allowed them to go well beyond their label expirations.

Yes, alkalines can leak, and will do so very quickly when allowed to drain dead. But most of my emergency items are D-cell devices, predating the ready availability of lithium AA cells. And this century's stash of D cells is far from exhausted, so I'm not converting just yet.

 

I went hard core to solve this same problem. Now I can even light up my neigbors trunk if I feel like it.