We have the canned goods, the dry goods, the water filter, the ammo, an emergency trunk filled with everything you can think of—drugs, first aid, lanterns, etc.
But I’m sitting here in the dark for hours after a transformer blew in our small village. Totally failed our dry run. I can’t get the lanterns working. Our batteries seem corrupted and I don’t have the right kind of batteries in some instances. And I need a lantern that uses another kind of energy too.
Big fail! I’m off to Home Depot when the lights come on to truly get prepared. Glad this happened today. I thought we were in good shape. Didn’t make it an hour.
At least you are/were taking it seriously fren. As they always told us in the military YOU ARE NEVER READY, just prepared
"water filter"?
What about water? This is by far the most important item. I'm on a well and have no generator big enough that can power the well. I keep 30 gallons in 5 gallon "cubes" on hand at all times. They came in handy when our well failed one weekend and more recently when the Houston derecho left us without power for 72 hours.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S1RACNY
Additionally, if you know something is coming, fill your bathtubs with water. These can be used for bathing. I wouldn't get into them to bathe, but I'd dip out enough of that water to shower with in some manner.
You can also pick up a Birky filtration system which would make any water clean enough to drink. It will run hundreds of gallons through it. Before you need to replace them. 4 years worth, I believe. We use one in our big RV because we cannot trust the cleanliness at the spigot at the RV parks. Always some idiot using the drinking water to clean their poop hose! Morons.
Or….. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FA2RLX2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Drink rain water or worse.
You still cant get the Berkey Black filters as they are still under attack by the EPA. We also use one in our RV bc people can be nasty. We use a clear glass Big Berkey in our house and man that tap water can be really yellow brown sometimes.
We have a well on our place but I don't trust it, lots of herbicides and pesticide runoff from 100acre corn/cotton field. That will be last resort. Have a 300 gallon tank we collect off a gutter we'll run through the Berkey.
Filling the bathtub ahead of time can also allow you to flush your toilet. During Snovid here in Tx few years back that came in really handy.
The BlackBerkey filter thing is utterly infuriating...especially as we witness Helene victims trying to get back to safe living. You have to wonder who was behind the decision. The Cheneys/Halliburton would be my guess.
Pleasant Hill Grains has a good summary of this BS at their site:
https://pleasanthillgrain.com/berkey-water-purifier-filter
https://pleasanthillgrain.com/media/pdf/Berkey-Water-Filters-Sues-the-EPA-Press-Release-Final.pdf
https://x.com/absolutewithe/status/1699923966582821135?s=46&t=YOYLTb1OndfnTUo90FwYGg&_kx=
I have a Bekley water filter. And stored up some black filters to purify the water
Have a large lake behind my home to use if a true emergency.
Also have a wood fired pizza oven outside and a small volcano grill that cooks with a variety of fuel. (Wood, charcoal or propane).
Plus plenty of stores food in large 10 lb cans. Including flour and wheat grinder to make bread. Can do in my pizza oven if need be
Here is a water bag you fill up in your bathtub. 100 gallons, comes with a pump.
https://www.amazon.com/WaterBOB-Emergency-Container-Drinking-Hurricane/dp/B001AXLUX2
Interesting.
I have 2, one for each bathtub, just in case.
I’ll buy more water today too! Thank you!
and MAKE SURE THE RUBBER STOPPER PLUG IS SOUND.
One year in a storm outage we realized our tub's stopper had hardened and water was leaking past it. Had we not noticed, the tub would have just slowly drained overnight. Managed to put a couple layers of plastic between stopper and plug socket. It worked, and there was still some system pressure to refill fortunately.
My father needs a 240V to power his pump for the well (way too deep).
That said, I believe a few solar panels & a really good inverter should get an hour a day of power in the worst case emergency. Not ideal, but it should get them enough for himself & the neighbors to keep hydrated. He finally got a propane generator that kicks on & will keep that water flowing. The solar is just a redundancy.
https://www.harborfreight.com/rv-ready-50-amp-inverter-generator-parallel-kit-58374.html may work. I need to see what my brother ultimately decided to get for them.
God granted you this test, and it helped all of us well. Not a fail - just a dry run!
Exactly. Now we’re all going to do a stocktake and dry run over the weekend.
We live in the woods, so BTDT.
It really helps to do some trials, but nothing is quite like the real thing to expose where you aren't fully prepped. There's always a wrinkle you didn't consider.
You'll get there. And even if it doesn't feel like 100%, anything is better than nothing.
I have rechargeable batteries for everything. Then I have a solar generator built on the cheap so I can keep the freezer and fridge on and charge all devices. Works good in a pinch.
What’d you use for the cheap solar generator, and about how much?
I found used 400 watt panels at: https://beenebrothers.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqFwovVvQa735JRasGN3kS3-vfy7K9SoM6OqMYPoTds9IFrT6JD
I used a renogy mppt controller: https://beenebrothers.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqFwovVvQa735JRasGN3kS3-vfy7K9SoM6OqMYPoTds9IFrT6JD
Lithium battery: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F2LLMY3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Inverter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0131L8NLM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I put it all in a plastic tote and can move it as needed. You could us your car battery in a pinch but I prefer the cycle life of the lifepo4 battery
I think I am all in for under $600 but 300 of that is the battery. Still way cheaper than the pre built option: https://www.jackery.com/products/solar-generator-3000-pro
Awesome build--great job. Insert many upthumbs here. We were doing that some years back and ended up spending way too much on it all...then again we have a LOT of outages where we live (big trees, big winter winds, kamikaze squirrels).
The Jackery 3000 that our young friends saved for/bought was offset by the big sale they bought during, plus the tax credit, plus being given a couple of the solar panels instead of having to buy them (anniversary gift). But I agree that buying Jackery, etc., off the shelf retail can be VERY expensive if approached in the Amazon Shopper method (click and buy).
Thanks!
No, this is a good thing. Now you know what you need and can re-supply. 👏
Yeah, I don't see how OP thinks this is a fail. At least this was a temporary outage and there is still time to correct any deficiencies. We were fortunate enough to have a well in the back yard, so I bought one of those old timey hand pumps. My brother asked why I didn't put in an electric pump (he thinks everything is hunky dory and will continue to be hunky dory, that sweet summer child). I'm hoping I'll be able to provide water for the neighborhood, they seem to not be animalistic and maybe I can barter for essentials that I might have overlooked.
Cool. My husband thinks he can use the generator on the well, but I found a well bucket on Lehmans a few years ago and bought one. https://www.lehmans.com/product/lehmans-own-galvanized-well-bucket/ Every person nearby our house has a well.
Anyone who wants to see if they're truly ready, take a weekend and shut off your main breaker. See what happens for 24 or 48 hours. It can be very eye-opening, good way to practice.
You will never be prepared enough, but you definitely found areas of weakness you can plug. How many preppers on the mountains of NC found everything they did slid down the mountain side? Do the best you can and pray for the best. God will provide.
Good options. Hope this helps someone.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NPLSZF8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DII7CTI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A21DQA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Case if inclined. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08HC6J3H1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
FYI, I bought that radio about a year ago and it has already died.
I’m off to look at these and order! Thank you
I recommend a HAM instead.
If you dont want batteries get one of these. My wife bought me this and a case of extra candles. Works really well and no need to worry about batteries going bad.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F7DIHA?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atc
Candles are the answer haha
I bought 100 lbs of candle wax before last election. Someone asked me how I was going to make candles when electric went out. I responded by telling them I knew some secret tech called fire. The look on his face when he realized was priceless. Some people are just completely clueless!
I have Ryobi power tools, with lanterns (that have a usb charger built in) and inverters that take the 5AH ryobi batteries. A ryobi radio, space heater, fan and solar panels that charge the batteries.
Standardise as much as you can.
living in rural areas present certain issues re: water, well pump goes out, water freeze, etc...my house only has one toilet, so i decided to get a portable potty like campers would use, self-contained, fresh water flush, and a 5gal holding tank...no more hauling water to flush! and can empty it right into my septic tank when full! just a thought...
I highly recommend getting a few of these UCO Candelier lanterns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MWG3IWv4O8
With that said, consider purchasing a battery with solar to charge it. Right now would be a great time to look at the solutions on Amazon, like "GoalZero", "Jackery", Anker, etc.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D7VZ758K/
Those units are quite pricey...so in working up a budget/savings plan, it can help to factor in the tax credits available on the larger units (3000 kWh and up) through the green or clean or whatever energy tax credit program (which I hope DJT leaves in place through 2032).
But if you save, calculate the tax credit, and buy on sale, this can be a sound backup technology.
One of the last things my darling and I did together in the spring was build a system that can power selected household circuits via plugging into our transfer switch. We've always had a gas generator, but hauling out/firing that loud thing up and burning fuel to generate, say, just enough juice to power fans to push woodstove heat down the main hall, or recharge a fridge, is ridiculous.
That's one of the great things about the "solar generators." You only use the electrons you need.
A generator, even a small one, is a good investment. Then run it once in awhile to test that it will be there when needed. A 1000 watt gen will run the lights and refrigerator and just sip’s gas. Heat is another story though. If in a cold climate, a wood stove or gas fireplace is a good idea.
We often have transformers fail during lightning season. I have two AGM batteries, two photovoltaic panels, a charge controller and a "1500W" 220v inverter (actually only good for about 500 Watts). All computers are laptops that can be recharged from this system. Two automatic emergency lights with 12 hour batteries. Plenty of rechargeable LED torches. Two LED desk lamps that will run from the system.
Our Internet WiFi router with SIM also runs from the system.
We have 1000 litres of water in a tank on the roof - gravity-fed, no pump needed. And our cooker/hob runs on bottled gas. We also have a wood stove and plenty of wood.
And at least a week's supply of food, plus we get eggs and vegetables from neighbours.
We have “rechargeable electronic light bulbs” in lamps around the house that automatically come on when the power goes out (search up on Amazon) - they’re awesome!
Also - a little expensive- but a few Goal Zero emergency batteries can recharge phones many times, and we have flashlights all over and a “battery daddy” filled with batteries (from Costco) -
We do live in an area with frequent power outages (somewhere in Alaska) - we also have lots of vacuum sealed food (I even just vacuum sealed some cat food for kitty) and those 25 year emergency foods - we are pretty prepared
God looking out for you fren
—Ed Calderon
Love this.
That is why we have dress rehearsals.
Thanks for the strong advice for all of us
Just bought a few wick lanterns and indoor rated lamp oil. Multiple backups
Buy a used IBC container that had molasses or some other food grade material in it. Clean it out well, and then use it for rain catch. Then use it to fill an alexapure or lifestraw community filter
https://www.amazon.com/LifeStraw-Community-High-Volume-Water-Purifier/dp/B07D4NH3MB/ref=sr_1_28?sr=8-28
Or make your own but keep in mind it has to be substantially bigger and not sure it will filter the same stuff as the others (viruses...cryptosporidium)
Any tool you have must be tested. I've discarded many an item that didn't live up to it's hype. Hybridize your system as much as possible.
Go camping more
Always good to have a test run before real problems hit.
I am able to power my fridge for a few hours per day & recharge some electronics with the few solar panels I picked up & the battery I have. Worst case, I have some power. We have lots of stuff for heat if needed & a neighbor showed me how a 9v battery should power my fireplace heat if. The absolute worst happens. Still, it is good to have these back ups as we bukld for total off grid preparedness.
I guess I'm old school. Over 10 years ago, I purchased my first Coleman white gas lantern. Within about a year I had learned to repair and restore them. I've purchased parts and special service tools, even fabricated some tools. At this point, I have over 60 lanterns, stoves, and catalytic heaters. I love it, when the power goes out! It's just another excuse to fire up some lanterns.
Great story! Love this hobby.
Batteries go bad, even on the shelf. Keep plenty of kerosene lanterns around. And kerosene.
Something that I think a lot of people forget to stock up on is fat. Get some olive oil, save your bacon grease, buy some butter when it's on sale, get a couple small tubs of lard or tallow... any or all of those will be good to have on hand. I have a small stockpile of a couple of those items.
Coconut oil also. Keeps a long time.
Well, that was humbling! But now you can get all the right stuff. Someone up there is watching over you!
As someone that recently went seven days without power and four without water would recommend getting a 55 gallon food grade drum for water. You can probably source them locally for less than 50 bucks. I don't own a generator. I have a trolling motor for a small john boat so I have a battery for that so I bought an inverter and it worked well for charging batteries to recharge cell phones and to run my cpap. I could if needed rotate this battery with my vehicles.
What do you do to the water to keep it from going bad in those? Also, is there a legitimate concern about bottled water with some age on it? I try to cycle through my packs of bottled water every 3 months but who knows how long it has been sitting on pallets in some storage facility prior to me buying it. Some water tastes ok, some tastes really 'flat'. (reminds me of distilled water)
Dump it every couple of months and start over.
Ok - makes sense.
Pour water back and forth between two cups and you can reaerate it.
Almost had it, but if this was real you'd be screwed.
Can you elaborate? Are they Chinese lanterns? Batteries past shelf life? Improper cables or "rechargeable" lanterns during an outage. What "other energy" did you not have? Stating the obvious, but these are things you consider when you buy these things. I have a UHF radio that runs on AA batteries, buddy keeps saying I need the "new one" that has a rechargeable battery pack. That's no good to me in an emergency BUT it is good for me to casually play with it for now to larn UHF radio. When SHTF, it's a brick.
The lantern didn’t light with the last four Double D’s I had. I didn’t have triple A’s for the small tent lights. Couldn’t find my other lanterns. I thought we had a lot of batteries but husband has been dipping into our supplies. If I needed to fire up our new generator, I didn’t know how to start it alone as husband is off in the woods. I looked at our water supply. Not good! I’m going to correct all of this today. I’ll drop a bundle at Home Depot without a qualm after what happened this morning!
Couple of tips that may help prepare. I bought a couple of solar battery chargers - they take quite a bit of time to work without strong sun but they do work. The outside yard lights (type with stakes in the ground) along driveway work to bring inside at night in a pinch - not super bright. Might pick up a few headlamps too - they are cheap and bright and they dont seem to disappear like flashlights. In addition to bottled or water storage containers, fill your empty freezer spaces with clean 2 liter soda or juice bottles of water to have cooking water on hand and empty laundry or bleach bottles to fill with handwashing water, can be left outside or in garage. Good luck friend.
Got these on my list! Especially the head lamps!
Just be careful you dont burn each others eyes out with the headlamps 👀!!
By no means a prepper but I think its a good idea to store fresh batteries with the gear you may need to use in an emergency (ie I have a blackout box, a 10L plastic box filed with multiple lights, torches and radio + all required batteries), so they are at hand if/when you need to use. I prefer to not fit them into the torches/radio etc beforehand as I dont want to risk them going flat.
Battery shelf life is usually 5-10+ years, so you can always cycle out your batteries after 5 years and replace them with fresh batteries, and use the stored ones for your everyday needs.
I use the rechargeable Panasonic eneloops for AA/AAA, and the ternergy LSD (low self discharge) for D cells. These sit well on the shelf for months without losing much charge.
Don't leave alkaline batteries in your devices! They leak over time and ruin flashlights, radios, etc. Duracell and Energizer have sent me checks to replace maglites until I learned.
https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-K-KJ17MCA104-Rechargeable-Batteries-Individual/dp/B078375TK9/ref=sr_1_9?sr=8-9
https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Rechargeable-Discharge-Batteries-Pre-Charged/dp/B01ASF24WI/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?cv_ct_cx=tenergy+lsd+D+cell&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sr=1-2-6024b2a3-78e4-4fed-8fed-e1613be3bcce-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1
Charger: https://www.amazon.com/Powerex-MH-C800S-8-Cell-Smart-Charger/dp/B000LQMKDS/ref=sr_1_2?sr=8-2
Buy once, cry once. I have been happy with these for years.
Eneloops rock.
This is super great advice. Got these on my list now
The best and easiest practical lighting is a headlamp. That's what I mostly used when I lost power for two weeks.
Candles or a candle lantern, or make your own out of water bottles, a scissors, a piece of chewing gum, a candle and some wire or a string.
https://www.amazon.com/UCO-Original-Candle-Lantern-Powder/dp/B08QLFJ8DX/ref=sr_1_5?sr=8-5
Generators come in handy to preserve food and some heat
Great topic.
Those of you looking to have backup generation capacity, and trying to fit that with your budget--factor in the "green energy" tax credit program that at present runs I think through 2032 and covers units 3000 kWh and bigger. It includes not just rooftop PV but also "solar generators" (big battery packs) that can be charged via portable solar panels, on grid while you have power, and other ways depending on the product (like DC/car charging, which some RV and outdoor people do, charging the batt as they drive from one place to the next, or from a gas/propane generator).
They are pricey, but in budgeting for them the tax credit can make a big difference. Jackery had deep sales this summer, and the credits on top of that made it possible for a couple young friends to afford a 3000 kWh unit that they'd saved up for for a couple years.