Power Outage at CES

But for the irony in the fact that the largest consumer electronics show on the planet had no power for a few hours yesterday, Las Vegas probably wouldn't have made the national news.  Although it wasn't a major power outage, it left the Convention Center quite dark for a few hours.  This is a good reminder that a major power outage can hit at any time, even when you are least prepared for it.  Here are the items you want to have with you in such an event:

• A glow-in-the-dark lanyard (you don't want to be run over by people or things in the dark so this way they can at least know you are there)
• A small flashlight (yes you can use your cell phone for this but why run the battery down when a small, lightweight flashlight can do the job for you?)
• A battery power bank (to at least keep your cell phone charged)
• Small padlocks or zip ties (a blackout is the perfect time for someone to get into your day pack and snag your stuff--not that they will--but better safe than sorry so the minutes the lights go off, secure your gear)
• A bottle of water and some snacks (if the power is out for a while the vending machines won't be working and you might be hungry/thirsty so plan accordingly)
• Some cash (concession stands may still be taking cash for food and drinks but if there is no power you can't get your money from an ATM so carry actual money)
• A whistle (always a good way to signal for emergency help if needed)
• A photo of the floor plan showing emergency exits (the lit up kiosks showing the floor plan of the center won't be lit up if there is no power; make it a habit to always take a photo of the event center so you will know where the exits are in case of an emergency)
• A GPS tracking app for friends and family (you may not be able to find people in the dark but if everyone in your group has a GPS tracking app on their phone you can all easily regroup)
• Appropriate shoes and clothing (it goes without saying that any time you go to a large convention you want to have good walking shoes on but you should also carry a jacket in case you are evacuated from the building and out into the cold and rain)