My real world test of emergency preparation.

That is what I am going through right now.
Ice on everything.
Power is out.
It’s cold outside.
Trees are down.

Generator running to keep food cold and power tv/radios/computers running.
Kerosene heaters have proven worth their weight in gold.
Mainly been using the kerosene lamps/lanterns.
Haven’t taped into the supply of candles yet, haven’t had to.
Have cooked several meals on Coleman fuel stove.
Haven’t dug out the propane stuff yet, haven’t had to.
I am posting this post from a generator powered computer..........

Got to get outside today and use the chainsaw on a bunch of downed trees and limbs.

So, to answer the question, “does it pay to be prepared”

HELL YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

reply to post by Mr Tranny


Good to see someone actualy trying thier gear out before it's needed. Starred and flagged.

Iron out those kinks before you need to use the stuff for real, you don't want to put your family at risk because you either don;t know how to use something or it doesn't work.

Great job.

CX.

reply to post by Mr Tranny


Heres a tip.
Its cold outside so don't worry about keeping food cold...you have a free fridge that runs on nothing.
In a situation like that make sure the pipes don't freeze.
Good luck and be safe.

I am doing some gear testing this weekend camping in cold temperatures in a few feet of snow.
It DOES pay to be prepared!!!

ya know, i don't s&f often, but here ya go... S&F. does it pay to be prepared? yes! good job not letting the people around you convince you, "it'll be ok" and if something happens "the government will take care of it". fact is, you don't know exactly how long you'll be with out power, could be a couple of hours, could be a couple of weeks... word of warning though. be careful with any fumes, and conserve what heating and operating fuels you have..'

Another thing, if you have a family, if they are able to, show them how to use the gear as well. No good you being the only one who knows how to use it all, if something should happen to you.

I don't make a big deal of it with my kids, i just casualy say to them now and again, "Do us a favour, can you go light one of the hurricane lamps for me?" Things like that. They are constantly refreshing thier skills without really knowing it.

CX.

Originally posted by DrumsRfun
reply to post by Mr Tranny

 

Heres a tip.
Its cold outside so don't worry about keeping food cold...you have a free fridge that runs on nothing.

With the temps going above and below the freezing mark, I prefer to keep the food in something I know will keep it froze.

Now, if it was zero outside……. Then the frozen food would be going outside.

For refrigerator service I run the generator 4 hours then off 8 hours. Basically run it twice a day for a total run time of 8 hours a day. That will get me by with under 3 gallon a day. I have 20 gallon of fuel in cans. I have another 40 I can get out of cars. So, I have enough generator fuel on site for 20 days.

I have enough kerosene fuel on site for 10 days.

I have to go outside and do cleanup.................. see ya later..........

reply to post by Mr Tranny


Sounds like you've got it under control.
I lived without a fridge once for 4 months and made myself a fridge using my window sills.
Its a handy trick I thought I would mention.

Take care,be safe and good for you for being prepared.

Well done, MrTranny...
Definitely pays to prepare!

I'm glad you are making it okay, as I'm sure there are plenty of people who aren't.

Probably because they spent their attention and money on more frivalous things...
Things they don't need...

When it boils down to it: You can only rely on yourself.

I'm proud to see everything is doing fine for you.
I also wonder how many people are without power thinking to themselves:
"If I would of only bought that generator instead of a new LCD TV!"

Common sense.

It pays to have some.

The power is back on!!!!!!!!!! Whoooooooohoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A little over 24 hours without lights. Just got off the CB with a neighbor that is still running on generator power. It will be later tonight or early tomorrow before they get power. They are currently working on the section of line that he is on, as I type this. The local REMC projects that they will have all their customers back online by Saturday.

The local REMC is really working their butts off right now. They have been using a bulldozer to clear the right of way close by here.

Now I have to pack all the junk back up for the next storm.

Originally posted by havok
Well done, MrTranny...
Definitely pays to prepare!

I'm glad you are making it okay, as I'm sure there are plenty of people who aren't.

Probably because they spent their attention and money on more frivalous things...
Things they don't need...

When it boils down to it: You can only rely on yourself.

I'm proud to see everything is doing fine for you.
I also wonder how many people are without power thinking to themselves:
"If I would of only bought that generator instead of a new LCD TV!"

Common sense.

It pays to have some.

I have been on the phone and on the radio for the most part of last night, and this morning talking to neighbors. Everyone was pretty much taking it easy. The people that didn’t have heat crashed at their neighbor’s house that did have heat. So on, and so forth. I had a spare generator that I had offered for use to anyone that needed it, and it is still sitting there, unused.

The only issues I had was on a neighbor’s generator that I had cleaned the carburetor on previously. He had left it sitting all year with fuel in it (against my strict instructions) and it had gummed up again. Had to get out in the weather to get it going for them.

And there is an additional item on the “to do” list. While I was standing outside last night, I heard the unmistakable surging sound of a generator that had a blocked idle port. And I know who lives in the direction that the sound was coming from, so I got on the phone to verify. It was working good enough that I didn’t have to worry about fixing it last night, but I will have to pull the carb on it and clean it when the weather gets better.

Usually, long outages during the hot summer months create a bigger rush on generators around here because there is no natural refrigeration available for frozen foods that people have on hand. So, they are usually looking to share a generator with someone, or looking for someone that has a generator and spare space in their freezer that can keep their frozen food till the power comes back. When it comes to heating in the winter, most people have wood stoves, or kerosene heaters. And if they don’t, they already have a generator because they have went through this before.

The only thing that surprised a lot of us is how well the batteries in the local DSLAM that provides DSL access for this area (AT&T) held out. With the power out, we still had DSL access without a hitch. I don’t know hot long the rated to run on battery power, but we gave it a run for it’s money.

All and all, 24 hours of lights out with no mass looting, mass shootings, robberies, fighting, or violence of any kind, besides the stuff that the ice storm dished out.

Talk about a disappointment…..

Good job on the preparedness.
Just a note, we used our window sills in college during the winter, works fine, just monitor your day time temps.

Also if you dont open a deep freeze contents will store 2-3 days without electricity. Then its cook and share time.

A few years ago, an ice storm took parts of Louisville down for weeks. We were lucky just one week, but other areas suffered. We got to know our neighbors quickly. The morning of the storm we had 2 or 3 houses on cell phones watching as branches broke around our yards. Some sparking as limbs tore wires, did the fire watch, till the whole neighborhood was out, then did a check on elderly, asked neighbors who lived where, went to check on needs. Only one older fella on oxygen had to be relocated. We got a hold of insurance companies took lots of pics emailed to agents, got their ok and was cleaning up that afternoon. But you ration flashlight use, thank goodness or oil lamps. Kerosene heaters are the best! I have used them for years, spoiled by them, they are so warm.

I just got a friend of mine's a used one from my grandma that just passed. I am getting a treadle sewing machine so I can make blankets during the event we are ever semi permanently without electricity. People will need to stay warm and have clothes. Almost done with another quilt now. That closet full of old bluejeans, and a wool blanket and a flannel top sheet is gonna make an awesome quilt.

Sauce pans on top of the heaters is a good warming station, just watch what you are doing.

Also I worked at a cater place, we have sterno, and man the prices of those things are incredible.
When the pair I have go empty, will refill with the hand sanitizer gel. Just avoid ones with scents and extra oils etc. Much more cost effective and slightly warmer heat. Again setup carefullly if you dont have a stand, eleveate 3 inches above the flame. I used bricks from our landscaping on the top of the stove to make the heating surfaces, leaving room for the sternos in the burner wells.

Think in ways the pioneers survived. Had a house, if you choose to stay in yours, but how'd they get along? I am considering a small stone mill for grindng grain into four.

Looks like laundry on Tues and Bread made on Thursdays, conserve your energy reserves, you don't need as much as you think. When right out of college I did Tub laundry. Liquid detergents, no powders, fill agitate, let rest when your arm gets tired, go back agitate again, let drain naturally, why ring out heavy wet fabrics, refill rinse, again let drain on its own, go do something else. Best trick, use an additional shower curtain rod down the middle of the tub, hang dripping garments and hang. Less wrinkles, don;t wring out, wasting physical energies, and clothes end up looking dishelved. Go easy on fabric softeners, fabric not well enough rinsed will coat your skin when you wear the clothes, smells great but sticky.

Learned last night on Good Eats on Hulu.com that Barley has 2-3 times more protein than rice. Barley mushroom, barley stewed with beef, beef bullion and barley if thats all I got. slow cook...on top of kerosene heater, perfect slow preparation method. I have more cooked meats in my freezer than raw. Cause some methods of cooking wont bring up to proper temps, so precook and refreeze as entrees.

Sorry got on a roll, but just wanted to share my working knowledge from an urban survival perspective. I am no longer near western ky. But now just far enough away from New Madrid fault, that will be survivable, but just ugly enough that skills are going to be needed.
Get books on basic skills, and entertainment....playing cards, backgammon, musical instrument if anyone is so talented. One will want it as disstraction and stress relief.

Kudos of dry run.

Originally posted by limbomumbojumbo
Also I worked at a cater place, we have sterno, and man the prices of those things are incredible.
When the pair I have go empty, will refill with the hand sanitizer gel. Just avoid ones with scents and extra oils etc. Much more cost effective and slightly warmer heat. Again setup carefullly if you dont have a stand, eleveate 3 inches above the flame. I used bricks from our landscaping on the top of the stove to make the heating surfaces, leaving room for the sternos in the burner wells.

They do sell sterno fuel by the gallon, so that you can refill smaller containers.
It is usually around $10 a gallon. About the same price as Coleman fuel or denatured alcohol.
www.foodservicefiresale.com...
www.atlantafixture.com...
www.sears.com...


All though, you can usually find small cans sold in bulk for a bit cheaper than that.

www.foodservicedirect.com...

Thanks for the links. Was just being resourceful.
What no guff awws about tub laundry?

I am glad you were able to recover so quickly. And great job keeping us in the loop. I have family in Cleveland and I have been checking on them throughout the day. Bad storm, but not as bad as the Hype seemed to be. 77 still sticks in my head if you remember that one. Your test is great to find loopholes in your plan. did you find any? even comforts that you would have liked to have had?

Originally posted by network dude
I am glad you were able to recover so quickly. And great job keeping us in the loop. I have family in Cleveland and I have been checking on them throughout the day. Bad storm, but not as bad as the Hype seemed to be. 77 still sticks in my head if you remember that one. Your test is great to find loopholes in your plan. did you find any? even comforts that you would have liked to have had?

The only things that I can point out are.

I though I had a more engine oil on hand than I did. If it would have went into a long outage, I would have had to go to my neighbor to get some to do regular oil changes on the generator. I need to keep more oil in stock.

I need to get an oven that will run on something besides electricity. I have several things in the freezer that I can’t cook with a Coleman stove. They sell little tin box ovens that will set on a Coleman stove, but I don’t know how good they would be. I have a small toaster oven that the generator could run, but that would only work for small stuff. Worst case, I would have to take the food over to a neighbor that had a propane oven.

I don’t have any factory made equipment that I can use to connect a 20lb propane tank to a Coleman propane stove, or propane lantern. I have the basic components needed to make up an adapter if absolutely needed. But it would be nice to have something I could just pull out of the box and connect the two without worrying about it.

I really need to get a couple full 20lb propane tanks put back in storage. I have plenty 1lb cylinders but I only had one half full 20lb tank, and one empty 20lb tank.

It would be nice to have a water heater that would run off of propane/LP. I can live without hot water, but it would be nice to have.

But then again, I have never been a fan of propane appliances. They are just too prone to explosion risk with day to day usage. That is probably why I don’t have any big propane appliances or big tanks around here.

I have also never been a fan of natural gas, Especially with the possibility of a large earthquake so close to here. Because of that, I am not too fond of the idea of large quantities of pressurized flammable gas in large pipes buried in the ground that you can’t easily shut off. That is also why I am kind of happy that there is not natural gas service around here. I know it would be nice to have a natural gas powered generator, and heat but no thanks.

With propain/LP, it is contained in a heavy steel tank that isn’t likely to rupture. If you have an earthquake, and you suspect that you may have a leak, you can run outside, and turn the valve off on the tank, and the problem is contained. With natural gas, if you have an earthquake, and you run outside and see gas hissing from the ground in front of you, then you are just screwed.


All in all My ultimate dream would be a diesel cogen. A water cooled diesel generator to keep the lights on, while the engine coolant could be used for house heating via a forced air hydronic coil mounted in the central air system and hot water via a heat exchanger.

Update…….. Neighbors down the road just got power.

reply to post by Mr Tranny

cool thread- one piece of advice, use as you wish. I am from south louisiana and have spent a lot of time running on generator power. I know a LOT of people who have ruined electronics by powering them with generators (computers, tv's,etc)

reply to post by CX

Good to see someone actualy trying thier gear out before it's needed. Starred and flagged.

Not trying to call you out on that statement, but....
What do you mean before it's needed?

This is exactly what it's needed for!

I've posted on many threads that this is exactly what to prepare for

Prepare for that situations that you are most likely to encounter first,
rather than preparing for some all out WS really THF scenario.

It will be much more realistic, likely, and cost effective.

When preparing for the most likely scenarios, we will find how much of this prep carries over to the more unlikely scenarios.

Originally posted by Oaktree
reply to post by CX

 

Good to see someone actualy trying thier gear out before it's needed. Starred and flagged.

Not trying to call you out on that statement, but....
What do you mean before it's needed?

This is exactly what it's needed for!

I've posted on many threads that this is exactly what to prepare for

Prepare for that situations that you are most likely to encounter first,
rather than preparing for some all out WS really THF scenario.

It will be much more realistic, likely, and cost effective.

When preparing for the most likely scenarios, we will find how much of this prep carries over to the more unlikely scenarios.

I think he just meant power was only out for 24 hours or so. Of course when it happens you never know when the power will go back on, but like the man says, this was a great test. I'm not nearly as prepared, and with sub zero temps I woud be in trouble if the power went out for an extended period of time.

Great thread!

Having been "homeless" several times (long story) I know the true meaning of living with the most limited yet practical supplies and gear. As a solo entity, it's amazing how little you truly need. A family requires much more, and all the preparation and practice is a great idea, think of it as camping and enjoy and learn from every benefit and downfall. Let's hope it's never a live or die scenario, but the experience is priceless if the time comes. Be thankful this is a temporary situation
enjoy

And another thing I found greatly helpful.
Having a 12V battery system that can run your AM/FM radio, CB, ham radio, shortwave radio, and scanner.

Having something to break the silence will keep you from going stir crazy and keep you aware of what is going on around you. With out a battery system you can only use that equipment when the generator is running. That has a tendency to make you run the generator more to be able to use those items, thus using more of your fuel supply.

I could kill the generator any time I wanted to without loosing communications. A couple of my neighbors could only be reached on the radio when they were running their generators.

And it is also nice to be able to listen to a good quality (non dry cell powered) receiver or CB in total calm without the background noise of a generator running.

I have the pre stated items (AM/FM, CB, Ham, SW, scanner) on my battery bank in the house. I should have enough battery capacity to run the connected equipment for almost a week if I use the ham transceiver lightly.

The experience with the good hang time on the DSLAM has got me thinking. The DSL modem/router is designed to operate on 5VDC. If I build something to convert the ~12DC to the 5VDC then I can run it directly off the DC battery bank. If I set it up to directly run on the battery system in the house, then I can have uninterrupted internet connectivity without the need of the generator or an inverter. That way, I can use a lap top running on battery power to surf the web over the DSL connection without worrying about running the generator.