Light and fire

Torches you can find

One torch per person, plus one that lives by the fuse board and one by the door. Head torches free your hands for the meter or the stove. Wind-up and solar torches are a backstop when batteries are the thing that failed; they are dimmer, so do not make them the only light.

Test them on the first evening of autumn. Log batteries and torches in Holdfast with an inspect date. Alkaline cells leak; do not store them inside the torch for years.

Candles and flames

Candles and tea lights work and they start fires. Use a holder, never leave them in an empty room, and keep them off anything that can fall. A storm lantern with a proper glass is calmer than a naked candle. Matches in a tin, and a ferro rod you have actually struck, sit with them.

Know a fire escape that does not depend on the hallway light. A smoke alarm with a fresh battery is part of this kit on ordinary Tuesdays.

Warmth

Layers, hats, and a closed room hold heat better than a heroic fire. If you use a gas heater, it must be rated for indoors and you still need ventilation and a carbon-monoxide alarm. Never run a generator or barbecue inside. Log fuel and spare blankets as stores with locations, so “the warm things” are a place, not a memory.