Survival Stuff / Bug Out Bag

[va_bank 0]

the problem with bugging out......'specially here in nj..........if something makes you want to bug......you can dam well bet that the other half million people around you want to bug too. in this instance, you'd be leaving the relative safety of your easily secured home, and placing yourself into the open, in a nearly unsecurable position.

 

+1

[bbh03 0]

You should be using a male receptacle like this to feed your panel from a generator http://m.homedepot.com/p/Reliance-Controls-30-Amp-Power-Inlet-Box-PB30/202213702

With a normal male-female extension. Male-male extensions are dangerous and against elec code which is why you won't find any for sale premade.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

ahh i see thanks

[maintenanceguy 510]

A couple of problems with backfeeding your house through a receptacle.

 

first, if you do forget to turn off the main breaker in your home, there is a real chance of killing the guy working on the utility pole. Electricity is delivered to your street at medium voltage - thousands of volts - but the actual number varies. A transformer for your house steps this down to 240V for you to use. If you backfeed 240V to this transformer, it's stepped up to thousands of volts and feed back into the power grid. A lineman working on the "dead" grid won't know that you're feeding it with your generator. I won't do this because I know I'll remember to turn off the right breaker but if I'm at work and can't get home, I don't know that my wife will get the right breaker or will be sure that it's off.

 

Second, the branch circuit feeding the receptacle you're feeding isn't sized to power the whole house. Power comes into the house on big wires and is distributed to branch circuits through small wires. Feeding power through the small wires can cause those wires to overheat, melt, or catch fire.

 

You can get a generator electrical panel installed that can be switched manually to use a cord connected generator. This smaller panel would feed your critical circuits only - a few lights, a few receptacles, your refrigerator, heater, etc. Normally, this panel would be fed from your main electrical panel. In an emergency, flip the switch and plug in the generator. These are set up to prevent backfeeding the main panel.

 

I just use a long extension cord I made with a distribution box attached with 110V receptacles and a 240V receptacle for the well pump. I plug stuff into this cord instead of using the house wiring. It's crude but I don't use it very often - in fact I hope I never use it again.

[TheLugNutZ 21]

That was my plan to begin with, just using extension cords, but this had me thinking since i planned on getting a NG conversion for my genny and my AC unit is pretty close outside i figured just plug and play...

 

I know about the dangers posed to lineman as i have read that before and i would be extreemely careful never to have the main on, but with the increased risk of fire and me hopefully not needing to do this on any regular basis, i wont take the risk...

[ogfarmer 138]

#1 RULE OF PREP CLUB NEVER CUT CORNERS

[BCeagle 12]

Male-male extensions are dangerous

 

I have been saying this for years, even with a condom.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

A couple of problems with backfeeding your house through a receptacle.

 

first, if you do forget to turn off the main breaker in your home, there is a real chance of killing the guy working on the utility pole. Electricity is delivered to your street at medium voltage - thousands of volts - but the actual number varies. A transformer for your house steps this down to 240V for you to use. If you backfeed 240V to this transformer, it's stepped up to thousands of volts and feed back into the power grid. A lineman working on the "dead" grid won't know that you're feeding it with your generator. I won't do this because I know I'll remember to turn off the right breaker but if I'm at work and can't get home, I don't know that my wife will get the right breaker or will be sure that it's off.

 

Second, the branch circuit feeding the receptacle you're feeding isn't sized to power the whole house. Power comes into the house on big wires and is distributed to branch circuits through small wires. Feeding power through the small wires can cause those wires to overheat, melt, or catch fire.

 

You can get a generator electrical panel installed that can be switched manually to use a cord connected generator. This smaller panel would feed your critical circuits only - a few lights, a few receptacles, your refrigerator, heater, etc. Normally, this panel would be fed from your main electrical panel. In an emergency, flip the switch and plug in the generator. These are set up to prevent backfeeding the main panel.

 

I just use a long extension cord I made with a distribution box attached with 110V receptacles and a 240V receptacle for the well pump. I plug stuff into this cord instead of using the house wiring. It's crude but I don't use it very often - in fact I hope I never use it again.

 

your first paragraph is exactly what i was told. i am the only one in my home with access to my fuse box, so i know i'm good to go that way. beyond the first paragraph, i hadn't thought of, but am/will now.

[10X 3,306]

where did you get that male to male adapter? I was looking on amazon and didnt see anything... Would it work if i back-fed into my 220 plug my central air is on?

 

That's called a suicide plug, which pretty well explains why you won't find one on Amazon. Screw up by plugging it into the generator first, and the exposed ends of the male plug at the other end of the cord are live. Screw up by not throwing the main breaker before back feeding, and you put the linemen trying to restore power to your neighborhood at risk as they work on lines that are supposed to be dead...

 

Don't get me wrong, I have no respect for towns that require permits for every little thing, primarily as a source of revenue--and I'm not an electrician, so this doesn't affect my livelihood either way--but powering your house by generator is one of those things you want to get right if you're going to do it.

 

The good news is its fairly easy and not too expensive to do it yourself. The transfer switches Walt referenced are a couple hundred bucks, and let you put a nice weatherized receptacle on the outside of the house into which you plug the generator. Check out the Reliance Controls website; it has both installation instructions and video so you can see what's involved. Simpler and cheaper still is the interlock switch; a simple sliding plate that won't let you throw on the generator breakers unless the main breaker is off. Both meet code requirements.

 

(edit--I see others type faster than I do; much of this info has already shown up in the thread)

[1LtCAP 4,264]

also, for what it matters, my garage is seperate. it has it's own dedicated 220v feed from the circuit box out to the garage. this is where i plugged into the 110 outlet....inside of the garage. i thought that in so doing, i was now feeding in through the heavy duty 220 line from the garage to the house's circuit box, and from there, i thought it would've been just as if it were coming from the grid. i will however be investing in the proper panle as posted above.

[CMJeepster 2,780]

+1 for the Reliance Controls set-up. Got met 3 days through Sandy without any problems. Gotta keep genny oil & fuel filters on-hand.

[Sht 3]

My bug out bag 300 rds of 10mm, two concealed & open carry for my g20, 8 ar mags extra 200 of 5.56, 200 rds 7.62x54r, gloves, small camp knife, fire steal and a bag of lint balls. Need to make food & medical bags for the kids to carry.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

holy crap, your bag must weigh a ton!

[mike.one 0]

 

 

I have been saying this for years, even with a condom.

Agreed

[Nickel1911 0]

A couple of problems with backfeeding your house through a receptacle.

 

first, if you do forget to turn off the main breaker in your home, there is a real chance of killing the guy working on the utility pole. Electricity is delivered to your street at medium voltage - thousands of volts - but the actual number varies. A transformer for your house steps this down to 240V for you to use. If you backfeed 240V to this transformer, it's stepped up to thousands of volts and feed back into the power grid. A lineman working on the "dead" grid won't know that you're feeding it with your generator. I won't do this because I know I'll remember to turn off the right breaker but if I'm at work and can't get home, I don't know that my wife will get the right breaker or will be sure that it's off.

 

Excellent point. During a power outage due to a storm situation, one of the steps a hazard responder will take is identifying the homes running generators on a particular grid. Generators not connected properly will make the meter spin backward and backfeed into the grid. This information gets translated to the linemen performing the restoration.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

in my instance, as i mentioned before.....the time i did this, i went into the basement, and turned off the main breaker before doing anything else. the times i've needed the generator, it was outside where they'd be able to see/hear it. i'll be using the proper panel in the future, because i've set it up to where i can run the generator inside of my garage(which is seperate from the house), so that it won't draw attention of those who may wish to "re-appropriate" it from me.

[Sht 3]

It's more like a snail out bag.

[Rifleman1 32]

Is this a DIY backfeed? If not, is this something a contractor had to do? I looked into it before and it's supposedly dangerous blah blah blah.

 

DIY backfeeds are dangerous but with the correct procedure and precautions it is doable but I am not promoting doing it without an interlock. There are main panel interlocks available for less than $100 that will not let you turn on your backfeed breaker until the mains are off. You'll need an electrician to install the backfeed breakers in slots 2 & 4 on your panel that runs to your backfeed 240v inlet.

 

http://static.schnei...0273-809-02.pdf

 

I tried to have one installed but the electricians were so backed up at the time I skipped the interlock and backfed to my 240v dryer outlet during Sandy but the interlock is installed now. The hardest part was finding the connectors to build the cable (shelves were bare) and finding out where all the breakers fed power for a list of which breakers I wanted to feed with the generator. I turned off all the breakers, turned off the main, connected the backfeed cable, confirmed the mains were off, fired up the generator, turned on the supply breaker on the generator then turned on the individual breakers that I needed/wanted to have on.

 

No one can fire up and connect the generator but me. I made sure the dryer outlet and line were of sufficient capacity for the generator output and added up all the amps on the circuits I wanted to energize so I would know it was below the capacity of the generators 8000 watts. I made sure that the generator was grounded to my 3 foot copper grounding rod near my meter and that the generator was grounded to the box on my dryer outlet and to the panel.

[Rifleman1 32]

My bug out bag 300 rds of 10mm, two concealed & open carry for my g20, 8 ar mags extra 200 of 5.56, 200 rds 7.62x54r, gloves, small camp knife, fire steal and a bag of lint balls. Need to make food & medical bags for the kids to carry.

 

Aren't bug out bags supposed to cover a 72 hour period? I think you are describing your ammo bag.

[mipafox 438]

maintainceguy has it right.

 

This is NJ. If SHTF, you're going to either go to some shelter like a lot of people were forced into during Sandy, or you're going to stay into your house. Having a good food supply is necessary. Push comes to shove, I can always start a fire in my driveway and use that to cook most things.

 

You shouldn't have to cook anything for weeks.  In the first couple days you might cook up what's in your freezer to avoid losing money.  After that, eat out of cans (or pouches if you waste money).  I doubt anybody is going to start poaching a week into a hurricane.  After that, most storage food is grains and beans.  You put them in a pot and put the pot into a home-made bucket cooker and bring to boil and then put the pot into a giant box of towels or other insulation so they will cook for hours without added heat or fuel.  Idiot tip - many beans/legumes must be soaked overnight or precooked before you start the cooking.  Or you may become ill.

[Sht 3]

Maybe it should be my zombie bag? And I soak beans overnight to speed up the cooking but if you don't it can make you sick? More detail please.

[mipafox 438]

Maybe it should be my zombie bag?  And I soak beans overnight to speed up the cooking but if you don't it can make you sick?  More detail please.

 

That's all I know. For nearly 40 years. I could search it for you.

[mipafox 438]

Here is my first search result:

 

http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/crockpots-slow-cooking-dried-beans-phytohaemagglutinin/

[Sht 3]

Holy crap thanks for the info I always soak but I don't boil for ten mins, more like 3-4. Sorry I didn't want you to do a search or provide links, didn't feel like using my Google fu at he range. But if I'm on the forum I guess I could have.

[mipafox 438]

Again, not an expert, but soak I think is fine if you are going to "cook" cook them. I think you need to be sure to give them a quick cook if you plan to let them cook at low heat over time. Or something like that. Just plain ol' beans sense.