Solar IS Civil Defense: emergency electricity is entry level electricity by gmoke

After an early ice storm at cut power in my town for 5 days I looked into solar powered and high output LED lights. The BOGO light and d.light are now part of my household and have been gifted to many friends and family members. These brands are more expensive, but claim the be durable for use in 3rd world countries where things need to be long lasting. It was frustrating to see people after hurricane Sandy lamenting that they wanted a truck to bring batteries for flashlights because the power had been out too long. Truckloads of disposable batteries are not an earth friendly solution to emergency lighting. I am still looking for a durable low cost solution to charging cell phones during an extended power outage and my understanding is that the hand crank radios, flashlights and chargers break easily. We need companies to make durable things, not disposable "good ideas." I am even having trouble finding a battery powered weather radio with a good review.