I hang my head in shame

[SternWake]

While I do not need the power grid, I use it, Because I can.

I have a 200 watt heater, which is minimally effective, because i have minimal insulation, but I use it in cool weather conditions, Because I can.

Tonight I used a 1600 watt Hair drier, for more than an hour, not because I was freezing, But because I can. I Just shut it off, and nearly buck naked and sweating. The asphalt outside my 3rd door reads 46f. yet my floor reads 77F
 and my roof is 88F

At least when I am parked here, a mile from mother Pacific.

But perhaps  I can save some face, by knowing if the grid failed tomorrow, I would have a sub 34f Fridge and a freezer and could use blankets and my laptop for an hour or two or 3 or 5 and watch Tv for 6 hours, and be perfectly comfortable with a happy battery.

BUt if  the grid were down for everybody, There would be no internet, there would be no TV, And I would likely have an Extreme power surplus.......

Anybody know any good books? 
 I'd turn my LED dimmers on Extra bright.  
Perhaps someone would listen when i'd show them my already full fridge and say, lets fire  up the BBQ!

Several years ago there was a blackout in terms of the power grid.  I was like, where the F' did my Wifi go, then i saw no Wifi Signals anywhere.  I turned on My tv. Saw the Issue., but 3 of 4 local TV stations were also down.  Apparently their UPS battery systems to broadcastOTA signals, had failed within 45 minutes, and the major reporting that there was, reported on the mayhem of Convience stores not being able to ring up debit/credit card purchases, and all the traffic lights being out causes traffic nightmares and gridlock.

Those with their 1.5 million dollar houses nearby.

Umm; "can I put this in your fridge?, its really expensive....., wait is your Tv working?........can you charge my cell phone?"

Later on  some loud generators fired up and my fridge became empty.
 POwer was out for less than 12 hours.  People still talk about it like it was he most inconvienent thing that ever happened to any human  at any point in history.






.

 

[djkeev]

Good story.
Don't know where you live but obviously not in an area subject to any harsh weather. In particular Winter blizzards, Nor'Easters they call them. Or hurricanes...... well "superstorms"....... Superstorm Sandy wiped out the power grid for four days for us...... weeks for others not far away.
Large snow events can take it out for days, its part of life, prepare for it and then hope your efforts were in vain.

Yes, 21st Century life is highly dependant upon the electrical grid. Personally, I find this unsettling that our very survival as a society and a species demands electricity.

Dave

 

[GotSmart]

For Christmas I recieved a Kindle Fire.  So far I have almost 400 FREE books downloaded from amazon.  Enough to keep me entertained for a year or two Mostly classics and classic SF.  Things out of copywrite.  You know, the good stuff. 

In 2003, there was an ice storm that kept the power off for a week.  Then I was too buisy cutting wood to read, but a complete systems failure ~~~ I need to stock up on dry goods.

 

[DuneElliot]

Can you imagine if it lasted for more than a few days? Like weeks or months...the US would erupt in chaos!

 

[Theadyn]

We had a little ice scare a couple weekends ago. Although I was unaffected, the town an hour north of us, mainly those who weren't near the main town, didn't have power for a week or so. It happens every winter here somewhere. I was prepared fairly well, thanks to things I learned here and having Van Halen while I did. Not great by a long shot, but way more prepared compared to people who kept 'checking on me'. Kinda put them to shame, haha!

 

[John61CT]

For short-term disruptions, it's not hard to set up being electrically self-sufficient off grid with a big enough tank(s) of propane.

Medium term, the fossil fuel and parts-repair supply chain become the limiting factors, need to go back to early pre-Industrial Revolution lifestyle. Cheery stuff.

Long-term, think pre-Columbian Native American technology, and it's roaming hordes of armed starving zombies are what subverts the best-laid prepper plans. Key is building a trusted close-knit and like-minded community bartering required skill-sets.

That requires living together as good neighbors for years before the SHTF.

Not very practical for most USian rugged individualists.

Save the last bullets for yourselves.

 

[jimindenver]

Hold your head high knowing your teachings have kept many prepared and comfy. Personally I don't do uncomfy anymore, not only is the rig set up for a week of bad weather, my doctor wasn't about to give her blessings to me roughing it if it meant being cold. Shivering or even getting close to it causes the muscles to tense. Tense muscles puts more pressure on the nerves causing the numbness and pain. Pain I can deal with but I do like to walk and have the use of my arms so I have been going through a tank of propane a week making sure I don't shiver.

The RTR was a decent test of the systems as it's was colder than usual and cloudy for days followed by one day of sun, then back to cloudy. The bank made it down to 12.6v keeping me warm and charging things for people. I was pretty pleased when the little generator didn't stall when I plugged in the trailers converter, after that it spent many hours helping a neighbor do his build. This was a good thing as he had a 3500/4000 open frame.

Now I have Max the puppy and while I can bundle up or sleep under down comforters, he can't. Dad isn't about to let him shiver.

 

[Trebor English]

OP looking for books? The old time page turning books? If they aren't electric they must be acoustic. On the other hand, if they aren't digital, they must be analog.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

In 2011 South Eastern Mass lost power for almost a week.  I was staying at my family's summer home at the time and had just returned from my 2 month cross country trek that involved multiple week long backpacking trips.  So I had all my gear with me.  I had my wifi internet card as well and a 110 inverter in my jeep.  So I had internet and power to recharge my laptop and cell phone, propane cook stove for cooking, a lake outside my back door for swimming, bathing and washing dishes. And my grandmother always kept a gallon of water frozen, so I tossed that in my Yeti and rode out the week in great comfort while everyone I knew thought the world basically ended.  Can't wait to add solar power to my trailer and get a 12 volt refer/freezer.  The freedom!

Here's a photo I posted on Facebook to rub it in all my friends faces.

 

[DrJean]

Yes loss of all power levels the population to "1".

I am very conscious of the amounts of power and water and resources I use, and very thankful too... also because I can.

I've lived through being without after a natural disaster. My camping/backpacking/canoeing experiences prepared me to probably be in a better position than most?

I hope to help continue to educate those who can't be bothered right now...so when they need to be they can be.

Good on you to help. No shame necessary... God provides us and we need to be thankful for those times of abundance imo.

 

[bullfrog]

When I taught auto shop in Kentucky over Christmas break I would turn the radiant heaters in the garage ceiling all the way up, throw a jar of beach sand, collected the summer before, on the floor and after working on my dune buggy sit in my lawn chair and wiggle my toes in the sand while listening to the Beach Boys and surfer music with my eyes closed dreaming I would be where I am today.

 

[Milk Hauler]

Can you imagine if it lasted for more than a few days? Like weeks or months...the US would erupt in chaos!

Off topic, but are you the same Dune Elliott on SB? ?

Sent from a Galaxy far far away.

 

[rvpopeye]

Starting my adult life backpacking and then packing on a bike then on the road in my homemade truck home.
I've been living without power or anything else except for a small cooler for so much of my life (the non working part anyway) that now with the bathroom , solar , propane heat/cooking and the Honda I feel like I'm swimming in luxury in this old class C !

 

[DrJean]

Now that I'm back home from my whirlwind rtr trip.... I find I still don't like the "clutter"... no, I'm not a clutterer...though some things are still out because of wanting to fit them into the arrangements of the van... but it just seems like such a hassle to walk "all the way" down the hall or through the master bedroom just to go to the bathroom ROFL

 

[Joseph_Grey]

It was nineteen below zero F(ecking cold) last week. I don't think a hair dryer woulda cut it. :-D

Great story!

--joe

 

[WriterMs]

If you'd like free (and sometimes very good) reading AND be able to show off your electronic-use superiority (LOL), then you would enjoy Kindle ebooks (maybe you do already).

Go to Amazon and do a search on "Free Kindle books ____" with your preferred reading genre in the blank. As a previous poster mentioned, there are tons of free books available. You can be creative in the genre you specify... like instead of the broad "mystery" category, you can specify "police procedurals" or "noir thrillers. " Did you know Amazon has a huge "hidden" genre called "military romance" which is by and large porn for women with very trite stories of Navy SEALS and such? No? Not your thing... but you get the idea.

Seriously, look for ebooks with good reviews by new authors. And even established independent authors often offer their early books free in order to attract new readers to a series.

If you are a hardcore print-only reader, my area Goodwill store sells both newer hardbacks and paperbacks for only $1 each.