Power Grid Down

[Prepared One]

Most have seen this before but worth looking at again. This is very high on my list of likey scenarios.

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2014/12/26/the-frightening-new-electric-grid-report-that-will-make-you-want-backup-power/

[Txwheels]

We keep 2 backup generators ready to go at all times.

[1moretoy]

The problem with personal generators is they run on fuel. After your supply of fuel is exhausted, you will no longer be able to acquire any more without power.

[longrider]

If you're the first or one of the first at the pumps, you could syphon the gas out. But you'd have to be wary of sheeple and worse. I've heard that diesel fuel will be more available than gas, due to the low numbers of those kind of vehicles. If you had a diesel generator, that might be a more abundant fuel. Personally, I don't care about grid down. I'll deal with it the old fashioned way. Do without. And ice house and ice pit for the summer, from the nearby lake, or you can make ice in the winter with snow and/or water. A wood stove is wonderful. I know not everyone has one, but it might behoove people to get even a small one to set up in the house for a grid-down time.

I know that a lot of people in trailer houses don't have them, because you have to have a specific kind for insurance purposes. But if the grid's down, who's to know? Probably not your insurance agent. They have ready-made hearths at Menards. You could buy one and just keep it on hand for just-in-case. I have 6 empty kitty litter plastic containers with candles and I add to them every time I go to the thrift stores and garage sales. I've got candle holders that I've modified so they are almost impossible to tip over. Plus enclosed ones. Plus oil lamps. Extra wicks. Extra globes, etc. We'll have light.

[Sparkyprep]

If you're the first or one of the first at the pumps, you could syphon the gas out. But you'd have to be wary of sheeple and worse. I've heard that diesel fuel will be more available than gas, due to the low numbers of those kind of vehicles. If you had a diesel generator, that might be a more abundant fuel. Personally, I don't care about grid down. I'll deal with it the old fashioned way. Do without. And ice house and ice pit for the summer, from the nearby lake, or you can make ice in the winter with snow and/or water. A wood stove is wonderful. I know not everyone has one, but it might behoove people to get even a small one to set up in the house for a grid-down time.

I know that a lot of people in trailer houses don't have them, because you have to have a specific kind for insurance purposes. But if the grid's down, who's to know? Probably not your insurance agent. They have ready-made hearths at Menards. You could buy one and just keep it on hand for just-in-case. I have 6 empty kitty litter plastic containers with candles and I add to them every time I go to the thrift stores and garage sales. I've got candle holders that I've modified so they are almost impossible to tip over. Plus enclosed ones. Plus oil lamps. Extra wicks. Extra globes, etc. We'll have light.

One major problem that we have down here is- there is no such thing as "natural ice", at any time of year. I will have to have power of some kind for refrigeration. I am planning a solar setup to augment my generator.

[longrider]

You're right Sparkyprep. I tend to forget that more than 1/2 the country does not have -10 temps in a winter. I would be worried about sheeple and worse, hearing the generator. Can't remember where I read that you can put it in a insulated shed, so the noise is down to a bare minimum. The exhaust could be routed out, like in a service station garage.

I need to be more cognizant of other's need, than just Up North. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

[Inor]

One major problem that we have down here is- there is no such thing as "natural ice", at any time of year. I will have to have power of some kind for refrigeration. I am planning a solar setup to augment my generator.

Sparky -

Do some research on how to make ammonium-nitrate. Ammonium-nitrate mixed with water will absorb enough heat to make ice cream. A few years back Mrs Inor and I toured Ft Bowie in the Arizona desert. They had a setup using ammonium-nitrate to actually make ice in the middle of the desert. It was just a big clay trough where they would mix it.

[James m]

Fertilizer? Type things?

Propane gas refrigerators. Probably a small one for a camper, like a mini fridge. They also have the very small things that go in a car and are 12v.

[1moretoy]

Here is a new gizmo that allows for cell phone use (texting) even without cell service. When the SHTF and towers go down this can be used to TEXT with a cell phone using RF and depending on your location could communicate with someone else that has the device from 1 mile to 50 miles away.

http://www.gotenna.com

[Arklatex]

Sparky -

Do some research on how to make ammonium-nitrate. Ammonium-nitrate mixed with water will absorb enough heat to make ice cream. A few years back Mrs Inor and I toured Ft Bowie in the Arizona desert. They had a setup using ammonium-nitrate to actually make ice in the middle of the desert. It was just a big clay trough where they would mix it.
Isn't it illegal to have that stuff without some kind of cert? It is half of the equation for anfo. I think it was what that guy blew up the OKC building with. Just curious.

[Inor]

Isn't it illegal to have that stuff without some kind of cert? It is half of the equation for anfo. I think it was what that guy blew up the OKC building with. Just curious.

I do not know about the legality. But I know they used it back in the "old west" so it cannot be that difficult to make. And if SHTF, who cares about law, we just need to keep meat and milk cool. :D

[Jeep]

Not illegal to own or purchase, just don't go buy 2k lbs at once.

[TJC44]

I thought that sounded familiar. Am. Nit. is EXTREMELY explosive when exposed to heat. A fire at a fertilizer plant in'79 or so literally destroyed an engine co. That responded to the call. The blast knocked the chief who was at the gate 1/2 mile away off his feet.stuff is not to be taken lightly.

[Prepared One]

All viable options in the short term. Long term? What is a worry to me is what do we do to ourselves in the short term? It's going to be nasty and many of us, preppers included, won't survive. I sometime question what I am doing....and why at my age. But, I have always been a fighter ever since I was a kid. So that question quickly passes. But, sometimes.........

[Coppertop]

In my case I plan on using the generator to keep the fridges and freezers running until I can get the meat that is in them preserved. Up north we can put fresh meat out side in the winter and it will freeze and keep. As was stated earlier we can get ice blocks made to extend our cooling period but it would take quite a place and a lot of ice to keep things cool here when it's 100 degrees in August. The heat and light are not so bothersome to me right now- Wood stove and oil lanterns - but the loss of refrigeration would suck.

Something I would like to get set up is a battery bank that would extend the time I could run the fridge and extend the generator as I would only have to run it a little while every day.

Thanks

[Jeep]

I saw a guy who keeps 55, 5 gallon buckets full of water, he lives where it gets extremely cold. He uses the buckets to store water but as refrigeration in spring and summer. If he needs water he takes a bucket of ice out of the shed.

[Pauls]

Amonium nitrate is an oxidizer and not explosive by itself. You have to add a combustible product to it.

It is a common fertilizer for commercial and residential use. Potasium nitrate is a better oxidizer and is what is used to make black powder. Potasium perchlorate is the best commercially available oxidizer and as such is more difficult to obtain in any large volumes.

AmFo is commonly used in excavating large amounts of rock from mountains. It is Ammonium Nitrate with fuel oil (usually diesel) in a very precise mixture. You need a high explosive to detonate it - like dynamite or one of the plastic explosives. It is not good for much other than moving a lot of rock in large chunks or making craters in the ground. There are much better choices for explosives though it is economical and easy to get if you are not into organic chemistry.

[Baglady]

And, Ammonium Nitrate is one of the stupid shit ingredients druggies use to make meth/ice or whatever they're calling it.
We use it in our gardening.

[Pauls]

So, you are saying we can raid the meth labs to get our ammonium nitrate to fertilize the garden? ;)