What would you do without Electricity?

[Beo]

What would you do?
It’s going to happen. Sooner or later, the power will go off, and you won’t know when (or if) it will come back on. This doesn’t have to be the work of evil-doers, either. It could be a sudden ice storm that brings down the power lines. It could result from other severe weather such as a tornado or hurricane, or from a disruption caused by faulty power company equipment, or even something as simple as a tree branch falling on your own personal segment of the grid, or yes even a SHTF scenario. The effect is the same: everything electrical in your home stops working.
For most modern Americans, the loss of power means the complete loss of normalcy. Their lifestyle is so dependent upon the grid’s constancy that they do not know how to function without it. How do you cook a meal if your gas stove has an electric ignition? How do your children find their way to the bathroom at night if the light switches don’t work? How do you keep warm if your wood heat is moved through ducts by an electric fan? What do you do with a freezer full of expensive meat? How do you find out what is happening in your area with the TV and radio silent? What will you drink if your water comes from a system dependent on electrical pumps?
So what would you do, or what will you do?
I'm just curious.

[rebel]

Are you saying I might have to survive? Where are the safety nets we pay for? I know we have the government to take care of us! Someone would just have to come out and take care of me! If they didn't, I'd sue.

[BraggSurvivor]

I'm ready, bring it on!

[Beo]

Ahhh yes but what would you do?

[wareagle69]

I'm ready, bring it on!

go play with your tractor kitt cat

great question. this is what i prepare for more than anything else. i remember the outage back in 04 was it in august had just moved into a new apt back when i was single and not as prepared(can take care of myself just fine) i did take allot of notes during the next 48 hours gave me allot to go on..

I for one think that the terroists will have been trying to figure how to take out our power the towers were symbolic but to take out let say niagara generating station would leave millons w/o power and the grid way over loaded so i prepare for long term outage

but to your question, i have a wood stove that does my primary heat so that fixes staying warm, next would be food prep i have a 20ft long travel trailer that would be my kitchen runs on propane and i have plenty propane stored.
water and frezzer i am currently working on since i have a deep well pump i am currently looking at solar options but that is still a bit away so if it happened right now i have a natural spring out back plus a fair amount of stored water. also a propane fridge/ freezer in the trailer helps a bit if it was summer, ok so for general lighting at night i have a few lantern with oil lots of oil stored plus lanterns that hold tea light candles and i've put hooks in the ceiling that would keep them elevated and safe from being knocked over thus reducing my fire risk also have solar flashlights and my dewalt and rigid power tool 18volt that are on solar chargers for my flashlights and have the dewalt radio and also a solar radio
my biggest diffuculty is i would not be able to waste my time away on this forum would probably go thru withdrawls but might get my chores done on time. good topic though like i said this is the emergency i see most likely to happen as i have already experienced many in my life already..


always be prepared..prepare all ways

[trax]

Been there, done that, winter of '87, two weeks without electricity in northern Manitoba, ask me a tough one. Keep a fire going, cook food and heat water on the same woodstove. Use candles and flashlights, teach the family to bundle up better and maybe use more blankets. Entertain yourselves with things like board games, card games, guitar playing, and oh my God! ...conversations....anyone remember those? We had them prior to tv.

[Beo]

Okay so it wasn't so hard.

[Canadian-guerilla]

the only thing i would miss is my computer/internet
i have my crank shortwave/am-fm radio
(if there would be anything out there to pick up)

other than that, get up with the sun, go to bed early

i would feel bad for the young'uns (4-12 yrs)
they've always lived with electricity ( in north america )
they don't know/care where it comes from - it's just there
and the lost of something that stable, who knows what effect it would have on kids

[Sourdough]

This is why I am trying to decide 6 KW or 8 KW diesel generator. I did not understand that the generator needs a 75% to 95% load and that the load needs to be non-static.

I had thought bigger was better, turns out not so. A mistake in this area is expensive.

[Alpine_Sapper]

How do you cook a meal if your gas stove has an electric ignition?

Propane and a camp stove. And no, I don't have to go to the store to re-stock. If I can find natural fuel use it in place to expand the stocks.

How do your children find their way to the bathroom at night if the light switches don’t work?

Night vision goggles! Seriously, open the blinds on the windows so there is some ambient light, but for the most part my family know there way around their home environment to be able to move without light. You might bang a shin once or twice, but eventually you remember that table is there, or move the effin thing. If the kid is afraid of the dark you may have to escort them.

How do you keep warm if your wood heat is moved through ducts by an electric fan?

In that situation, seal a room, and keep everone in the same room. Body heat, blankets, and insulate it as well as you can. some heat sources should be available if you're prepared, and hell, if it's life or death and freezing cold, set the couch on fire!

What do you do with a freezer full of expensive meat?

Eat well for a while. If you can, preserve it so it lasts. If it's so cold I'm having to worry about keeping my family alive to prevent cold weather injuries it shouldn't be that big of an issue, whereas here in Texas, I'd be making jerkey.

How do you find out what is happening in your area with the TV and radio silent?

Am I stuck in the house? Probably not. If I am, who cares what's going on until I get out?

What will you drink if your water comes from a system dependent on electrical pumps?

Water is always available from some source. If it's cold, you can get it from snow. If not, go effin find it. Everyone knows how to boil water, right? With no purification method, a bag still would work for the immediate short term, and a solar still or something similar for the future. If you're going to be there a while, dig a well.

[hillbilly1987]

well i am all prepared for no electricity so i have alot of candles and matches and a am/fm/shortwave scanner and a police handheld scanner that takes batteries and i also have alot of flash lights and im all set for anything to happen here but ya i do feel bad also for the 4-12 year olds

[bulrush]

Been there done that. If I see a big storm coming, I fill 5g buckets (all I can find) with water for toilet flushing. I also fill the bathtub for toilet flushing. I fill lots of other jugs for drinking water.

Each person gets their own flashlight. When it gets dark, I light a candle in the bathroom for a little ambient light, and for...odors. We play card games, board games, read (if it's daylight), shovel snow, whatever. Most power outages happened to me during spring ice storms. Trees fall on power lines, and the power goes out.

For cooking I use a camp stove I put on my real stove. I heat up cans of beans, veggies, open cans of fruit, whatever.

For sleeping, I get out the sleeping bag. I have bunk beds in a small bedroom. If necessary I can seal off the top or bottom bunk bed with blankets used for walls (did it in college too). I wear a knit hat, socks, use sleeping bag and blankets, usually I'm plenty warm. Never had to use "blanket walls".

Surprisingly, a full size blanket can be pinned to the ceiling with about 10-15 push pins, and it really stays up there. I didn't believe it when I heard it, then I saw someone do it. It really works. It's hilarious if you're trying to sleep then your roomate brings his girlfriend over, thinking you're asleep, then the bed starts shaking.

At night you could also pitch a tent in the largest space the tent will fit in, like your living room or basement. The small space inside the tent will help conserve heat. Popup tents with shock poles work best for this. You can't stake it in your house.

It's really no big deal. I also have a solar battery charger, but I use LED lamps and they last 7-10 days minimum anyway, so I've never used the charger. I also have lots of candles for room light at night.

One time we had an ice storm, power was out for 4 days. We had a gas heater, but no blower, so I kept the heater on all night and slept next to the fireplace in a sleeping bag. I was plenty warm. I was only worried about the pipes freezing during the day when I was at work (work still had power). I took cold baths each morning, but you get used to it. A cup of hot tea after an icy bath really helps you warm up.

When my son was smaller I could tease him, but now he doesn't believe me. I might say "Sh! I think I hear a snipe!"

I've listened to the radio several times during power outages but I don't anymore. Either the station is offline, or they never mention when the power is coming back on. The power will come on when it comes on.

[wareagle69]

one thing i really want to cuation people is an open flame candles and such never leave a room with a candle lit in there if you noticed in my post i have gone to the length of making sure my candles and lanterns cannot get knocked over or come in contact with combustibles. haveing you house catch on fire during an emergency is catasrophic and response time is slower so ALWAYS be cautious with an open flame..


always be prepared-prepare all ways...

[bulrush]

Ok, to purify water you boil it for 10 minutes. What if my watch battery dies? Is there a 10 minute egg timer? How else can I time something for 10 minutes?

I guess I could get a taper candle before my stopwatch dies, let it burn for 10 minutes, then make equal marks down the side representing 10 minutes.

Anyone have any other ideas if you don't have a stop watch? Do they even sell wind up stop watches anymore?

Oh wait, I have my grandpa's wind-up watch. At least I think it's wind up. Oh wait, I have an old wind-up alarm clock. That should do it. Yous guys got brains.

[Canadian-guerilla]

What if my watch battery dies? . . . . . How else can I time something for 10 minutes?

anyone miss work in the morning because the power went out overnight ?
when that happens enough times ( over years ), you make corrections
now every clock at my place is battery driven
something small, with an alarm, using one AA or AAA battery
one battery is good for at least a year in these little things
and a pk of 4 batteries should be good for awhile

folding travel alarm clock

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[Ole WV Coot]

I would go outside, start the generator, disconnect from the power grid and use it only for the blower in the Buck insert downstairs plus other circuits. I split and added circuits years ago so I could always have power in every room from at least one outlet & light. I have a couple of rotary dial telephones also, hooked up. No electricity, bye bye cordless and fancy new phones.

[wareagle69]

I would go outside, start the generator, disconnect from the power grid and use it only for the blower in the Buck insert downstairs plus other circuits. I split and added circuits years ago so I could always have power in every room from at least one outlet & light. I have a couple of rotary dial telephones also, hooked up. No electricity, bye bye cordless and fancy new phones.

you guys have electricity in west by gawd virginia hmm learn sumn new everyday

[Catfish]

In addition to the snow, we get some fairly major windstorms here in winter and it's not uncommon for the power to go out. So far (touch wood) we've never been without for more than a few hours but earlier this year, people not too far from here had no electricity for 3-4 days.

We have candles, oil lanterns, camping stoves and gas. And if those run out, there's a fire pit and wood outside. We have a well, which relies on an electrical pump but if needs be, that could be overridden. I work from home and need the Internet, but as long as I can go somewhere with a wireless connection I can get by.

Mostly, I find it's just a case of breaking habits. I go to switch on the TV, or play on the computer, then have an "Oh, right." moment. Other than that, I really quite enjoy it.

[canid]

when i live without electricity, i tend to watch less tv. i actually sow a stronger work ethic. i get bored more easily, so i generally work on more projects. if i where holding a job, i'd invest in a solar clock, or a battery powered clock and a mechanical or solar powered small charging system.

other than that, i'd read more and keep more regular sleeping hours. that is pretty much the bulk of the impact it would have on my life.

[BraggSurvivor]

This is why I am trying to decide 6 KW or 8 KW diesel generator. I did not understand that the generator needs a 75% to 95% load and that the load needs to be non-static.

I had thought bigger was better, turns out not so. A mistake in this area is expensive.

1000' of intermediate electric perimeter fence (for cattle), couple 1500w water heaters, tractor plugged in, and running all your house needs, it doesnt take long to get to 75% in a hurry.

Add a hot tub and your good to go.....

I have all home circuits hooked up on my generator including the quonset/barn and the wife can still dry a load of laundry.