I received a product to check out recently. It’s called the NOWLIGHT from Deciwatt; it’s an option for reliable lighting in any off-grid setting. In an austere setting, NOWLIGHT gets it power from the sun, with a compact solar panel attached to the main light by twelve feet of cable, or from you, by pulling the plastic cord strip as a manual generator. You get a full solar charge after a few hours in direct sunlight, and just one minute of pulling on the strip should give up to two hours of continuous light.

NOWLIGHT is lightweight, compact, and has 6 separate levels of intensity, from 5 to 160 lumens. When you get to the higher levels, you’re talking about some serious lighting for camping or any backcountry situation. Expect up to 90 hours of light on the lowest settings and about 4.5 hours at 160 lumens.

There’s also a port to charge your phone or other mobile device.  One minute of pulling gives you about fifteen minutes of talk time.

The NOWLIGHT also has additional light sources called SATLIGHTs. They attach to the main unit with a generous length of cord, so you can light a larger area if needed by hanging from beams, poles, or branches. These also come in handy if you need some directed light for working at night on a stalled engine or, if you’re the medic, an injured group member in low light conditions.

At home, the compact design makes it ideal for places where you need light from time to time but don’t want the hassle of installing a fixture.

Deciwatt partners with humanitarian organizations to provide NOWLIGHTS to households and organizations who have little or no access to electricity due to disasters or other adverse circumstances, So: Useful when you want, vital when you need it,  be sure to consider a NOWLIGHT for your survival storage. You’ll have an off-grid light source and be doing some good for those less fortunate.

Joe Alton MD