What 3 Things Would you miss the most if the lights went out?

Discussion in 'General Survival and Preparedness' started by Ganado, Apr 14, 2017.


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  1. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    What 3 things would you miss the most if the lights went out?
    1) running water
    2) hot water
    3) ice

    What conveniences would you miss the most?
     
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  2. Bishop

    Bishop Monkey+++

    Pepsi
     
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  3. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    If my lights went out, it means that my Fuel Tank went dry... blew Cooling Hose, or cracked a LubeOil Line...
    Just one of those things that happens when you live Off-Grid... So the thing to do is, Walk out to the PowerHouse, and see if I got Fuel.... If Yes, then start the other Genset and get the lights back on, then figure out why the First One dropped Off-Line... If NO, Kick myself in the A$$, For not keeping track of the Fuel Level in the 500USG Dike Tank, then switch to the 55USG Emergency Backup Fuel Tank, and restart the Genset, to get the lights back on, and go get the Fuel Truck, and refill the Main Tank.
    The only time. This ever happened to me in 20+ years of living out here, was when the Summer Crew didn't get the top Hatch on the Fuel Truck latched tight, and a bunch of Rain. Water leaked into the 2500 USG Tank, on the Fuel Truck. Not knowing this, I pumped my Main Tank with 500 USG of #1 Diesel, and the first 75 USG was straight Water... By the time I drove the Fuel Truck back to the Tank Farm, and drove home, the water had gone clear to the Injectors of the Running Genset and it had Died. It took me 6 Hours of work to drain the water out of the Main Tank, Bleed all the water out of the Fuel Lines. Start up the other Genset, to get the lights back on. Change all the Fuel Filters, Bleed all the water, out of the Injector Pump, and injectors on the downed Genset, and get it running again. I then started designing my 55USG Emergency Fuel System. I took a 55USG Drum, and mounted it above the Main Tank, and plumbed it into the Return Fuel Lines from the GenSets, with an Overflow Line that goes back into the Main Tank. Then I plumbed and Output Line, thru a Set of Isolation Ball Valves, back into the Main Tank Output Fuel Header, That feeds the Gensets... All the Fuel in the Emergency Tank will have gone thru all the Fuel Filters, and Injector Systems of the Gensets, before filling the Emergency Tank, so it ALWAYS Clean Fuel. This gives me 72 Hours of Good Fuel, and time to figure out what caused the Main Tank to have a Bad Fuel Issue, WITH the LIGHTS ON... I learned that LESSON, after the very first time...
     
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  4. T. Riley

    T. Riley Monkey+++

    News and Information
    Access to new books
    Air conditioning
     
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  5. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    1. The light, but that is offset by no alarm clock.
    2. The microwave, but that is offset by barbecue.
    3. The fridge, but that is offset by really big barbeque
    Seriously...
    1. Access to electronic information and communication
    2. Air conditioning and refrigeration
    3. Loss of recorded music. Screw the TV and movies, I have an amazingly good sound system and listen to music the entire time I'm working. The music I listen to when I'm not working can just about captivate me into a coma.
     
  6. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    1) Information
    2) Recorded music and my Pipe Organ
    3) Ice and the freezer
    Like BT said, it would mean I lost all my generator capabilities (4+) and things would be at the end for us!
     
  7. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow



    Like no more power ? Or a day or two power outage ?
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
  8. Olympic mountain man

    Olympic mountain man just a lonely cook

    Not a damp thing I would be in heaven
     
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  9. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    This because aliens called Waveries come to Earth and now 'eat' the electric power?


    Frederic Brown's "The Waveries". From 1945

    Little SOBs killed off radio as well.

    ETA
    Creatures are attracted to the Earth by its radio transmissions and graze on sources of electricity forcing an overnight change to an early industrial society (steam, horse, bicycle). Fascinating and evocative story.
    Mr Brown's SciFi stories are very short - many under 1000 words. A great writer almost unknown today.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2017
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  10. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Good question...if my lights go out, I'll be missing my solar, wind and generators...

    But the lack of Internet would likely be the most missed...but not to any real degree.
     
  11. Sgt Nambu

    Sgt Nambu RIP 4/19/2018

    If talking non-life threatening things.

    1. Internet/information
    2. Refrigeration
    3. TV Documentarys
    I'm a fiend for ancient history, military history, archaeology and paleontology! :D
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2017
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  12. Tempstar

    Tempstar Monkey+++

    Internet
    Refrigeration
    lights
     
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  13. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    In the summertime - Air Conditioning, it hits 112 here sometimes, (you should know that one, G)
    Lights - could cause security issues
    The ability to pump fuel - If the power was off for an extended period, big problem with panic
     
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  14. mysterymet

    mysterymet Monkey+++

    Depends on if the power went down from some kind of grid down attack or failure of if various electronics were damaged from something like an emp or severe solar event.
    If it was normal grid down and not emp i'd wait 30 seconds for my back up generator to start!


    Something more serious...
    Fridge/freezer definitely.
    Internet
    A/C or heater blower depending on season.
     
  15. Asia-Off-Grid

    Asia-Off-Grid RIP 11-8-2018

    Hmmm. Good question.
    When we are at the farm, we have both mains and solar power - and generator power, now. But, we don't really use much. Lights and water pump. No internet there, yet. When we first met and stayed there, we didn't have either. Didn't bother me a bit, honestly. She would heat water by fire, for my shower. I just drank water without ice. Would take a bit of getting used to, but I could do it fairly easily.

    With that said, I would miss the internet, especially coming to this forum.
     
  16. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    Lack of information would be the biggest concern.
    I'd like to know if the roving hoard was escaping from Detroit and heading my way.

    We recently had a big blow here in the mitten that knocked out my power for a week. So I'm going to say hot showers until I rig up an outdoor shower probably using one of the fireplace inserts and a tempering valve.

    And freezer/refrigerator. Granted could use the small propane fridge in the camper trailer but eventually would resort to eat fresh / canned / smoked preserved. God I'm gonna miss a cold beer in summer. Thankfully in Michigan, if summer falls on a Saturday we have a party and then back to winter. Snow really cools the beer quite nicely. ;)
     
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  17. chimo

    chimo the few, the proud, the jarhead monkey crowd

    freezing cold lemonade (in the summer) and blistering hot showers every morning.
     
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  18. ditch witch

    ditch witch I do stupid crap, so you don't have to

    Depends on what time of year it happened.

    Summer in Texas
    1. air conditioning
    2. air conditioning
    3. air conditioning

    Winter in Texas
    1. air conditioning
    2. air conditioning
    3. air conditioning
     
  19. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    I have considered alternative sources in the event this happens, but...

    1. News and Communications.. Not knowing what was going on would not be good for me, but I have plenty of batteries.
    2. Refrigeration/Freezer.. I do have a small gas genset, but fuel supplies would be limited.
    3. Heat.. A conventional wood stove would be nice in place of my pellet stove. I could cut wood, but with no power, no pellet stove.
     
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  20. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    1. Internet porn
    2. Fossil fuel to permit travel by automobile
    3. Clones who aren't hostile yet

    In that order.
     
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