Tag Archives: power failure

Our “Lights Out” Checklist

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preparing for lights outThe lights go out. What do you do? Let’s assume you’ve already sat there for a few moments, possibly in the dark, and they haven’t come back on yet. Do you know what you need to do in a power outage? Do you know what you need to get? Do you know where everything is located? And, the biggest question, does everyone else in your family also know your plan?

This is our plan, specific to our home. I’m providing it as an example of the items you may want to cover in your own plan. (It’s easy to procrastinate, I’m just now writing down our plan after we’ve been living in this house for over two years.)

LIGHTS OUT CHECKLIST

Is the power really out?

    • Check the fuse box to be sure everything is turned on correctly, and none of the breakers are tripped.
    • Look around the neighborhood, is everyone’s power out?

    Light

    • Get a flashlight and/or headlamp, located near the door in the mudroom.
    • Turn on the battery bank‘s inverter, if necessary reset the inverter (the manual is hanging on the side of the bar refrigerator).
    • If the battery bank doesn’t work, use the 800 amp inverter with the truck’s battery(s)(it’s located in the truck box) — connect it directly to the battery, and run extension cord into house.
    • Unroll the extension cord that’s already attached to the battery bank, it’s located on the wall beside the utility sink in the laundry room. This will be your central power outlet(s).
    • Get the lamp out of Sarah’s office, and the other lamp from the rec room, and put them in central locations.
    • Get the battery-powered lanterns out, located in the black box under the pool table, and put the batteries in them (stored with the lanterns). Put the small red one in the bathroom, keep the larger two available for use where needed.
    • Use caution when choosing to use fire for light. If candles or kerosene lanterns are used, place the fire extinguisher nearby. Long burning candles are in the cupboard in the workshop, kerosene lanterns are on the shelf in the bar.

    Heat

    • Unplug the furnace from the wall and plug it into the battery bank extension cord (this will power the blower, the furnace runs on propane).
    • If the battery bank is depleted, the furnace can be plugged directly into the generator.
    • Get the Buddy Heater (and it’s batteries), and a small propane tank, from the barn. Put the batteries into the Buddy Heater (for the blower). Attach heater to tank and turn it on, once running turn on blower (follow directions).

    Food

    • The microwave, plugged into the battery bank, can be used for short periods of time to heat food. The microwave can also be plugged into the generator as needed.
    • Propane grill, on the patio.
    • Propane stove, in the barn.
    • The Volcano Stove can be used with propane, or charcoal (outside, or in the garage/barn with door open).

    Water

    • Remember once the power goes out the well no longer pumps, there is less than 25 gallons of water in the pressure tank.
    • Bring in the 5-gallon yellow Igloo jug from the barn, also bring in a 5-gallon water jug. Put the Igloo on the kitchen table and use for drinking and cooking.
    • Only flush when “needed”; refill toilet tank with 3 gallons of water from the rain barrels or the pond.
    • Use hand wipes/disinfecting wipes for cleaning as needed.
    • The well pump can be plugged directly into the generator; the plug is near the pressure tank (use 220 volt cord).

    Entertainment

    • Board games.
    • The battery bank can run the TV and the DVD player.
    • Reading.
    • Electronic devices can be charged with the battery bank.

    Other things to remember

    • Open the refrigerator and/or freezer as little as possible.
    • Keep outside doors closed to maintain heat.
    • There is additional drinking water in 2-liter bottles on the top garage shelf.
    • Keep cell phones charged.
    • The landline phone will work, but only the one in Sarah’s office.

    Again, this is our list. We’ll test it next weekend when the girls are here; we’ve done this before, in suburbia, but it’s been a while and a lot of things have changed. Afterward, we’ll make changes as needed,  print it up, and post it where it can be found.

    make_a_listMake your plan. As we know, power outages tend to come during the worst of times. You may have a plan in your head, but what if you’re not home? Creating a plan doesn’t cost you anything — just innumerate the things you already have.

     

    (Note: The items highlighted in red are links to previous posts I’ve written on those topics)

    Product Review: Duracell Digital Inverter 800

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    1. Do you live in an area where the power could ever go out?
    2. Do you own a vehicle (or, more accurately, own a vehicle battery)?
    3. Do you have small devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, tablet devices, power tools, or even lamps that you would like to be able to power during a blackout?

    inverterIf the answer to all these questions is “yes”, do yourself a favor and spend about $65 and get a Duracell Digital Inverter 800 (or another comparable quality inverter).

    How does an inverter work? To review, batteries store DC (direct current) power, while common household devices use AC (alternating current) power. An inverter converts stored DC power to useable AC power (anything with a two/three prong plug).

    When people first begin thinking about backup power, they frequently discuss getting a generator. While a generator can be a good step — when it’s an informed decision, and it’s capabilities and limitations are understood. But a generator can be expensive, it takes up space, needs to be maintained, and storing gasoline for it can be a hassle. An easier first step to backup power is a quality inverter. If you already have a generator this adds a second level of redundancy, and might work even better for smaller devices and when you’re on the road.

    I first heard about these inverters on The Survival Podcast in an interview with Steven Harris (here’s a list of the many interviews Steven has done on a variety of backup power topics).The Duracell Digital Inverter 800 is convenient and simple to use. It’s relatively compact (7.5” x 4.5” x 2.25”), solidly built, and light weight (1.8 pound). It has a nice LED digital display that shows input and output voltages, making it very easy to oversee and troubleshoot the inverter.

    inverter in JeepTo use, connect the inverter directly to your car’s battery terminals (using the DC battery cables with alligator clamps). Then, I’d recommend, run a long 14-gauge extension cord into your house and plug it into a power strip. Plug your devices into the power strip; when you’re not using it, you can turn off the power strip to ensure you’re not inadvertently drawing power to an appliance. Of course you can always plug appliances, or tools, directly into the inverter.

    When you’re using the inverter an alarm will sound when your car’s battery gets low, and the inverter will automatically shut off before the battery gets too low; this ensures you’ll never drain your vehicle’s battery further than you should. At that point you can either drive around for a bit, your car’s alternator will recharge your battery, or switch to another vehicle’s battery. For those that have a diesel pickup truck (like our Ford F350) you have TWO batteries, so twice the backup power potential. If you leave your vehicle idling, you can draw full power as long as you have available fuel; this is especially handy for larger devices (the inverter can handle devices that surge up to 1280W). The inverter also has a high voltage shutdown, an overload shutdown, and an overheating shutdown.

    There are different size inverters, both higher and lower rated, but the 800 seems to fit the best for most of us. Their 400 is handy because it also comes with a DC lighter adapter allowing you to draw up to 150 watts without having to connect to the battery; very useful for road trips. (Despite what Amazon.com says, the 800 watt inverter does not come with a lighter adapter.)

    Having an inverter will allow you–during a power outage, or anytime you’re away from an AC outlet (camping, job sites, etc.)–to convert the DC power stored in your car’s 12-volt battery into 120-volt AC power that you can plug electric devices into.

    We tend to take electricity, and our access to it, for granted. When it’s not available our lifestyles quickly change. Having a Duracell Digital Inverter 800 around is an easy step to provide needed power for communication devices, tools, and light when needed.

     

     

    Sarah’s View: Product Review: iTorch External Battery

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    iTorch-1The New Trent iTorch IMP52D is a portable, rechargeable, external lithium battery I use to recharge my cell phone (an iPhone). It is compatible with any device (i.e. phone, MP3 player, tablet) that uses a USB plug.

    Currently I am travelling for work…again. There are many things on my ‘must pack’ list these days, but ever since Trace bought each of us an iTorch about a year ago, I don’t go anywhere without it. It stays in my purse and goes with me pretty much everywhere.

    The iTorch is 3.5” x 1.5” x1”; not tiny, but certainly a reasonable size. There are four blue lights, one indicates the iTorch is charging a device, and the other three indicate the level of charge remaining. It also includes a built-in red laser pointer and an LED light; just in case you need a laser pointer or emergency flashlight (repetitive and redundant!). It comes in a handy drawstring bag with a cord to charge the iTorch itself. In order to charge our phones we had to supply the needed USB iPhone cord.

    The iTorch is advertised as having 3.5x the normal iPhone charge. I honestly don’t know if this is true or not as I’ve never used the iTorch to its full capacity. Even when I’ve needed to recharge my phone multiple times before I could recharge the iTorch, I’ve never fully depleted the iTorch charge. For this trip in particular it’s been useful as a charger in the car because I totally forgot to bring a car charger for the rental car. It’s also been handy during the day as I’m in training sessions and I can charge my phone as needed without crawling all over the place looking for a wall plug.

    Trace first heard about the iTorch from Steven Harris’ site: battery1234.com — which lists many useful devices, all of which Steven has thoroughly tested and personally recommends. We own many items on this list, it is our go-to list when we want to expand our back-up energy capabilities.

    Recommendation

    iTorch-2I highly recommend the iTorch, for travel, for the prepper, but also as a simply back-up charger. I can’t count the number of times it’s allowed me to charge up my phone after a day in someone else’s car, or in training, or at an airport.

    It’s reasonably priced (about $40) and a compact, and durable, enough to carry in a purse or backpack on regular basis (weights 4.5 ounces). And we’re not the only ones who like it, it has an Amazon Customer Review rating of 4.11 starts (of 5) with over 900 reviews.

    As Trace has said before: as a prepper–trying to be prepared in case of emergencies or disasters–communication is very important. Sure the cell network can go down, but if it’s up and available it’d suck if you couldn’t access it just because your phone’s battery is dead. This is a product that can help prevent that from happening.

     

    Efficient Energy Usage, RE: Cooking Beans

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    Most preppers, our family included, have a fair amount of dried beans in their food storage. If you store beans you need to know how to prepare them.

    Quick review, there are two steps to preparing dried beans: soaking and cooking. Soaking (typically overnight) allows dried beans to absorb water and rehydrate; cooking beans makes them tender and digestible. The beans need to be brought to a boil, then reduced to a simmer for 60 to 90 minutes.

    As our family’s preparations become more involved, I find myself focusing more on the ENERGY aspect of our basic needs (food, water, shelter, security, and energy). While I’m not planning on powering all the electric amenities of our day-to-day lives in a power outage, we plan to power some basic lights and small appliances, have a warm house, and BE ABLE TO COOK FOOD.

    Our family likes beans (and rice), and they are a core part of our long-term food storage, so I wanted to be able to prepare them as efficiently as possible. Cooking beans, even at a simmer, for 60 to 90 minutes uses a fair amount of energy resources.

    dutch oven on induction cooktopTo increase our energy efficiency we recently bought an Aroma Induction Cooktop (Costco $50).Think of it as a very efficient (cooks/boils up to 70% more faster than traditional stove tops); very safe (immediately cools when the pot is removed) hot plate. During a power outage we’ll only have to power the induction cooktop, not the whole stove, to use an electric burner.

    Our family’s plan–during a power outage–is to run the generator for a couple of hours in the morning to: recharge our battery bank, charge any rechargeable items, run the blower on the furnace, run the deep freezer, and cook food for the day.

    To prepare our beans we would soak them overnight so they are ready; then with the generator running, bring them to a boil in a cast iron dutch oven using our wrap it in a towelinduction cooktop (FYI induction technology only works with iron/magnetic metals). As soon as they begin boiling, turn off the cooktop–and here’s the energy savings part–wrap the dutch oven in a thick towel and place the entire dutch oven in a large cooler. Though we traditionally use insulated coolers to keep things cool, they will also keep things warm. (Fill any open spaces in the cooler, with a towel or newspaper or anything, to maximize heat retention.) Leave the beans in the cooler, and they will continue to cook, for about three to four hours.

    We practiced this the other day and it was smooth and easy. place it in the coolerRemember, in a power outage any power you have comes from sources you have to provide, and–as opposed to traditional grid power–it is finite based on the amount of fuel you have stored. Plan, beforehand, to use this power efficiently.

     

     

    Momma Bear: Back-Up Cooking Systems & a Review of the Jetboil Zip Stove

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    the kids with their hobo stoves

    the kids with their hobo stoves

    Redundancy is key in good prepping. We live in the D.C. area and I worry about another Snowmageddon that could result in multiple days without power. We have a nice propane fireplace, so we would have heat for quite a while without electricity, but cooking can really be a chore in the cold. We can always use our BBQ grill, but who really wants to go outside if it’s THAT cold? Therefore, here at our suburban fortress I keep multiple cooking systems in reserve for just such an emergency. I divide my cooking into two categories: home cooking and field cooking. While many of you probably have the exact same home cooking systems.

    My first line of defense, for heating things up at home, is a case of sterno I picked up at Costco (for less than $20). I have two different sterno cooking setups: one contentsis a fondue set, and the other is actually a hot beverage urn holder. Sterno is also super easy for the kids to use! Our second and third lines of ‘electricity-free cooking’ are my small cooking stoves, one uses propane and the other butane. The butane comes in a giant can that looks like a big can of hairspray. You don’t tend to see butane stoves as much as the propane ones, but we have had ours for some time and it’s a pretty compact piece of equipment. Typically I have each stove packed in a bug-out kit in the garage. setupLast, for the home cooking, I keep two of the small portable grills for better fuel economy in an emergency.

    When it comes to field cooking, we have a small variety of hobo stoves that we have in our bug-out bags. These have been great for the kids to get hands on fire making experience. But my husband, Mr. Marine, likes something a little bit quicker when he is in the field so I thought you would enjoy my husband’s review of his new Jetboil Zip Stove. Since he goes to the field so often, we have recently invested in the Jetboil Zip Stove. This is a smaller version of the original Jetboil and cost about $70 online. The big plus here for him is that it is a self-contained non-stick stove and coffee mug/cook pot all in one, with a coozie, handle, bowl and even a sipper lid. The pot even serves as the holder for the stove and fuel. The compactness is awesome for field use. Please note, we bought the one without the igniter so ours requires a lighter or matches to start. The cook system gets its name based on the extreme flame it puts off, which looks very much like a jet engine burning!

    flameAfter recently spending a week in the field with his new stove, Mr. Marine said he was boiling 16 oz. of water in about 3-4 minutes, half of which would be used for his meal and the other for his instant coffee. A Jetboil fuel canister costs about $5, and in a week of light usage he still had fuel. Compared to a number of past field stoves, from years of deployments, he found this one to be far superior, primarily because of its compactness, simplicity and rapid cooking speed. The biggest downsides are you have to buy the Jetfuel pre-filled fuel canisters, and he mentioned that the pot gets extremely hot. The sippy lid and coozie are there to protect from the hot metal, so make sure you use it. You won’t forget after the first time you burn your lip!

    We intend to eventually buy a couple more and stick them in the bug-out bags. I could also see putting one in the vehicle if I was taking any sort of winter driving trip where we could encounter serious weather. For anyone who preps, camps, hunts, or hikes regularly, the Jetboil Zip is a great stove.

    September is National Prepardness Month

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    In September the federal government gives preparedness enough of a nod that it gets it’s very own month; though you rarely hear them say much more than: “Get a kit. Make a plan. Be informed.” Of course if everyone did at least that we, as a national population, would be much more prepared to cope with future disasters.

    The media has also been talking about preparation, this time in a non-mocking tone. As Hurricane Isaac approached, CNN.com published an article, Keep a hurricane preparation checklist. It begins:

    In areas where hurricanes can strike, it’s a good idea to have a closet or an area set aside for storm preparedness storage. There, you can keep items you’ll need in case disaster strikes suddenly or you need to evacuate.

    And while this is great advice, what about everywhere else? Aren’t all areas susceptible to having a “disaster strike suddenly”? I think it’s interesting how the media portrays prepping–just prior to an incoming disaster (i.e. hurricane, snow storm, forest fire)–as completely common sense. “Of course you’d want to be prepared, you’d be a fool not to”, they imply. They include a completely practical list of supplies and recommendations of what to do prior to the arrival of the storm.

    But what about the disasters we don’t see coming? The ones that give us no notice? No one should need to tell us that every day we need: food, water, shelter, security, and energy. So why not have backup supplies for these daily basic needs, insurance if you will, just in case a disaster strikes without warning? We are all expected, and it’s considered normal, to have home insurance, car insurance, health insurance, and life insurance but we know those preparations are very rarely used (hopefully). So why, when you incorporate being prepared into your daily lifestyle, are you frequently labeled as being on the fringe or a bit of a kook?

    So this month, consider using the government’s endorsement of preparedness as an opportunity to talk about prepping with skeptical friends (family). As winter approaches we all tend to think a little more about being prepared; everyone knows that winter storms can knock out power and/or leave us homebound for several days. “Did you know September is National Preparedness Month?” would be an easy way to broach the topic, and then follow-up with something like “If a [fill in the blank disaster] happened here, and you weren’t able to get to the store for several days, how would your family hold up?” Then listen. Commend them on the things they have done or are doing, even if it’s relatively minor. Don’t overwhelm them with everything they SHOULD be doing. Instead, give them one or two ideas for ‘next steps’. If you push too hard then they’ll just push back — and close down to the idea completely. Take this time to plant a seed in their mind. Then live your life as an example.

    (Wednesday: A new monthly contributor will be introduced, Rural Relations with Josh,  will write about: Lessons Learned, An Introduction)

    Momma Bear’s July Preps

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    The end of June brought northern Virginia and lower Maryland a serious, and very sudden, storm that resulted in more than a week without power to over a million homes. While we were not personally without power, there were food and ice shortages at some neighborhood stores as supply chains were rerouted or disrupted. It was a great opportunity to talk to our family about heat related illnesses and to review what we would have done for more than a week without A/C in 100+ degree weather. While we have a fireplace to stay warm during cold weather power outages, staying cool in the summer is much harder without power. We are now considering getting a generator, in part, to run a small window A/C unit. We’re also considering some solar battery chargers to power electronic devices. The least expensive option, which we will probably do first, is to get an inverter for our automobile outlets so that we could charge our cell phones and laptops. I think we are going to plan a “power outage drill” weekend in the fall. It will be an opportunity to see if our planning is really living up to our needs.

    The biggest weakness we found in our preparations was that simple drinking water is not always enough when the emergency/disaster is during a heat wave. In a long-term, high heat situation–especially during strenuous activity–a Gatorade-type drink is recommended to replace the electrolytes that are lost. So we have added that to our LTS list (diluting it to half strength which is a better ratio for the body, and helps avoid stomach aches and cramping). You can make your own electrolyte oral rehydration solution. Into a quart/liter of water add: 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon table salt and 1/4 teaspoon potassium chloride (bought as salt substitute, e.g. Morton Salt Substitute or Nu-salt) (note: if you don’t have access to potassium chloride double the amount of table salt to 1 teaspoon). Overall though our home is pretty well prepared for a week or more without power. We continue to stock up on alternative cooking fuels (charcoal, propane, butane, and sterno), as well as foods that require minimal cooking, and comfort foods.

    After six years out of the country, we have recently purchased fishing gear and licenses (still searching for the perfect boat though). Although none of us are overly experienced fishermen we have begun/resumed fishing — though at this point it’s catch and release. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, the types of fish we have here are quite a bit different from what we are used to so it’s all about practice. Bass and catfish are the most common and they require larger hooks and stronger line than what we use for trout back home. We are fortunate to live near a number of lakes, and the Potomac River, so there is ample opportunity to practice.

    My tomatoes are also growing like gangbusters; I picked one yesterday that is over a pound. This past weekend I canned my first batch of ketchup. It is a little on the gourmet side for flavor (meaning the grownups like it but the kids don’t). Next up for canning is fire roasted tomato salsa. My husband, who is quite the city boy, has been blown away by the idea that we are storing food that we actually grew ourselves, and from which I have harvested seeds for next year’s garden. Like Sarah, I have kept a garden journal to keep track of what is and isn’t working. We are already looking forward to next year to try a few different vegetables and probably more containers since our sunny spots are not necessarily gardenable otherwise. We are working as best we can with what we have.

    How is your summer going? What are you canning or storing?

    (Monday: Building In Redundancies In Case You Aren’t Available)

    Teaching The Kids (& Learning More Myself) – Lights Out Drill

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    When the lights go out (power failure) it tends to be during the worst times. Hopefully each of us has a plan, for our household, about what to do for light, heat (or cool), backup power, and entertainment. But does your family know your plan? Unfortunately many of us have a loose plan in mind and assume we’ll figure it out when it happens. But what if you’re not home or unavailable to help?

    This week, during a calm time, we had a “lights out” drill. Sure the power was out, for real, in January, but Ryan was the only one of the kids at our house during that time (the girls were with their mom, and chose to stay there). The girls insisted that they’d be fine and had been through it all before, but I asked them to humor me.

    We waited until it got dark, so things would be a more realistic. I started by showing them where the circuit box was, and briefly explained it’s function and how to reset the circuits. We then turned off all the power (except to the refrigerator). I had them go get flashlights, carefully because it was now dark; they thought that was easy because they all know the flashlights are kept in the table drawer.

    When they returned to the garage, I tried to show them how to open the garage door manually if the power was out. (Let me preface this by saying we recently got a new garage door opener.) I pulled the red cord to disconnect the garage door opener and it wouldn’t come loose. Sarah and I spent a few minutes trying to figure it out and were unable to get it to release or open the door. At that point we left it for later–and I still need to figure out why it didn’t work–but that was much better time to find out it didn’t work, then to find out when we NEEDED to get a car out of the garage and the power was out.

    I then gave them a brief overview of our inverter and battery bank (with some hands-on) and showed them how to: check the battery levels, connect to to the inverter, turn it on, and reset it if necessary. I showed them which extension cords to use, how to plug-in the furnace, and then pulled the extension cord into the house. We discussed what we could power with the battery bank: lamps, TV/DVD, phone chargers, limited microwave, and what couldn’t be powered: refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, Tivo, coffee maker. We plugged in the standing lamps (with the LED bulbs), so we had light again. For practice, we got out the kerosene lanterns and lit them (and got out the fire extinguisher and set it nearby, just in case). Sarah then plugged in the TV and DVD player and we watched the movie Up, while the “power was out”.

    After the movie I turned the power back on; I figured they already knew how to sleep in the dark. I finished up the following morning having Ryan make coffee without power, he used the hand grinder and the french press. I had meant to pull out the generator that morning and show the girls how to use it, but I forgot. Next time.

    (Funny story though: A few weeks ago I got out the generator, in the middle of the afternoon, and started it up for our quarterly testing. One of the neighbors was working in his yard and asked if our power was out. I told him we were just practicing and checking the equipment, he replied, “That’s probably a good idea, easier now then when you really need it.” I couldn’t have agreed more.)

    Our lights out drill went well. I tried to keep it simple and relatively painless. The kids were pretty good sports and are now more familiar with our procedure.

    Teach your kids–and spouse–the skills you know; you may not be around when they are necessary. And remember, “To teach is to learn twice.” (- Joseph Joubert)

    (Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

    Warning – Don’t Assume Cell Phones Will Work During a Power Outage

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    Can You Hear Me Now?
    – –
    Last month, as you may remember (Weathering The Storm), an ice storm caused a wide-spread power outage in our area. The power had been out for about three hours when Sarah noticed she didn’t have any service on her cell phone; Ryan and I checked ours and we didn’t either. Sarah managed to find one area in an upstairs room where she was able to get a weak and intermittent signal. Sure the power was out, but why wouldn’t we have cell phone coverage?

    After the storm was over I did some research and learned: Cellular services have antennas and base stations that require electricity. The FCC mandates that wireless carriers have backup electric power at MOST cell sites; so this typically means that cell towers have a battery backup system that will last two to four hours – depending on call traffic. In critical service areas there are also emergency generators. So, there are some redundancies built into the cellular network, but they’re limited and will be shortened if there is a lot of extra traffic on the network.

    But I’ve been through other power outages and still had cell phone coverage, how come I didn’t this time?  If the power outage is only covering a relatively small area, then most likely you’ll be able to connect to a tower outside of your area that still has power. Also, the priority locations for the cell towers are near the major urban areas; if you live in the suburbs or a rural area your cell towers will be further apart and less likely to have backup generators.

    How come XYZ provider, that my friend has, works and mine doesn’t?  Though some providers may work in areas that others don’t, all providers have the same vulnerabilities. Their provider may have more backup power, or towers available, or fewer subscribers. But with the increased call volume, that frequently happens during a disaster, all cell network circuits can become congested causing delays, intermittently weaker signals, and no service.

    So in these situations cell phones won’t work at all? Even if you can’t make a voice phone call you can still probably send a text message. Texting uses far less bandwidth, has little effect on circuits, and uses very little of your phone’s battery charge – and even if the text can’t go out (or be received) immediately, it is frequently held in the phone’s queue until it can be sent. Battery usage is another topic – but to maximize your battery turn off the ringer and vibration and reduce the screen’s brightness.

    What about landlines, won’t they work? If your landline is provided through a traditional phone line you will continue to have service, but only to your phones which are hard-wired into the wall – your cordless phones won’t work (the base station requires electricity). But if your phone service is provided by a cable TV company (like ours is) the digital “landline” is run through a modem that requires electricity; which means no electricity, no phone signal.

    Could you plug the modem into a backup power source? I didn’t think of this until afterward; I assume it would work, but I need to test it.

    So what’s the solution? I’m not sure I have a good fix for all this yet, but we’ll work on it. This situation does emphasize how much we take instantaneous communication for granted. Make a family plan that includes where to meet in an emergency, and where to leave a note if you have to leave before others arrive. Take some time and think about how you could communicate with your loved ones if cell phones weren’t an option – we did it for a lot of years, do we still remember how?

     

    What I Did This Week To Prep 1/27/12

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    and Storm After Action Review

    Anytime you use your preps–after you neatly put them away for the next time–it’s important to review how things went. What went well? What needs to be changed or improved? And what did you learn? We were pleased with how our preps worked during the storm, and because of them the power outage was only a minor inconvenience.

    However, there were a couple of things I needed to follow-up on. I checked the generator to see why it had stopped running. As stated, I assumed it had stopped because it ran out of gasoline. I looked in the tank, it still had plenty of fuel left, and it started just fine. I let it run for about 20 minutes and there were no issues. I don’t know why it had stopped. My only concern was the age of the gasoline in it. When we bought it a year ago the tank was full and we still had that same fuel. The previous owner had added Sta-Bil, but I don’t know when. I decided to drain the tank and fill it with fresh gasoline. I siphoned as much as I could into the Jeep, then let the generator run until it was empty (it ran for over an hour before it stopped – an inadvertent but useful test). Then I added new gasoline and Sta-Bil, started it up to double-check, and put it away.

    While working with the generator, Sarah, Ryan and I all practiced starting it.  It’s important that all adults (and as many of the kids as possible) in the home know how to run the critical prepper equipment. We had been concerned that Sarah wouldn’t have the ‘bulk’ to pull-start the generator, but she was able to do it without much trouble.

    Next, when the battery bank was in use it had shut off earlier than I expected; I thought it was because of some kind of a surge. But my understanding may have been flawed. Fellow prepping blogger Homestead Fritz send me a link to The 12volt Side of Life; a 12-volt battery information site. I’m going to do some additional research on that topic. I’ve said before, I have a decent amount of knowledge about a variety of topics – but electricity is not one of them (though I’m learning).

    Finally, I went by the hardware store and bought an 8-foot, 14-gauge extension cord that will be dedicated to use with the furnace. During the power outage I realized I was one cord short, so we had to shuffle cords around. The battery bank and the furnace are only about six feet apart so it seemed like a waste to use a 25-foot cord, but the smaller ones I own were only 2-prong household types and I needed a heavier duty 3-prong one.

    Also this week, I found out my favorite collapse medicine experts, Doctor Bones and Nurse Amy of the Doom & Bloom Hour, had written a book. The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook was published last week. I immediately ordered one and just received it in the mail. I’m very excited to have what I believe will be a fantastic medical reference. I’ll post a review on it soon.

    I’ve started posting more to the TraceMyPreps Facebook page. I’d encourage you to “like” it and join our budding community; use that forum to comment, ask questions, and give advice. To make it easier I’ve added a ‘TraceMyPreps on Facebook’ like button on the top of the right side of my blog page. Also, right below that is a ‘Follow Blog Via Email’ box, if you sign up there each post I write will be automatically sent to you as soon as I publish it – this is an easy way to keep up on the posts as they come out.

    What did you do?