Packing a lightbulb

some incandescent bulbs still available. led bulbs are available as well as compact flourescent, but best of all, halogen bulbs are available with much less wattage usage but considerably brighter output, so you can use a small one and get lots and lots of light.

Watts is watts, volts is volts. Stick 220 into something made for 110 and it blows.

Thanks for the reminder, Ed. Thank you also, James. The reason I do not use the light with the headband is it gives me a headache. I tried but I just couldn't do it. I had a clip on light for my book but the battery weighed so much I can't take it this time.

How about just buying a lightbulb in Italy?

Well... yes, I did consider buying a lightbulb in Italy but I understand one can no longer purchase incandescent light bulbs in Europe. I wanted to take and incandescent bulb with me because they put out a lot more light than the energy-efficient ones. It's just something that I would use for 20 or 30 minutes at night so I don't think I would be using too much energy that way. But I appreciate your input. I think I'm going to forget about this lightbulb idea. Perhaps it wasn't a very "bright" idea.

Some of the wiring is rather scary in some little hotels,, I 'd be afraid I'd "blow" something..

A portable desk lamp (the one you can attach to your bed frame or anywhere else costs peanuts in Italy (from €15) and is a much better option than carrying a bulb that can easily break apart and fill you luggage with glass.

I have often bought blight bulbs in the country i am travelling in. Little pubs and inns in the English countryside. Buy them there so they are compatible. But definitely need them so that I can read

Kay, As the others have said, DO NOT bring a North American 115 Volt Lightbulb to Europe, as it will self destruct immediately. The idea of using a Petzl Headlamp is one practical solution. Another idea you might consider is using a Kindle or iPad as lighting in a dark room won't be a problem with those.

This same question has been beat to death on the Italian site. You can safely bring an Am light bulb, it will not explode, in fact, it will not do anything because it will not fit the fixture. If you want a brighter bulb go the local hardware, grocery store and buy one.

Kay, maybe a clip-on book light that uses batteries would work. Just a thought for an alternative to taking light bulbs.

Ken is wrong about the Kindle, you can't read it any better than a regular book in a dark room. the iPad is back lit, so you can read that, but it's like staring at a computer screen, and can hurt the eyes in some cases. But, it sounds like you don't have an ereader, and will be reading regular books.... I have Nook reader and just bought a light weight book light - you can find them at Target, or Barnes and Noble by their e readers. The book light will allow you to direct the light where you need it, right at the page. I'd recommend bringing an extra set of batteries. The upside to the clip on light, is you won't have to worry about it breaking in your luggage, or it blowing up in the lamp with a different voltage. The book light will cost @ $10-20, depending where you purchase it. At holiday, Target had them for $5! It's really a simple fix, and the clip on lights work great to use at night if you need to find your way to the bathroom as well! they are so compact, and lightweight too!

Ellen, Thanks for the feedback. I assumed the "dark room" would have a bit of light from limited hotel room lighting or whatever.

You gotta love this forum. Never in my wildest dreams have I ever thought of packing a light bulb for an overseas trip!!!!! My husband would say, it's probably the only thing I don't pack.

If you read a lot look into a Color Nook. I got one for my wife before our trip. She mainly uses it to read and after getting used to it doesn't want to go back to paper books. Besides being the easiest reader to read it will do e-mail and internet over wifi. I used it to book a flight during our trip. Taking a light bulb with you is a pretty funny solution.

Kay, although not exactly an answer to your question...After MAJOR research, I decided upon the Verso Clip-On Light for my Kindle; of course, you can use it on any book (even the smallest paperback). It's the most lightweight out there (it uses 2 'coin' batteries, included) and has only one light setting but that's been just fine for me. I was going for lightweight because I like to use my Kindle 'naked' - without any cover on it to add weight. This booklight weighs .8oz - including batteries! - pretty darned light! In theory, though, the batteries are only said to last 20 hours...I've definitely NOT found that to be the case! I don't use a booklight often, but when I do I want it to be lightweight. Also, this one is bright enough to get around in the dark! It's not so bright, though, that the entire airplane cabin wants to toss it out the window - the beam is focused. And it's got a good, strong clip. For the best price, and super-fast delivery: http://www.lightwedge.com/Welcome/Verso-Clip-Light