When the lights go out

know how to start/maintain a fire.

EDC multiple fire-starting options.

learn about hypothermia..symptoms & the ways to prevent/treat.

cold cant be taken seriously enough.. fall asleep at the wrong time and/or place and youre a fucking popsicle.

just sweating can be a death sentence.

kinda' surprising there aren't more deaths every year- given the almost complete domestication of humans and their unwavering faith in the grid system.

[link to www.cdc.gov]

"Risk Factors for Hypothermia-Related Mortality

During 1999--2002, a total of 4,607 death certificates in the United States had hypothermia-related diagnoses listed as the underlying cause of death or nature of injury leading to the underlying cause of death (annual incidence: four per 1,000,000 population). Exposure to excessive natural cold (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] code X31) was the underlying cause in 2,622 deaths. Hypothermia (ICD-10 code T68) was the nature of injury in 1,985 deaths with underlying causes of death other than exposure to excessive natural cold (e.g. falls, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or drowning)."

Great post AC - thanks.


Personal favorites:

Lamplight 50840 Montana Lamp $19.99
[link to www.amazon.com]

100-Hour Plus liquid candle $7.99 (provides light for 4 days)
[link to www.amazon.com]

Mr. Heater 20,000 BTU Propane Blue Flame Vent Free Heater $189.99 #VF20KBLUELP
[link to www.amazon.com]

Luggable Loo Portable 5 Gallon Toilet $19.95
[link to www.amazon.com]

Reliance Products Double Doodie Plus Large Toilet Waste Bags (6-Pack)
[link to www.amazon.com]

Home n'away portable butane stove $27.50
[link to www.amazon.com]

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 11/23/2012 02:53 PM

Motion sensor lights for indoors. We have these and they're great. No more stumbling in the dark and sense they are battery powered they work when the power goes out.

[link to www.amazon.com]

$21.75 Motion-sensor LED porch light with special lens for wide coverage

Adjustable head; 6 included LED bulbs never need replacing; weatherproof exterior

Sensor turns light on and off automatically in low light settings

Mounting plate and hardware included; uses 4 C-cell batteries (not included)

Measures 5-1/2 inches in diameter by 5-1/2 inches high

[link to www.amazon.com]

Last Edited by Proud American Supporter on 11/25/2012 01:35 PM

If you're planning on doing any kind of cooking or heating indoors, be sure to educate yourself on the dangers of CO poisoning. Just because a propane heater says "indoor safe" on it doesn't mean it doesn't emit CO. Be sure you have a quality CO alarm, along with a smoke alarm.

I've got a pickup camper that's used for a hunting shack, and I've learned by necessity what needs to be done to keep CO levels down. It's totally off-grid, so it's got battery electric and propane heat. The original furnace wasn't adequate for winter use, so I got a 5000/10000 btu indoor safe heater. I could only use it for a few hours before my CO alarm went off (50-60 ppm). I ended up going with a larger vented propane furnace to solve the problem.

Also, cooking a meal over the LP range will cause the CO level to spike like crazy, so you've really got to watch it.

If we lose power for an extended period, and cant run a generator, well be retreating to one of the small upstairs rooms in our house with cold weather sleeping bags. The risk of fire and CO poisoning is too great to leave a heater on overnight. Our cooking will be done over a camp stove in the garage.

Have the shovel etc to dig an outhouse. Don't waste water on flushing a toilet!

Which brand of CO alarm did you end up with?

buy lamps and oil
and three days reserve.
without some toil,
life won't preserve.

when truth comes back,
it will get groovy;
think pitch black:
the movie.