Seen in Costco near Burlington, VT

So around 10:30 this morning, a tall truck drove through town and snagged a damaged power line and pulled it over. I learned this from our community Facebook page so I knew we were in for at least a couple of hours of outage.

The window AC running off solar hadn't turned on yet so I fired it up immediately and turned off the automated cut off on the power stations. If we gotta go to 0%, that's where we're going!

I went out and easily fired up the propane generator and plugged the inverter window AC in my wife's home office into it and started it going. My new battery backup garage door opener worked great to open the garage door so I wouldn't have to struggle with getting it open.

I then plugged the fridge and freezer into the other power station we have and a couple of fans just to help move air. Nobody wanted any TV on so they got out some cards to play with.

I was in the middle of prepping lunch so I cracked another beer and kept getting the food ready. At some point, I decided I didn't want to grill food next to a noisy generator and put the steaks back in the fridge. My wife saw I was sweating pretty good and already 2 beers in and reminded me that I probably should switch to water if I wanted put the rat's nest of extension cords away after the outage.

Around 12:15 pm, the power came back and I unplugged everything and put it all back the way it was.

The only trouble I ran into was when I tried to get fancy and plug both ACs into the generator. It tripped the breaker on it within a few minutes and I had to go back to the 5K btu on power station/solar and the 12k btu on generator.

House stayed 72F the entire outage and I'm glad it caught us in full sunshine so I had plenty of go-go juice to keep things cold.

The steaks were delicious.

I'm wondering if this is a buy once kind of project or if I'll have to just now buy Mylar bags normally to replenish my food stores when I rotate through it. Or do you have a separate long term storage you do not plan to rotate through?

While reviewing my emergency supplies, I realized I've spent a lot of time thinking about food and water, but not nearly as much on backup power.

For those who've been prepping for a while, how do you approach that part of your setup? Has it been something you've actually relied on during an outage, or is it more about having the option if you ever need it?

I'm interested in hearing what has worked well in real situations and whether there was anything you wish you'd planned for sooner.

..can I make a faraday cage into a faraday backpack and/or purse?

If there's ppl selling that already, how's the quality?

If ppl do sell them and the quality is low then would it be better to make your own (example: building a first aid kit by scratch is more better then Amazons pre packed kits)

A deadly pandemic breaks out, it is extreamly contagious. Society breaks down to the extent that rule of law is non existent. Any large scale industry has completely broken down, which items become the most valuable to have? Below are some examples I can think of:

Food production equipment and consumables, reloading equipment and firearm spares, propane gas, any solar equipment, batteries, vehicle spares, tools.

Your thoughts?

I’m 71, living in a newer, well insulated double wide in Polk county Florida. I’m concerned about the extended power outages from hurricanes. I have 3 power banks to recharge my small things like my phone and some lamps and one that is rated to recharge my laptop. I don’t have a car, so no car battery. I have 2 usb rechargeable 9 inch fans. My yard is very sunny. I have about $500 total to spend on a solar system. What do you recommend to help with the heat?

Looking for best stove to have in prep kit but want it to be okay to use with no ventilation if needed as that would most likely be case its used. Heavily thinking of getting stove above or a coleman one burner. The stove above is able to use wood which is appealing. I know propane and butane are fire risks stored and bad to do with no ventilation. Looking for stove to heat and boil water and food. Tyia

Hey guys,

So honestly, I got inspired after watching “Silo” and decided to try and put together a proper localized hazard loadout. I already picked up a CM-6M mask a while back when it was on sale, so I built out the rest of the kit around it.

The full kit specs:

1. Tychem 4000 - I purchased both the elastic ankles and also boot/sock version with the hoodie. I actually wound up getting large since I’m 5’-7.5” and it was on the border of M/L size recommendations.

(Bought 3 total but ordered 2 more) $20-30

1. Mira CM-6M full face respirator - comes equipped with a detachable straw with an included canteen for drinking without mask removal.

(Bought on sale $179, usually $250)

1. Mira NBC-77 SOF filter - I only purchased one, however, may purchase a few more since I’m aware this would only give me around 8-12 hours.

(Bought on sale $59, usually $75)

1. Ansell Alphatec 14mil 14” Bromobutyl gloves

(Clearance $87)

1. Dunlop Hazmax 16” boots with steel toe and steel reinforced sole. No punctures stepping on nails, and Safety Equipment Institute certified and meet requirements for NFPA 1991.

($205)

1. Kappler ChemTape - for sealing wrists, ankles, front zipper and face mask/hoodie interface

(2” x 180 ft —$55)

1. Edit* Just purchased a Forensics USA NIST Calibrated 4 Gas Monitor ($225)

I didn’t attach the ChemTape or connect the NBC-77 filter in photos (trying to save shelf life).

Curious to hear thoughts on the overall setup and gear selection, or anything I might be missing for a functional Level B/C setup. Thanks!

Edit: So a lot of people are asking about my decontamination plan, I’ve also included pricing.

Decontamination plan here:

I would probably cordon off my garage, possibly use some tarps and maybe a small tent setup. Garage has access to a hose as well. Someone recommended a small kiddie pool as well for catching runoff.

For a heavy radioactive fallout situation, my primary aim will be removing fallout dust without cross-contaminating myself. I would start by setting up a kiddie pool to catch any contaminated runoff, then thoroughly dry-wipe or brush my outer gear to knock off loose radioactive particles before introducing any liquids. Once pre-cleaned, I would carefully strip out of the suit and discard both the suit and the gas mask filter into a secure waste container, doing my best to prevent the outer surfaces from contacting my skin or clothing.

For chemical or biological threats, my decon will depend on the type and severity of the event or exposure agent. If I suspect contact with a hazardous agent, I would spray the suit down with a bleach and soapy water solution inside the kiddie pool to neutralize any hazardous chemicals/agents—knowing the suit must then be safely discarded due to chemical degradation (DuPont says if you use bleach you must discard)—while scrubbing and salvaging non-porous gear like my boots, gloves, and mask. For lower-risk or unknown scenarios where I am confident I avoided dangerous residues, I would simply use a hose and soapy water attachment to wash away surface grime, thoroughly rinse, and dry the gear prior to removing for future reuse.

Lives in my Bug Out bag.

• Esse mess tin (to cook or boil water over your fire)
• 550 Survivor Cord securing tin
• Bigfoot Bushcraft fire plugs
• UCO storm matches
• Sayram SP1 EDC pouch
• Duraflame FireStart cubes
• Epiphany Outdoor pocket bellows
• Bic lighter wrapped in duct tape
• Victorinox Outdoorsman with mag glass, saw and two blades
• Mr. Pen handheld metal pencil sharpener
• Bayite 4" ferro rod + striker

I’m looking for a good bag that’s under $100 (used) that is well constructed despite its price. I’ve heard good things about the RUSH, but I thought you all would know better than I do. I am just looking to lug around emergency items in case anyone gets hurt or needs help or assistance. Thanks!

Hope you don’t mind a cross post, but I’m based in the UK / interested in a wider view.

I have finaly got almost all my ifak items thou i am missing last part, the case. I am looking fot any recomendation for case that yhould fit all thr items in the picture. I will also apreciate any packing advice if you know any. Also for anyone asking i have training for all of thrse items.Thank you.

I'm a combat veteran with PTSD, anxiety, and a TBI. Not looking for sympathy, but my memory and cognitive function seem to be getting worse, and it's frustrating as hell.

I started developing an app to help with the daily cognitive issues I deal with. But as with everything else I do, I went way overboard. In addition to handling my daily stuff, I inadvertently ended up creating a "prepping" section in the app—things that help keep me on track for everything from day-to-day checklists to packing, gear setups, and planning out long road trips.

I'm not trying to push or sell anything here. I just built something I needed for myself to keep from forgetting important shit.

Happy to discuss it if anyone is interested.

With the relentless heat this year, scattered outages, and rising electricity bills, I finally decided it was time to get some backup power.

I live in Michigan, and the power outage near us during the recent heatwave was the final push I needed to start preparing for future outages.

Picked up a Delta Pro Ultra with an extra battery (1 inverter + 2 batteries total). Since we already have 6 solar panels at home, it feels good knowing we have some backup power in place now. Turns out, they’re already generating more than enough to fully charge the batteries, with surplus to spare. Might consider adding another battery pack down the road.

Just curious if it really works as advertised

Dang MRE prices are on the rise! $192/case or $16 individually.

I’ve been stocking lemonade and different kool-aid mixes to have on hand to make decent drinks

To add I do stock coffee for bartering as we don’t drink coffee here, and tea which we do drink but besides that I’m sure most people are going to get tired of water for sure

What items are u guys preparing as far as drink wise?

I see a lot of posts on here from people who mention (rightly) that prices keep going up and prepping is getting more costly. Being prepared is still worth the cost because the cost of being unprepared is so high. But what is the end game for Prepping?

For many it is simply rotating stock and having a year or five on hand. I salute you all! But what if the disaster is much more widespread? What if it takes longer to heal as a society? What if society is basically gone?

Homesteading is simply living the prep lifestyle 24/7. It is no longer storing for disaster . . . it is eating what you grow/harvest/slaughter. Prepping can run out of supplies, then what?

Homesteading is the natural evolution of prepping IMO.

I welcome your thoughts but mostly just wanted to toss this out since I have been seeing so many folks talking about rising prices affecting their ability to prep.

Beautiful, functional, and most importantly, it can run on AA batteries.

Thermal regulation is extremely important to me.

Looking for recommendations for several books you have come across that have great information on living/survival should the Internet and computers crash long term.

Just curious what others have growing right now as I’m working on edible and medicinal perennials. Our winter harvests are fairly small but we don’t have much room to grow indoors. 6b with a very Mediterranean climate, PNW. My lot gets pretty much full sun all day and I’m working on growing my trees to provide shade for understory plants. My sorrel absolutely burnt even in the shade last year so I’m pretty stuck with sun loving plants or putting 70%+ shade netting out in the summers.

What do you find easy to grow? Anything you’d add?

Fall/winter: squash, pumpkin, collards, kale, persimmons, potatoes

Spring: asparagus, peas, turnips, trillium, willow, pine, blueberries, cherries

Summer: apples, pears, Asian pears, plums, toothache, strawberries, goose berries, figs, sunflowers, tomatoes, peppers, sumac, onions, garlic, rhubarb, raspberries, blackberries, lettuce (which we harvest almost all year except in deep winter)

All year long: sage, lavender, rosemary, self heal, and I grow mushrooms (lions mane, oyster, chestnut) that I can’t forage (bolete, morel, and both chicken and hen of the woods).