Category Archives: Energy

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)

Teaching The Kids (& Learning More Myself) – Fire Building

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Fire Building 101: An Introduction
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Fire building is an essential survival/prepper skill. Of our five basic needs, fire is energy. In the wilderness fire may be the ONLY type of energy available. I decided this would be the first prepper skill I formally teach the kids (after chainsaws of course…).

Last summer, when we were talking about building fires, I realized that Emily and Alison had never used a lighter or even lit a match. Somehow I had taken for granted that they had. But since we don’t have a fireplace or go camping very much (though this summer we hope to do more), and simply because they are the younger ones and have had fewer “outdoor” opportunities, they had never been taught. So I got out matches and lighters and demonstrated the safe way to use them. I had them both do it, then sent them outside to practice with the lighters and light as many matches as they wanted. In the interim months we’ve continued practicing with both, and now they feel pretty confident.

Yesterday I sat all the kids down in the family room (including Chanse), and discussed how to build a fire (classroom portion). We started off by reviewing that fire needs three things: 1) fuel, 2) oxygen, and 3) an ignition source. We briefly discussed hypothermia and how fire can literally be life-saving. I talked to them about the dangers of fire and how it’s important to keep your fire contained. Then, while still inside, I used some kindling to show them how to set up a small teepee-style stack (with pieces not much bigger than toothpicks), and how I’d leave an opening toward the wind. I laid out additional kindling, of gradually larger pieces, I’d have on hand to use to build the size of the fire. After all had practiced making their kindling teepee, we went outside for the ‘lab portion’ of the class.

It was a gray, chilly, and wet outside. They took their kindling and set it up on the grass. Since I wanted to maximize success, and teach them to use what we have in our kits, I had them use vaseline soaked cotton balls to start the fire (they had previously helped make them for our fire starting kits). They each built their kindling teepee, with the opening facing the wind, over top of their cotton ball (first pulling it apart to separate the fibers). They could use either lighters or matches; we discussed using your body to block the wind and cupping your other hand around the fire to protect it more. They got their fires going, then added larger kindling to make it just a little bigger. All were successful, though it took some longer than others (it’s hard with an age range of 10 to 17 in the same ‘classroom’).

Next time I’ll have them find their own kindling, including making a pile of shavings to get the fire started. Eventually I plan to get them, and Sarah and I, to the point of confidently making a fire with flint and steel.

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

(Wednesday: Sarah’s View)

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?

 

How To Wire Your Gas Furnace To A Generator

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Contributed by Guest Blogger: Rick Brodersen
of Rick’s DIY (HVAC & Electrical DIY)

Wiring your gas furnace to a generator is a project that’s frequently either over-thought or not thought of at all. Some people think you need a high dollar transfer switch wired to your breaker panel, requiring an electrician, or you have to temporarily rewire the breaker to the generator and then rewire everything again once the power comes back on.

But this isn’t the case, NEC (National Electric Code) only requires that appliances be on their own dedicated circuit. So, by simply rewiring your furnace you have the ability to use your furnace with a portable generator (or other auxiliary power). Then when the power goes out, just disconnect the furnace from the outlet and connect it to your generator, and use it like you normally would.

video: How To Wire Your Gas Furnace To A Generator

Materials:
The cost of the materials was less than $20, and all of the items can be found at most hardware stores.

  • Outlet Box
  • Single Outlet Receptacle
  • Outlet Cover Plate
  • Power Supply Cord
  • Cable Connector
  • Misc Wire Nuts, Electrical Tape & Mounting Screws

Tools:

  • Hammer
  • Screwdriver (multi-tip)
  • Side Cutters
  • Wire Strippers
  • Multi-Meter
  • Voltage Stick (optional)
  • Drill (probably a little overkill but if you’re installing the outlet box onto your furnace with sheet metal screws it will be needed)

How To Do It:
Everytime you’re working around electricity you MUST check that the power is OFF and then CHECK AGAIN. You can never be too careful when it comes to this point. (Even after all these years I occasionally still get shocked.)

Turn Off the breaker that controls your furnace. (Keep in mind that a many breaker panels are mislabeled.) Open your furnace and find where your power is coming in from and follow it to the junction box (or in my case, the circuit board.)

Pull off any covers and then test for voltage. I like to use the Fluke Voltage Stick first (ensure it works on a live circuit and then you can test it). After you have verified the power is off, carefully remove the wire nuts and test with a voltmeter. Once you are darn sure there is no power then you are safe to work on it.

Write down, or label your wires, the BLACK (hot), WHITE (neutral) & GREEN (ground). (Some might be red, orange, brown, etc.) You must rewire it exactly as it was: Black to Black, White to White, and Green to Green/Ground. Pull the wires out to the outside of the furnace.

First, install the OUTLET BOX. I put the conduit with the wires coming from the breaker into the outlet box and then level it where I would like to mount it. Screw it to the wall or furnace with the appropriate screws.

Next, you need to wire in your Single Receptacle Outlet. You may need to cut back your wires and strip them. (This is hard to explain in text and is better understood in the video.) Wire your Black (or hot) to the smaller bladed side of the outlet (if you’re facing the outlet this will be the right side) this screw is normally brass/gold in color. The White (or neutral) wires up to the larger bladed side, this screw is usually silver in color. Then the Green (or ground) goes to the last terminal that is bonded with the metal framework of the receptacle, sometimes this screw will be green colored (but every manufacturer is different).

Once wired, carefully push the receptacle back into the outlet box and screw it in, put on the COVER PLATE and we’re ready to move onto the final part.

To install the POWER CORD we have to add in the CABLE CONNECTOR to where the old power cable came into the furnace. Once you have the cable connector in, you can pull the power cord through and secure it.

Next, rewire the power cord to the connections on the furnace. If you’re using wire nuts be sure to Double Check that the wires are secured by tugging on each individually and then taping the connection with electrical tape (you can further secure with tie straps if needed).

Make sure to replace any cover plates, double-check that everything is wired properly and secured. Turn the power back on and check the outlet with your meter (this is not shown in the video) to make sure everything is wired properly. Finally, plug in your furnace and check operations.

video: An Overview: How To Wire Your Gas Furnace To A Generator

ALL DONE
Now that you’re done, test it out with or without your generator. I recommend a test run on a dark, rainy night so you know what it’s going to be like when you’re actually going to have to use it.

Bio
Rick Brodersen is an HVAC/R Mechanic and has worked in the Seattle area for over 15 years, specializing in the commercial service industry. He has instructed at local trade schools and now continues teaching at RicksDIY.com. He is also an avid prepper, hiker, and fisherman who, along with his family, enjoys taking in all the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Read Rick’s Disclaimer

NOTE: Comments have been closed for this post. Please feel free to read the many, many replies Rick has given, if you still need his help he has asked you contact him directly through his site at RicksDIY.com. 

(Wednesday: Book Review: The Doom and Bloom Survival Medicine Handbook)

Winter Power Outage = Good Chance To Test Preps

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Weathering The Storm 

Western Washington had a pretty good storm last week. I realize, in the larger category of “winter storms”, this wasn’t anywhere among the worst. That being said, it was a big deal around here – we don’t have storms like that very often. What started off as a good amount of snow coming down, transitioned into an ice storm. The tree branches were weighed down and many broke, taking down power lines and causing a power outage that affected close to 300,000 homes.

We were one of those homes, our power was out for about 36 hours. So when life gives you lemons… I figured this was the perfect opportunity to test our preps! At 7:30 am, as Sarah and I were in the Jeep driving back from the train station (the trains were cancelled because of frozen switches), I got the call the power was out. As I drove up to the house, even though I knew the power was off, I still tried to use the garage door opener (habits). First lesson of the power outage: make sure everyone knows how to manually open the garage door.

Since we have had a couple of “lights-out” drills we knew where to start. We:

  1. ‘Fired-up’ the battery bank and, using a volt meter, checked and recorded the starting voltage (12.6 volts).
  2. Ran a 50 foot, 14-gauge extension cord into the house and plugged it into a surge protector for inside use.
  3. Connected another extension cord to the natural gas furnace to run the blower*.
  4. Put a temperature probe inside the deep freezer (in the garage), with one end out so that it could be easily read, and recorded the starting temperature (10 degrees).
  5. Brought lamps, with low energy bulbs, into the main room and plugged them into the surge protector.

The battery bank operated well that day. My parents, visiting from Colorado, were able to appreciated all our preps. My mom was especially grateful to be able to blow dry and curl her hair (before leaving to see more family) – she felt this alone justified all our preparations. We had heat (though we kept it lower than normal, 62 degrees), light, Ryan was able to play Xbox, and we watched a movie after dinner. Every couple of hours we’d check and record the battery voltage and the deep freezer temperature.

However, when we woke up the next morning I realized the heat wasn’t on. I checked the battery bank and it had powered off. Even though it registered plenty of voltage (11.3 volts) the indicator light showed the batteries had gotten too low – this shouldn’t have happened until it reached 10.0 volts. It’s possible this occurred because I had left the inverter plugged into the wall and the line may have surged, but I don’t know for sure. We got out the generator, fired it up, and connected it to the:

  • inverter, to recharge the battery bank. As soon as it was plugged in the inverter began to charge and work again.
  • freezer, even though the temperature was still below 20 degrees.
  • furnace blower, and turned the heat up to 70 degrees.
  • laptop computer and all other rechargeable devices.

Once the generator was running we used our Volcano Grill and percolator to make coffee, then boiled water for oatmeal.

Sarah and I then left for work. The generator ran for about three hours, then Ryan called and told me it had stopped. I assumed it had run out of gas. I had him plug things back into the inverter and continue to power the house from the battery bank (Repetitive & Redundant). That evening the power came back on. We put everything neatly away, ready for the next time.

(Friday: What I Did This Week To Prep including Storm After Action Review)

*Last summer my good friend, fellow prepper, and HVAC/R technician, Rick helped me rewire the line that powers the blower on my natural gas furnace. This allows me to plug the blower into an alternate power supply if needed. Rick has agreed to guest blog for me next Monday (1/30/12), when he’ll write about how you can do this same project yourself, complete with a detailed how-to video.

Having Your Fire Extinguisher Ready

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Only Seconds to React
– –
Fire is neither good nor bad, it just is. When the right combination of fuel, oxygen, and an ignition source combine there will be fire. It can be a lifesaving asset providing light, cooking, and heat – or it can be property and life destroying.

Though fire safety has many aspects* today we’re going to discuss fire extinguishers. As preppers we should build in redundancies and safety. If the power goes out, we start up the generator and cook over propane; if those fail, we light lanterns and cook over a small fire. But most of us aren’t use to using fire on a routine basis; we can get complacent or careless and accidents can happen. To mitigate those risks, and keep you loved ones and home safe, consider keeping a fire extinguisher within arms reach of an open flame. No one means to knock over the kerosene lantern, but if suddenly the counter is engulfed in flame you have seconds to make decision.

In that situation, if the fire is small and not spreading, grab the extinguisher. Start with your back to the exit, making sure the fire does not block your escape route. Stand about six feet away from the fire. Then, as fire departments teach, use the PASS word:

  • Pull the pin to unlock the fire extinguisher
  • Aim at the base (bottom) of the fire
  • Squeeze the lever to discharge the agent
  • Sweep the spray from left to right until the flames are totally extinguished

A typical fire extinguisher contains ten seconds of extinguishing power. You cannot use fire extinguishers more than once, they must be replaced or refilled if used.

For home use, there are typically two categories of extinguishers: 1) a less expensive, plastic top, disposable type and 2) a metal top, rechargeable type. Professionals recommend the rechargeable ones; they initially cost more, but are far more reliable, can be serviced, and have a longer shelf-life.

There are no laws regarding home fire extinguisher inspections, however it is recommended that twice a year you inspect your extinguisher. You should check:

  • the pressure gauge arrow to be sure it’s full (straight up on the gauge in the green area).
  • the hose and nozzle for cracks, tears or blockage.
  • the pin and tamper seal to ensure they are intact.
  • that the handle-locking device is in place.
  • for dents, leaks, rust, chemical deposits and/or other signs of abuse or wear.

At the end of your inspection turn the extinguisher upside down and hit the bottom sharply with your hand, then shake it well. This will prevent the dry chemical powder from settling or packing down in the cylinder, making it ineffective.

Most rechargeable dry chemical fire extinguishers, if properly handled and maintained, have a lifespan of 5 – 15 years. If your extinguisher is 5 years old bring it in to a local service center and have it inspected (costs about $20). If your extinguisher is over 12 years old, it needs to be hydrostatically tested and recharged by a qualified service technician (they’ll probably just swap you for one that’s been recently tested).

Remember fire doesn’t care, so you need to.

(Friday: What I Did This Week To Prep)

*Dr. Bones, of the Doom & Bloom Show, recently wrote posts on Smoke Inhalation and Natural Burn Treatments. Both of these topics are huge fire safety aspects; these posts  contain good information and are definitely worth reading.

The Hassles of Storing Gasoline

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To become more self-reliant we try to determine what ‘needed’ items to store; one to think about is fuel. Though there are several types of fuel preppers store: gasoline, propane, diesel, and kerosene; gasoline is the hardest to store long-term and, yet, is the most commonly used.

My main reason for storing gasoline is for use in our (gasoline) generator during a power failure. When people believe that disaster is looming–recently during Hurricane Irene, for example–they rush out and buy generators. But how many of them think to store fuel to run those generators? Our Generac 5000 generator has a five gallon fuel tank, it will run approximately five to seven hours on a tank of gasoline. My plan is to use our battery bank (four AGM deep cycle batteries) until depleted, then use the generator to recharge the batteries while still maintaining power to needed appliances. To ensure enough energy to last most power outages we need to store a reasonable amount of gasoline. But couldn’t we just drive to the gas station and get more gasoline? Maybe, but does the gas station have power?

We also want to store gasoline for our vehicles if we had to evacuate; gasoline may either be unavailable (gas station closed because of a power outage) or there may be excessively long lines to get it. We’d also like to have enough gasoline to take with us: to ensure we can reach our BOL, and to use there if power and/or gasoline aren’t available at our destination.

As we’re discussing storage it has to be stressed that gasoline is very flammable and must be stored in an appropriate container in a safe place. It is also relatively heavy–approximately 6.1 pounds per gallon–but at about 30 pounds for five gallons it can still be conveniently handled.

It’s hard to find definitive information about how long gasoline can be stored before it goes bad. But what does ‘bad’ even mean? Gasoline is a refined petroleum-derived chemical which–over time, and compounded by improper storing and temperatures–can break down by:

  • evaporation causing it to lose it’s volatile components (necessary for igniting)
  • drawing in water vapor that can cause separation – where water, since it’s heavier, settles to the bottom of the tank
  • oxidation causing it to become sludgy which can build up inside of small parts *

There are other unknowns, beginning with how old was the gasoline when you bought it (was it fresh from the refinery or already a month old?). What temperatures has it been exposed to and for how long? Was it properly stored by keeping it tightly covered, clean, dry, and cool? So, as a rule of thumb, if you plan to store your gasoline for more than a couple of months you should add a gasoline stabilizer.

The most common brand of stabilizer is Sta-Bil Gas Stabilizer. According to Sta-Bil’s website, using their product will keep fuel fresh for 12 months; you can double the dosage and fuel will remain fresh for 24 months. It’s added at a ratio of one ounce of Stabilizer to 2 1/2 gallons of gasoline. A 32-ounces bottle costs about $12, so it’s roughly $0.40 an ounce, which is only $0.80 for each 5-gallon gasoline can you store. If you store 30 gallons (check with local ordinances on amount you can legally store) it’d cost you less than $5.00 per year.

I add three ounces of Stabilizer (I want an extra buffer) to each 5-gallon container of gasoline (including the generator); we rotate the gasoline every 12 months (each can has a number which correlates with a month, i.e. #3 gets rotated in March). When it’s time to rotate, we just add five gallons into each vehicle’s half-full tank. We’ve found that pouring gas through the pour spout can get heavy and messy. So instead of pouring we use a Super Syphon; it self-primes, it’s easy to use, and it’s affordable. It takes about three minutes to syphon a 5-gallon can.

Plan ahead. If you invest in a generator, you need to have fuel for it. Remember that generator is for an emergency situation; don’t depend on a one that has old, or not enough, gasoline.

(Wednesday: Self-Reliant vs Self-Sufficient)

* Minnesota’s Dept. of Agriculture article Storing Gasoline, has good information on the specific storage problems of weathering, moisture, and oxidation

What I Did This Week To Prep 11/4/11

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We had our first ‘lights out’ drill this week. Unfortunately I can’t call it a success, other than in the sense that we learn from our failures (hopefully).

Coming off the successful test of powering the deep freezer (for over four days), using the batter bank and inverter – I was ready to take the next step. This one was to see how the battery bank would do powering devices inside the house we would like to be able to use during a power outage.

My goal:

  1. Power two lamps, to light the living room / kitchen area, each with two CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent lamp – low energy)
  2. Power our 29 inch TV (older cathode ray tube type) and DVD player
  3. Charge the cell phones
  4. Use the microwave for limited cooking

Outcome:

  1. Batteries were discharged after about 1 1/2 hours of watching the movie (The Sting), and having the lamps on
  2. I forgot to charge the cell phones
  3. The microwave tripped the breaker after less than two minutes

What I learned:

  1. LED flashlights are great; I love our new Duracell Daylite LED two D cell flashlights
  2. Thoroughly check, and be familiar with, your equipment – before the incident
  3. Ensure the battery bank is fully charged
  4. The inverter shuts itself off when the batteries reach 10.50 volts
  5. Buying a quality system and running it through a cheap circuit breaker is dumb

What went well:

  1. Storing the main extension cord near the battery bank (14 gauge, 50 foot)
  2. Taking the opportunity to teach Ryan about the circuit breaker box
  3. Having plenty of accessory extension cords
  4. Once lamps were on (from batteries), putting the flashlights in a central place (easy to find in the dark)

If the power had really been out, we would have fallen back on our redundancy planning and gotten out the lanterns and candles.

The biggest mistake was assuming that since the battery bank, through the inverter, had been plugged in for almost a week that the batteries would be fully charged – so I didn’t think to check first. Yesterday (several days after the drill) I discovered the circuit breaker (a cheap plastic one)–between the batteries and the inverter–had failed and wasn’t allowing the batteries to charge. After seeing that I realized that during our drill our batteries probably weren’t fully charged (likely very low charge to begin with).

I rewired the batteries directly to the inverter (there’s still the inverter’s internal circuit breaker, the external one was a backup) and the batteries immediately began recharging. I’ll order a higher quality circuit breaker this weekend. When the breaker arrives, I’ll do an unofficial drill during the day and see how long the fully charged batteries will run the lamps, TV and DVD player. (Buying stuff is easy, this testing and figuring out is a pain…)

We also transplanted our pepper plants (one jalapeno and one habanero) from the garden into pots so we could bring them into the house for the winter. I hadn’t known until recently that peppers, in their natural habitat, are perennials; we think of them as annuals because our winters get too cold for them to survive. Next year we’ll just put the pot outside for the summer. So instead of starting with brand new plants again, we’ll have mature ones and see how they do. As a baseline, this year we got three, very mild, jalapenos and no habaneros at all.

Lastly, we had budgeted money for buying fish antibiotics this month. So I ordered AQUA-MOX (amoxicillin 500 mg, 100 capsules), AQUA-FLEX (cephalexin 500mg, 100 capsules) and AQUA-ZOLE (metronidazole 250mg, 100 tablets). I stored them away in a cool, dry, dark location in their original containers.

What did you do?

(Monday: The Hassles of Storing Gasoline)

(10/30/11)

What I Did This Week To Prep 10/28/11

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Last spring, working on our energy category, I bought a used Generac 5000 generator. My goal is to test it each quarter to ensure it still works properly. I especially wanted to be sure this time of year with the cold winter months approaching. So Ryan, his best friend Chanse, and I got it out. It took us a minute, but once we got the choke properly adjusted it fired up. I need to remember next time that the garage (even with the door open) isn’t the place to test it – it’s loud! Though we haven’t used it other than testing, so far I’ve been pleased with it – but I definitely need more experience using it.

Not long after buying the generator, continuing in the energy category, I bought four slightly used AGM deep cycle batteries and a refurbished Magnum inverter/charger. It took me a while to get all the appropriate knowledge and pieces together. But with the help of a couple TSP forum friends (thanks Dan and Rick), and their electrical/alternative energy knowledge, by early summer I had everything wired together and functional. This past week, after it had quietly sat in the garage for a couple months, I finally did my first test of the system. The test was to see how long our 14 cubic foot deep freezer would run (without opening the freezer) on the batteries. The battery bank, fully charged, started at 12.60 volts. I recorded the time and battery voltage several times a day. It ran for a about 100 hours, until the batteries were at 10.71 volts. A few days after my test I realized that the breaker from the batteries to the inverter had tripped and, after looking at the manual, I determined that the batteries probably should have discharged to 10.50 volts before the inverter tripped off; so add a few more hours to the total. I need to do more testing and develop a better understanding of my backup electric system, but it was a start. Next I’ll do a ‘lights out’ test and see how the battery bank does running some electrical appliances in the house. I also need to use the generator to recharge the discharged battery bank and see how long, and how much gas, that takes.

Ryan & Brynn with our combined order

Lastly, we went to the Mormon Family Home Storage Center (cannery) and canned food to add to our LTS. I previously posted about the Mormon canneries, and included a link to a video of the process, in Long Term Storage (Food Part 2). The staff (Mormon volunteers) were super friendly and helpful. The cannery is scheduled by groups; you can form your own group (Mormon or non-Mormon), or you can be added to a smaller group (we were added to a Mormon group from the Auburn area). A friend had planned to go with me but was unable to go that week, so I offered to do his order as well. Since it was going to be a large order (combined 91 cans) I brought Ryan and Brynn along to help. In addition to us, there were about eight other people in our group. We had each previously submitted our order forms, and all the bulk storage bags we would need had been pulled from the shelves and were ready to go. Start to finish, including orientation and cleanup, took just over two hours. We were assigned a task and, assembly line style, the process started: opening bulk bags, pouring into #10 cans, sealing the metal lid on the can, adding a label, and placing the can in a box for the appropriate order. When all the work was completed, we inventoried and paid for our order. We added 55 #10 cans to our LTS.

What did you do?

(Monday: Antibiotics In Your Preps?)

(10/23/11)

Product Review: Emberlit Stove

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In an emergency situation where hypothermia is a risk, my plan–using our BOB–is to quickly make a small fire, heat water, and get warm beverages into people. In our BOBs we have a good fire starting kit, containing: multiple ignition sources, multiple forms of fire starters, and dry kindling. We have a small cook kit, and carry instant coffee and hot chocolate. Having an efficient way to make a fire on a cold night can mean the difference between life and death – hypothermia can set in within a few hours at 40 degrees in a damp climate (i.e. most nights here in Western Washington). I didn’t have a camp stove in our kit, mostly to avoid the extra weight and bulk, and not wanting to carry extra fuel; I felt that our fire starting kit would be good enough to do the job. When I saw the Emberlit Stove it made me reconsider my feeling of ‘good enough’. I realized if being able to quickly and easily make a fire was one of my top survival priorities (and it is) that I needed a stove.

I looked at the Emberlit Stove some more and watched their video. I liked the apparent quality and strength, while balancing a relatively lightweight (11.3 oz) and very compact size. I ordered two from TSP Gear Shop, one for each of our primary BOBs.

our 2 stoves – left: assembled, right: unassembled

When the stove arrived I was immediately impressed by how small and simplistic it is. Unassembled it measures about four inches by five inches and stacks up less than a quarter-inch tall. It felt heavier than I had expected, but I think that’s because it’s so densely packed. It’s made of stamped, stainless steel sheet metal. It consists of three identical sides, a bottom, and a front piece; a total of five separate tabbed and slotted pieces.

The directions to assemble it are simple. The pieces are precisely cut and have very little tolerance. This is very good in quality and stability, but it’s also the cause of my one complaint: it’s a hassle to easily put together. With cold, wet hands and/or in the dark assembly would be very difficult. On the positive side, because of the way it’s designed it would be impossible to put together incorrectly.

Alison with Emberlit Stove

I assembled it and, using a fire starter and small twigs, we easily got a fire going. The front feeder port made it simple to maintain the fire, and the water boiled quickly. The wood burned with almost no smoke and only ash was left behind.

Because I wanted everyone in the family to get familiar with assembling it, and knowing that everything gets easier with practice, we had a Emberlit assembly night. While playing a card game, between hands, we took turns passing it around and each person practiced with it until we all felt proficient at assembling the stove. Sarah, Ryan, and I even tried assembling it blindfolded – that was hard and took a long time, but we were all successful.

Then, to add some stress to the learning process, we had a contest to see who could put it together the fastest. Each person had to sit on the floor, could not set the stove down until it was completed, and was timed. To put times into perspective, when we first got it in the mail Sarah and I, following the directions, each took about three to four minutes to assemble it. When we began timing ourselves it wasn’t long before everyone was able to complete it in less than one minute. Final results at the end of the night: Alison 3rd place with 34.9 seconds, I was 2nd with 27.4 seconds, and Ryan was the hands down winner at 18.5 seconds.

Aside from being a hassle to assemble, which can be mitigated with practice, I love this product. At $37, it’s well made, functions efficiently, is simplistic and would be almost impossible to break. Lastly, I want to mention the stove is made by a member of the TSP community, “By TSP For TSP”. I highly recommend adding the Emberlit Stove to your BOB.

five basic needs: 1) food, 2) water, 3) shelter, 4) security, and 5) energy

(Disclaimer: I have no association with this product or any other dealer or manufacturer. I researched and bought the product to add to my preps and I just wanted to pass along the experience I have had with it.)