Handling Power Outages
Where we live, we’re told to expect power outages up to 5 days long. No, we don’t live in the deep forest, or in a third world country - we just live in a state where the utility monopoly is ran badly, for profit.
That kinda sucks, when your spouse has medicine that has to stay cold.
And it’s that medicine that keeps her alive.
So, being prepared in our case has to meet these needs:
- Meds that MUST stay cool
- Desire to keep communications running
- Silent running (in my city… I’d rather not have anyone hear my generator)
I’ve opted for this set up. It’s overkill, but it’s portable, making “bugging out” relatively simple. If I lived in the country (or a different city) I’d opt for a generator; it’d be far far cheaper.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CS9HKDL? Goal Zero Yeti 3000 Lithium Portable Power Station WiFi Mobile App Enabled, 3024Wh/280Ah Silent Gas Free Generator Alternative with 1500 Watt (3000 Watt Surge) AC Inv, USB, USB-C, USB-PD 12V Outputs
- Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.
- Has MPPT charge controller built in.
- Has rolling cart built in.
- Can sustain 1500 watt load, up to 3000 watt starting load.
- I plan on spending bout 1000wh a day between my workloads
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y3TC113 Goal Zero Boulder 100 Briefcase, 100 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel I bought two of these. I expect in the winter to recharge about 1000wh total per day. Summer, more.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072KP53XK Goal Zero 8mm to Anderson 4X Combiner Cable
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0763THM8D 15 feet APP Extension Cable Check Orientation in Images Used with Boulder 200 Briefcase
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071G6M847 Dometic CFX 40W 12v Electric Powered Portable Cooler, Fridge Freezer Takes abot 300wh per day in my testing during the summer. Keep out of sun and keep covered (see next).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071WQN3H9 Dometic CFX-IC40 CFX-40 Insulated Protective Cover
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ARN28SQ Retekess V115 Portable AM FM Radio with Shortwave Radio MP3 Player Digital Record Support Micro SD TF Card Sleep Timer and Rechargeable Battery(Black)
WATER: https://www.readyrefresh.com/en/products/nestle-pure-life/nestle-pure-life-purified-water-5-gallon/p/1196 Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water - 5 Gallon - Bottle - Case of 1 I had 18 of these delivered, and store them INSIDE (not the garage with the chemicals). That space under your stairs is perfect for this.
Don’t forget you need both drinking/cooking water, as well as a way to flush the toilet (or otherwise deal with those body functions). Simply pooring water into a toilet will make it flush as long as the sewage system is still functional.
TODO:
GPRS / FRS radios? Ideally USB powered to avoid the inverter?