Prepping pays

Hello everyone  just checkin in. We are on our 2nd full day of no power thanks to the ice destruction. It's bad, we can't even get into town but all my preps have saved us, well, really The Lord  has. We didn't have a wind up radio or phone charger. That is getting bought ASAP. DH said he didn't want one. Well earbuds in a shot glass can easily be heard in a quiet house but  it's kind of tinny! Lol.  He wants one now. 

All the tees are broken but on the upside, tarragon icicles  are a teat.  Stay safe and do those preps and get puzzles. Love delfi

drink contents of shot glass 1st...

No kidding!     This morning I was in prayer, thanking The Lord for keeping is warm. ( power went out at 4am thurs and our house didn't even get  
Below 65  until late last night. That's without using the wood stove or anything!!! ) so I was tearfully thanking him for keeping is warm and  telling him about round two we're supposed to get to tonight and my DH gets back and tells me the bridges are out.! Oh no! Then the neighbor gets power, he has a diff line, and let's us run a cord to power owe blower etc. so, my dear Father has kept us and we'll be fine! Praise The Lord!

This is the first time I've been without power for longer than a day that I can remember and it's 22 deg. outside.  thank Heavens for our phones so we can communicate!

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Darn tootin' prepping pays. Noah prepped and he made it through the storm. Glad you are OK, Delfi, and I'll be praying and asking that Yeshua watch over ALL y'all who are affected by this cold front.

BTW, I have a solar charger. Charges AA & AAA batteries, my iPod, my Kindle ebook reader, and although I haven't needed it for my phone it will charge that too. In case of NO SUNLIGHT the batteries (charged I would hope) will charge a phone. It's made by Goal Zero and I've used it for years. It's called a Nomad 7 & Guide 10 combo and it does a great job. There is a USB port on the Guide 10 and you just plug your phone, iPod, Kindle, or whatever's charging cable into it and you are good to go. No hand cranking involved. Cranking is OK for a radio but you'll wear out your arm pretty quickly if you have to crank a dead phone to life. Pre-charged batteries, lots of them, is the way to go.

http://www.goalzero.com/p/79/guide-10-plus-solar-kit?gclid=CJ7Jr-runrsCFUJrfgodDX8AbA



THE GUIDE 10 PLUS POWERS YOUR DEVICE IN 2 WAYS:
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USB
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HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO CHARGE YOUR DEVICE FROM GOAL ZERO POWER PACKS?
It takes the same amount of time to charge your device from a Goal Zero power pack as it does from the wall.

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Wow Delfi!

Not meaning to take away from this post but to inform with the following Prep stuff, could help you.

Praying for you all, I know full well what it is like to be without power for 5 days... usaually every year for me.. this year so far only 1/2 day but it isn't over cause we get snow all the way into March.

Preps are important as TPTB will use weather against us!

As far as electric system I use is:
3 panel 4 Amp system... this is because I use to charge car or lawn mower batteries... the power is enough from lawn mower battery to run 2 + multi led lights all evening dark hours for comfort in our daylight basement family room where the wood stove is (has soap stone for giving more heat during early morning hours about 6hrs of stone heat) + this charging unit protects battery from discharging too much and killing it / them. I use an adaptor for everything including the modem or a converter depending on what needs to use a ac cord such as computers. ALL of my battery chargers for All items I own run off of direct connection while the unit charges main battery. I only use two types of portable radios and walkie talkies that use AAA batteries and the 2nd type is for high intensity flashlights for use with Tools that Protect.
My ATV has outlets on it as well so it can charge as I ride, and the Solar Panels are 3 piece and are meant to be used in my ATV Trailer for OutBack use. Totally Wilderness Self Contained. as well as Home use when needed. 10 person Military tent and outfitter stove for hunting / camping.. no cold peeps, long johns are always near too.
Depending on one's needs I still recommend buying something a little larger than your immediate needs cause you may also need to charge a car battery also.
I recommend 2 amps + from the Solar unit so you can operate and charge multiple items.
If you opt for 4-6 or so multiple panels they will be easier to move or take with you because of size and weight.
Also important is charge time especially for larger batteries!!!
I generally keep two large batteries fully charged before any storm touches my county.

Some things I have been looking at lately are @ Amazon a 1 1/2 quart crock pot 12 volt dc, and an electric heater also 12 volt dc for use while starting fire. I usually use pot of water to mix into cold already in shower bag... but a heater for shower bag would be something to consider too.

I try to keep the batteries for small objects the same, means that I can charge 8 AAA's at once, the scanner and walkie talkies on other connections as well as the 123A for wea pon lights.
I stack uncharged batteries in different direction to the charged to make charging a no brainer... + a small volt meter is packed in too. And last is my Deer Alert system which uses a separate charger for 3 9vdc batteries. That's it.

Keep a good pile of wood early before season turns nasty and price goes up.. I don't do heating oil as some states but you should always fill even if just a little at a time because of cost... at least have something on hand ...

In other words just some common sense and thought before can keep you warm.... I always stress the water proof boots and coats as some of my relatives are learning this year with the snow being a little deeper .. goes over the top of short boots. Good Beanies under hats, cheap and you can use them in bed too.... you know... like the shows with the old folks in bed!

Keep Safe and Warm and don't Travel Until it is Safe!! Two roll over injuries the first day in my area.
Not worth it!

With about 25 gallons of gas (keep on hand with stabil), this is a nice one to have for a power outage.   I was once without power for 5 days during an ice storm.....didn;'t have a generator or anything and the wife had a new born baby due any day.  Not fun.  Much better prepared now with a couple of different size generators along with a natural gas heater that can be hooked up quickly.  I would like to have a small wood burning stove that could be inserted only if needed....but haven't followed through on that.   I'd like to have three energy sources... but only have the two (not counting usless electicity in an outage).   Have always thought about getting a solar blanket, but so expensive and really limited to only power for tech devices unless you spend a small fortune for something massive. 
 
Oh well,, if all else fails, at least maybe the FEMA camp will be heated.  

Seriously, I will have you in my prayers Delfi.

PS: that little yamaha will run a fridge and more....  I have a bigger generator that will run the whole house, but is more of a pain to hook up when needed.  Depends on how long you think the outage will be before deciding which to use.

Speaking of outages...... on another more recent occasion, we didn;t have power for a couple of days so I hooked up the bigger genertor that ran everything in the house.  I live on the "edge" of the city limits in a typical neighborhood and on the second night I went outside and looked down the street both ways and every house was completely dark except mind.  Now, that was a little unnerving.....I felt like we stood out like a sore thumb.  I knew the power would be on pretty soon, so I wasn't too alarmed, but on a long term situation, you may have to rethink some things.  I'm sure spring could rightfully lecture me on the errors of my ways.  (and that's perfectfully ok, becuase he is probably better prepared for power outages than any of us).

Just remember these 2 points about GAS and Solar
1 can be heard and give you away.
1 can reflect light and give you away.
A water generator could be concealed if you have water and property with.
U can go wind for a little over 400 but still can be seen unless used only at night.

Gas will run out or become too expensive.
Solar is free after you buy, but batteries last 5 yrs typical for car/truck UNLESS you invest in Edison style Nickel / Iron which can be drained to 0 and charged back up... Problem? Cost! Lifetime battery like this is $2700 unless you build it your self. Its the Nickel material not the round money.

Look on Utube for Carbon / Magnesium Free Energy Cells.
Made of Carbon rod wrapped with Magnesium over insulating cloth and screwed into one end of carbon ... can be used to generate low amp electricity using the atmospheres charged particles... yes you read that right. + and - ions sucked out of the air.

Sorry I don't lecture anyone.... just give ideas.
Just keep in mind those that have not ... the ones that didn't prepare, will come asking!
They could become irate if you don't help or share something.
Now I don't have a problem with the helping but at some point someone gets turned away and there is the problem. You say barter?

I read what a cop said... when it goes down... remember the 25, 50 or 100 ft rule... what you are comfortable with in closeness.

I live in a county of hunters... no one is unarmed ! There is the problem with staying home!
Not only do you have GO V, Law, KBR, you also have others that are armed.

Are you prepared for a small war close by...
I know your question to me already? Am I?
Yes but not at home, there is nothing at home to defend! It is not worth it, watching horror.
Too many roads, too many neighbors with arms. Not safe for family.
Yes there are 4 family members armed.
No more details other than yes prepared we are, but I want you all to know that
I do not want to be involved with others, only the mountain lion or bear.
The Lord knows this already.
Deer alert and 100 yd (yes yards) rule is my rule for contact.

Guess we got away from the power issue but that is the problem with power or food!
You have it, yes someone wants it bad!
I value my family and I pick the forest, why, cause early on I was going with a concealed bunker with all the things necessary... radiation filters, blast valve, water valves, hidden entry, bathroom with septic, electricity from house.. battery and hand /foot generator etc... more... but decided that it was too close to roads and occupation. I chose the trees because where I live you can't get a shot at anyone in less than 25 yds. Tree cover from others, helichoppers and visibility. I know my forest areas very very well, I know where all the underground springs are, I know all the old mining trails that are not visible to the average outdoors man and I know where they go as well as which connect and where there is safe cover from weather and such as well as defense.
I would be your best bud out there if you lived near me. Watch the blackberry bushes and their fruit, BEAR... watch the deer, lions. I know where they hang.
The other humans, they won't last out there long, they tend to like towns and cities.
My computers have a user name... no guesses needed the name is iwoodstrekr!

While the rest are on wireless ipads and ipods wandering town / home... I am where the Father is, out in his creation.

always happy to give anyone my thoughts or 2cents, all you need to do is post or pm... sometimes I don't notice the pms to quickly though. Well that was probably too much but doesn't matter to the big boys... they already know where I am, it's just whether they catch me before I leave.
My turf out there, lots of nooks and crannies just don't bring a red jacket, camo / olive / tan-brown
make sure your wash cloth and towel is one of the three also. Brown soap too!

Thanks spring..... you always offer very good and well thought out advice in this important area.

Youtube has many nice Free Energy and other methods on video... just a great place for much.
Being a machinist / die maker I like steam also, main interest steam logging engines and donkey's, with steam you generate electricity, have hot water, run a steam log saw, power other machinery including turn of century machine tools by belt and much more.
My wifes grandfather was really interesting to talk with as he also was a machinist and worked on Shay Steam Logging Engines in Calif. for Red River Logging, total steam powered shop.. had some really interesting pictures of them making the drive gears in house by the belt powered machnes, common shaft from the steam engine powered everything. Of course those are the simple bevel gears... I know how to make the more complex fixtures for the offset spiral gears on Climax Engines, and cut them too.. these are like helical automotive gears but straight cut. Anyway we always had much to talk about, family couldn't figure out the connection so much as they didn't know what we were talking about most the time.
He lived to 95 and still very much all marbles there!
Unfortunately for all of us his death, my mothers and my father-in law were all with in 3 months and then the Dot Com crash where my wife and I had to sell a recently purchased home and move up to where I am now because we already had one small home / cabin and a recent purchase of the current one which was a foreclosure. Lot of upset in one year!

love youtube for race cars, steam, hot air engines, Tesla stuff and other historical technical stuff... I love complex technical things, machining and design blah blah... I like to share with all, that have interest in the areas of CNC machine tool programming, design, model making and dies etc. for me it is fun to show people how things are designed, manufactured and the like. Things I have manufactured of my own design employ more than 4000 parts in the models and down to 1 single part for motorcycles, cameras and other stuff. These all being products I manufactured in my diverse micro shop of CNC lathe and mill, sheet metal fabrication, punch presses, welding and cutting. You'd be surprised and amazed but I don't brag... just share info. I started with a saw and a welder and tube bender making my own design Jeep luggage rack / trail rack and spread out from there... stacks of invoice books for the racks.. I truly have lost count of them. Closed up when i saw trouble... and for good reason at the end of 2008 I had lost 60 % of sales. I might sound to complex for some but really I am just a country boy that knows how to make stuff.
You know that saying you can't take the country out of a boy from the country. That's me... I know a lot of junk... started r/c in 67, always a model builder.. balsa, plywood to steel, boats, gliders and tanks / military vehicles are my favorites. Ah... the good o'l days.
nuff.

good thinking Spring....I also live near wooded areas and own 14 acres with trees in the back acres, they then lead on to other places so at a pinch we could get away! But being older it won't be easy for us so we trust our heavenly Father!

Thanks for all the prep tips! This was the first time this has happened to either of us. In Missouri we were on propane so we always had heat. But this made a believer of my hubby and he's traded his Christmas wish of crashbars for a generator haha!!

So, in my short experience, and it was darn cold outside, the important things were. 
Light, heating and cooking fuel and the ability to heat water.  Also a game or something. I broke out my b. o. B.  puzzle.   


And so, when you prep and show all your hard work to your family or spouse and they just give you the "whatever" attitude, keep it in your mind that they will have a far better attitude about it when the time comes. There were many times this weekend that my DH wished for an item he didn't think we had only to be told it's in his bob. Haha!!! I really felt awesome that my preps were there and those boxes of candles that were taking up space made their way into the kitchen   the most imp thing was lots of praise for Father for keeping us  warm and safe.  I was in the chicken house  when a limb fell on the roof. Scared all of us! Oh and whatever your "addiction" may be, mine is chocolate, put some extra away. I found my appetite was really low but the chocolate  hit the spot.

Delfi, I was going to ask you how your chickens were doing.  We're having to go out every 2-3 hours to make sure ours have liquid water.

They're heat light is on now so they are fine. I made them stay inside all weekend and today, maybe they can come out tomorrow.  But they were fine during the outage, their water never froze over even though it was in the 20's, they're super fluffy and snuggle a lot.  you could set their water on a coffee cup warmer, cover the warmer in a ziplock. Or use an aquarium heater if you get tired of knocking out ice.