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buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
540, 541
whatever it takes...
whatever it takes...
Tips for surviving without power and water.
- Thread starter buckytom
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Uncle Bob
Chef Extraordinaire
Several years ago I almost pulled the trigger on one..but never followed through with the idea.
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vitauta
Executive Chef
many good ideas, including the one to start this thread. for future reference, fill drug prescriptions well in advance, if possible. i had a four hour wait yesterday for one. although in my case with a prescription plan, insurance won't pay until a very few days before the drug's actual refill date.
Right. Who's counting?
Bob, I thought about it for a few years before pulling the trigger, but the whole "what if the gas stations are affected too?" scenario talked me into it. I've got a 4000w and a 5000w generator that I need the tractor to get them up by the house anyway (I actually want to sell the one now). Plus I'm pretty lazy when it comes to regularly starting them
.
Uncle Bob
Chef Extraordinaire
Yep...know what you mean....I use Sta-Bil and try to fire them up at least twice a year unless they are used....
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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Ok, generator owners, where do we start? Gas, battery, nat gas, propane? My mind is boggled. Not in dire need here, but for current and future reference, as well as for the Ireneians. Tutorial please? Advice?
msmofet
Chef Extraordinaire
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Here's a good site on generators, Dawg.
You can check out the different kinds and compare prices. It has a "which one for me" section, too. I think the main things you have to ask yourself is how much do you want to power and how big of a generator can you handle, as in either carry to where you need it or leave in place. And if you want to run cords, or feed your electrical panel.
You can check out the different kinds and compare prices. It has a "which one for me" section, too. I think the main things you have to ask yourself is how much do you want to power and how big of a generator can you handle, as in either carry to where you need it or leave in place. And if you want to run cords, or feed your electrical panel.
vitauta
Executive Chef
somehow i just knew this thread was going to degenerate to generators sooner or later, pac.
somehow i just knew this thread was going to degenerate to generators sooner or later, pac.
Just give me a generator and a package of wet-wipes and I'm good
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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pacanis said:
Thanks, Pac! This helps a lot. Don't know how all you multi generatorarionals do it! Or is it generatanals?
Give me generators or give me death! (excuses to Patrick Henry).
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You only need to pay full price once for your emergency prescriptions and only pick those prescriptions that are absolutely necessary, blood pressure, pain meds. Then every six months trade your emergency stash with your new bottle.
vitauta
Executive Chef
this gizmo i once got as a present operated like a manually generated flashlight. you crank it up (a lot like operating a hand mixer) and the thing stays illuminated for many minutes. i liked reading in the dark with it. it made a buzzing noise as you cranked it--a lot of fun to use, and no need for batteries ever. you provided your own power. can anybody tell me what this thing is called, and where it might be sold?
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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pacanis said:
American Red Cross sells the crank/flashlight radios. We also have one from Herrington's catalog. Amazing devices.
Claire
Master Chef
Bucky, I cannot say enough about your first hint. There is no such thing as too much water. If you live in a high danger area (I did), every spring if you're smart (and most aren't), fill every vessel you have with water and toss in the fridge and freezer. A full fridge or freezer stays colder than an emptier one, for longer.
Buy some "self-lighting" charcoals. I don't use them much, but keep them on hand for emergencies.
Canned goods. Cannot say enough about them. Yeah, they aren't the best food in the world. Actually, I'm wrong, they are. If you think that the only pasta in the world is that which is made from scratch and takes a gallon of water to boil ... well, you've never had a crisis. A few cans of beans will get to much further than an egg and a cup of flour. Especially when you don't have a couple of quarts in which to boil it.
Buy some "self-lighting" charcoals. I don't use them much, but keep them on hand for emergencies.
Canned goods. Cannot say enough about them. Yeah, they aren't the best food in the world. Actually, I'm wrong, they are. If you think that the only pasta in the world is that which is made from scratch and takes a gallon of water to boil ... well, you've never had a crisis. A few cans of beans will get to much further than an egg and a cup of flour. Especially when you don't have a couple of quarts in which to boil it.
sparrowgrass
Head Chef
I am an Extension specialist with the University of Missouri, and we are very involved in disaster preparedness--in my local community, I work with FEMA and S(tate)EMA, Homeland Security and the Red Cross. Of course, being in Missouri, we worry most about tornadoes, but that New Madrid fault is on our minds, too!
Everyone should have a disaster kit, because you just never know what can happen. You may not live in hurricane country, but emergencies can happen anywhere!! Tornados, earthquake, toxic spills that require sheltering in place, terrorist attacks--you need to be able to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, because the government/other agencies can only do so much.
Check out the Red Cross site for information on what you should have on hand--they even have a month-by-month plan for building your kit so you don't have to fork over a bunch of cash all at once. A portable kit for each car is a great idea, too--you might not be at home when the big one hits.
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site...toid=92d51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD
FEMA, SEMA, Red Cross and Homeland Security have free classes for disaster prep--if it suits your personality, take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class and learn how to assist first responders in an emergency. You will learn basic first aid and search and rescue techniques. It is an interesting class, and even if you don't have a disaster, the info is helpful if you see or are involved in other types of mayhem--a car wreck, for example.
If anyone wants more info, just PM me!
One easy thing I do for water is save my bleach bottles--when I finish a bottle of bleach, I fill it with water and save it under my utility sink. Don't rinse it--that extra bit of bleach purifies the water and makes it keep for a long time. I have lots of room, so I have a dozen or more bottles. I figure if the ones in the back are funky, I can always use them to flush the toilet.
Everyone should have a disaster kit, because you just never know what can happen. You may not live in hurricane country, but emergencies can happen anywhere!! Tornados, earthquake, toxic spills that require sheltering in place, terrorist attacks--you need to be able to TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, because the government/other agencies can only do so much.
Check out the Red Cross site for information on what you should have on hand--they even have a month-by-month plan for building your kit so you don't have to fork over a bunch of cash all at once. A portable kit for each car is a great idea, too--you might not be at home when the big one hits.
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site...toid=92d51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD
FEMA, SEMA, Red Cross and Homeland Security have free classes for disaster prep--if it suits your personality, take a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class and learn how to assist first responders in an emergency. You will learn basic first aid and search and rescue techniques. It is an interesting class, and even if you don't have a disaster, the info is helpful if you see or are involved in other types of mayhem--a car wreck, for example.
If anyone wants more info, just PM me!
One easy thing I do for water is save my bleach bottles--when I finish a bottle of bleach, I fill it with water and save it under my utility sink. Don't rinse it--that extra bit of bleach purifies the water and makes it keep for a long time. I have lots of room, so I have a dozen or more bottles. I figure if the ones in the back are funky, I can always use them to flush the toilet.
JGDean
Sous Chef
Freebe for me
At least 15 years ago the JC Penney store was giving away a combo radio and light thing that operated using a crank if you purchased a certain amount. I opted for the lavender colored one. When I brought it home, DH fell on the floor laughing! Three hurricanes and hunkering down in our hallway later he changed his mind. I think you can do a search on hand cranked light (Don't forget to add light) and you will find some.
At least 15 years ago the JC Penney store was giving away a combo radio and light thing that operated using a crank if you purchased a certain amount. I opted for the lavender colored one. When I brought it home, DH fell on the floor laughing! Three hurricanes and hunkering down in our hallway later he changed his mind. I think you can do a search on hand cranked light (Don't forget to add light) and you will find some.
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betterthanabox
Senior Cook
I love this tread! I have to say I had been watching the storm for a long time and decided that it would be a good idea to get a kit going. I ran out an picked up twice as many candles, batteries, charcoal, and tap lights as I thought I would need. The next day I went out and picked up enough canned goods and water for about a week (in addition to our well stocked pantry), stocked my freezer full of containers full of water, and got a first aid kit around. A few days ago I put out the candles, tap lights and flash lights. I learned the last time the power went out how important it is to know where your candles and flash lights are. It all turned out fine. We had only a little bit of rain and wind. The power was only out for a few seconds and came back on. 20 minutes further south is a different story. They have power outages and extreme flooding. I guess that's just the way the storm went. If I would have hit us, we would have been prepared. The funny thing is that when I was at the store there were very few people getting ready. When I saw that there was a projection that would have hit us dead on, I thought it was foolish not to plan for the worst. Hope everyone made out okay.
Claire
Master Chef
The first time I remember being in an emergency situation it was Hurricane Iwa in Hawaii. Luckily, only the outskirts of the storm, we were on Oahu and Kauai got the biggest hit. Still, we were without electricity for I think a week. It was just before Thanksgiving. I'd invited a few people over. All we had in those days (it would have been the mid 80s) was corded land line phones, and if you don't have one, you'll regret it. The phone wouldn't ring sometimes but it worked. I called my friends and told them if I had to cube the damned bird and put it on skewers over the hibachi, we'd do it. It was so funny that the electricity came back on at something like 3 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning.
I remember most, though, is that fact that I did not have a battery operated radio. So I was dependent upon what we used to call the "coconut wireless" (i.e., word of mouth, gossip) to find out what was going on. My husband went to work as usual (he was in the Army). I'd wander down the street and find out who knew what!
Trust me, I now have a drawer full of batteries!
I remember most, though, is that fact that I did not have a battery operated radio. So I was dependent upon what we used to call the "coconut wireless" (i.e., word of mouth, gossip) to find out what was going on. My husband went to work as usual (he was in the Army). I'd wander down the street and find out who knew what!
Trust me, I now have a drawer full of batteries!
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