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  • Blackout Survival Ideas

    So in response to another thread I thought that it might be nice to have some suggestions for people who want to better survive blackouts and storms in some comfort. As a camper, and dweller in an area with more than regular power kerflufflles I am pretty good at dealing with a lack of power and sanitary facilities.
    EVE Online: 99% of the time you sit around waiting for something to happen, but that 1% of action is what hooks people like crack, you don't get interviewed by the BBC for a WoW raid.

  • #2
    Well one of those battery powered lanterns is something I try to keep around along with candles and matches/lighters. Along with a couple gallons of filtered water. Dried fruit, granola bars, a large container with a lid to pass as a chamber pot (I've found large coffee cans work), If you usually keep a supply of fresh fruit around that will help, also powdered milk and cereal(It's not as good as milk true, but it's something to eat your cereal with), a can opener that isn't electric, a camping stove with extra propane, canned meals(soups, Spaghetti-o's, etc.), something to keep yourself busy(exercise equipment, knitting, board games if there are others with you, etc.).

    Ok, that's all I got.

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    • #3
      Some people live in apartments where anything non-electric is forbidden - I lived in a condo on the beach in Va Beach where this was the case.

      In those cases, the only suggestion I could make is to get the self heating MREs that have an envelope you add water to to generate heat to reheat the retort pouch that the entree comes in, or switch to coldcuts, cheese, raw fruits and veggies and breads.

      You *might* be able to get away with sterno - I have actually used my sterno burning fondue pot to make soup in, and heat water for drip coffee/tea.

      Another alternative if you have a vehicle is to get a 12 volt appliance. They have all sorts from coffee makers, to crock pots, electric skillets, tiny electric ovens to mini microwave ovens! You could go ahead and start your vehicle and run it while you cook, though this really strikes me as inefficient.

      Water is a bit easier if you are on 'town' water, where the pressure is kept up by the water towers and municipal pumping stations. I would add a small katydyn purifier to manage filtering out any possible impurities that could end up in your drinking/cooking water. Flushing and wash water doesn't need to be so pure. [bathing not dishes] You can buy water storage units ranging from tiny 1 to 5 gallon bags and containers all the way up to a rigid 2500 gallon tank, or a spiffy bath tub sized soft bladder that replaces the need to fill your bath tub and have an open bath of water [kid and pet hazard.]

      Toilets are another issue. You can supply your own water for flushing, and it does not need to be potable. Our town hall has its own generator and during power outages anybody can show up and fill containers of water for household use. You can also shift to alternates.

      Camping suppliers have a couple options - one is the PET toilet [no I dont know why PET] where you go into a bag that has the stuff from inside a disposable diaper that gets sealed up and tossed into the garbage. It folds up conveniently, and the little bags start folded up like disposable diapers. The other main option is a toilet seat that fits onto a 5 gallon bucket, people that use those I have understood that they put kitty litter or unfolded diapers in the bottom and go into that. I also know someone that converted it to use the PET disposable bags. The more traditional camp toilets use a funky liquid that you need to haul off somewhere to dispose of.

      Showering - I have already linked my personal camp favorite here previously. This zodi product is excellent. We use it more for the pressure vessel aspect, we preheat the water over a camp stove or fire in camp instead of using the propane burner. We wanted the version that is just the pressure vessel but it was a present from my brother for christmas, beggers can't be choosers =) Holding 2.5 gallons, it is more than ample for a decent shower unless you need 20 gallons of water to wash your hair.

      Anybody have any questions?
      EVE Online: 99% of the time you sit around waiting for something to happen, but that 1% of action is what hooks people like crack, you don't get interviewed by the BBC for a WoW raid.

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      • #4
        PET is a type of plastic ^_^ It's makes for a really good water barrier.

        In certain specific forms/variants, it's also known as "PET plastic", "Mylar", or "polyester"
        "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
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        • #5
          i would recomend a triangia
          here's the link: http://www.trangia.se/english/5612.25_series_ul.html
          lightweight and easy to use.

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          • #6
            My building, being built to Finnish standards, is pretty weather-resistant - even passively. It doesn't have air conditioning in the first place (an advantage of a cool climate is that you don't need it), and even in winter it would still be quite easy to keep warm indoors without heating - just put extra clothes on and/or hide under the blankets.

            Those in hotter climates should consider learning how to stay cool passively, and building structures to permit that if they don't already exist. The main thing you need, I think, is ventilated shade; Mediterranean countries often build houses with an enclosed courtyard which is always partly in shade, and thus acts as a reservoir of cool air into which windows can be opened. Shutters on your sun-facing windows are also a good idea - the shutters will get hot instead of whatever is inside the window.

            The city's water supply is known to be capable of sustaining pressure for several hours' normal use in the event of a failure in the supply pumps. That would be plenty of time to fill several large bottles of clean tap water for drinking. Consider reusing plates instead of washing them, if they are not going mouldy, or keep a supply of paper plates.

            An extended blackout with the water supply exhausted might prevent the toilet from flushing, but that's survivable (if a bit unpleasant) - if it gets out of hand, though, there is a river nearby which would be a fine source of toilet water. Don't bother filling the cistern, just dump a bucket of water into the bowl to flush it.

            The main problem to tackle is then food. Most of the food I usually eat is cooked, and much of it is stored frozen. If it turned out to be necessary, I could raid the friendly local megasuperhypermarket for a camping stove and gas supplies for it, and set that up on the balcony - that, with the drinkable water, is enough to cook pasta or ramen or tinned soup. Most of what's in the freezer is at least approximately edible if simply thawed, too.

            This might explain why people raid shops for bread and milk when a storm strikes. They don't keep very long without refrigeration, but can be eaten and drunk without cooking or clean water supplies, and are filling and nutritious. Digestive biscuits keep longer and can be stored in bulk.

            In cold climates, use the outside weather as an impromptu fridge or freezer. In hot climates, invest in a solar stove and use it to cook.

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            • #7
              Sleeping bags. You think you don't really need one as an adult, but try sleeping in a room without heat for a week when it's freezing outside. A regular comforter won't do it when it's 40 degrees in your house/apartment. Did it for a month. A sleeping bag makes a world of a difference when it's literally freezing.
              "I've found that when you want to know the truth about someone, that someone is probably the last person you should ask." - House

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              • #8
                If you have a pool you can use water from it to flush toilets.

                If an event is expected (such as a major storm), fill up your bathtubs so you have water for cleaning and flushing.

                Baby wipes are an awesome addition to any storm preparedness kit whether or not there's a baby in the house.

                If you have females of childbearing age in the household, make sure you have the appropriate supplies. You'd be surprised how many people don't think to have those things in their storm supply kits.

                You can cook anything on a bbq grill. In the months after Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, I got to know my grill so well I was able to bake cheesecake in it. Propane is relatively easy to store long term (though not particularly cheap).

                If you have enough land, a fire pit is also a good choice for cooking.

                Liquid pool chlorine comes in 2.5 gallon jugs. It can be watered down so it's the same strength as household bleach. If you don't own a pool, but have outdoor storage space, consider keeping a single jug on hand for sanitizing things if you're without water for an extended period (my old house was in hurricane country, out in the sticks and on a well...if we lost power, we lost water as well. We had a pool, so we had them on hand anyway, but they're a lot cheaper than buying bleach in a store, so we tended to use those in times of extended outages).
                At the conclusion of an Irish wedding, the priest said "Everybody please hug the person who has made your life worth living. The bartender was nearly crushed to death.

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                • #9
                  Please, please, please be careful with any liquid fueled form of temporary heat/cooking appliance. The installed propane, natural gas and oil furnaces, fires and appliances all have permanent venting to the outside to make sure any CO or other fumes don't enter the breathing air in you house. If the power is out your HVAC or air exchanger is not working AT ALL. That means that without proper cross ventilation (windows or doors open at different sides of the room) your house is not getting enough air changes/hour to accommodate any CO output.

                  I have personally known 4 men in 3 separate incidents that have died of carbon monoxide poisoning in accidents on job sites because of temporary heaters used without the proper ventilation and signs. If you are going to use portable/temporary liquid fueled appliances please read and carefully follow all safety precautions carefully and fully.
                  Pain and suffering are inevitable...misery is optional.

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                  • #10
                    ^ ^ Same goes for generators. Never, ever, use them indoors. There is no safe way to do this. They will kill you. It happens around here about once a year when some nearby community loses power during a storm. Generators MUST be outdoors. Don't even put them in an attached garage; someone here was killed when they did that and the fumes entered the house.
                    When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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                    • #11
                      Also, cash. Cold hard cash in your wallet. Guess what else doesn't work when power is out? ATMs. During Hurricane Sandy, lot's of people were having trouble getting basic supplies because they wanted to use their credit cards which of course can't be used without power.
                      "I've found that when you want to know the truth about someone, that someone is probably the last person you should ask." - House

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                      • #12
                        A RADIO.

                        Battery powered, hand-cranked, or both. You can't hear emergency services reports on a (radio service on a) phone which has run out of power. Keep a list of every radio station in your area that gives emergency reports. (In Australia: every ABC Radio station for your area will provide the reports.)

                        On the same note: if you have a landline connection, have a landline handset which doesn't need to be plugged in to power to work. And turn your mobile completely off when not actively using it, until the power outage is over.

                        That covers communication, both in and outgoing.


                        Food:

                        If you're in a warm or hot area (or season), declare a moratorium on heat-based food preparation. You don't need it.

                        And that doesn't mean I'm advocating endless salads or sandwiches. Though both are useful!

                        Cooking is part of the process of tinning foods: you can safely eat tinned meats cold. Also tinned veggies and fruit and other stuff, naturally!

                        Most smoked and dried meats are also perfectly safe to eat without additional cooking.

                        Most dried foods can be eaten cold, or soaked in water then eaten cold. You can make oatmeal porridge cold, if you really want to. (I'm not sure I would, but hey...)

                        Raw food recipe websites hold a cornucopia of ideas for foods that need no heat-based preparation, though some take prep in advance (eg, soaking dried ingredients).

                        Prepare in advance by having a week's worth of these recipes up your sleeve, and stock your pantry with the dried or tinned ingredients (over the course of six months or so).


                        Surviving Heat


                        * DO NOT be tempted to survive heat by wearing minimal clothing unless you're deeply inside shade; such as inside a building. Even under a shadecloth or umbrella, you can get enough indirect sun to severely burn.
                        Clothing in a loose, lightweight fabric that shades your whole body is much safer. Sweat wicking fabrics are absolutely ideal. Natural sweat wicking fabrics include linen and bamboo; artificial ones are readily available both at sports stores and 'workwear' types of sources.

                        * DRINK. Water, tea, soup, milk. Eat watermelon, or juicy fruits and vegetables. Avoid diuretic liquids, but it's better to drink them than to not get enough liquid.

                        * If you're in a hot-dry environment (rather than a hot-humid one) with plenty of water available, you have it comparitively easy. Yes, it's much easier to dehydrate, but you can take advantage of evaporation.
                        If you are in a hot-humid environment, try the ideas below anyway: some are liikely to work.
                        If you have limited access to water, you might need to rely on shade. I don't have much information to help you in that case.

                        - Mop your hard floors. Especially tile floors. And leave them wet. In fact, #^*&# mopping, just spill water all over them. Then wait ten minutes, and lie down on them and enjoy the coolth.
                        If you don't have tile floors, consider adding them to your next renovation plan.

                        - Freeze big blocks of ice - old ice cream containers full - and put them out where your pets can access them. At first, they'll just transfer the chill to the floor you've put them on, and the pet will have a nice cool place to lie down. Then as they melt, they'll be a source of cool water.
                        (Okay, this only works if you have power....)

                        - Apply water to your pulse points. Wrists, ankles, elbows, back of knee, groin, armpit, neck (front and back), temples. Admittedly, some of those you can only do in private....

                        - Wipe your pets down with water. (Can't do that with some pets, but if it's safe for the pet, do it.) Most mammals and reptiles and birds can't sweat, so they get no evaporative cooling. If it's safe for your pet's species, wet them down to keep their core body temperature at a safe level.

                        - The bathroom is likely to be a very cool room, because of the sheer amount of heat-sink material in there. (often tiles, ceramic bathtub, ceramic basin, even the ceramic in the loo itself is a heat sink).

                        - In Australia, we have a particular housing style called 'the Queenslander', which is an effective heat-shedding house. It's almost always on stilts, for breezeways under the house. It has verandahs facing east, west, and north, to shade the house from the sunwise directions. (Remember, southern hemisphere. Sol is north of us.) It has windows on all four walls, and breezeways built into the interior design of the house: open windows on any opposing walls, and if there's even a breath of wind, it'll go through the house.
                        If your home can simulate any elements of the Queenslander design, utilise it.


                        - If, despite all of this, you, your family or your pets show signs of heatstroke, call emergency/get to a vet. Right away. Hyperthermia kills as readily as hypothermia.
                        Seshat's self-help guide:
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                        2. If you're consistently getting results you don't want, change what you do.
                        3. Deal with the situation you have now, however it occurred.
                        4. Accept the consequences of your decisions.

                        "All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools." - Anders, Dragon Age.

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                        • #13
                          Quoth Greenday View Post
                          Sleeping bags. You think you don't really need one as an adult, but try sleeping in a room without heat for a week when it's freezing outside. A regular comforter won't do it when it's 40 degrees in your house/apartment. Did it for a month. A sleeping bag makes a world of a difference when it's literally freezing.
                          To be more specific: get a mummy bag. Especially if you live somewhere that gets towards freezing temps.
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                          • #14
                            Quoth Seshat View Post
                            A RADIO.

                            Battery powered, hand-cranked, or both. You can't hear emergency services reports on a (radio service on a) phone which has run out of power. Keep a list of every radio station in your area that gives emergency reports. (In Australia: every ABC Radio station for your area will provide the reports.)
                            A hand-cranked (or squeeze-grip) flashlight is great to have - no batteries needed. Occasionally you'll run across a hand-cranked device with a cell phone charger - if you do, snap it up. Mine includes a crap radio and a flashlight, but being able to charge your phone (especially smartphones that run the battery down fast) when the power's out is great.
                            Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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                            • #15
                              Quoth Seshat View Post
                              A RADIO.

                              Battery powered, hand-cranked, or both. You can't hear emergency services reports on a (radio service on a) phone which has run out of power. Keep a list of every radio station in your area that gives emergency reports. (In Australia: every ABC Radio station for your area will provide the reports.)
                              I'd recommend one that also has a solar charger like this one.
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