A Day Without Power

Bear here...

Ever been surprised by a power outage and thought " Oh CRAP... now what do we do?" We had that experience today. We were also ready for it. We couldn't go on line to see our prepare for power outage  page but we did have a list of what to do when the power goes out. Luckily the power was out for only 2 hours. Being prepared made those 2 hours a lot less stressful. Today is a windy day and the power could get knocked out again. It can look ugly out there (see below), and panic may set in. You don't have to panic if you are prepared. Here are a few basics.

What you need is heat, water and food.  We have a wood burning stove so we are set. If you have a backup generator make sure sure it works before you need it. Run it for an hour a month during the cold season so you KNOW it will run when you need it. If you have neither, find a heater that runs on batteries and have plenty of batteries. If you have no heat source put everyone in one room dress in layers and put blankets around doors and windows so cold air cant get in. Below is a picture of our winter Safety net.

We need Water and food to survive. If you don't have a lot of bottled water around fill as many containers as you can with water from the tap. One gallon of water per person for 7 days may seem like overkill but it's not, it's better than running out. Remember you will also needing water to wash things and water for your pets.  You want food that you can and will want to eat without opening a refrigerator. Having a full pantry of canned food, peanut butter and the like. I also suggest powdered milk is good to have on hand.

Those are the basics, here are a few "tricks"

• A full freezer will stay frozen for about 48 hours if unopened. A refrigerator will stay cold for 4 to 6 hours. Old school iceboxes were kept cold with large blocks of ice. Get 2 to 4 gallon milk jugs or 2 medium buckets and fill them with water and set outside to freeze. When frozen put 1/2 in refrigerator and swap every 8 to 10 hours. 
• If something needs chilled but not frozen after opening put some snow in a large pan or cooler and cover to keep chilled.
• keep nonelectric entertainment around. (books, puzzles, games, ect. ) Makes time go faster.
• Plan a menu for a week that doesn't need electricity and always keep those items in pantry. Remember to keep supplies for your pets.
• Learn to cook with your wood burning stove.
  
• Have some no electricity weekends for fun and practice for emergencies, take notes on what would make them better.

Hope is helps,

​Type at ya later...