PREP What do you have planned if the power goes out

nomifyle

nomifyle

TB Fanatic
Our power went out last night for almost 4 hours. I thought I had it all planned out. We have three generators and neither one would start. After several tries DH did get one going but it would power just a few things. He's been working on them all day and making headway.

First of all I was overly confident. I have lights and lanterns. The light bulbs will run off of a hand held battery pack and that worked well. I found three lanterns that did not work, DH took them to the cabin today, probably just need to chuck them. Of the ones that worked the best are the that pop up and use AA batteries. I have several of those and may order a few more. I had my usb charged fan, my Jackery 240 powered my lift chair and I could read on my phone. Should have been all I needed without turning on the generator.

When it started getting dark I started getting antsy. And that's when I asked Dh to turn on the generator.. I don't know whether its was the getting dark that bothered me so much or what, but I was bothered. I didn't think it was the big black out and I am greatful for the trial run.

I'm trying to figure out how to keep myself from being anxious, any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
This suggestion may help you.

- Around Easter and Labor Day, I make an appointment with myself (on the calendar!) to check preps.
* I make sure they are back in their designated spot
* I check batteries / whether or not the item works
* Make sure the item is clean / in good repair (no screws loose)

- I keep a battery-powered lantern on my nightstand and check it when I check the preps.

- I also keep a tiny battery-powered lantern in the bathroom.

(I also start shifting summer/winter preps into the car, but that won't apply as much to you)

Added: the dark only bothers me when I was in the middle of doing something important and the power goes out. Sometimes it takes time to peel my mind away from that project and respond to the outage. That's why I keep a lantern on my nightstand and in the bathroom. I don't have to think about where they are . . . I just go get one or the other.
 
M

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
Last time power went off here I got bored so went baking bread, have plenty of candles and led lights, plenty of books.
Kids have powerbanks for phones plus I can charge them in the car.
They have music and films downloaded pretty much all the time.

The dark doesn't bother me, I like the dark.
 
Macgyver

Macgyver

Has No Life - Lives on TB
One 5.5k generator is all I've got.
I want to get a smaller one and a bigger one.

I have a small 500 watt inverter.

There are a few ups's around the house already, those of course are all due for new batteries.

I want to figure out what the max wattage I can get out of and idling f150 and get a larger inverter.

I also have 2 large deep cycles in the basement for the backup sump pump.
 
jed turtle

jed turtle

a brother in the Lord
If the grid goes down in a very big way, as I expect it to, I will be taking down my solar arrays and burying them for the duration before the “authorities” or the neighbors show up to demand them for the “hospital, town office, sheriff’s office, national guard etc,etc,etc,. I have lived down here in the woods for 13 years without any electricity, guess I can do it again. According to the pentagon, 90% of Americans will die in the first year without power. I give them 6 months at most...

when they ask me where they went I will say I sold them to ukraine. Or lost them in a boating accident. Why come to me ? They all have had endless credit and time to get their own long ago.
 
E

etdeb

Veteran Member
I have a bunch of rechargable light bulbs that I use.
I also have the solar generators purchased over the last 5 years.
We have solar panels and wind turbines but all grid tied.
I had it all built in 2009 grid tied because i lost my job when company I worked for went bankrupt. Could not afford batteries.
I get about 75.00 a month off my electric bill being grid tied.
 
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babysteps

babysteps

Veteran Member
Ours goes out at least once or twice a season.

We have a generator for the well. We have another for the freezer. Most everything else, we have non electric backups. Oil lamps, led lanterns, and flashlights for light. Woodstove for heat in the colder months. Woodstove and propane stove for cooking. Berkey filter. Windup radio. Etc.

It's not a perfect set up, by any stretch, and every time we have another power outage, we find another hole. But we're getting there.
 
babysteps

babysteps

Veteran Member
nomifyle said:
When it started getting dark I started getting antsy. And that's when I asked Dh to turn on the generator.. I don't know whether its was the getting dark that bothered me so much or what, but I was bothered. I didn't think it was the big black out and I am greatful for the trial run.

I'm trying to figure out how to keep myself from being anxious, any suggestions would be appreciated.
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You might consider getting a couple of the special "power outage" light bulbs. My parents got us a 4 pack for Christmas one year. I have one living room lamp that has one of those light bulbs in it. As soon as the power goes out, that one light comes on. And it's surprising how nice it is to have that one regular lamp.
 
babysteps

babysteps

Veteran Member
Pinecone said:
I've never heard of power outage lamps. I learn something new here everyday! Thanks!
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They are the coolest things. The bulb charges while it's being used regularly, so you can't just plug them in when the power goes out though. So I keep one regularly-used lamp with a power outage bulb in it. And when the power goes out, the bulb has a sensor to recognize that the lamp is "on" but has no power flowing to it, and it comes on.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
Well, now I don't know. This whole new building is all-electric. I would imagine they have generators. I have some candles and flashlights and books, etc. My computer has battery back-up, but that wouldn't last too long. You know what? I can't worry about it anymore. I would assume just about everybody here under different circumstances has their behinds covered after all these years. Maybe I'll get a few extra light sources next time at Wallyworld.

:)
 
W

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
I'm at somewhat of an advantage because my power goes out all the time. :) I pretty much do what I always do on a normal day, power or no power...the day (and night) marches on. Just that some things - like washing dishes - takes more putzing around. Not a big deal as I've spent a good part of my life rough camping. BTW...I don't do generators.

One of my crazy hobbies is restoring old oil lamps and kerosene heaters, so I always have them around and functional at the drop of a hat. Don't need much light this time of year because it starts getting daylight at 4:30 am and it's not dark dark 'til 10:00 pm. Winters are quite the opposite (dark at 4:30-5:00pm), and I very regularly burn my lovely old oil lamps in the evening. I do have a good number of battery powered lanterns and headlamps and use them quite a bit, too.

I can cook because the kitchen propane range has a pilot stovetop and oven, so nothing changes there. Have a free-standing propane fireplace in the living room that will heat the whole house with no electricity, even when it's -30F. Mom's wood cookstove in the kitchen for back-up to back-up. I store water for 3-4 days in the house (including handwashing water in those laundry jugs with the push-spigot). I tend to keep the stock tanks over half-full outside so the critter water isn't an immediate concern, but there is the outside hand pump on the well when more is needed. Have gone for 4-5 days without power in the middle of a hot July with quilts piled on top of the freezer for insulation, and it never thawed. Frankly, I don't fret too much about the stuff in the fridge if things go on for more than a day. It's not that much and not that important.

A couple weeks ago, middle of the day for no good reason, the power went out. Had just gotten home after running errands, so grabbed something out of the fridge for lunch, a cold beer, and sat down in front of the battery fan to read a new book that had come that day in the mail. Flipped on the (battery) radio for the news, checked the weather and the outage map on the cell phone to see that the power company was on the problem, and spent the afternoon not doing much but taking it easy. (It was hot and nasty - 90 degrees). Power came on in 3-4 hours and no big deal.

What to do for distraction:
Chores, cooking, cleaning, reading (I always have a pile of journals, magazines and newspapers that need catching up on, plus books to read), grab the guitar for a little practice time, listen to the radio (assures you the rest of the world is humming along just fine), listen to music, always have stored a couple of new-to-you or favorite movies on a tablet or laptop. In the summertime, you can always go mow the lawn, in the wintertime, go shovel snow! :lol: You can charge tablets and cell phones in the car if you have no other way. Keep lots of batteries, and always have lights/lamps around ready to fire up. If you like cards or games, keep them around.
 
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Redcat

Redcat

Veteran Member
I have four portable Jackery type power banks, and I charge them up every two weeks. I have a ryobi power source that runs off the batteries I have, and I have about ten of them.

I have maybe 10 small battery banks that can also be charge with solar, and I have three panels. Multiple flashlights and lanterns and two battery daddy full to power them. I have a couple of battery and/or usb fans. Many many candles. Three oil lamps and oil.

Camp stove and fuel. If in winter we have kero heaters, and propane heaters.

That's the state of the home front.
 
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W

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
mzkitty said:
Well, now I don't know. This whole new building is all-electric. I would imagine they have generators. I have some candles and flashlights and books, etc. My computer has battery back-up, but that wouldn't last too long. You know what? I can't worry about it anymore. I would assume just about everybody here under different circumstances has their behinds covered after all these years. Maybe I'll get a few extra light sources next time at Wallyworld.

:)
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Get yourself a propane camp stove so you can cook and heat water, and you'll have it all over the rest of them.
 
dstraito

dstraito

TB Fanatic
yesterday I was telling DW about the different sources that are predicting a nation grid down scenario.

We lost power in the morning and even though I did not think this was "it" I said "And so it begins".

She just looked at me and rolled her eyes but did look a little relieved when it came back on a half hour later.

This did make me think though, say it was " the event", how would you know. I did use my phone to checkout what the neighbors and PEC were saying but still, it could be kinda of scary when it kicks off.
 
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babysteps

babysteps

Veteran Member
CathyC said:
Is there a link for power outage light bulbs?
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Lol. My only thought is to check Amazon. Mine were given to us so I don't know where my folks got them, but Amazon has several different brands if you search for "power outage light bulbs". And even GE makes them now so I'd think they would be available/order-able from like Ace Hardware or something like that, if you prefer to shop more local.
 
W

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
Southside said:
Have to go home & test Gen-Set #2.

Need freezers. All other is optional/otherwise do-able.
Not going to be happy with cowboy coffee, but it will do. Back to the week long rafting trip days.
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Get an aluminum drip pot. They make the greatest coffee, and all you need is boiling water.


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momma_soapmaker

momma_soapmaker

Disgusted
We've been through extended power outages (week long) several times due to storms. We're rural, and it takes a while for them to get to everyone.

We have 2 gas generators, several battery power packs, LED lanterns, candles, battery operated shower (we have an electric hot water tank, but gas stove, so we can heat water and still take showers using a 5 gallon bucket and the battery shower).

I've said many times if you seriously want to find the holes in your preps, go throw your main breaker for a weekend.

You'll be a different person come Monday.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
WalknTrot said:
Get yourself a propane camp stove so you can cook and heat water, and you'll have it all over the rest of them.
Click to expand...

Probably don't need those though. The people who run the program I'm in would probably freak out if any emergency lasted long at all and would evac us to one of their places for old folks (they run them). Benefit of being an *elder* now, I guess. They are so nice to me.

:lol:
 
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