Buy more flashlights, especially ones that don't break

DARKNESS FALLS does wonders for the flashlight manufacturing industry. It's not even subliminal advertising. It whacks you right in the face with absolute fear-mongering. That is why I own a dozen flashlights, possibly more, today. I find flashlights interesting and fascinating besides useful.

Given the common Hollywood fear prop of the fragile flashlight that breaks when dropped, it's a good idea to buy a durable one.

In real life I have experienced incidents where a flashlight dropped to the surface, usually a hard one, and while there was no external damage, did not function, or did not function as well afterwards.

I just purchased a new, Ray O' Vac LED flashlight that is drop-proofed to 30 feet. Now that is just reassuring to me.

My personal strategy is to have flashlights everywhere I might need it, at work, in my work carry bag, in my car, next to my bed, in the living room, where it will be at hand.

The only problem is being outdoors at night say, at the theater or somewhere else. The typical flashlight proves too bulky. I've tried the tiny, one AAA or one AA battery ones. These are strictly emergency, enough to get you to your real flashlight. It's better than being stuck in pitch blackness, as Bear Grylls demonstrated in an episode of, WORST CASE SCENARIO, which placed you in an underground, sealed parking garage when all the lights went out. In that episode he showed how you could use the light from your cell phone display to get around. I've experienced, rarely, being in a pitch black location. It's not fun to say the least and he's right, it does bring on a feeling of panic.