What do you all do to be prepared for long term power loss?

[paulsharvey]

Since this seems to have turned into a "prepping" discussion -
Make sure you take care of your meds.
Lot's of us are on various meds that seem readily available and routine, just as toilet paper had in January of 2020.
Until something F's up.
Insulin is now in "shortage". Seems since the drug companies can't continue to rape us for $80 what costs them $4 they are moving on to something else more profitable, weight loss drugs.

During Hurricane Ian, I think 2017, maybe 2018, anyways; wife's mother, mom's boyfriend, grandma, brother and uncle all kinda just showed up at our house. Not particularly happy about it, but they needed to evac. Anyways; we get no damage at our home but power goes out for 7 days. Wife's Grandma is on an oxygen machine, but has like 48 hrs of bottle gas too. Everyone is looking at me, like "how are You gonna fix this, she needs Ox to beath". Basically had to tell them, yall probably better get her to an ER or something, I planned on what We needed. I think they brought like a loaf of bread, and some cigs, and just assumed I would be prepared to take care of something like a dozen people.. Then they got passed when as soon as wind dropped to 45mph, I had to go to work. "Who's gonna do whatever if you go to work?" I don't know, but that is a You problem.


Correction: that was Hurricane Erma or Irma? Not Ian

 

[TN8Man]

A few years ago a small mountain town about 25 miles from here lost power during a ice storm and the roads in and out were impassible due to all the downed trees/branches. This lasted for over two weeks if I remember correctly.

Based on this local event I try to be prepared for at least two weeks on a generator and wood stove.

 

[newbury]

<snip> Everyone is looking at me, like "how are You gonna fix this, she needs Ox to beath". Basically had to tell them, yall probably better get her to an ER or something, I planned on what We needed. I think they brought like a loaf of bread, and some cigs, <snip>

Well, it was your free hotel, aren't you responsible?
At least they brought cigs.

 

[FPGT72]

During Hurricane Ian, I think 2017, maybe 2018, anyways; wife's mother, mom's boyfriend, grandma, brother and uncle all kinda just showed up at our house. Not particularly happy about it, but they needed to evac. Anyways; we get no damage at our home but power goes out for 7 days. Wife's Grandma is on an oxygen machine, but has like 48 hrs of bottle gas too. Everyone is looking at me, like "how are You gonna fix this, she needs Ox to beath". Basically had to tell them, yall probably better get her to an ER or something, I planned on what We needed. I think they brought like a loaf of bread, and some cigs, and just assumed I would be prepared to take care of something like a dozen people.. Then they got passed when as soon as wind dropped to 45mph, I had to go to work. "Who's gonna do whatever if you go to work?" I don't know, but that is a You problem.


Correction: that was Hurricane Erma or Irma? Not Ian

This is what I was trying to say before. Lets say this is a real extended thing and these people show up. You have six months of stuff for your family, spouse and kids. Not for the additional 7 adults that show up. The power is not coming back on, law enforcement does not exist, what do you do.

I don't have a good answer, I know what I should do, and that is on the "harsh" end of things. Not sure if I would do that however.

If people think you have things they will be showing up at your door, for you to willingly take care of them, or for them to force you to take care of them.....one way or the other.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I also have a couple drums of diesel for the tractor and the RTV, but most of my fuel I keep in Jerry Cans is non-ethanol gasoline. That is what I keep in rotation.

You'd be surprised (I was) how long gasoline can be good for.

A Can-Am needed gas, but somehow I didn't have any in the normal 200-gallon tank, but had four or five 5-gallon cans. Well, that was about six year old gas.

Surely I had put StaBil in those cans, but to play it safe I added some Star Tron to one and let it sit over night. End result: That Can-Am started and ran better than it ever had.

Realistically, I don't think it was the chemicals or enzymes that saved the day as much as that those old European cans are truly airtight. Noticed an improvement with the 200-gallon tank once I made it a "closed system", keeping the most volatile stuff from escaping.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

In my case I prep to hopefully last long enough for things to stabilize.

It has cost me less than $5,000 to prep enough food to survive for 12 months. It is not a real cost as we cycle through it. It is like having food “in the bank”.

Guns and ammunition are not necessary if dying early is your choice. It is not mine. Same applies for the other supplies and resources needed.

As my moniker implies, I shoot a lot. Having a decade or more of ammunition and reloading supplies is normal for me. I have been through cyclic shortages and have profited from each one. My current inventory is essential “free”. I have ammunition and components for 75,000 rounds. I no longer shoot 20,000 rounds a year but have maintained my stocks.

Prepping is not for everyone. If you are not capable of killing others, prepping does not make sense. You will need to kill to keep the stuff you have.

My fear is there are a people who plan to take what they need from “chumps” who have prepped. Some are ex-military.

The tribe I will be a member of has ex-military members who have played in the “Sandbox”. I am glad i will be on their side. They need me because I can repair guns, make bullets, and reload rifle, pistol and shotgun ammunition.

Food and stuff is important…essential skills are important too.

In a SHTF event, 50% will be dead in less than two months. Most will be citiots and suburbanites. 90% will be dead in 12 months. Planning to die is a safe bet.

I like a challenge….

Thanks for the explanation which parallels my one neighbor. He target practices a lot.
I shoot a few rounds but to me it gets boring and expensive putting them through the target center dot! I bought a spinner...watch it spin a few times. I can't see the point continuing to waste ammo.
Rarely if I need to dispatch a nuisance animal I do it.
If we lost power a long time would I share food & water I have? Of course!
If something is breaking into our house of course I'll protect us...how do I know or care what "it" is?
Everyone should have enough food, tp, etc. to last a week or two. I can't envision any need past that. Maybe we need to watch apocalypse movies to understand!

 

[paulsharvey]

@FPGT72 this is one if the things I've kinda talked to kids about. If power is out for 8 hours; your gonna use the gas on hand to run a window unit; if power js gonna be out for a few days; you run the deep freezer; if power is gonna be out for a couple weeks; you run the well pump; but in reality, if power would eb down for months, that generator gas is best saved to run power tools.

The way I look at it; true SHTF/zombie apocalypse/united nations invasion, pick your flavor of national shut down; You can't be prepared for; and also, you can't survive it alone; You would need others with you. I've joked (mostly joking...) with family, in that kinda situation, we raid TSC and load up on deer corn, hog feed, ect and live on that for 6 months, and let everyone else die off. The guys that think 5000 rounds of 223 and a go bag with MREs and 2.5 gals of water are going to survive in the woods, are fooling themselves. If that kinda true grid breakdown happens; things like paper maps, compasses, ect will be worth far more than an extra mag of 9mm.

If we are realistic; 14 days is on the outside extreme of what most people Can prepare for. If we end up in 1942 Leningrad, or something like that, your just screwed.

 

[paulsharvey]

Guns and ammo aspect; I don't think you need to prepare to fight off a battalion of terminators; BUT; even in a 7 day situation, desperate people do desperate things; and you want to be prepared for that possibility. Hopefully it will never come to that, but there is a lot of looting, stealing generators, fights at a gas station, ect with even minor disasters.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

It is not fear, I have yet to meet any that live in fear. They are ready however for about anything. I linked an article from someone that survived the Bosnia "civil war", it is clear many did not read that.

Having a "stash" is really what the other poster said, it is "extra" food. You do eat it. We have a few freeze dried "camping" food, basically like old LRRP rations, add hot water and eat. But most of our stuff is food we usually eat.

Why they do this, just to be ready. There is really not much cost to it as you are eating it anyway. You might have some containers and O2 absorbers but that stuff is not expensive.

What do they think will happen. Do you remember the "summer of love" and the "mostly" peaceful protests where the mob burned buildings. I think I posted up a video of a power station that was shot and it took down an entire county. Several power stations got attacked in a like manner. The equipment damaged was "easy" to replace, but there are some things in the sub station that would take a year to replace. There are just no extras of that specific part laying around.

It is easy to see we are letting in people that do not like us very much, do not like our way of life. Just like 9/11 they are just waiting for the word to do something. You will see something like that happen again, and many think it will be on a larger scale. When the "haves" are building huge bunkers in their million $ houses I have a feeling something is up.

My question is we've lived here 44 years and friends with all the neighbors. A few (FEW) prep, others don't. Now suppose a disaster occurs...which of the 3 will happen:
1) neighbors share what another neighbor needs.
2) invaders appear who you must dispatch.
3) neighbors who have dispatch neighbors in need, or at least turn them away.

 

[newbury]

This is what I was trying to say before. Lets say this is a real extended thing and these people show up. You have six months of stuff for your family, spouse and kids. Not for the additional 7 adults that show up. The power is not coming back on, law enforcement does not exist, what do you do.

I don't have a good answer, I know what I should do, and that is on the "harsh" end of things. Not sure if I would do that however.

If people think you have things they will be showing up at your door, for you to willingly take care of them, or for them to force you to take care of them.....one way or the other.

probably one of the things we all should do is not give "people" cause to "think" we have "things".
Look like you are poorer than your neighbors, as WinterDeere wrote:

I live in a neighborhood of wealthy elites, and am counting on that old theory that you don't need to run faster than the bear, just faster than your buddy. If the SHTF here, I predict one other guy and I will be feeding our families on the rest of them.