What would you do without Electricity?

[JacobSlattery]

What would I do if the electricity went out? Probabaly get drunk and go looting, it's the American way.

[Sourdough]

What would I do if the electricity went out? O' shoot drunk looters, "It's the American way".

[crashdive123]

What would I do if the electricity went out? O' shoot drunk looters, "It's the American way".

Good answer.

[Rick]

Oo. Oo. I know. I'd taunt cops to use their tasors. Go 'head. Go on. Try me. ZZZZZZZzzzztttt! Batteries? No one said anything about batteries. ZZZZZZZzzzzztttt!

Cop: Hey, look. He wet himself.

[bulrush]

We lost a freezer jammed full of blackberries, strawberries, fish, venison, corn, beans, etc. The insurance company didn't give us crap for it. Probably $10,000 worth of food, we made $100 after the $500 deductible.

When we had a power outage, the electric company paid for our spoiled food. We had to submit an itemized list, that totaled $125. They just sent us a check. This might be a Michigan law though. It's not like the electric company advertises this fact.

I also got a 12vdc 6 inch electric fan. If the power goes out in the summer I just grab a 12v battery and hook up the fan.

[TBBucs]

What would I do without electricity? I'd head to wilderness-survival.net and complain about it!

Oh, wait...

[RBB]

What would you do?

The first ten years we lived here, we were often without power. It got to be "no big deal."

For long term power loss: Fire up the wood stove for heat, use candles (hundreds on hand) for light, hook up the wood range in the summer kitchen for cooking, clean out the outhouse (for obvious reasons), use the sauna for washing, get the wringer, tubs and washboard out of the top of the garage for laundry.

Biggest problem would be potable water. I think I have a hand pump around somewhere, but it is only a shallow well pump. As long as the reservoir was high enough in the drilled well we could use that - otherwise - we'd have to use water from the lake - which would have to be filtered. We have a number of pump camping filters, and a two gallon bag filter, but the filter needs to be cleaned quite often. Either method would be a pain in the neck, but workable.

[Mecklar75]

Water is the most important resource someone will need in order to survive after an emergency or disaster. The average person can survive 3 to four days without water. Unfortunately water from lakes and rivers etc. can often be contaminated with chemicals or germs which can make you very ill and possibly die. As Coleridge put it in his Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, "Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink." His mariner was on the sea, surrounded by water, all of it undrinkable. Sometimes, on land, the situation can be just as dire. Most of the world's deadliest diseases are waterborne. Water can carry parasites, giardia, cryptosporidium, bacteria, algae, viruses & fungi. Diseases like Dysentery, typhus, cholera are all spread by contaminated water and are the causes of more human deaths than virtually any other cause. So as a result it is imperative for you to plan how you are going to provide water in case of an emergency or disaster. It is recommended that you should store a minimum of 1.5 gallons per person per day for a 3 day period. A good way to store this amount of water would be in a 55 gallon drum. If you are unable to store water or if you go through your three day supply you will have to find an alternative source of water whether it is a river, lake, or pond. Of course water from anyone of these sources could carry parasites, giardia, cryptosporidium, bacteria, algae, viruses & fungi that can make you very sick if you don’t purify the water before you drink it. There are a couple options one can choose from when purifying water which include boiling, water tablets or water filters.

Option 1: Boiling water – This is generally the safest method to destroy any disease & organisms. In order to boil water you will need a source of heat either from a fire or a camp/emergency stove (I recommend a CampChef stove) a camp pot or cup. If the water you locate is murky or cloudy some people like to first pour the water through a coffee filter/paper towel to get rid of any sediment that may be in the water, of course this is optional. Make sure that you bring the water to a rolling boil for a minimum of 60 seconds plus one added minute for each 1000 feet above sea level in order to ensure that all living organisms are dead. If the water taste flat after boiling it may need to be aerated, this can be done by pouring water back and forth between 2 containers.

Option 2: Tablets – This option is the most light weight and portable solution. There are two common types of tablets that are available to purify water Iodine & Chlorine. If the water you locate is murky or cloudy some people like to first pour the water through a coffee filter/paper towel to get rid of any sediment that may be in the water before you add the tablets, of course this is optional.

Iodine Tablets – Iodine will kill pathogens that are heat resistant. When using iodine drop the tablet in the water and wait 30 minutes before drinking the water as per instructions on the bottle. You can also use liquid iodine. If there are no directions on the iodine bottle use 12 drops to the gallon of water. If the water is cloudy, double that quantity. Again, mix well and allow to stand for thirty minutes. Iodine is a quick and easy solution. Pregnant women and people with thyroid problems should contact a physician before taking iodine.

Chlorine Dioxide Tablets - Like the iodine this is also a light weight and portable solution for water purification. Chlorine Dioxide is a stronger pathogen killer than iodine and will not discolor the water. To use these tablets drop them in your water and wait 15 minutes before drinking as per the instructions on the bottle. The water will have a slight chlorine taste. You can also use liquid bleach found in your home - Liquid Chlorine Bleach: Be sure the bleach you have on hand for this purpose contains only sodium hypochlorite (5.25% solution) with no soap, phosphates, scents, etc. For one gallon of clear water, add 8 drops (1/8 tsp) of bleach. To five gallons of clear water add 32 drops (1/2 tsp.) If the water is cloudy, double these amounts. Use this eye dropper or spoon for nothing else. At the time the bleach is purchased, it should be dated. Bleach which is over a year old has lost about half its strength so the quantities you use would have to be doubled. After adding the bleach to the water, mix well and let stand for thirty minutes before using.

Note: Both chlorine and iodine will impart a taste to the water. Pouring the water from one container to another several times will help dissipate some of that taste by re-oxygenating the water. If you have some Tang or Kool-Aid they will help disguise these tastes for children.

Option 3: Water Filters - Water Filters will remove bacteria, cysts and parasites & filters can remove many waterborne chemicals and even filter out "off" tastes that boiling or tablets cannot. These filters are made in various sizes and output capacities. Some are small enough to be carried in a backpack. It would be advisable to have several of these on hand. Filters are an excellent option when you have the need for something that you can carry and will last long term.

You can find all of these products at

[Beo]

That's nice now go introduce yourself in the Intorductions section paaaaalease.

[crashdive123]

I don't know....kind of looks like spam to me.

[TrappinGal]

i lived in VA in 2003 when irene went through(think it was irene) anyway, we had no power for 9 days. i lived near saluda va.

we came together as a community, for the most part and made it through.

we grilled the meats that were thawing in our freezers and we all ate together.

Black and white and even mexicans all joinin forces and gettin by.

gasoline was near non - existent so we took turns going to the water and ice depots FEMA and the red cross had set up. whoever went would get for the whole community.

then next time someone else went.i was in better shape than some because i had a gas stove while they had electric. we made coffee ect at my house. i still griled with the community.

the first thing i ddi when i moved in was to remove the electric stove and replace it with gas because i have been through extended power outages growing up and knew how vital gas was.

it was a trying time because i was due to deliver Alexys on the 19th of sept, the day the hurricane hit. she held off till the 26th. i was glad of that but that last week was rough, lol.

it was trying and frustrating but i made it through and even made some friends i didnt have before.

[Rick]

That's good information, Mecklar and I'm sure that you intended to impart wisdom and knowledge to the group. So you won't mind if I deleted your link. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it's generally a duck. Until I know for certain your post isn't spam I'll just leave up there.

If, on the other hand, you have an interest in that web site then I suggest you read and follow the forum rules.

Rick
Super Moderator Emeritus
Science Chancellor to Free Traxistan

[Mecklar75]

Hi Rick,

Thanks! I wasn't trying to spam just sharing an article I wrote from my blog & store that I thought might be useful.

Mecklar75

[Rick]

You can put your store URL in your signature but not in the body of a post. The signature actually works out better for you because it will appear on every post you make.

[jrock24]

I would go camping.

[crashdive123]

I would go camping.

....or you would BE camping.

[HOP]

I have family in East Texas and during Katrina the electricity was out for about 2 weeks and my sister lost to large chest freezers of food that could have been prevented with a fairly small generator.
If the electricity went out here in WV the first thing I would do is relax and evaluate the posiability of it being long term or permanet outageand them start using the fresh and frozen produce and converting it to long term storage (canning , smoking and dehydrating) using wood if possiable (renewable fuel source) . I would also try to keep a low profile on these preperations. During Katrina, even hundreds of miles from New Orleans there were wide spread theft and looting . Armed guards on the gas stations.

[bulrush]

I have family in East Texas and during Katrina the electricity was out for about 2 weeks and my sister lost to large chest freezers of food that could have been prevented with a fairly small generator.

So you pay for $800 worth of gas to save $300 worth of food??

How many gallons of gas do you use in 24 hours for a "small" generator? I'm just curious.

[crashdive123]

So you pay for $800 worth of gas to save $300 worth of food??

How many gallons of gas do you use in 24 hours for a "small" generator? I'm just curious.

I've got 2 small generators (1800 watts and 7500 watts). When I was without power for an extended period I ran the smaller generator about 3 hours during the day and at night while we slept. Powered the fridge anytime it was on and a couple of fans. We opened the fridge as little as possible, so twice a day kept all of the perishables just fine. Running it that way I would run through about 5 gallons of gas every 3 - days. Once the perishables are gone, I use less.

[dukenukum]

during the big black out a few years agone we fired up the propane fridge and used the generator for the freezer and oil lamps for light , cooking was done in the outdoor cook area . slept outside under a tarp to keep cool
our neighbor hood pulled together we had cookouts and games , helped each other out when we could , though a few on public assistance had no clue as to what to do we got them squared away and now they are off p.a . and working .