It’s time for another Amazon Christmas-shopping list. Today’s theme: warmth and light. That covers a lot of territory, with some items for preppers, and some cozy things for anybody at all.
Here we go:
1. Natural Comfort Microfiber Comforter — a lightweight “down-alternative” comforter that’s gotten rave reviews.
2. If you or somebody on your Christmas list has all-electric heat (as we in the Northwest tend to), an indoor propane emergency heater is handy to have. I know from experience. The Mr. Heater Portable Buddy and Big Buddy are old reliables. Mr Heater makes something bigger, too. And there are other choices, (all assuming you or your giftee don’t live in one of the Big Nanny states where they can’t sell them). Good for camping or in a cold workshop, too.
3. hand-cranked radios make great prepper gifts. Their features are getting better all the time — as are their prices. And yes, they belong in the warmth-and-light category because nearly all have built-in lights. Sometimes even flashing lights and sirens — oh boy!
4. For enough warmth to cook up a pot of coffee or some nourishing soup when the power’s out, emergency stoves come in a wide range of prices, fuels, and styles, some for indoors, some for outside. (A few of these are inexpensive enough to make good stocking-stuffers.)
5. Flannel sheets … Mmmmm! One of you kind folks got me a set of these last Christmas and oh are they wonderful this time of year. Amazon has dozens of choices in a variety of prices. I’ve just linked to one pretty set; a search will find you lots more.
6. Those flannel sheets are even better with a mattress heater.
7. So fripperies like comforters, flannel sheets, and mattress warmers are too civilized for the person on your gift list? How ’bout sleeping bags?
8. Now I admit I’m cheating by putting this next thing in a “warmth and light” category. But some people would tell you there’s nothing more warming to the heart than tasty chocolate on a dark winter’s day.
9. Another good item to warm your innards (or gift to a prepper friend): emergency soup!
10. Emergency home lighting systems for power outages are becoming more and more popular. You can get ones that range from the more elaborate (but still moderately priced) to the pretty basic.
11. And you know that no Christmas list by me would ever be complete without a selection of the coolest flashlights. Cool covers a lot, from this common, astonishingly inexpensive floating lantern, complete with battery (another good stocking-stuffer) to this industrial-chic Ryobi high-intensity flashlight, from this clamp-on emergency light to this nice little camplight that hangs from a hook. Choose a screaming-bright spotlight or go low-tech with a handy and atmospheric candle lantern.
Happy shopping and thanks always for using my Amazon links! Remember that, even if you don’t see anything you like here, anything you buy when you enter Amazon through one of these links will still be credited to my Associates account.
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In case you missed it:
Christmas shopping, I: Non-fiction books.
Good list. I’ve been needing a comforter, and looking for a decent emergency radio (to upgrade from my old one, comparable to a UNIVAC mainframe).
Interesting take on the lights. I’m kinda partial to my Coleman LED lantern that collapses down to a good storage size. Three settings for light intensity. Good enough to work by.
I just recently read a very favorable review of the Streamlight Lantern. 38 bucks, and Streamlight is known for making quality stuff.
I noticed that the hand-crank radio search didn’t turn up any by Crane. Last I looked at these, the Crane models had much better reviews, even ahead of Midland. Crane uses the “wind up” term, rather than crank. Here’s one: Solar Observer Wind Up Radio with AM FM Weather and built in LED Flashlight and AC Adapter
That’s a nice, compact little unit. Thanks, jed.
O, ho, monster! we know what belongs to a frippery!
-Bill S.
Good show, C.
Instead of a mattress heater, my suggestion is a wool mattress pad with a stretchy fabric skirt (not the elastic loop kind) also available from Amazon and from Cuddledown. They are expensive up front but unlike the electric heaters are a buy it once and don’t pay any more money item, with reasonable care will last a decade or more. Sleeping on a few inches of wool will keep you really warm. Ideal for preppers. Also super warm are wool filled comforters, originally made in England and Scotland and not available here (shipping and taxes are too expensive) but I’m hoping someone in the US has or will offer the product. Unlike down comforters, the wool ones are warm even if they get wet in an emergency situation.
Wool mattress pad and comforter PS – be sure what you buy is washable (the original European comforters were and are). I’ve seen these wool products for sale that are dry clean only. Ugh. Can’t imagine sleeping or living with that.