Almost inevitably, the terrible news from the Gulf Coast has spawned advertisements --- including the one my boss showed me last week --- for all sorts of gadgets intended for use when the power is out.

The one that caught my editor's eye had everything but an inflatable raft packed in one box. As I recall, there was a radio with a built-in generator to charge batteries. Turn the crank on the side and it charges the radio batteries, and also lets you charge a cellphone battery. It had a built-in battery-powered light, too.

It was fun to look at and appealed to the gadget lover in my soul. But the practical part of me --- hey, there is one --- wasn't so impressed.

There's a temptation, especially now with Katrina fresh and ugly in our minds, to buy stuff like that to prepare for a power outage. After all, we know it won't take a hurricane to make us all powerless. Lesser events, including ice storms, can turn out the lights for days at a time, even here in Atlanta.

It's great that many of you are thinking of ways to get through these periods, but I have some suggestions that aren't as glamorous or obvious as one of these Swiss army knife multifunction gadgets like the one in the advertisement. I worry that many of these devices were created with thinking that focused on taking advantage of a tragedy instead of saving your life.

So let's talk about some practical ways to survive the darkness that surely will come to your home in one form or another.

First on anyone's list should be batteries. I'm talking about the ordinary kind you can find at the supermarket. Get enough for all your radios and flashlights and fluorescent camping lanterns.

I define "enough" as a fresh set of batteries for each device and enough to replace that fresh set when it is exhausted. These batteries will work fine even if you store them for three years. So buy plenty and, after they've been on the shelf for a year or so, use the ones you have stored and replace them with fresh batteries.

By the way, it isn't necessary to store batteries in the freezer or refrigerator. They'll last for several years stored at normal room temperature.

Next, buy an extra uninterruptible power supply and keep it plugged in but unused. Get the kind of UPS that you'd ordinarily connect to your computer. But don't hook it up to any of your gadgets.

Let me explain why. These things furnish regular AC power from the outlets when the power is off. So by keeping one connected, you'll have a ready source of electricity to charge cellphones and laptop computers or to serve as a power supply for your wireless phones. For $100 or less, you can have an emergency supply of AC. Think how handy that would be for times when the power has been out for more than a day.

Speaking of cellphones, let me tell you another way to keep talking when your main battery is depleted.

Several companies make emergency chargers that don't need to be connected to AC. Basically these are just batteries that hook to the charging connector of your cellphone. Since each phone seems to use a different type of connector, you'll need to buy one made specifically for the phone you use.

I'll tell you about one brand --- not by way of a recommendation but just to give you a specific product and price. It's the CPS Cellboost NK1. You can find it for about $7 at many Best Buy stores and often on the counter at convenience stores. I think it's a lot handier than the kind of generators that require you to turn a crank to charge a phone.

I'm going to assume you have flashlights and even some battery-operated fluorescent lanterns. If not, stop reading and get some.

But even for those who are well-equipped, there's one more thing to do. Pick up five or six emergency lights. These are the small lights that plug into an AC outlet. The batteries are constantly charging. When the AC goes out, these small lights kick in using the power from their batteries.

Why are these lights such a big deal for folks who have flashlights and lanterns? Think of them as toe savers. Instead of stubbing your toe in the dark as you look for your flashlights, you'll have low-level lightning that will let you navigate the house.

Besides, if the emergency is huge --- if, for instance, a tornado just hit your home --- you won't have time to look for flashlights. You need to get your family to safety if you can. These lights can literally save your life.

If any of these tips make sense for your home --- and I think they do --- buy what you need now. Don't wait until the lights go out.

tecbud@ajc.com