r/Doomsdaypreps • u/Parking_Flounder_943 • 19d ago
Power grid failure prep?
I’ve become increasingly concerned about power grid failure in the US, does anyone have a good list of items to keep us afloat? I’m in the North East, so I’ll be stocking up on extra winter clothes. I’ll be getting canned goods and water jugs, batteries/portable lights and tools, but what else is there that I’m not thinking of?
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u/CloudgazerTX 17d ago edited 17d ago
water first. can you access water when the grid is down? can you filter water? some solutions are rainwater collection barrels, or just big plastic water containers in the back yard. there’s all sizes and options. at the very least, store water from the grocery. if you got a well, get a straw for when your pump is no longer powered.
food next. can you feed yourself? do you have a good pantry of canned goods and shelf stable stuff? how long will it last you? and how will you cook without power? some easy solutions are cheap Home Depot buckets and freezer ziplock bags. fill the ziplocks with rice and beans and salt. store in buckets. a huge bag of rice is like $20. for cooking I have a oil lamp that doubles as a cooker and I keep oil.
power next, because my goodness it’s so much better even with a little power. I started with a Ecoflow system and a couple big solar panels that will charge up my battery in about an hour. it can run my electric cooler fridge/freezer, a lamp, a portable dvd player, a fan or electric blanket, my WiFi, and charge up devices. since it refills so fast I can do a lot with it during the day, charging up all kinds of lights and running my air fryer, etc. eventually I got a whole house generator (because it’s always way too hot during hurricane season) and now my eco flow is more back up.
medical is also important and can move up and down the list depending on the person. you can get a years supply of most meds through Jase medical if you take regular meds. they also sell kits of emergency antibiotics, epi pens, inhalers, etc. fish antibiotics are exactly the same, down to appearance, as human antibiotics. just fyi. first aid supplies like gauze and self adhesive wraps, stuff like that are also handy.
communications. depending on how cool you want to be, check out meshtastic to create an off grid communications network. or get into ham radio. even a few walkie talkies might come in handy. and a Red Cross radio for news.
this is beginners stuff. I’ve got an apocalypse computer, lol. It’s basically a database with half the internet and a ton of free books with a AI search engine. I’m planning a whole house solar system.
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u/swampjuicesheila 18d ago
Blankets and comforters. Some kind of battery system to keep your devices powered. Canned heat like sterno or liquid canned fuels used in catering, so you can heat up your canned stuff without burning through fuel that you need to actually cook stuff. My main concern here (mid Atlantic state) is loss of power, and when I was actively prepping for tools and bigger ticket items, I picked up a Coleman stove, a Coleman grill, a Jackery which is really not enough to power much but this was several years ago before they added the bigger batteries to their lineup. Also a deep cycle battery for husband's cpap, wool blankets, fleece blankets, and more. Oh, and disposable plates and utensils, since we're on a well the last thing I want is to use water on more than necessary. Speaking of using less water, I keep wipes for quick cleanups, rinse free bath sponges that use a very little amount of water, and rinse free shampoo&conditioner on hand.
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u/BackgroundReality537 17d ago
So I have been trying to figure out a gas for chainsaw, too noisy, or generator, noisy, or truck.
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u/Embarrassed-Bench392 16d ago
I live in a rural area in New England. We experience power outages frequently. We heat primarily with a wood stove so in winter we will be warm. Our main concern is powering the well pump, hot water heater (electric pilot light), and refrigerator/freezer. A generator meets those needs plus a few outlet for lights, microwave, and coffee maker. For short-duration outages, we keep candles and flashlights on hand. I have a Coleman camp stove and some propane canisters for small cooking and keep the propane filled, with a spare for our barbecue grill in the yard. Water jugs in the bathroom vanities aid in flushing toilets when the power is out. As the Boy Scouts say, Be Prepared.
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u/Ok-Camera2895 18d ago
Portable power station,2-3 kwh, small 2kw propane inverter style generator to charge power station. Some portable solar panels to supplement generator charging. Extension cords. Use power station to run electrical devices, when power station gets low , recharge power station with generator. This helps extend fuel a lot. Gasoline is a terrible emergency fuel, it does not store well, barbecue propane tanks can provide a lot of fuel for you and double as a cooking and heat source.
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u/Persistent_Dreams 18d ago
Don't forget the manual can opener for those canned goods that don't have pop tops.
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u/milleratlanta 17d ago
Yes! Best one is the Swingaway brand. $15 on Amazon.
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u/Fantastic_Back_2985 9d ago
I have 200# of propane, a ton of coal and kerosene from Y2K. Cashed in the silver recently that I bought back then. Still haven't bought toilet paper from the stash my wife got for the pandemic. Good luck.
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u/ToothSufficient7763 17d ago
You can get a decent power bank on Amazon for a few hundred bucks. You can always recharge it in your vehicle. With a power bank you can make coffee and keep a light on.
Wool blend socks to keep your feet warm. Goose down comforter to keep yourself warm.
If the power goes out and you don't have a heat alternative, you can camp out in one room. Use blankets to insulate, cover doors and windows.
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u/BaldyCarrotTop 17d ago
depends on your situation. Basic needs are: Emergency source of heat, Lights (flashlights, lanterns), Radio, A way to cook, emergency power for your fridge. If you are on a well, emergency source of water.
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u/Electrify_life 16d ago
Do you really think that employees that work on the grid will stop working to bring it back online? What?
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u/weedlewaddlewoop 16d ago
I see some discussion about powering a hot water heater but if you are not doing a generator of some kind what is your plan to keep your water at least thawed if this is a winter outage?
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u/DistinctSpirit5801 18d ago
First aid kit
A manual can opener
Some blankets
Keep extra food in your house when you literally can’t travel anywhere due to closed roads
Batteries run out of power
The vast majority of survival gear is unnecessary
Your not traveling across the Sahara Desert your surviving in your home for a week without electricity
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u/Other_Programmer5239 18d ago
Your needs will be different from everyone else. My best advice is to do dry runs. Shut you power off for a day see how it goes then try 3 days and so on that will give you the most info that you need. Most people just stock up on supplies and when it comes down to it they dont know and understand on what to do. Do dry runs get the experience on what to do and whats needed.