What Will You Do When the Lights Go Out?

SHTF Plan ^ | 11/30/12 | Daisy Luther

[Kartographer]

Some people believe that we are hurtling towards physical disaster with our delicate electrical grid. Just how that disaster might occur is open for debate, but we need only look at major power outages over the last few years to see how precarious our grasp on electricity is. It isn’t a matter of “if” the lights will go out, but a matter of “when”.

Severe weather has given the grid a walloping over the past few years. For example, three years ago, parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia and Missouri suffered through 3 weeks sans power after a record-setting ice storm. Last summer, people in the Washington, DC metropolitan area were without power for a week during a heat wave as the result of a severe thunderstorm accompanied by high winds. And most recently, of course, we have witnessed the plight of the victims of Hurricane Sandy as they have struggled to function in the most populated area in the United States without electricity and running water, all while attempting to clean up the detritus of the massive storm.

Mother Nature could have other tricks up her sleeve with the possibility of a solar flare-related coronal mass ejection that could cause not only outages but irreparable damage to items powered by electricity. Many countries have developed EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapons that could perpetrate the same type of damage.

Yet another grim possibility is that as the economy continues to degrade, more and more people simply won’t be able to afford to keep the electricity on in their homes.

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Hey, a gift from God! Locusts.. They’re CRUNCHY!

[tallyhoe]

Stuff from mother nature can be repaired. Obama is planning on shutting down coal power plants with nothing to back them up except wind and solar!

[PA Engineer]

Just my 2 cents.

I have recommended spending money on the first leg of a stand alone system. This would involve proper batteries and inverters. This is the expensive part, however when it is done everything else is easy.

The Writer states: "5 gallons will supply 3-8 hours of electricity".

That is true if your powering everything from a "spinning reserve" setup. With batteries and inverters that is not the case. Five gallons is five days of pretty comfortable living. What if power is rationed? What if power is only on for a couple of hours a day? A battery and inverter system is gold.

In my situation I find refrigeration and a water well pump to be the most important. That is 3KW hours of stored power. Gravy if power is on for a couple of hours per day. Everything else including communications and security is easy.

Just something to consider. I will be adding more solar panels now. Not so much that I have "green" intentions, but I have serious doubts that our system and way of living can be maintained.

I firmly believe that 90 days will be important. You need to lay low while the crisis works itself out. After 90 days, I have prepped for a system of three. Three different ways to provide food, water and heat if any of the primary fails.

YMMV.

[Drango]

My belief is that those relying on fuel driven generators or battery technology with out a means to recharge, are in for a rude surprise if the grid is down for long.

I’m looking at solar. Here is one of the firms out there....
www.goalzero.com

My beef with these system is the storage batteries need to be taken care of about 4 times a year or they go bad. That’s more maintenance than I care to do.

[Shadowstrike]

Actually the Bible does mention America where it talks of the land of many rivers.

[Vendome]

You could slather them with barbeque sauce or fry them with onions, celery and fry em.....

[Casie]

Haha! That's smart thinking! I bought my husband a pipe and some vacuum sealed tobacco. He looked at me crazy and I said “Its for the end of the world.” He replied “Oh, cool. I'll put it with the whiskey.”

The last thing I need is a grumpy, armed, internet deprived, high tech redneck going through nicotine withdrawal. Seriously!

[Vendome]

I love my goalzero chargers....

[Marcella]

You can order the strength of nicotine you want with these cigarettes.

[bayareablues]

I need to buy a generator but don’t know how to determine the size I need. I see that there are diff models for California as well. Any input on the size issue?

[Little Pig]

The “locusts” he’s talking about go on two legs, not six.

[Secret Agent Man]

a second civil war would keep us occupied here amd resources here.

[jonrick46]

We have propane lanterns, battery powered headlights, hand crank radios, and a propane bbq. The house has natural gas to run the hot water and the stove top (the oven needs the electronics for control). The generator keeps the freezer and refrigerator going. For heat, there is the fireplace.

[Mich Patriot]

"Any input on the size issue?"

I bought a small generator for $400 delivered to my home. It's enough to run the fridge and several other things. All I really care about is the fridge and deep freeze.

To your point...the product description will tell you how much can be run on the generator. I have 25 gallons of gas, which I run through my motorcycle each summer and replace to keep it fresh.

[ReaganGeneration2]

Does anyone have ideas on the least expensive, yet reliable solar generator that runs 1800W (well pump)?

[Salamander]

The two legged locusts provide perfectly good dog food.

:)

[momincombatboots]

We are sorta looking at that as well. Are you saying there is maintenance on the deep cycles? I guess we missed that part. sigh.

[Bigg Red]

Does anyone have ideas on the least expensive, yet reliable solar generator that runs 1800W (well pump)?

***
Please ping me if someone answers that for you. Thanks.

[Dusty Road]

Folks I’m by no means a prepper but I have lived in rural West TX for over 60 years and we’ve went without power many times and for a variety of reasons. Now this won’t apply to those without natural gas but if you have it take notice.

Not once in 60 years have we ever lost gas pressure mainly due to the fact that electricity is not needed when handling or metering natural gas. I installed a natural gas generator several years ago and it has only been used 3 times but it fired up the house and garage delivering all the power needed. I pulled the electric oven many years ago and replace it with gas, my water heater and heating system for the house are also gas.

I know not many people have their own oil wells but we have 72 on the big ranch and just this year I converted one of the worse ones ( it wasn’t making any oil but was still producing gas) into a generator to feed the big ranch house (5500 sq-ft), it’s run off a 8x10 1/2 Ajax engine I no longer used. The big house is now all electric and on the grid but should it go I can switch over to the Ajax and deliver all the power needed.

Just a reminder that in all these years I’ve never lost gas pressure, both in town or out.

[Dusty Road]

I’ve got 5 wells on the big ranch with 3 on solar and two on windmills, I’ll check the solars out and get back with you.