# Why do I need power?



## Dalarast

So I have been wondering this question with regards to getting necessary preperations in order... "why do I need power"

For short term issues... i.e. hurricane where power could be knocked out for weeks I understand the importance of having a generator; but what I would like to know from everyone here... what about long term SHTF scenarios?

To make life easy.. a global collapse of all systems and central power grid is down. Is the needs of alternate energy (or generators) a focus to keep the "comforts" or more for powering certain equipment (power tools, battery chargers, etc)? This is not to discount people who are planning on utilizing HAM radios or for that matter electric water pumps... I understand the power need.

I already have a few portable solar chargers to utilize as charging devices for major items such as batteries to even trickle charger to power my car/jeep if needed. I'm looking for the benefit of investing into a back-up power system before I even take the steps in that direction....

Ideally if price was no option my entire home would be off the power grid so in the situation that the power grid goes down my life would not change.... but I see the main need for power for myself as a "comfort" and not a requirement..... my wife and two daughters would disagree obviously....


----------



## James m

I agree. Power is over rated. If you need water and have a well less than 350 feet you can install a hand pump well along side an existing well pump. I also believe if you go the alternative route you won't have to stock fuel. 

Of theres no power it will just be like living in the 1980's


----------



## HuntingHawk

Electricity just makes life easier.

Why do you need modern firearms when black powder flintlocks work?


----------



## pheniox17

No power = no thriving, power = ability to thrive,


----------



## Zed

I've planned for Solar panels and a small Home Wind turbine for power generation in case of SHTF for long period...but they will be used for water, sanitation, food preservation only.
It has been around 25 years i haven't seen clear sky at night with Milky way galaxy and all beautiful stars due to light pollution...i'm going to enjoy every moment of it :-D


----------



## Dalarast

HuntingHawk said:


> Electricity just makes life easier.
> 
> Why do you need modern firearms when black powder flintlocks work?


Huntinghawk, I guess thats the answer I came up with too... it makes life easier. But I was wondering if there is something else out there that perhaps I'm missing. Take the idea of modern firearms over flintlock...

Why modern firearms over flintlock? More effective for survival/hunting.... they make it easier; but overall more effective where the costs outweight any investments needed.

The conversation my wife and I have on this topic is funny because I just end the "debate" with: "Well in my opinion we don't need power now". I normally say this as I am sitting in A/C, drinking a cold beer, while watching football


----------



## HuntingHawk

You need wax for candles. Oil for oil lamps. Electricity for light bulbs.


----------



## big paul

wife and I are planning for a post shtf world without power, we have both lived without power before, its not hard to do its just a matter of adapting to the new circumstances. generators are ok but in a world without power there will be no background noise generators will be heard for miles no matter how much you try to silence it. generator noise will shout "these people have power-they may also have food and other supplies".


----------



## HuntingHawk

But in free areas you can have firearms to protect yourself.


----------



## Notsoyoung

To me the primary reason for having power if the SHTF would be for food preservation, i.e., refrigeration/freezing, lights, and water. Yes, there are alternatives that you can use for each of those such as drying food, candles, hand pumps and outhouses. Power does make it easier, but it also saves you time, and with all of the other things going on in your life in a situation like that, it could make a big difference in your life. If you have ever had to go use an outhouse when the temperature was well below freezing, having running water in your house is a big deal. Hauling enough water for a bath, heating it up on a fire or wood burning stove, then hauling it to a bathtub could end up taking a allot of time. 

Yes, you can do without it, just like you could without allot of stuff, but then you could just move into a cave, wear animal skins, and hunt with a spear.


----------



## big paul

Notsoyoung said:


> Yes, you can do without it, just like you could without allot of stuff, but then you could just move into a cave, wear animal skins, and hunt with a spear.


you can go and live in a cave if you want to, but we don't have to, humans lived for thousands of years without electricity, we didn't have it in houses in the UK until about 1930 so its a fairly new thing(some places didn't even have until the 1960s in rural areas), its easy to live without, we don't have to go back to the stone age, that's just thinking like the ignorant masses, we know better don't we, its just a case of adapting.


----------



## Boss Dog

Use it while it's available, generator for short term problems, plan for the worst. 
You can do it but, it's not a lot of fun. 
My mother grew up without power or running water, 
when I asked her if she would do it again she said "Hell No"! 
She said I would if I had to, but I sure don't want to!


----------



## big paul

Boss Dog said:


> Use it while it's available, generator for short term problems, plan for the worst.
> You can do it but, it's not a lot of fun.
> My mother grew up without power or running water,
> when I asked her if she would do it again she said "Hell No"!
> She said I would if I had to, but I sure don't want to!


that's where I suppose I'm different, I'd love to go and live like that(wife lived without power until she was 12, then left school at 16 and went into farming in the 1960s...no farmhouse had electricity in those days) but then I've always been what you might call "alternative"!!


----------



## Notsoyoung

big paul said:


> you can go and live in a cave if you want to, but we don't have to, humans lived for thousands of years without electricity, we didn't have it in houses in the UK until about 1930 so its a fairly new thing(some places didn't even have until the 1960s in rural areas), its easy to live without, we don't have to go back to the stone age, that's just thinking like the ignorant masses, we know better don't we, its just a case of adapting.


Thinking like the ignorant masses? BITE ME. I HAVE lived without electricity, and not as an emergency. As I said you can do it but it is more time consuming and more labor intensive. Obviously the comment about living in caves went right over your head. My point being that there are allot of things that you can do without until you "simplify" yourself back to the stone age. There are many people here in the United States who live totally off the grid and they supply their own electricity. I strongly urge that people who have the means do so. Your personal hygiene will be better, and if there is a lack of medical care that could be very important, your food will last longer, you can have better security systems then without, and it will make an extremely stressful situation much less stressful.


----------



## big paul

Notsoyoung said:


> Thinking like the ignorant masses? BITE ME. I HAVE lived without electricity, and not as an emergency. As I said you can do it but it is more time consuming and more labor intensive. Obviously the comment about living in caves went right over your head. My point being that there are allot of things that you can do without until you "simplify" yourself back to the stone age. There are many people here in the United States who live totally off the grid and they supply their own electricity. I strongly urge that people who have the means do so. Your personal hygiene will be better, and if there is a lack of medical care that could be very important, your food will last longer, you can have better security systems then without, and it will make an extremely stressful situation much less stressful.


sorry, but "stress" does not appear in my vocabulary, I have lived completely off grid in the past and LOVED every minute of it and would again in a heartbeat if circumstances were different, but like I say I have always been different to most people. being without power and living a more simpler lifestyle does NOT repeat NOT equate to going back to the stone age.


----------



## slewfoot

Man survived for thousands of years without power. The problem is we have become lazy and reliant. 
Yes I have a generator that runs the whole house but in long term situations I will be out of fuel and it will shutdown so we have prepared for this also, BBQ's and a small fire pit will work well. Use up perishables while you have refrigeration, hunt and trap only small game and fish to eat in a day or so. Living in Florida we have no freezing winters to have ice so you compensate.
If you set your mind to it you will survive.


----------



## big paul

slewfoot said:


> Man survived for thousands of years without power. The problem is we have become lazy and reliant.
> Yes I have a generator that runs the whole house but in long term situations I will be out of fuel and it will shutdown so we have prepared for this also, BBQ's and a small fire pit will work well. Use up perishables while you have refrigeration, hunt and trap only small game and fish to eat in a day or so. Living in Florida we have no freezing winters to have ice so you compensate.
> If you set your mind to it you will survive.


exactly, its all about thinking differently, power is only necessary now because mankind has made it part of the lifestyle, change that lifestyle and it(power) becomes less necessary.post shtf and me and mine will revert to a simpler,slower way of life.


----------



## Notsoyoung

big paul said:


> sorry, but "stress" does not appear in my vocabulary, I have lived completely off grid in the past and LOVED every minute of it and would again in a heartbeat if circumstances were different, but like I say I have always been different to most people. being without power and living a more simpler lifestyle does NOT repeat NOT equate to going back to the stone age.


Stress isn't in your vocabulary? Think maybe that might change if you had to worry about being attacked and killed at anytime? Think that might change if it looked like you were starving? Think it might change if some of your kids were dying and there wasn't any medical treatment available? Then throw on top of that trying to thaw out a frozen hand pump to get enough water to cook food. Living "off the grid" but having food supplies right down the road at the local grocery store is not the same. Yes you can live without electricity and people did so until fairly recently as far as history goes. They also lived without refrigeration, antibiotics, decent medical care, and many other things.

Let me say it another way so that just maybe this time you understand..... I did not say that doing without electricity was going back to the stone age. What I said was that you could simplify yourself back to the stone age. There is a difference.

Survival in a SHTF scenario is going to be largely dependent on "advantages". If you have skills, advantage. If you have a large supply of stored food, advantage. If you have firearms, advantage. If you have power, advantage.


----------



## Jeep

I need POWER, just because !


----------



## big paul

Notsoyoung said:


> Let me say it another way so that just maybe this time you understand..... I did not say that doing without electricity was going back to the stone age. What I said was that you could simplify yourself back to the stone age. There is a difference.


sure you could, but just living "simply" does not mean we revert to the stone age,far from it, its just means a different way of doing things.


----------



## oddapple

I lived cleaner, healthier, sweeter & wealthier than my other neighbors who had power. Power doesn't cure stupid or trash but shutting it off does. That is why we are going to. Hang in there cupcake! Ahahaha!


----------



## big paul

oddapple said:


> I lived cleaner, healthier, sweeter & wealthier than my other neighbors who had power. Power doesn't cure stupid or trash but shutting it off does. That is why we are going to. Hang in there cupcake! Ahahaha!


hahaha! nice one.


----------



## Notsoyoung

big paul said:


> sure you could, but just living "simply" does not mean we revert to the stone age,far from it, its just means a different way of doing things.


ONE MORE TIME. No one is saying that living without power is going back to the stone age. What I have repeatedly explained is the point I was making is that you could simplify your life to the point where you are back in the stone age. Good grief.

We have a sect here in the United States called the Amish or some refer to them as the Pennsylvania Dutch. They live without electricity......sort of. We have a large community of them near where I live, and I have go there fairly often. They light their homes with natural gas. How does that gas get there? If you go by the local welding shop run by the "English" (what they call non-members of their sect) and you see all of these horse drawn buggies and wagons parked around it getting work done. Why there? Because welding using electricity is much better and easier then using a forge. Go to the Amish museum that is dedicated to showing their lifestyle and you will see washing machines and refrigerators that run on gas or gas engines. How were they produced? Electricity.

Power is a work multiplier for things as simple as hauling water to splitting logs. Yes, you can go to the hand pump and pump the water and then haul it inside, you can use an outhouse, you can spit logs to heat you home using a maul, but it will take time and man hours which equates to caloric intake. The more you do, the more time and food you are going to need to do it.

Can you live without electricity? Obviously. Will those with power have an advantage over those who don't if SHTF? I believe so. If you think that having a power source is frivolous or because you are lazy, WHAT'S STOPPING YOU NOW? Go ahead and do it. But even if you did so, you know in the back of your mind all you have to do is go to the local store and buy the supplies that you need. No power now would not be the same as no power if the SHTF.

I find it a little funny proclaiming how great it is to do without power while typing messages on a computer.


----------



## oddapple

Oh I think it can b handy when it's there, and gee, won't we miss the sterilizer and de-fib but life just doesn't always have everything you want so enjoy it while you have because you knew it was kind of a folly all along. Like most of what we do.


----------



## RNprepper

Notsoyoung said:


> Power is a work multiplier for things as simple as hauling water to splitting logs. Yes, you can go to the hand pump and pump the water and then haul it inside, you can use an outhouse, you can spit logs to heat you home using a maul, but it will take time and man hours which equates to caloric intake. The more you do, the more time and food you are going to need to do it.


 This is so true. Think of your clothes - shear the sheep, card and wash the wool, spin it, and then hand knit a sweater. Or plant, harvest, spin flax/cotton, then weave the fabric before hand sewing the cloth into clothing. Yikes!!! I have 2 working treadle sewing machines that work perfectly, but I sure don't want to weave my own fabric.

Electricity also allows you to work beyond dark more efficiently. I have a 1200 w solar generator that is silent and uses no fuel except the sun. It will give me the advantage of light, battery recharging, communication (at least the ability to listen), and some refridgeration. Advantages? Heck yes!!!! I have also lived without electricity, and it is a real pain. Life sure goes a lot slower! I don't need to power my whole house, but the 1200 w will give me power for the most essential needs without burning down my house from spilled oil lamps or candles.


----------



## Notsoyoung

oddapple said:


> Oh I think it can b handy when it's there, and gee, won't we miss the sterilizer and de-fib but life just doesn't always have everything you want so enjoy it while you have because you knew it was kind of a folly all along. Like most of what we do.


I agree. Just as antibiotics are really nifty to have around and if there was a way to get some and preserve it for decades I would certainly advocate doing so. The same with electricity. If you can be self-supplied I sure would. It would increase you chances of survival. If you can't then you do the best you can without. Had I the funds to live wherever I wanted and could buy whatever I wanted, I would have my own hydroelectricity, solar panels, wind mills, and a generator(s). Backup to backup to backup, along with regular supplies up the ying-yang.


----------



## big paul

if I had the funds and could buy what I wanted I wouldn't be living in a rented modern semi detached house on the edge of a low population rural town, I would be living in a 200 year old country cottage in the middle of nowhere. but until I win the lottery or SHTF it aint going to happen.::clapping::


----------



## paraquack

Electricity is indeed a work multiplier. Why do we use anything powered, it is easier. It gives us free time to watch TV, count our preps. It allows us to perform more work, easier and cheaper. If you took away electricity (all forms), how long before we would be living in near caveman conditions. Where are you going to buy oil for oil lamps, wax for candles, lumber and nails for building or repairing your home, etc. Some of us have particular skills that will serve us well in the world after the SHTF. Some of us think we have those same skills. Until I 5 or 6 years old, my parents farm did not have electricity. We used kerosene lamps in the house and lanterns in the barn. I saw 3 houses around us and 1 barn burn down when I was a kid, do to spilled lanterns or lamps. We could only milk 30 cows. Milk was kept cold in a cold water bath supplied by a wind mill, or hand pumping if the wind stopped. Water was hauled by the bucket into the house and poured into the top of the oil stove to heat it. Eight of us bathed in the same bath tub of water with a little extra hot water added as necessary, ONCE a week. In the winter, it was my job to get the cinders out of the coal fired "furnace" in the center of the house. 
I know that there are people right now that can and do live off the grid. I envy them in some ways but at my age, with my aches and pains, I could never live the way I was brought up as a kid. What ever happens, I figure I'll be lucky to make it a good year, maybe 18 months. After that, I just don't know. I hope my skills will make me valuable enough to deserve help from other survivors.


----------



## Moonshinedave

I think that if/when the SHTF happens in major like style, there will be a "honeymoon period", but alas, I think without power that honeymoon will be very short lived. I grew up without A/C, and for a small part of my early life, without indoor plumbing. Yes, people can and will live without power, but it won't be as fun and glamorous as I suspect some people imagine. Think of those 85 degree muggy nights trying to go to sleep without even as much as a fan to move the air.
If we find ourselves without central power, I say we'll be working on some sort of backup plan as quick as we can, I know I will. Maybe not enough for central air, but at least enough for the fridge, some lights, and perhaps a fan or two.


----------



## big paul

I live in a mild climate, we don't have 85 degree DAYS never mind nights and rain is our normal weather.


----------



## RNprepper

One of the other major things electricity brings us is SPEED. Since the first man walked on earth until recent generations, walking speed was the mode of life. Our brains process information, solve problems, and deal with stress at walking speed. Horseback sped things up a bit, but not much, for most people. Then came the car, trains, planes, and jets. In just 3 generations we went from horse and buggy to transoceanic air travel. Then there were the time saving machines - sewing, washing, power tools, etc. THEN came the electronic age. Not only did our physical labor and travel speed up, but also our acquisition of information. Along with all this speed came a much greater demand for production. The human body and brain has been pushed to limits unimaginable 100 years ago. What we lost is the DOWN time - the time to think, ponder, invent, pray, and decompress. Any wonder so many need sleeping meds and antidepressants? There isn't enough processing time or solitude. Our world is spinning faster than our bodies and brains can keep up with. I can only imagine the impact on this upcoming generation of children who are being raised on gadget stimulation rather than creative/imaginative play.

What does this have to do with power? Only that when the grid goes down, we won't go back to a caveman lifestyle, but our lives will certainly be plunged instantly into a much SLOWER lifestyle. _Everything _will take infinitely more time, from making a cup of coffee to taking a bath. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as far as how our bodies and brains are wired, but it will be a huge adjustment. People are going to be shocked at how slow, laborious, and physically demanding this new life will be. Having a bit of electricity for lights in the evening, and to keep the laboriously acquired food from spoiling will be huge advantages. Just some thoughts.


----------



## oddapple

big paul said:


> if I had the funds and could buy what I wanted I wouldn't be living in a rented modern semi detached house on the edge of a low population rural town, I would be living in a 200 year old country cottage in the middle of nowhere. but until I win the lottery or SHTF it aint going to happen.::clapping::


BP, I'm not sure if prayer, chance or knavery got me out but we did. 100 yr old Brick covered adobe in the middle of pecan orchards and cotton with security bars, middle of nowhere, nm. House not bad and cheap. Maybe you will inherit it when we move as a landing pad like we did?
I didn't think it could happen. 50. Had given up hope but for hope's sake. One never knows ~
Best Wishes!


----------



## Dalarast

Moonshinedave said:


> I think that if/when the SHTF happens in major like style, there will be a "honeymoon period", but alas, I think without power that honeymoon will be very short lived. I grew up without A/C, and for a small part of my early life, without indoor plumbing. Yes, people can and will live without power, but it won't be as fun and glamorous as I suspect some people imagine. Think of those 85 degree muggy nights trying to go to sleep without even as much as a fan to move the air.
> If we find ourselves without central power, I say we'll be working on some sort of backup plan as quick as we can, I know I will. Maybe not enough for central air, but at least enough for the fridge, some lights, and perhaps a fan or two.


I think you hit the nail on the preverbal head... once a lot of people realize they can't charge their go to "toys" a lot of people may panic. Notsoyoung pointed out a few key items and mainly among them is the refrigerator. Being able to keep not just food cold; but also medicine is huge in the long term and short term scheme of things. Honeymoon period is going to get really rough when you bag yourself a deer (or in my case some fish probably) and realize you only READ about preserving meat long term. This is not targeting anyone specifically besides myself... I have read about salting and long term preservation of meat... I own this high end electric dehydrator that I have not even seen but my wife loves it.... I also have a nice propane gas grill.. big 'ol Duncan brand... kinda worthless if I can figure out how to get propane pumped into a tank when I run out....

On the other side... where I am stationed now overseas, as well as other locations before, there is one common thing. Lack of power. Being on a base/fob we normally have one thing that the people outside the wire don't have.. power. Being in a desert in Africa this time around you come to really enjoy that A/C when you get to your CLU.... and hate command when they rotate power around base. Could I live without A/C for a long period of time (read life)... YES. Will it suck.. YES. Will my wife and two daughters make my life worse for me knowing that for at least a few times I could of provided some comfort.. be it A/C, hot water, ability to charge/run a basic radio...... YES!

So the benefits the way I see it out weigh the cons of not having power.... Am I going to look online to invest in a huge windmill and solar system that runs concurrent with my ocean powered system I am going to design and trademark..... well if I could design and trademark said system I may... cause I be rich. Since I live in reality... somewhat... I will look at solar options for my house when I return. In the short turn I may spend money on some equipment.. but I will EVENTUALLY see a return investment even if we never lose power ever again... and living a gun shot's distance (I couldn't throw that far.. but I could shoot.. if there was not houses in the way) from the oceanfront I'm sure a hurricane will not ever appear off my coast ever again....


----------



## Arklatex

paraquack said:


> Where are you going to buy oil for oil lamps, wax for candles, lumber and nails for building or repairing your home, etc. Some of us have particular skills that will serve us well in the world after the SHTF.


I think all this can be made. Just not with one family. There just won't be enough time. You need a community of people with various skills: blacksmith, farmers and ranchers, beekeepers, etc. You get the idea. I just don't see one family as able to do it without support. Or you could just buy a lifetime supply of stuff like this and a warehouse to store it in.


----------



## RNprepper

Arklatex said:


> I think all this can be made. Just not with one family. There just won't be enough time. You need a community of people with various skills: blacksmith, farmers and ranchers, beekeepers, etc. You get the idea. I just don't see one family as able to do it without support. Or you could just buy a lifetime supply of stuff like this and a warehouse to store it in.


Yup, people living in small communities is what works. That's been the formula for human success for thousands of years. Trade skills will be greatly needed, but software engineers and website designers...... not so much. The communities guaranteed to survive are those that already have their infrastructure intact. Villages in the Andes, Amazon, Papua New Guinea, and Africa will do just fine. The _developed _world is the one that will kill each other off or just die. Kind of Biblical, isn't it? "The first will be last and the last will be first."


----------



## Jeep

Theres plenty of people who will do just fine on their own. I am learning and prepping everyday specifically for this lifestyle. Will I learn it all no. Will I improvise yes.


----------



## big paul

Jeep said:


> Theres plenty of people who will do just fine on their own. I am learning and prepping everyday specifically for this lifestyle. Will I learn it all no. Will I improvise yes.


we don't all need others around us, some of are better off on our own, as for power when there is none, is it better not to learn how to live without it than panic when it is no more? I go to markets and sales and buy up old(and not so old) hand tools to use both now and after there is no power, I'm preparing for a world without power. as for resources there will be plenty of "stuff" lying about after the big die off, a fast collapse will leave plenty of stuff lying about for the survivors, a slow collapse will leave less. the problem will not be so much for we that survive but for those that come after us.


----------



## Zed

RNprepper said:


> Yup, people living in small communities is what works. That's been the formula for human success for thousands of years. Trade skills will be greatly needed, but software engineers and website designers...... not so much. ..."


haha their is this story that i heard from my Big Brother...
Their is one fisherman on one side of big river..a software engineer comes and ask the fisherman to help him cross the river in exchange of money...the fisherman agrees. Software engineer sits in boat and the fisherman starts moving oars...The software engineer being proud asks fisherman whether he knows about Software programming...fisherman says 'no'...Then Software says,' your life is worthless'...Then again the software guy asks .."whether you have a luxury apartment in the metro's prime location?'..The fisherman says 'no'....then again the software guy says, 'your life is worthless, atleast you would have used Internet?...The fisherman says, 'i've heard of it'.....just when the boat reaches to centre of river..suddenly their is a small crack at bottom of boat...water starts filling inside the boat..fisherman understands the gravity and asks software guy, 'Sir do you know how to swim?' The software guy says..'i've read books about it..but never swimmed in reality' ..The fisherman says,"Now your life is worthless!!' Jumps out and saves himself.


----------



## thepeartree

big paul said:


> exactly, its all about thinking differently, power is only necessary now because mankind has made it part of the lifestyle, change that lifestyle and it(power) becomes less necessary.post shtf and me and mine will revert to a simpler,slower way of life.


I wonder if you will be so enthusiastic when all modern medicines and much of modern medical surgeries are gone due to lack of electricity. *You* may be perfectly comfortable, at least until you cut yourself while chopping wood and die for lack of medical help. As for the way of life, I see it in operation every day. I generally try to stand up-wind of those living that way...


----------



## Jeep

RNprepper said:


> One of the other major things electricity brings us is SPEED. Since the first man walked on earth until recent generations, walking speed was the mode of life. Our brains process information, solve problems, and deal with stress at walking speed. Horseback sped things up a bit, but not much, for most people. Then came the car, trains, planes, and jets. In just 3 generations we went from horse and buggy to transoceanic air travel. Then there were the time saving machines - sewing, washing, power tools, etc. THEN came the electronic age. Not only did our physical labor and travel speed up, but also our acquisition of information. Along with all this speed came a much greater demand for production. The human body and brain has been pushed to limits unimaginable 100 years ago. What we lost is the DOWN time - the time to think, ponder, invent, pray, and decompress. Any wonder so many need sleeping meds and antidepressants? There isn't enough processing time or solitude. Our world is spinning faster than our bodies and brains can keep up with. I can only imagine the impact on this upcoming generation of children who are being raised on gadget stimulation rather than creative/imaginative play.
> 
> What does this have to do with power? Only that when the grid goes down, we won't go back to a caveman lifestyle, but our lives will certainly be plunged instantly into a much SLOWER lifestyle. _Everything _will take infinitely more time, from making a cup of coffee to taking a bath. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as far as how our bodies and brains are wired, but it will be a huge adjustment. People are going to be shocked at how slow, laborious, and physically demanding this new life will be. Having a bit of electricity for lights in the evening, and to keep the laboriously acquired food from spoiling will be huge advantages. Just some thoughts.


This was really well thought out, thanks for the insight


----------



## 1skrewsloose

I'm prepped for 4 maybe 6 weeks, much after that, fat chance. Like vultures, those that have will have to fight to keep what they have. Even in the boonies, someone will catch a glimpse of smoke, cut your trail, whatever, your cover is gone. I just don't have the resources to even think about end of times, not sure I want to be around when it happens.


----------



## Denton

I have a generator for the occasional winter storm and hurricane. The type of situation that only causes a short term outage. For long term disruptions, no power is factored into the scenario.


----------



## big paul

1skrewsloose said:


> I'm prepped for 4 maybe 6 weeks, much after that, fat chance. Like vultures, those that have will have to fight to keep what they have. Even in the boonies, someone will catch a glimpse of smoke, cut your trail, whatever, your cover is gone. I just don't have the resources to even think about end of times, not sure I want to be around when it happens.


well 4-6 weeks is a start, more than most people have.


----------



## Stick

Late '60's-early '70's we had no power. Kerosene lamps, wood heat, and a transistor radio for listening to KZAP in the evening. Hooked it up to one of those big square 6volt batteries, would last six months. Most of that time didn't have a car, either. Or chain saw, just dirt poor. Two-room shack. Hauled water from a nearby spring in gallon jugs. Two-hole open-front outhouse with a great view of the valley. Read Mother Earth News (Urge). We did have two good horses, though, and when work was there seasonally (logging or filling potholes in the roads for the county) it was fun to ride ol' Charlie or Poco to work. 280 acres of Sierra foothills straddling the Calaveras River. God, what a great place that was, one of the favorite memories of my life, I gotta say. It's still there, undeveloped after forty years as per Google Earth. Nowadays we get by fine with two 100 watt solar panels and three deep cycle marine batteries, for a few strings of LED lights, radio, Sonicare, laptop and phone. Generator is for running tools, mostly, and for when there are a few cloudy days to charge the batteries. Freeze gallon jugs of water in winter and stash them underground with straw and sawdust for summertime. Reloading press is hand-powered (in my opinion the most important tool in the shed). Compared to what it used to be, this is science fiction what with solar panels and all...they were still pretty speculative back then for consumer use. Had to be an astronaut to benefit from them.

It's all a matter of what you are willing to accept. Minimum, maximum, or somewhere in between. And always, with acceptance and adaptation to what is.

Now, if I could just figure out a way to hook up solar panels to the reloading press...


----------



## Sasquatch

Most on this site would probably cope with and thrive (as best as can be) without power. Sure it would suck because EVERYTHING would be harder, more time consuming and labor intensive...not to mention doing without a lot. But for the most part the masses would freak out (making them more dangerous).


----------



## HuntingHawk

I consider electricity a borderline need item here in the summer. Heat index at 110 sometimes. So I feel the need for electricity for either air conditioning or minimum to make ice. I've a generator plenty large enough but then too, there is needing fuel for it. Solar system powers a 5cuft chest freezer & no problem making ice.


----------



## Moonshinedave

Power (electricity) is like beer, you don't need it to survive, but I am glad we have it.


----------



## Diver

James m said:


> I agree. Power is over rated. If you need water and have a well less than 350 feet you can install a hand pump well along side an existing well pump. I also believe if you go the alternative route you won't have to stock fuel.
> 
> Of theres no power it will just be like living in the 1980's


Excuse me, but I was around in the 1980s. Electricity had been invented.


----------



## James m

Moonshinedave said:


> Power (electricity) is like beer, you don't need it to survive, but I am glad we have it.


All we need electricity for is to keep the beer cold, anything else is extra fluff.


----------



## Notsoyoung

If I can get the means, I WILL take the steps necessary to have power. I have used an outhouse when it was -20 degrees F below zero and when it was 110 deg F above. Neither was a pleasant experience. I have lived where a very large part of your day, everyday, is spent looking for, cutting, hauling, and stacking firewood. It gets old pretty quick. I have lived where you have to spend a good amount of time during butchering season smoking or canning food. Deep freezers are allot less labor intensive. I have lived in a house without AC where at 1 A.M. your sheets are sweat soaked because it's still over 100 Deg F outside. Many days of that without much sleep followed by hard physical labor during the day can wear you out pretty quick. I have lived a life where you had to go out to the well and use a handpump to get water. I have lived a life where you used a wood stove to heat the water for bathing and washing dishes. I didn't find anything romantic or fun about it. It was annoying. 

If I can get the money and have the land to do so, I will have solar panels, wind generators, and if possible hydro-electric power. If I can't, I will survive, but things will be much more difficult. For those who believe that electricity is just "fluff", here's an idea, if you live where is gets very hot in the Summer, turn of your power for 3 months during the Summer months, or if it get's cold where you live, turn off your power during the 3 coldest months of the year where you live. If it get's extra hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter, turn off your power for 3 months in the Summer and 3 months in the Winter. Have fun. Think of it as good training for if the SHTF.


----------



## HuntingHawk

And in doing the above, don't forget to turn off the commercial water.


----------



## Doc Holliday

My reason for needing power is when my chainsaw runs out of gas I can use my electric one, and my electric log splitter. Im not a young spring chicken any more so making things easier just works for me...

Opps, with out the edit my post sounds pretty stupid doesnt it.... I am building a gasifier to run the generator so I wont have to use gasoline to run it.


----------



## rickkyw1720pf

I think just a little power could go a long way to make life a lot easier. A 50 watt solar panel and rechargeable batteries could make life a lot easier. The great thing in today's time is electronics don't take near the power they did years ago. A head lamp for everyone can relieve all your lighting needs (what good does it do to light an area your not looking at) and 3 AAA rechargeable batteries will last a few days per charge. Two way radios would be invaluable for your family or team. You could even listen to music and watch movies on your smart phone. I can charge batteries for two way radios, GPS and many electronics that could help.


----------



## PaulS

So you are going to burn all that wood to turn about one third as much wood into fumes to run your generator?

Wouldn't it be easier to make alcohol? Convert your generator to run on alcohol and then store the alcohol to use later.


----------



## Pathwacker

Take a look at one week of no power to pump sewage water into a turkey mound. The issue was caused by a failed pump motor.

Power is needed to pump out all effluent water after drawn in by well, bucket, or hand pump. I couldn't care less about lighting and charging. My main concerns in shtf mode: good water in/black water and gray water out safely. I already have a camper it it suffers the same way.


----------



## Maine-Marine

big paul said:


> without power there will be no background noise generators will be heard for miles no matter how much you try to silence it. generator noise will shout "these people have power-they may also have food and other supplies".


I do not know.... I think I could make my generator pretty silent....

Remember, the smell of food carries a long.............................ways try to keep that food smell in your house..HA HA HA HA


----------

