[Halkon]

We are very dependent on electric in the West

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,513121,00.html

I posted this here because I consider this an accomplished fact, not Controversial News, funny, what would Jack Bauer do?

Oh yeah, same scenario on 24 :xeye:

 

[1911HeadBanger]

I have generators, but over time, if the grid is disabled, fuel will be impossible to get. The military and government of course will have priority. Stored fuel will only last so long, and I really haven't looked at solar power, although I would love to be off of the grid. Unless I can learn more about it, I have lots of candles and lanterns, wood heat and cooking capabilities. That's about it.

 

[angeryamerican]

Sounds like fodder for Rockefellers bill. Lets not waste a crisis.

 

[elgin]

"Have you planned for Extrended no Electric? "

You bet. Propane stove and oven. Kerosene lamps. Candles. Wood burning stove. Headlamps and solar powered flashlights. Gasoline generator. And of course, fuel for all of the above.

Don't forget: without electricity, community water supply will no longer function. Water storage drums, and large-capacity water filter.

Self-reliance depends upon contingency planning. Loss of electricity is a major contingency to consider. The above link is a very credible senario. Other snafu's include: Nuclear air-burst causing EMT damage to grid. Physical damage to Transmission infrastructure due to terrorist activity, Earthquakes, Forest fires,... Possibilities are almost endless.

elgin

 

[dane17]

"Have you planned for Extrended no Electric? "

You bet. Propane stove and oven. Kerosene lamps. Candles. Wood burning stove. Headlamps and solar powered flashlights. Gasoline generator. And of course, fuel for all of the above.

Don't forget: without electricity, community water supply will no longer function. Water storage drums, and large-capacity water filter.

Self-reliance depends upon contingency planning. Loss of electricity is a major contingency to consider. The above link is a very credible senario. Other snafu's include: Nuclear air-burst causing EMT damage to grid. Physical damage to Transmission infrastructure due to terrorist activity, Earthquakes, Forest fires,... Possibilities are almost endless.

elgin

Well put, I assume electricity will be one of the first things to go.

Maybe because it always is during and after every hurricane.

 

[Mtnman Mike]

"Have you planned on extended No electric?"

Since 1987 when I first bought my mtn place. As seen on my homepage or the thread "Photos of my underground shelter" in the Nuclear NBC section.

The first ten years I was on my land for long camping "vacations" I had no electricity except a few batteries for my am-fm radio. Since 1999 I have had a small generator and for the last two years I have had a solar power system - bought for only $200 for the panels and another $110 for the deep cycle 12 volt battery and inverter. I only power a couple radios and some rechargeables such as tracfone and flashlights. I can also run lights for awhile.

But just in case for some reason I will have No electricity I have bought about 300 candles from yard sales etc. and I have 30 gallons of kerosene and 4 kerosene lamps. Also 4 woodstoves - one is a 55 gallon drum stove.

With no electricity I would miss the radio but otherwise I would not mind it. I have went quite a bit when on my mtn place from June to Nov. since 1999 without electricity.
I think electricity is over rated - ask the Amish :

 

[joes]

For those of u in homes that have a natural gas furnace..There are also natural gas and propane radiant furnaces/heaters w/out fans so no electric is needed to distribute the heat...

 

[panlanrs]

You guys need to study up on wood gasifiers,also called producer gas.Smoke from wood or other bio-mass will run an internal combustion engine,i.e. generators. Europe used a lot of this tecnology in WWII.Yahoo has a group called Wood Gas.Check it out. Also ethanhol,alias moonshine can be used in gasoline engines.Any self-respecting,native Tennesseean know's how to make it.

 

[redflag]

I have plenty of wood to burn for heat & cooking

also have plenty of wick and my bees are making the wax.

 

[ax4jc]

Panlanrs, you posted what I was going to say. A couple of weeks ago I saw someone here mention gasifiers and have been studying up on them. Lots of info out there and seems pretty simple. The only info I haven't gotten a good handle on is the actual conversion of the engine. Any links?

 

[Macguyver]

I am mostly Solar, i have a self built system that i will use to charge several batteries. I also plan on scavenging deep cycle batteries if the S ever really HTF. THere will be plenty sitting around if you know where to look. A good inverter and a charge controller and you can run just about everything with a simple knowledge of electronics.

A piece of advice, which im sure most of you know. For about 9 bucks you can get a no power battery tester that switches to all common voltages, it is VERY useful in determining charge level and health of a battery. I also reccomend a micrometer (even if you arent electric savvy) to test charges. And lots of SPARE wire, you never know and it has LOADS of uses.

 

[Ryver Scout]

Yep, I make more electricty than I use through wind mostly but some solar. When we built the community center a few years ago we made it off grid. We don't have a battery bank for the community center at this time but with both wind a solar they should have at least some power most of the time even if we don't do a battery bank for it. The farm family who lived here before me had a water wheel that ran electricty to his barns. I looked at how is was made and am pretty sure, with help, we could set up a few of these without a huge amount of effort. Most people in the nieghborhood have or have started some alternative energy source and it's interesting to see some of them going in. The larger dairy farm about 4 miles away is putting in a methane generator. Once that goes in, according to the experts, he will be able to sell his electricity to up to 25 nieghbor's houses. I'm thinking for the most part, people in this area will be fine in that respect.

 

[jordanmills]

Just electric? Or are you talking natural gas out too? 'Cause it would be stupid simple to use a standby whole house generator.

 

[Macguyver]

Panlanrs, you posted what I was going to say. A couple of weeks ago I saw someone here mention gasifiers and have been studying up on them. Lots of info out there and seems pretty simple. The only info I haven't gotten a good handle on is the actual conversion of the engine. Any links?

http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/gas-wood-generator.html

 

[elgin]

Just electric? Or are you talking natural gas out too? 'Cause it would be stupid simple to use a standby whole house generator.

A failure of the electrical grid would return the country to the 19th century. Never mind using natural gas as a back-up. Unless the well is in your backyard, you won't have any; Gas pipelines need to be re-compressed every hundred miles or so to keep flowing. Compressor stations run on electricity.

My back-up stove and oven is jetted for propane gas, of which I have several bottles.

elgin

 

[panlanrs]

Gasifiers

Panlanrs, you posted what I was going to say. A couple of weeks ago I saw someone here mention gasifiers and have been studying up on them. Lots of info out there and seems pretty simple. The only info I haven't gotten a good handle on is the actual conversion of the engine. Any links?

Join that yahoo group. Lots of downloadable info and technical info as well as a bunch of people with actual experience. They also have a nice Links.site. Fema has detailed plans for an easy to build ,downdraft gasifier, built from commonly available materials, which is available free to download there. I paid for my copy, about $50 ,before I found the Wood Gas group. Gengas.com is another good site.

 

[Brew]

Let there be light:
http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/lanterns.htm
http://www.y2klanterns.com/kerosene.html
https://www.vermontlanterns.com/catalog/outdoor-oil-lamp

We use the new V&O lamps 28 oz 1/2" wick with the wide base 75hr tank. Two weeks between fillings. Not as Good as Deitz but then again the have wide bases and large tanks and run 2-3 cents an hour in oil.

If you want to heat your house with a few its this one:
http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/dietz-2500-jupiter-cold-blast-lantern.html?site=google_base

 

[rncmomx2]

Wahing clothes-no problem we use a james washer or rapid washer
Pumping water from well-no problem we have a pully system to get water to the top.
Cooking-no problem we use wood.
Lighting-no problem to bed at dark and rise with the sun, we also have solar lights.
Refrigeration-no problem we only have 3-4 items in there anyway, we get our milk daily so we don't need it refrigerted, we get eggs everyday-eat them for breaksfast and sell the rest daily, we can most of our meats ourself (using wood stove) and the rest we kill/clean on demand, we dehydrate veges and some meats outside using the sun. We don't have our freezers stocked because you never know when power might not be a option.
Heating-no problem wood stove
Air conditioning- no problem house is located in between hundreds of trees that keep the sun off of it and a cool breeze blowing throughout the summer.

We have a plasma, stereo system, 2 digital cameras and laptop that is the only tech stuff we have.

We do have a new stove/oven and new side by side refrigerator...no microwave, toaster, coffee maker or any other useless power hog here.


We do use hand operated items that have ben used for years, we buy alot of our stuff from the Amish communities when we go to Ohio. My parents live a "Plain Life" so my children see that now and it's just normal to them. They are always asking why would children want to play video games and the such instead of spending time with there parents and having fun.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for our children today to live withour power, it might teach them to enjoy a simple life wothout having to keep up with the jones's.

 

[RonPaulGal]

Let there be light:
If you want to heat your house with a few its this one:
http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/dietz-2500-jupiter-cold-blast-lantern.html?site=google_base

Thanks for the link. That looks like a good lamp to have.

Also this one - for emergency heating of tea, water, etc.
http://www.sportsimportsltd.com/dietz-2000-millenium-cooker-lantern.html

 

[gridless]

The "Homestead" has had it's own power (wind & solar) for a few years. I'm not wired into anything out there. With our own well & plenty of trees for the fireplaces and fireboxes, when SHTF, there shouldn't be much difficulty.