If you use Enhanced Lights and FX or Realistic Lighting Overhaul (and why would you play without one of these?), dark areas are actually dark, and therefore torches are actually useful. Too bad then, that they are, as Afro-herbalist was quick to point out, "the rarest artifacts in Skyrim".

So this mod takes care of that, you are almost guaranteed to find a torch in every container in which it makes sense for there to be one (I.E. not in sacks, satchels, baskets, or Falmer chests, as falmers are blind). Having enough torches won't be a challenge anymore, but things don't need to be challenging if it's more realistic that they're not.