Ice Storm Preps ...

[Hobbes]

It's been a while since I created this thread and at the time there was no preppers corner so I'll link to it here.

This is my new generator setup I had installed last Fall.

http://www.okshooters.com/showthread.php?133335-My-New-Generator-Setup

 

[Lurker66]

Cool setup, bookmarked it.

 

[Hoov]

Wife thinks I am paranoid. She actually sounds a lot like BB did. I may just have to buy a generator and say "Happy Anniversary, Honey!" Then I would have to move into GC's garage until the first ice storm, when said wife would call and ask me to fire up said generator. Good info on here. Thanks, guys and gals.

 

[BadgeBunny]

Wife thinks I am paranoid. She actually sounds a lot like BB did. I may just have to buy a generator and say "Happy Anniversary, Honey!" Then I would have to move into GC's garage until the first ice storm, when said wife would call and ask me to fire up said generator. Good info on here. Thanks, guys and gals.

LOL ... You could stay in the spare bedroom!

 

[ratski]

OK ... someone asked for this so here it is ...
This is what I learned:

1. A generator is a must. You don't use it often but when you need it, you need it B.A.D.

2. A generator is nice but gas to run it with is even nicer ...

3. MREs, while not my favorite, are pretty tasty when you are hungry.

4. An electric can opener is worthless if you don't have electricity ... (Who knew?? LOL)

5. Like a generator, a fireplace is worthless if you don't have any wood to burn in it. We now have a couple of ricks minimum stored away in the backyard ALL the time ...

6. Yeah, gas heat is great but if you don't have the electricity to run the blower on the gas furnace, again ... life can be so unfair.

7. Thermal underwear (even if they have that funky fly stuff guys need in the front) are pretty danged nifty ...

8. You are gonna have downed tree limbs. You can cut them up with a hand saw, or a chain saw. Chain saws are better. Again, if you have the gas to run them ...

9. You can use camping equipment in the house and cooking a pot of beans in the dutch oven in fireplace is better than a cold MRE any day.

OK, I'll try to add a little here.

1. A generator is a must. You don't use it often but when you need it, you need it B.A.D.
2. A generator is nice but gas to run it with is even nicer ...

Yes, a generator is a must. If you don't run it occasionally, "When you need it B.A.D" it ain't gonna work. Don't let it sit with gas in it and never run it. Trust me on this one. The day that you will need it, it will either be too damn hot or too damn cold to screw around with. It is also a good idea to know where the operators manual is. If the power is down, you aren't going to be reading the .pdf you saved and you aren't going to be surfing the net to find instructions. It also helps to know what the "on/off" button markings mean. Most gennies I've seen have a switch that has an "O" and a "I" on it. Well, is the "O" for On or Off? helps to know so that when you are pulling the cord in 110 degree heat, you're not pushing yourself into a coronary. The way that I remember it is that the "I" is for "Ignition".

Gas is nice, but enough gas cans and "big cans" are even nicer. Also, knowing how long your generator is going to run on one tank of gas is critical. As is knowing the capacity of the tank. Is it 3.5 gallons? 5 gallons? 7 gallons? Does it run for 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours. If it is a 5 gallon tank and runs for 8 hours and you only have two 2.5 gallon gas cans you are going to be running back and forth to the gas station alot. Assuming that they have power and are pumping.

Having NON CARB compliant gas cans is also a must. If not, you are going to be filling the gas tank in minus 20 degree windchill while holding a 30 pound can of gas and having to answer nature's call, all at the same time. Converting the CARB compliant cans to non CARB compliant cans is relatively easy and quick.



6. Yeah, gas heat is great but if you don't have the electricity to run the blower on the gas furnace, again ... life can be so unfair.

Make sure that you have the correct size extension cords that run between your generator and your power suckers. Having a 100 foot 16 gauge extension cord is going to cost you alot of voltage. Even more if you are running it in the snow. You might have 120 volts coming out of the generator, but only 90 volts coming out of the extension cord. That is not good for voltage sensitive equipment. 100 foot 10 gauge is expensive, but if you buy one now and another later, you are set.

BIG TIP: make sure that the size of the extension cord is thicker than the size of the power cord running out of your appliance. Especially the blower for the gas furnace. At least, that is what the fireman told me. Long story. But true.


7. Thermal underwear (even if they have that funky fly stuff guys need in the front) are pretty danged nifty ...

Several pairs of underwear is even better. Sweating in the underwear during the day and sleeping in it at night will make you VERY cold.


8. You are gonna have downed tree limbs. You can cut them up with a hand saw, or a chain saw. Chain saws are better. Again, if you have the gas to run them

There will be alot of people running around offering insurance estimates to remove your downed limbs. Your insurance may not cover this, in spite of what they tell you. Having cash in hand will get these crews hopping. One crew gave me an estimate for something like 2500 dollars. I asked the guy "how much to do this right now?" He said something like 1000 dollars. I looked at him and his crew. I said, you have a lot of guys in that truck. I have 300 dollars in cash." It was amazing how fast they took it. Some of the best money I spent. Lotta limbs still hanging from the trees and onto the feeder lines. Made it easier the next week to get power restored.



A: Having stuff is not the same as being able to get to your stuff.

Alot of my power cables and extension cords during the last ice storm were up in the attic. Dealing with a flashlight and large bundles of extension chords was a pain. Headlamps make this much easier.

One side of my garage is rather "unorganized". Stumbling thru stuff trying to find things was difficult. It was compounded by the fact that my Christmas decorations were not up in the attic yet.


Have keys for ALL of your doors and locks.

My wife and I are habitual garage door users. During one of your outings was when the power crapped out. We have a glass storm door in front of our main door. If I hadn't grabbed the "emergency key ring", we probably would have been busting down part of the fence to get into the back yard and busting in a window. Fortunately, the key ring had the key to the glass door and the lock on the fence.


Above all. Cash is King.

We were in the WalMart when the power died there. With the power went the credit card machines. They had 30 minutes of backup power. Checks were OK with proper ID. Debit cards were useless as were credit cards.

Enough for now.

Dave

 

[Lurker66]

Good tips Dave. We keep extra keys outside in a ziplock, just n case. Known to wife, kids and me.

 

[BadgeBunny]

Good tips Dave.

This ... Thanks, Dave!

 

[jrusling]

In addition to a generator, we also have a couple of deep cycle batteries and power inverters. We can run a light or two, fan, and electric blankets. It makes it a lot nicer at night to have the electric blanket and not have to run the generator. We also have plenty of flashlights and a few oil lamps. Due to my wife's medical problems I also have a portable air conditioner that I can run off the generator if needed. Just in case the natural gas goes out too, I also have a kerosene heater that will keep part of the house warm. When I get my new storage/shop building up, I will also have a couple of good solar cells on the roof of it, as well as a large water tank with a 12 volt pump.

 

[RatTerrier]

Plenty of firewood since I have a wood burning stove. And it sticks out about 8" from the wall so if need be I have a cooking surface as well. I've had that thing rockin n rollin so much I've been stripped down to my boxer shorts with the fan on and the north n south doors open cause I'm sweatin!!! That thing works GREAT!!! Heck with a danged ole fireplace! Those are junk!!...rant off...lol.... The window on the door of the wood stove gives out plenty of light as well. I have a gas stove so cooking insn't going to be a big deal really. If it gets cold, I have a good sleepin bag that'll take care of me down to like -40 degrees. I also like having plenty of charcoal and lighter fluid along with a lighter. I can light the stove top with it and I can also use the charcoal grill to cook up a steak or 2 that'd be slowly thawing out. I have cold weather huntin gear so I'd have that out as well. Long undies, field jacket with a liner, a bacalava to keep my head n neck warm, wool socks, and good gloves. Oh yeah, some propane for my lantern and some double A batteries for my LED tent light. And guns and ammo incase someone thinks I've bugged out and they can rob me nice n easily and I hafta sendem out in a body bag.

 

[Lurker66]

Lol, i get a little carried away with my wood stove, hit 94 degrees once during snowmegeddon.

Wife went nuts, had doors open, widows open, then turned attic exhaust fan on. I was sooo proud of that fire.