Emergency Kit Lighting in Canada: The 72-Hour Checklist and the Right Fenix Light to Pack
If the power went out right now, could you find a flashlight in the dark — and would it turn on?
Most people aren't sure. That one question is the heart of being ready, so start there. It takes two minutes and costs nothing.
The two-minute flashlight test
- Turn off the lights — or just close your eyes and picture the house in the dark.
- Go to wherever your flashlight lives. Can you get to it without your phone's light?
- Switch it on. Is it bright enough to read the labels on your electrical panel?
It worked? Good news: you don't need anything from us today. Keep that light in the same spot, check it twice a year, and make it part of your kit. Read on for the rest of the plan, and keep the lights below in mind if you ever decide to upgrade.
Couldn't find it, it was dim, or it didn't turn on? You're in good company — it's the most common result. The next section explains why, and what to do about it.
While you're up: find your electrical panel and water shut-off valve, and write down one contact who lives out of town. That's half of a household emergency plan, done for free.
Why the cheap flashlight let you down
An emergency light is about trust. A $20 light sitting in a drawer too often fails the night you need it: its AA or AAA batteries have leaked and corroded the contacts, or simply gone flat. You pay more for a Fenix so you know the light comes on.
- It stays charged. In our experience Fenix's own rechargeable batteries keep at least 75% of their charge for years, especially in lights with a mechanical switch, which draws no power while the light is off.
- It charges from anything USB — a phone charger, a laptop, a power bank or the car.
- It is bright enough for everything, from reading a label to lighting up the whole back yard.
- It lasts through a long outage: up to 200 hours of steady low light, more than a week.
A word you'll see below: lumens measure brightness. A phone's flashlight gives about 50; 1,000 or more lights up a back yard.
We have sold Fenix in Canada since 2010 as a Canadian Fenix distributor. Prices are in Canadian dollars, orders ship from Mississauga, Ontario, and the 5-year warranty is serviced here in Canada.
The rest of the plan, from the Government of Canada
The Government of Canada's Get Prepared guidance has three steps.
1. Know the risks where you live. A Winnipeg winter, a B.C. wildfire season and a riverside town in spring need different plans. Start with what is most likely where you are.
2. Make a household plan. It takes about 20 minutes online: safe exits and a meeting place such as a school or library, a contact nearby and one out of town (text rather than call when networks are busy), who picks up the kids, where the pets can stay, and where the fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical panel, gas valve and floor drain are.
3. Build a kit that lasts at least 72 hours.
- Water: about 4 litres per person, per day, including small bottles you can carry.
- Food that won't spoil, plus a manual can opener.
- A flashlight and a radio, with extra batteries or a crank-powered model.
- Phone chargers, and a corded phone for when cordless and cell service are down.
- A first aid kit, a couple of weeks of medication, and any special-needs equipment.
- Cash for a few weeks of basic needs.
- Copies of birth certificates, passports, wills and insurance policies, your plan and contact list.
- Baby formula and pet food, if you need them.
Pack it in a backpack, duffel bag or wheeled suitcase in an easy spot like the front-hall closet, make sure everyone knows where it is, and replace food, water, batteries and medication at least once a year. We don't sell radios; any battery or crank radio does the job, and one that can also charge a phone is a handy pick.
If you decide to get a light
- If you buy only one light: PD35 V3.0, $114.95
- Our recommended pair: HM61R V3.0 headlamp ($134.95) + PD35R ACE flashlight ($139.95)
- For rural homes and big properties: HM71R V2.0 and LR35R — more than most homes need
Each light comes with its battery and a charging cable; there is no wall plug, so use any phone charger. Orders over $99 ship free from Mississauga, usually the same business day, and most of Canada receives them in two to five business days.
Base kit
PD35 V3.0 — the one light to start with
A metal flashlight that fits in a coat pocket and lights the whole back yard. Its rechargeable battery comes in the box and charges on its own through the included micro-USB cable — keep that cable in the kit, because most homes now only have USB-C. As a backup it also runs on two CR123A batteries: small lithium batteries sold at hardware and drug stores (we don't stock them) that keep about 10 years in a drawer. On its lowest setting it runs 230 hours, over nine days non-stop. It is the lowest-cost light on this page.
See the PD35 V3.0 — $114.95 →
Recommended
HM61R V3.0 — hands free when it counts
Shutting off the water or checking the panel in a dark basement takes two hands, so the kit needs a headlamp. This one has a focused beam for the driveway, a wide soft light for close work and a red light that won't wake sleeping kids, and runs about 11 days on its lowest setting. It pops off the headband to become a flashlight, a magnet sticks it to the fridge or furnace, and it charges with the same USB-C cable as most new phones. Fully waterproof.
See the HM61R V3.0 — $134.95 →
Recommended
PD35R ACE — the flashlight for a kit that may sit for months
Similar name and size to the PD35 V3.0; here is the difference. The ACE is a little brighter and charges through a USB-C port on the light itself, so the battery stays inside and your phone cable fits. Its gentlest setting runs a full month, an SOS mode signals for help, and it takes the same CR123A backup. It costs $25 more than the PD35 V3.0; for a kit that may sit untouched for months, the built-in USB-C port and month-long runtime are worth it. With the HM61R V3.0, it covers almost everything a household will face.
See the PD35R ACE — $139.95 →For the kitchen table, add a lantern. A flashlight lights what you point it at; a lantern lights the whole room while the family gets on with the evening. The CL26R Pro ($119.95) sits on the table or hangs from a hook, and its 50-lumen setting runs about 40 hours — several evenings of light on one charge.
Advanced: for acreages, cottages and rural roads
Honest note: these two are more light than a regular house or apartment needs. If you live in town, the lights above will do the job. These make sense if you have a long laneway, outbuildings, livestock or a rural property to check after a storm.
Advanced
HM71R V2.0 — the heavy-duty headlamp
3,500 lumens on a large 21700 battery, with spot, flood and red light. The flood runs 337 hours on low — two weeks — and 350 lumens of spot lasts over 19 hours. Built for clearing a downed tree, checking a barn or working through the night after a storm. Detaches into a flashlight, magnetic tail, IP68.
See the HM71R V2.0 — $184.95 →
Advanced
LR35R — light up the whole property
10,000 lumens and a 500 m beam from a light that still fits in one hand. It floods a yard, a field or a flooded street like daylight, and holds 450 lumens for over 8 hours. Two 21700 batteries included. Overkill for a hallway closet; very welcome at the end of a dark country road. Ships in 5–7 business days.
See the LR35R — $273.95 →Canadian Fenix distributor since 2010 · 5-year warranty, serviced in Canada · Returns · Free shipping over $99
Keep your kit lights ready
- Repeat the two-minute test twice a year, and charge the lights while you're at it. When the clocks change is an easy reminder.
- Keep a USB power bank in the kit to top up the lights and your phone without the grid.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Government of Canada say to put in an emergency kit?
Enough to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours: about 4 litres of water per person per day, food that won't spoil and a manual can opener, a flashlight and radio with extra batteries, phone chargers, a first aid kit, medication, cash, copies of important documents, and baby or pet supplies if needed.
I already have a flashlight. Do I need a new one?
Not if it passes the test: you can find it in the dark, it turns on, and it is bright enough to read your electrical panel. Keep it with your kit and check it twice a year. Upgrade when it fails, or if its batteries have started to leak.
Why not just buy a cheap flashlight for the kit?
Because you need to trust it. Cheap lights left in a drawer often fail to turn on: their AA or AAA batteries leak, corrode the contacts or go flat. Fenix rechargeable batteries keep at least 75% of their charge for years in our experience, charge from any USB source, and give up to 200 hours of low light in a long outage.
Rechargeable or battery flashlight for an emergency kit?
Both, in one light. The PD35 V3.0 and PD35R ACE charge by USB and also run on two CR123A lithium batteries as a backup. If the power is out for days, you are not stuck.
Do I need a 10,000-lumen light for home emergencies?
Usually not. In a house or apartment, a pocket flashlight and a headlamp are plenty. The LR35R and HM71R V2.0 are for rural properties, acreages and anyone who needs to check a lot of ground after a storm.
