RickH wrote:
Can anyone recommend a cordless phone system that will work during a
power failure? I guess the base unit would have to have a battery as
well as the handsets. I checked the Staples and OfficeMax big box
office supply stores, but all their phones fail in a power outage as
none have base-unit batteries.

Frankly I think it should be against the law to sell a cordless phone
that wont work in a power outage, but thats beside the point.

Has anyone seen a base-battery cordless phone system readily available
from the usual big box stores in the US?

It is recommended that you always have a hard wired phone available
somewhere in the house for emergencies, as you found, cordless don't work
without power and they also fail frequently. A hard wired phone can be real
cheap to buy but a lifesaver.