TEST MY PREP!

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

As I have mentioned in other threads, I've had a real awakening over the last 2-3 years re: Prepping. I used to snicker at preppers... now I realize how unprepared I was for even the most basic & common of life's disruptions. My cupboards were sooo skeletal, if I just caught a cold, I'd have to drag my sick, sorry ass out to the store to score some cough medicine and a few cans of chicken soup. Pathetic! Disruptive stuff happens all the time in life and every adult should be able to deal with it.

I've come a long way, but I can always learn more! Below, I've laid out my prepping parameters & goals, so you understand what I've been hoping to achieve. Anyone who is willing(!), I ask that you please fire away with questions! Hopefully, you will soon reveal "gaps" in my planning that I can then address. I'm doing this now because within the next week to 10 days I'll be at about 80% of where I initially wanted to be, so I'm really closing in on my plan's completion. This is a good time for me to double check my own planning. I look forward to tapping the collective NJGF brain trust and enjoying a great (though perhaps humbling!) learning experience in the process! I'm sure this exercise might help other new preppers, too. 

Parameters:

Cost - everyone is limited by their own budgetary constraints. I only ask that you don't scold me too badly (lol), for not buying Lamborghini-level equipment if I've already told you I could only afford Toyota-level equipment. Nuff said! 

Investment Portability - I do plan to leave NJ in the next few years. For that reason, I wanted to avoid investing heavily in permanent infrastructure (cost that I would unlikely recoup on the sale of my house). My thinking was: wherever it makes sense, I'd like to be able to move any investments right into the next house.

Physicality - in some cases, honestly, I admit that I have splurged a bit where it would save me from excessive buggy-lugging. I simply cannot be hauling heavy fuel tanks through icy sidewalks and a snowy yard, for instance. (I think that's practical though! A slip & fall and a resulting broken arm would certainly throw a wrench into the best of prepping plans, especially for someone who lives alone!) So, I do have some considerations that many of you probably do not share & you'll see those concerns come through in some of my answers. It is what it is!... I'm not a particularly robust beast of burden, lol.

Goals:

1) - To weather any "ordinary" problems (like a bad storm knocking out power) fairly seamlessly & without having to leave my house/yard IF I choose not to. FYI, for context, my town loses power up to 3x times a year pretty regularly & it is one of the last towns in my county on the list for power restoration. So, we were out 11 days during Sandy, but in the years I've lived here, I've been stunned by how many times and for how long we've lost power - 8 or more hours has happened several times. (That never happened in Bridgewater where I grew up! or in any other place I lived.) I was always just so lucky that these longer outages in my current town didn't happen in bitter cold temps (though I did, more than once, have to toss the contents of my refrigerator in warmer weather). So, let's say for this first goal, I want to be able to shelter comfortably in place for up to 2 weeks - that probably is more than ample to cover 99% of events. That includes full work capacity since I work from home (Internet access, etc.) - and keeping the refrigerator on so I don't needlessly lose perishable food, etc. Being almost fully functional is the goal here!

2) To even handle an "extraordinary" challenge (like the grid going down, perish the thought) again, by mostly sheltering at home, definitely "roughing it" more, and probably leaving my house for minimal, very local trips (e.g., down to the river to fetch water, down to the gas station to get more gas, etc. - so, I mean quick trips within blocks of my house.) And, to be able to hold that pattern for at least 3 months. I envision that if something as bad as the grid going down has taken place, frankly, I'm not as concerned about working from home - because I suspect even my clients would be in survival mode (not sitting at their laptops waiting to receive my stunning Word documents, lol). So, I'd probably be living off of my savings, I guess? 

3) For both situations 1 & 2, I want to have some reasonable redundancy. If this first method fails, what do I move to next? This was a question I tried to ask myself throughout the planning process. Frankly, sometimes cost interferes with this goal, so I just tried to strike the best balance between redundancy & cost.

OK, FIRE AWAY, PEOPLE! TEST MY PREP!  Have fun! [...said as she nervously dons her flameproof suit...].

[Sniper 6,372]

8 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

For both situations 1 & 2, I want to have some reasonable redundancy. If this first method fails, what do I move to next? This was a question I tried to ask myself throughout the planning process.

I believe that's the FIRST question before you embark on all the other prep areas. Redundancy, and not relying on ONE method. I live by the following motto:

• One is NONE
• Two is One
• and THREE is where you want to be

This fits all areas of prepping: electric, water, heat, food, lighting, cooking, sanitation, protection, etc. Everyone needs to think along these lines as you plan your contingencies.

In some of those categories, I'm at four and five options, not just three.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

 

1 minute ago, Sniper said:

I believe that's the FIRST question before you embark on all the other prep areas. Redundancy, and not relying on ONE method.

I agree! I tried to ask myself throughout the process "what if this first thing fails? then, what if the back up fails?"  These were tough decisions! What to throw money at and where to pull back? So, I tried to build in the most redundancies for the most critical things - water, food, power, particularly in winter.  It's a process!

[Bklynracer 1,263]

Might be rough at first , but I say save your money and move into Snipers house.

[Sniper 6,372]

6 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I agree! I tried to ask myself throughout the process "what if this first thing fails? then, what if the back up fails?"  These were tough decisions! What to throw money at and where to pull back? So, I tried to build in the most redundancies for the most critical things - water, food, power, particularly in winter.  It's a process!

Another important piece of the puzzle, when figuring out backup methods and systems is how to survive on minimal amounts of each. You can throw a lot of money to build redundancies, but those will be tough to keep going for an extended time. It's better to be able to get by with minimal electric, minimal heat, minimal water, minimal cooking, etc. than trying to keep your "normal" status quo going.

[Sniper 6,372]

8 minutes ago, Bklynracer said:

Might be rough at first , but I say save your money and move into Snipers house.

Ha... I'm a good Boy Scout 

When I was running my son's Boy Scout troop as Scoutmaster, I was the merit badge instructor for First Aid, Personal Management, Wilderness Survival, Orienteering, Emergency Preparedness, Camping and a few others. It wouldn't have been a good picture, if the instructor fails in those areas... 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

1 minute ago, Sniper said:

It's better to be able to get by with minimal electric, minimal heat, minimal water, minimal cooking, etc. than trying to keep your "normal" status quo going.

That's a fair point. I tend to sip standard utilities like a fine wine... rather than guzzle them like beer. If I'm in the house, for instance, there's not more than my porch light, 2 interior lamps, and my laptop on. If I'm walking out of a room, the light goes off. I don't see how much lower my usage can go!  But, certainly, if it was winter, I would plan to get good at using my wood burning stove as a cooktop - if it's already on for heat, why not do double-duty? I intend to practice that this winter for the first time! It would make no sense to turn on my electric range or a microwave if the woodstove is already cranking. So, yeah, there are some things I've noodled on for decreasing usage ... and certainly if I thought it was a longer, extended situation, I would kick that into gear. I guess every seemingly small effort would help.

[Sniper 6,372]

5 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

If I'm in the house, for instance, there's not more than my porch light, 2 interior lamps, and my laptop on. If I'm walking out of a room, the light goes off. I don't see how much lower my usage can go! 

That is the first really good step, since power is usually the most important of all the items. So being able to plan/run important electrical items has to be a first concern. But, as you see, those few items don't require a lot of power. Too many people go out and buy a 5Kw generator, and burn through tons of gas, just to keep a few lights on. Then, that requires LARGE amounts of stored gas. Unfortunately, that's not realistic.

I'm actually glad we went through Hurricane Sandy, I gave me the opportunity to test and refine my systems/plans and see where there were "voids" in the plan.

What I do for power is, first, I have a battery bank and inverters, and they power lights, charge cell phones and laptops, and other low power items. Then, periodically, I fire up one of my generators, to primarily cool back down the refrigerators and top off the batteries. I only need to run the generator like a hour or so, and that's only a few times a day. If it's cold, I can also cycle the furnace at that same time, to take the chill off. I've also ran the washer and dryer at that time. The key is to make use of all available power for that short time period, then shut off the genny and save fuel (and all the genny noise). Nothing attracts people better than a generator running during a quiet blackout.

I also have solar panels, so I can top off the batteries and run some items from them too.

[Sniper 6,372]

2 hours ago, Mrs. Peel said:

down to the river to fetch water,

WATER - another important area and one that needs redundancy and backup systems.

If people are on city water, they usually have some time, since municipal water usually keeps flowing... for a while. So having backup water available is the next step. We had city water the whole time during Sandy, but eventually their generators and purifying systems might have issues, so Plan B is in order.

If on a well, then that brings some difficulty. Power is needed to run a well pump, and to keep a generator running all day, so you can wash your hands or flush the toilet, isn't practical. So, having storage containers that can be filled at the time the generator/well is running is necessary. Then, you can go to the containers for normal water needs.

Having cases of water bottles is one of the best solutions, and cases of water are relatively cheap. Plus, if you drink bottled water during the day, you're rotate your stock all the time. Filling some of the bigger 5 gallon plastic water containers or even a water bob in the tub can give longer term water storage.

If there is a swimming pool nearby, this is a great source of water for general use of washing, flushing, cooking and even drinking if it says clear.

Then, if it gets more dire, having a manual hand pump and filter system, so you can fill containers from other water source (stream or lake), is next. Some of the backpacker water filtration/ pumps work well in this situation. We used them many times on remote camping. You can get iodine and purification tablets as a last resort. I've never used them (luckly) so I don't know how well they work.

Also, if someone feels resourceful, a rainwater collection system from the roof, can be put together. Once again this can be good for watering gardens, etc., but needs filtration to make drinkable. The backpacker pump/filter can be used here. Of course, this system is depended on it raining, which is no guarantee.

But I think, if it comes down to having to drink rainwater, we will be in Mad Max territory, and all bets are off.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

3 minutes ago, Sniper said:

What I do for power is, first, I have a battery bank and inverters, and they power lights, charge cell phones and laptops, and other low power items. Then, periodically, I fire up one of my generators, to primarily cool back down the refrigerators and top off the batteries. I only need to run the generator like a hour or so, and that's only a few times a day. If it's cold, I can also cycle the furnace at that same time, to take the chill off. I've also ran the washer and dryer at that time. The key is to make use of all available power for that short time period, then shut off the genny and save fuel (and all the genny noise). Nothing attracts people better than a generator running during a quiet blackout.

I'm going to have to get that whole "cycling the generator on and off" thing down... figuring out how many times a day I actually have to run it. This is all new to me.

My plan would be to run the generator, and send and receive email and charge up all my chargeable items - laptop, lanterns, radio - much as you described. I will monitor the refrigerator temp (I just order some super-cheap probes with a magnetized thermometer that goes on the exterior). I would run the generator enough to make that cold again, too. As far as things like laundry... I would frankly try to put that off. I have plenty of clothes or can hand wash a few items in the sink if needed.

It's really an outage during super-cold temps, I think, that poses the most challenges for This Old House and that I'm the most worried about. In that situation, I plan to curtain off 2 doorways and spend most of my time in my (currently unfurnished) bonus room, kitchen and half-bath (the woodstove keeps the 3 rooms reasonably toasty if they're closed off - so me and the pup would be relatively comfortable). I even have a very comfy camping cot and would just plan to sleep in that room during the "emergency". The trick will be finding the happy medium... running the generator the right amount. That's my single biggest angst. The temperature in this house plummets FAST if the boiler is off in cold weather. I'm just going to have to learn what works - enough to not waste fuel, but not pushing it so far that I get frozen pipes. I bought extra digital thermometers, so I can see exactly what's happening in key rooms - particularly at basement level. 

If worst came to worst, I even purchased an (older style) tool to drain the (older style) water pipes in the basement. But, I figure that's really a last desperate measure... the situation has really gone to hell in a handbasket if I need to shut off the water main and drain the pipes to prevent freezing!! Eegads! Perish the thought. But, I figure, what if I was forced to leave the house for some long period of time?  At least I can attempt to protect it from broken pipes while I'm gone. I tagged all of the drains, so I can quickly buzz through the basement and reduce the volume on all of the various water pipes. 

As for the security of the portable generator (to be delivered this week, installed next, yay!), I'm already planning to buy a big fat chain and heavy duty lock before it arrives... I intend to store it under my deck, out of view, under a cover, but also chained to the corner post of my deck, making it that much harder for it to "walk away". 

[Sniper 6,372]

9 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

As for the security of the portable generator (to be delivered this week, installed next, yay!),

By "installed", what do you mean? Are you getting a transfer switch/panel installed at your main electrical panel? Is it gas or propane?

I'm not a big fan of generators (although they are a necessary evil), since it's a piece of mechanical equipment which can malfunction, so that's why I use the battery bank as my first "go-to". I also have a second dual fuel generator and have the generator on the RV as a backup. I can also generate power with a inverter by running my truck, so once again, redundancy....

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

1 minute ago, Sniper said:

WATER - another important area and one that needs redundancy and backup systems.

I'm on city water. So, plan A is to just use the tap water because the town does have its own back-ups. I checked. 

I would also fill the tub and as many containers as I can if there's any indication of longer-term problems - the tub for flushing, the containers for drinking and cooking. I do that anyway when there's a big storm brewing... have been doing so for at least a year now. If tap water then failed, I would go through that saved tap water next. So, that's plan B.

After that, I always have four cases of bottled water and several gallon jugs of water which I rotate. So, that's plan C.

Plan D is either use some tarps/containers that I bought to collect rain water on my deck - or - I'm hoofin' it "down to the river" to fill containers with river water, load them in my trunk and drive them back. I have a LifeStraw Family water filter sitting on the shelf should I ever need to filter any water for drinking. 

I feel pretty decent about my water prepping! That said, if something nuclear happens, I'm completely screwed. Because Plan D would be radioactive water... and the filter doesn't work for that obviously. Though frankly, if something like that happens, we're ALL screwed.

[Mr.Stu 1,916]

12 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I bought extra digital thermometers, so I can see exactly what's happening in key rooms - particularly at basement level

Not trying to be picky, but to illustrate a mindset change you should consider.

Digital thermometers don't do so well without a power source. Regular thermometers will work regardless.

If you're planning for survivability, try to choose tools that won't drain your time or resources more to keep them operational.

[Sniper 6,372]

14 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I'm going to have to get that whole "cycling the generator on and off" thing down... figuring out how many times a day I actually have to run it. This is all new to me.

I had a neighbor during Sandy running his generator all day long, a 6kW unit, from like 8 AM to 11 PM, to keep primarily his lights on. The amount of gas he burned through was huge, since we were without power 8 days, then a few days later, lost it another 4 days with that snow storm.

With my system (I have a 3.2kW propane  genny), I cycled it a few times a day, and was getting like at least 3 days per 20 lb normal propane tank. It was easy to have backup propane tanks, since they're easy to find, all over the place.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

1 hour ago, Sniper said:

By "installed", what do you mean? Are you getting a transfer switch/panel installed at your main electrical panel? Is it gas or propane?

I'm not a big fan of generators (although they are a necessary evil), since it's a piece of mechanical equipment which can malfunction, so that's why I use the battery bank as my first "go-to". I also have a second dual fuel generator and have the generator on the RV as a backup. I can also generate power with a inverter by running my truck, so once again, redundancy....

Yes, I did "splurge" for the convenience of the interlock, etc. - I don't want to be dealing with tons of electrical cords, etc. Yet, I also wasn't about to plunk down 10-12k for a whole house permanent generator.. or bigs bucks for those uber-cool, but pricey Tesla Powerwall gadgets. I would never recoup that money on the sale of my house! So, I made a "compromise position' - a portable generator, yet one that is as functional as possible. 

I got a dual-fuel generator, too - gas & propane. I really liked the idea that if there was a shortage of one fuel, I could shift to the other. My other "splurge" is a used 50-gallon propane tank that will be a (more or less) permanent install - because I understand that propane is cleaner, less likely to gunk up the carbaurator (spelling?lol), etc. So, I figure I'm hopefully protecting the equipment a little bit from needless mechanical issues. I intend to run if off of propane, using one of the local companies to fill it. If there's a problem with that, I then have the option to run out and fill up some gas cans. Honestly, this is where physicality became an issue, too. The thought of leaning over my car trunk, deadlifting portable propane tanks, dragging them through snow, etc... well, it just sounded like a recipe for disaster! So, that was something I felt was worth a couple hundred extra bucks - for my comfort - to get a tank that a truck would fill, so that I'm not killing myself to fuel the generator. I made a couple of strategic "chick compromises" - that I don't feel bad about at all!

 

1 hour ago, Mr.Stu said:

Not trying to be picky, but to illustrate a mindset change you should consider.

Digital thermometers don't do so well without a power source. Regular thermometers will work regardless.

If you're planning for survivability, try to choose tools that won't drain your time or resources more to keep them operational.

Yikes! That's a fair point. These were uber cheap... so I didn't waste much. But, I should invest in some nice old-fashioned thermometers. Added to the prep list! 

[Sniper 6,372]

10 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

Yes, I did "splurge" for the convenience of the interlock, etc. - I don't want to be dealing with tons of electrical cords, etc.

That's a good choice. Did you get a interlock, that powers your complete panel, or a transfer switch, that powers certain circuits? This is a transfer switch:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reliance-Controls-30-Amp-250-Volt-7500-Watt-Non-Fuse-6-Circuit-Transfer-Switch-Kit-3006HDK/202213700

11 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I got a dual-fuel generator, too - gas & propane. I really liked the idea that if there was a shortage of one fuel, I could shift to the other.

That was even a BETTER choice. It's all about options. Plus, you won't have to worry about stale fuel or gummed up carburators when running propane, and propane never goes bad.

What size is it?

1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

But, certainly, if it was winter, I would plan to get good at using my wood burning stove as a cooktop - if it's already on for heat, why not do double-duty? I intend to practice that this winter for the first time! It would make no sense to turn on my electric range or a microwave if the woodstove is already cranking.

That's also a great plan. If you have a electric range (which are usually 240 volt) that's going to be tough to run, unless you have a big generator that can power it. Cooking on the woodstove is a good option.

But also consider, what if it's not cold and the woodstove isn't running, how will you cook without power? Or. if you're cycling the genny, your microwave won't be usable at certain times. If you have propane, a camping cookstove is an option or propane grill. You can also run the camping stoves on small portable tanks. I have a gas range, so stovetop isn't an issue, but oven is a no go. During Sandy, I was baking pizza and baking other things on my propane barbecue grill. I also have portable propane camp stoves and grills as backup.

How about hot water, is your tank electric or gas. If electric, it's also 240 volt, which takes some power to heat water, and needs to be considered in the plan.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

I had a highly recommended electrician come in... and examine all the electrical systems in the house. Yes, I have an electric range/oven ... but more to the point, interestingly, it was my septic system (which has a fairly heavy duty pump) that really set the minimum requirements for the generator. He's installing a 30 amp generator inlet and "interlock" to main panel. I'm sure you know what that is more than I do, lol. I made him promise that when he installs it all, he'll give me a good tutorial so I can take notes & do up an instruction sheet for myself.

And you know, interestingly, I have just recently wrestled with the  idea of whether to get a small propane grill. Honestly? I'm not into grilling (obviously, since I don't own a grill). So, I'd probably never use it any other time. But, it's worth considering now that I'll have a propane tank.

I always have cans of sterno - not just for entertaining (chafing dishes), but when I've lost power before, I just put three mugs upside down on my stovetop, put a sterno can between them and then set a pot on top. It's not great, definitely a "hobo move" - lol - but it's enough to warm up a can of soup to a palatable temp. I might consider a grill though. I'm going to give that some thought!

[Sniper 6,372]

11 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

And you know, interestingly, I have just recently wrestled with the  idea of whether to get a small propane grill. Honestly? I'm not into grilling (obviously, since I don't own a grill). So, I'd probably never use it any other time. But, it's worth considering now that I'll have a propane tank.

Actually, there's a lot of ways to cook on a grill, besides "grilling". I cook a lot of things in foil, like french fries, vegetables, whole potatoes, etc. We've used a pan to grill peppers and onions for sausage and peppers. We wrap corn on the cob in foil and bake it. We reheat items in foil pans, like stuff that people bring for Thanksgiving (stuffing, beans, sweet potatoes, etc.). Like I mentioned before, even baked a pizza. I wrap ribs or pork loins in foil, and bake them on the grill. You can pretty much bake anything you do in an oven on the grill. I haven't tried baking cookies yet...

Another fallback way to cook without a stove or oven is with wood. If you have any wooded areas or firewood  nearby(from your stove), you can make a easy meal that the Scouts used to do, called "pocket stews".

All you need are the hot coals from burning wood, then you take your meat of choice (beef, chicken, pork or fish) and cube it up. Then take a whole potato or any type of potato, and cube it up, then any vegetable like carrots, onions, peppers, squash, etc. and cut them up. Then take a piece of aluminum foil, put the meat, potato and veggies on the foil, fold it up into a pouch, season it to taste, and place the pouch on the coals. Give it 10 minutes, flip the pouch, and another 10 minutes, and you have an "all-in-one" meal, ready to eat!

Best part, virtually no clean up, toss the foil in the trash!

[Sniper 6,372]

26 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

He's installing a 30 amp generator inlet and "interlock" to main panel. I'm sure you know what that is more than I do, lol. I made him promise that when he installs it all, he'll give me a good tutorial so I can take notes & do up an instruction sheet for myself.

Make sure he gives you a good tutorial and you understand the "loads" on the system. This sounds like it's going to power your complete panel. If you're going to power your range, your septic pump, water heater (I'll assume it's electric), boiler pump, micro, etc., make sure it's sized correctly. Anything with a heating element or motor can draw some high amps, compared to lights and TVs, and you could exceed that 30 amps with a few items running.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

23 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Actually, there's a lot of ways to cook on a grill, besides "grilling".

That's a fair point! I'm a good cook, but not an outdoor cook. I could learn though. Would be a worthwhile skill to master... particularly in a pinch. 

18 minutes ago, Sniper said:

Make sure he gives you a good tutorial and you understand the "loads" on the system. This sounds like it's going to power your complete panel. If you're going to power your range, your septic pump, water heater (I'll assume it's electric), boiler pump, micro, etc., make sure it's sized correctly.

I had him  "ok" my purchase so that it would be sized properly. I don't recall the details, but he did make mention of powering on the circuit for the septic pump FIRST, letting that run, then shutting that circuit OFF, and THEN bringing other circuits on. He also mentioned, "you can pretty much do everything but prepare Thanksgiving dinner..." and said he'd give me a list of what things could be run together, and which shouldn't. Frankly, I got the impression I shouldn't, for example, have a window A/C unit, my oven, a hair dryer and a microwave all running together, or circuit breakers might be flying off right and left. He seemed to be a smart, articulate fellow... so I'm sure he'll provide a detailed list and acceptable combo's. As far as the water heater, I have something called a "Boiler Mate" - my limited understanding is that there's a coil of piping inside the tank through which hot water directly from my boiler is flowing - that heat from the pipe transfers into the water in the tank. So, if the boiler is running, it heats up the water (pretty quickly too - I think it's a fairly efficient system - so probably not a huge electrical draw there is my impression).

[brucin 923]

Propane camp stove to cook. Uses the disposable tanks (Electric Range) useless during power outage

I also have a grill and 4 tanks never let more than 2 empty at one time.

White gas lantern and oil lamps for lights.

Kerosene heater for space heating during winter months I keep 15 gallons of kerosene never going below 7 gallons as it lasts a long time.

6K genny that I run no more than 4 hours a day to supply water (well) chill fridge and freezer run oil burner heat (Electric Hot Water Heater) also useless during outage

I keep 75 gallons of treated water for flushing when genny isn't running

I keep 20 gallons of gas on hand and rotate it out every 4 months or so to run the genny.

Cinthe pups and I could easily last 30 days without leaving the house in the winter. 3 months in warmer weather.

[Scorpio64 5,147]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I will monitor the refrigerator temp

A full refrigerator-freezer requires less energy to maintain temperature.  If you don't keep a lot of perishables in the fridge, you can always throw in dry goods like uncooked rice, oatmeal canisters, coffee, etc.  Not that those things will benefit from refrigeration, it won't hurt them either.  Same goes for the freezer.  The more you have in it, the longer it stays cold.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

6 minutes ago, brucin said:

Propane camp stove to cook. Uses the disposable tanks (Electric Range) useless during power outage

I also have a grill and 4 tanks never let more than 2 empty at one time.

OK, you and Sniper now have me really thinking I underestimated my non-winter cooking needs! I'll be looking at options. It does seem some kind of small grill is in order.

White gas lantern and oil lamps for lights.

Hmmm... I've been moving more towards rechargeable items - particularly those that can recharge with solar. It feels safer in my old, dry wood house than having a bunch of flames. Maybe I'm just fire-phobic?

Kerosene heater for space heating during winter months I keep 15 gallons of kerosene never going below 7 gallons as it lasts a long time.

Hmmm... don't those kerosene heaters throw off fumes? Are there ventilation requirements?

6K genny that I run no more than 4 hours a day to supply water (well) chill fridge and freezer run oil burner heat (Electric Hot Water Heater) also useless during outage

But if it's WINTER and cold - how many hours would you be running it then? Or do you have some alternate source, like a woodstove? I'm shocked by how infrequently people are running their generators!! I'm learning...! This is exactly what I wanted.

I keep 75 gallons of treated water for flushing when genny isn't running

I keep 20 gallons of gas on hand and rotate it out every 4 months or so to run the genny.

Cinthe pups and I could easily last 30 days without leaving the house in the winter. 3 months in warmer weather.

 

11 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

A full refrigerator-freezer requires less energy to maintain temperature.  If you don't keep a lot of perishables in the fridge, you can always throw in dry goods like uncooked rice, oatmeal canisters, coffee, etc.  Not that those things will benefit from refrigeration, it won't hurt them either.  Same goes for the freezer.  The more you have in it, the longer it stays cold.

Wow! I did not know this either. Noted!! Thank you.

[gleninjersey 2,139]

5 hours ago, Mrs. Peel said:

2) To even handle an "extraordinary" challenge (like the grid going down, perish the thought) again, by mostly sheltering at home, definitely "roughing it" more, and probably leaving my house for minimal, very local trips (e.g., down to the river to fetch water, down to the gas station to get more gas, etc. - so, I mean quick trips within blocks of my house.)

During an "extraordinary" challenge , such as the grid going down or extended (weeks) power outages, what makes you think that people are going to be at the gas station or at any local stores?  If something catastrophic were to happen YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.  There's no going down to the gas station. 

Within a few weeks people will be killing each other for necessities.  For a true SHTF event I think you need to limit your contact with people.  And don't broadcast that you are a prepper with casual friends / co-workers.  The typcial reaction from people is a silly laugh and a "We'll, I know where we'll be going if things ever get THAt bad!".  Be sure to look those people square in the face and let them know they better not come empty handed.  Or give them a "What makes you think you''ll be able to get to my place?"  or "Oh, I don't plan on being at my place.  I'll be long gone to my back up location FAR away from most people."

I don't know how populated an area you live in.  Or how far away the closest not so nice area / town is from your front door.  But for an extended SHTF scencario I think you would want to be as far as you can from densely populated areas.  If you have close family or friends that you can trust, who are further away from population zones and who share your self reliance mentality you may want to disuss "what if" situations.  And start preparing a fall back area at such a place.  

And not to scare you, but as a single person you (or any individual person) trying to ride the storm out during a real SHTF event are at a disadvantage.  You will become a target.  You will need others to keep watch and be up when you are sleeping and they will need you to be up when they are sleeping.  During such an event it's always better to have someone watching your back and you watching their's.  If you don't have people you can count on or a back up location you can get to then you may want to consider getting a dog.  A large dog.  I see from reading some of your commnets you have the dog part covered.  In reality it doesn't have to be a very large dog.  Just a large bark. 

I guess the gist of all the above is how do you avoid being a target and reduce the odds of becoming a target in a real SHTF event.    Which we all know the odds are pretty slim (hopefully) of one ever occuring. 

 

[siderman 1,137]

Have a talk with your electrician about your gennys neutral wire and whether it is bonded (connected) or floating (disconnected) and how it should relate to the main panel when running live. 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

5 minutes ago, gleninjersey said:

During an "extraordinary" challenge , such as the grid going down or extended (weeks) power outages, what makes you think that people are going to be at the gas station or at any local stores?  If something catastrophic were to happen YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.  There's no going down to the gas station. 

Well, aren't you a warm Cup o' Christmas Cheer! 

Seriously though, I don't disagree with a word that you wrote. And I would basically try to stay at home and "batten down the hatches". Where the hell else would I go? FYI, I've got no place else to go! And yeah, as a single female, I am well aware that I'd be at a disadvantage if not an actual target, for sure. I'm close to 78 (also not a good situation IMO being off an interstate... just too easy to pop into my town, do a home invasion, and hop back on the highway - in mere minutes). And I have no delusions about human nature or how quickly civilization crumbles when people feel desperate. 

That said, I live where I live, and I do live alone - as far as dogs, my canine protector is fierce, trembling fury but 7 pounds of it and 15 years old. None of these facts are going to change immediately. In the meantime, my only option is to maintain good relationships with my immediate neighbors (and I do always try to do that) and to prepare as best I can, right? I mean, there's no point throwing up my arms in despair! That's not the right attitude.

Interestingly, my town (according to my FFL) is absolutely LOADED with gun owners. (You'd never know, no one admits it). So, I would hope if things were ever dicey they would have the smarts to band together and set up some checkpoints on the few roads that do lead into town. But, pretty much, if things ever got really wild, it's just me, my wits, my half-blind/half-deaf dog...and any prep I've done. So, ummm... here's hoping things never get "wild" in our lifetimes! 

[Scorpio64 5,147]

5 minutes ago, gleninjersey said:

And don't broadcast that you are a prepper with casual friends / co-workers.  The typcial reaction from people is a silly laugh and a "We'll, I know where we'll be going if things ever get THAt bad!".  Be sure to look those people square in the face and let them know they better not come empty handed. 

There is safety in numbers.  In SHTF, you better have already vetted friends, neighbors, and even family.  If things ever get "that bad" people become an asset or a liability.  It does not hurt to talk about prepping.  it will get people thinking about doing it themselves, just don't brag about it.   If they do that, they are less likely to become a liability to you.

Help them understand that if they come to you as an asset, they also gain the advantage of being able to offer shared resources.  Come to you empty handed, well, that's going to be a liability, a burden.

1 minute ago, Mrs. Peel said:

I would basically try to stay at home and "batten down the hatches". Where the hell else would I go?

That's plan A.  What is plan B?

[gleninjersey 2,139]

4 minutes ago, Mrs. Peel said:

That said, I live where I live, and I do live alone - as far as dogs, my canine protector is fierce, trembling fury but 7 pounds of it and 15 years old. None of these facts are going to change immediately. In the meantime, my only option is to maintain good relationships with my immediate neighbors (and I do always try to do that) and to prepare as best I can, right? I mean, there's no point throwing up my arms in despair! That's not the right attitude.

Interestingly, my town (according to my FFL) is absolutely LOADED with gun owners. (You'd never know, no one admits it). So, I would hope if things were ever dicey they would have the smarts to band together and set up some checkpoints on the few roads that do lead into town. But, pretty much, if things ever got really wild, it's just me, my wits, my half-blind/half-deaf dog...and any prep I've done. So, ummm... here's hoping things never get "wild" in our lifetimes! 

Okay, you need a bigger and younger dog.  LOL.  

You would be surprised how many people have guns.  But just because people have guns doesn't mean they are prepared or have your best interests at heart.

I have to say, I am VERY impressed by what you've done so far.  It makes me realize I need to step up my game.  

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

2 minutes ago, Scorpio64 said:

That's plan A.  What is plan B?

That is admittedly where the wheels start to come off of my plans to some extent. Though I did put together a "go bag" with some cash in small bills among other necessities... however, first, everything depends on the situation. Where's the emergency? What direction can you head in that is away from danger?  Also, my nagging concern is that as a single woman, I might be placing myself at greater risk by getting out on the road travelling alone. I think that's a rational concern. Sheltering in place, if possible, still seems to carry less risk. 

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

2 minutes ago, gleninjersey said:

You would be surprised how many people have guns.  But just because people have guns doesn't mean they are prepared or have your best interests at heart.

Oh, no... I don't think they'd have MY best interests at heart. But, common sense and a sense of self-preservation might prevail... and they might realize that pooling resources in terms of shared duty at strategic checkpoints would be best for THEMSELVES, too.