Urban and otherwise "survival"

[bwframe]

Expectedly still out of power this morning. Using my trusty Note 9 as a wifi hotspot while also running the scanner app.

Old Galaxy Active 7 is streaming FNC, telling me about all the lib whining over SCOTUS bringing decisions back to right.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Expectedly still out of power this morning. Using my trusty Note 9 as a wifi hotspot while also running the scanner app.

Old Galaxy Active 7 is streaming FNC, telling me about all the lib whining over SCOTUS bringing decisions back to right.

Yeah, I heard thunder here in Camby when I woke up. Looked at the radar app and saw this one running a train on you guys down in B'ton. Then I realized our office down there never came back up yesterday. Oh well, I guess its good they cant get knocked offline again... LOL

Stay safe.

 

[Expat]

lots of good advice on the power above. I think if I was starting out now, I would invest in solar panels and batteries . For food, the best way to be prepared is be a gardener and canner. my Wife and mom both canned everything they could, including meat. We had beans, corn, pickles, kraut, fruit, jellies, apple butter, etc. it was all stuff that we would eat in the normal course of life. But I bet at one point we had enough food in the basement to survive a year or two. I have a shallow well that comes up in the basement. I have a hand pump that I can attach if need be to have all the potable water that want.

 

[Magyars]

lots of good advice on the power above. I think if I was starting out now, I would invest in solar panels and batteries . For food, the best way to be prepared is be a gardener and canner. my Wife and mom both canned everything they could, including meat. We had beans, corn, pickles, kraut, fruit, jellies, apple butter, etc. it was all stuff that we would eat in the normal course of life. But I bet at one point we had enough food in the basement to survive a year or two. I have a shallow well that comes up in the basement. I have a hand pump that I can attach if need be to have all the potable water that want.

Excellent advice/Information. If you do go solar you will need a charge controller as well.

 

[Leadeye]

A generator, while expensive, will pay for itself in food spoilage costs pretty quickly. It doesn't need to be whole house but run some stuff like freezers easily and be capable of doing more. HVAC is the big user everywhere so we heat with wood and have a 110 window unit that is easy to mount up in the walk out basement. Moving the microwave and toaster oven to the bar downstairs and sleeping in the downstairs bedroom covers the squares pretty well.

 

[Cameramonkey]

A generator, while expensive, will pay for itself in food spoilage costs pretty quickly. It doesn't need to be whole house but run some stuff like freezers easily and be capable of doing more. HVAC is the big user everywhere so we heat with wood and have a 110 window unit that is easy to mount up in the walk out basement. Moving the microwave and toaster oven to the bar downstairs and sleeping in the downstairs bedroom covers the squares pretty well.

And you will overrun a generator faster than you think. Inrush current to start the compressors takes a bit, so double the size generator you think you will need if you have multiple fridges to run. Or plan on running them in shifts.

 

[Leadeye]

And you will overrun a generator faster than you think. Inrush current to start the compressors takes a bit, so double the size generator you think you will need if you have multiple fridges to run. Or plan on running them in shifts.

Very true, like cameramonkey says go for more wattage as you will eat it up fast.

 

[spencer rifle]

Some things we thought important:
Solar/battery setup that goes into our house grid by an inverter.
4 water sources (lake, stream, rain collection, PVC well dipper)
Water purification - filters (backpacking, large setups including 5 gal buckets and candle filters with silver), pool shock.
Canning hardware and supplies, both water bath and pressure.
Light sources (solar walkway lights that can charge in daylight, kerosene lanterns, lots of batteries and flashlights).
Radio equipment (handheld transmitters, multi-band receivers inside Faraday cages)
Diesel, electric and gas vehicles.
Books and magazines IN PRINT, especially Backwoods Home and Self-Reliance.
Precious metals and cash reserve.
Sharpening equipment.
Timepieces that do not rely on batteries/internet.
Reloading equipment and supplies.
Foraging and gardening knowledge and experience.
Alternate cooking arrangements.
Stored chocolate (without it we are just existing, not living).

 

[Bugzilla]

Some things we thought important:
Solar/battery setup that goes into our house grid by an inverter.
4 water sources (lake, stream, rain collection, PVC well dipper)
Water purification - filters (backpacking, large setups including 5 gal buckets and candle filters with silver), pool shock.
Canning hardware and supplies, both water bath and pressure.
Light sources (solar walkway lights that can charge in daylight, kerosene lanterns, lots of batteries and flashlights).
Radio equipment (handheld transmitters, multi-band receivers inside Faraday cages)
Diesel, electric and gas vehicles.
Books and magazines IN PRINT, especially Backwoods Home and Self-Reliance.
Precious metals and cash reserve.
Sharpening equipment.
Timepieces that do not rely on batteries/internet.
Reloading equipment and supplies.
Foraging and gardening knowledge and experience.
Alternate cooking arrangements.
Stored chocolate (without it we are just existing, not living).

As a survival tactic and to confuse rookies, I assume the order of importance of your list starts at the bottom and works up?!?

 

[bwframe]

Making coffee without power...
Zulay Classic Stovetop Espresso Maker for Great Flavored Strong Espresso, Classic Italian Style 3 Espresso Cup Moka Pot, Makes Delicious Coffee, Easy to Operate & Quick Cleanup Pot (American Flag) https://a.co/d/c7wjOsR
TIANDLIFE Alcohol Burner Spirit Camp Stove w/Cooktop Solo Titanium Stove w/ 3oz Fuel Storage https://a.co/d/4dKjQBs

 

[Bugzilla]

I have a few of these in various places and have demonstrated to myself that I can start a fire with them.

 

[Creedmoor]

Making coffee without power... View attachment 284479
Zulay Classic Stovetop Espresso Maker for Great Flavored Strong Espresso, Classic Italian Style 3 Espresso Cup Moka Pot, Makes Delicious Coffee, Easy to Operate & Quick Cleanup Pot (American Flag) https://a.co/d/c7wjOsR
TIANDLIFE Alcohol Burner Spirit Camp Stove w/Cooktop Solo Titanium Stove w/ 3oz Fuel Storage https://a.co/d/4dKjQBs

 

[Magyars]

Some things we thought important:
Solar/battery setup that goes into our house grid by an inverter.
4 water sources (lake, stream, rain collection, PVC well dipper)
Water purification - filters (backpacking, large setups including 5 gal buckets and candle filters with silver), pool shock.
Canning hardware and supplies, both water bath and pressure.
Light sources (solar walkway lights that can charge in daylight, kerosene lanterns, lots of batteries and flashlights).
Radio equipment (handheld transmitters, multi-band receivers inside Faraday cages)
Diesel, electric and gas vehicles.
Books and magazines IN PRINT, especially Backwoods Home and Self-Reliance.
Precious metals and cash reserve.
Sharpening equipment.
Timepieces that do not rely on batteries/internet.
Reloading equipment and supplies.
Foraging and gardening knowledge and experience.
Alternate cooking arrangements.
Stored chocolate (without it we are just existing, not living).

Good list

 

[gregr]

Change your priorities (bwframe calls it "lifestyle changes" in previous post - similar). Suggestions for which "survival things" to buy isn't the complete answer. Become tougher and more resilient, and think about knowledge, skills, tools, and supplies.

An aside - Took my wife on a date last night and the restaurants were packed, all of them it seemed. It was nuts. Ex. TX Roadhouse lot was completely full, not a spot, people parking across the street, etc. On a Thursday night. Weird.

Then it dawned on me, most of these people were without power. They couldn't 't use their microwave or electric range. Maybe they didn't want to even open the fridge/freezer (to keep the cold air in). Sooo, they all went out to eat (seems like it in my area at least).

Avon Roadhouse?

 

[gregr]

Full-on prepping is almost a lifestyle,
and can be quite daunting.
Start with small scenarios, and priorities. Set a realistic goal like surviving two weeks without power.
With electricity being out in suburbia, heat or cold are not as important — heat you can survive, cold you can bundle up.
Water would be the main problem. Unless you have a clean stream in your backyard, store enough drinking water for your household for two weeks.
To keep freezers cold, I’m considering a battery bank and a small portable solar panel to charge it. Still looking into the details.
Food prep, a small wood stove for just one pot.
And enough guns, ammo and training to keep it all safe.

How do you store water? I`ve read keeping water in plastic containers, the water leaches out bad stuff.

 

[gregr]

There is so much good, solid experience and information here. And even more importantly, your willingness to share it. I`m going to go back through this thread, read more slowly and carefully and take notes. This is invaluable. Thank you.

 

[gregr]

Being rural and power not reliable for a long time here a generator to keep food cold, freeEr going, water flowing has been a staple for a while. Also keeping enough food and supplies to last at least two weeks. No, I’m not prepping for collapse. Just normal life when things get sucky from Mother Nature.

Honestly , things get bad enough that anything more than 4 weeks is a certainty it’s going to be tough for everyone. Expect things to go downhill fast

Even saying "generator" opens up a ton of questions. How big a generator? What all will it run? How does it operate? How noisy? Etc.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Even saying "generator" opens up a ton of questions. How big a generator? What all will it run? How does it operate? How noisy? Etc.

There are a number of sites out there with usage calculators to help you size the generator you want.

This one is pretty good with the basics.

What Size Portable Generator Do I Need? | Briggs & Stratton

Whether for home, work or play, discover what portable generator size you need with Briggs & Stratton's portable generator sizing tool.

www.briggsandstratton.com

I bought a Predator 9000 from Harbor Freight Friday when our power was out (about 26 hours). It should power most everything in our house except for AC. You just don't want to overload it by having a lot of things starting up at once or running at once. My main concerns are refrigerators (2), gas furnace blower in the winter, lights, and well pump.

 

[gregr]

There are a number of sites out there with usage calculators to help you size the generator you want.

This one is pretty good with the basics.

What Size Portable Generator Do I Need? | Briggs & Stratton

Whether for home, work or play, discover what portable generator size you need with Briggs & Stratton's portable generator sizing tool.

www.briggsandstratton.com

It didn`t pull up any particular generator. It just went to the page to evaluate them.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

It didn`t pull up any particular generator. It just went to the page to evaluate them.

Right. You select the things you definitely want to be able to run and then it will tell you how big a generator you need to do that. Portables will only do so much. For true "whole house" power (as if nothing happened), a standby generator like Generac is probably the way to go, but they're much pricier.