What would you do if the electrical grid went down?

originally posted by: Edumakated
a reply to: LSU0408

I'd love being out in the middle of nowhere. It is so peaceful. When I go on vacation, it takes me a few days to fully disconnect and decompress, but once I get used to not having to deal with the electronic BS, I love it. No email. No TV. No internet. Just a cup of Joe and a good book. Maybe go hiking or fishing.

The creature comforts we have are nice though but sooner or later, you get used to not having them.

I guess that's what I've grown most tired of too. The electronics.

a reply to: LSU0408

Your cars, the neighbors cars, etc. Would be fried. The book, One Second After, is an excellent read, as stated by Network Dude.

originally posted by: woodsmom
a reply to: network dude

This book right here should be a must read for everybody.
It really is an eye opener! Even though it's about an EMP blast, it's very telling of human nature in any break down that may possibly happen.

Human nature would turn into a survival of the fittest, or more heavily armed.

originally posted by: tinymind

originally posted by: LSU0408
a reply to: forkedtongue



Yeah I'm on the outskirts of a small town in Northwest Louisiana. Population out here is 800 and I've got land to hunt, ponds to fish, and a garden down the road. I guess my biggest thorn would be poachers or people trying to fish in my ponds. Only other problem I'd have is that my house can't pull a breeze if its foundation depended on it so I'd have to improvise.

Just a thought to try helping out.

Bury a septic tank full of big rocks in your yard. Duct air in and out from your house in a closed loop.
This will act as a 'heat sink" and, except for some moisture build up over time, will feel much like air conditioning.
You can use a small windmill with a belt to move the air.

Very nice, thank you. Where did you hear about that?

a reply to: network dude
Hey....what do you mean even democrats?
I hope I'd be ok for a while. Greenhouse,lots of solar panels, water well, spring, disaster resistant house, solar hot water, radiant cooling and heating, a big ugly dog, some backup stuffs stored away. Maybe a firearm or two...I'm not saying for sure

Hopefully within the year to complete the homestead with chickens, a couple of goats, some bees, and a worm farm.

And I'm a homo hippie artsy liberal democrat....we make great friends. Hit me up sometime.

a reply to: LSU0408

If it all goes down, I may have to come see you.
Might strike up a trade for some hog. All we got here is darned old squirll, rabbit, turkey and deer. Some wild pork would ne nice for some changes.

originally posted by: woodsmom
a reply to: network dude

This book right here should be a must read for everybody.
It really is an eye opener! Even though it's about an EMP blast, it's very telling of human nature in any break down that may possibly happen.

I think it should be required reading to be a member here. So many things to be learned about survival, and it's all reality.
It's been about 8 years since the first time I read it, and it still is fresh in my pea brain.
google one second after pdf. It's the first link.

originally posted by: VincentVicious
I often wonder how would anyone really know if it went down? What I mean is how many days would pass before anyone figured out what happened?

It's happened to us plenty of times. Once when heavy snow brought down trees and power lines. One minute we were watching TV in a warm bright living room. Next minute we're stumbling around in the dark looking for torches. Maybe an hour or two later the power came back on.

Out in the country when there was a lightning strike. Didn't have power for 16 hours until someone explained to my stepfather how to reset the fuse box trip switch. Fortunately, we have a kerosene and wood heaters.

Biggest danger is having the food in your deep freeze go off. We had friends who had their own emergency diesel generator and fuel tanks. One to power the central heating and the other to power the generator. That gave them enough power to run DC equipment like lamps, a small TV and the freezers.

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: kaelci
I, personally, would welcome it. My partner and I have talked about this pretty extensively actually, because sometimes I get into these moods where I want us to move to a typical secluded cabin in the middle of no-where and live with nothing modern. Although, living in Australia, I suppose I'd be pretty miffed that I couldn't turn my air conditioning on. Ugh.

I'm delighted to see, so far, how many others would actually prefer this. No air would suck for sure. And like I previously stated, my house doesn't pull a breeze for shart. I'd have to improvise and make some new holes in my house. Hand drills and hand saws, here I come!

Invest in a summer kitchen, they are great in the south, you guys have the most oppressive heat I have ever been in in my life in lousiana.

Fricking 103 degrees 99% humidity in late september early october.......uggg

My grandparents had a summer kitchen, we spent many a summer night out there playing cards and eating good food.

My grandpa smoked 2 hogs in it every winter.

Not a bad idea to build something like that. I do have a man cave that I'm planning on tearing down, I could just keep it and turn it into a summer kitchen. You should have been here in 2011. 113° with 99% humidity on some days, and a 121° heat index. First year, and last year I ever saw temps like that. The last 3 summers have been mild and we haven't even reached the hundreds.

originally posted by: Wetpaint72
a reply to: network dude
Hey....what do you mean even democrats?
I hope I'd be ok for a while. Greenhouse,lots of solar panels, water well, spring, disaster resistant house, solar hot water, radiant cooling and heating, a big ugly dog, some backup stuffs stored away. Maybe a firearm or two...I'm not saying for sure

Hopefully within the year to complete the homestead with chickens, a couple of goats, some bees, and a worm farm.

And I'm a homo hippie artsy liberal democrat....we make great friends. Hit me up sometime.

Just kidding. I was in a pretty violent thread a bit ago and am still wiping the blood off.

OP is right leaning as I am, so it was just a little poke. In a bad situation, politics is the last thing anyone needs. Come to think of it, maybe in all situations........

Being that I live on 10 acres of land, out in the country here in the South, I guess I'd do like they did back then: Self Sustaining Farm.

I've got plenty of room to grow things, my water comes from a well (I'd just have to set up a hand pump and cistern), I already have chickens that I get my own eggs from, I can expand on that (letting them brood for more chickens for more eggs and meat birds), I'd have to get other animals for other things, or barter with some of the neighbors in trade (IE I give them X amount of crops or eggs, etc for Milk).
Make my own cheese and butter (which I've done in the past for fun). Can my own food (which I already do for fun), etc.

I already own guns, so hunting the multitude of deer that is on my land for meat (and deer meat is NOM NOM NOM NOM good!).

I actually have books that I own on how to make soap and candles out of rendered animal fat (hard work that, but the knowledge is there).

Cooking: I'm an adult leader with our cub scout and boy scout unit. I cook all the time when we're camping both using gas grills, but also over the camp fire and using Dutch Ovens too (which I own two).

So while I won't sit here and say: Hey, no sweat! I got it covered! (because all the things I listed above is HARD work), I'd certainly have plenty of time for it as there would be no internet for me to hang out here on ATS!

originally posted by: Glassbender777
ID hunker down, hide my solar planels , blackout my windows, guard my hilltop, and the rest is classified. Lol. Well besides requiring a certain number of people with skills and assets to use. And create a small community.

A community like Alexandria? Lol. Hey, would solar panels still work?

a reply to: LSU0408

I would use my emergency solar panels to recharge some big UPS I have here. Also build a small wind turbine.

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: kaelci
I, personally, would welcome it. My partner and I have talked about this pretty extensively actually, because sometimes I get into these moods where I want us to move to a typical secluded cabin in the middle of no-where and live with nothing modern. Although, living in Australia, I suppose I'd be pretty miffed that I couldn't turn my air conditioning on. Ugh.

I'm delighted to see, so far, how many others would actually prefer this. No air would suck for sure. And like I previously stated, my house doesn't pull a breeze for shart. I'd have to improvise and make some new holes in my house. Hand drills and hand saws, here I come!

Invest in a summer kitchen, they are great in the south, you guys have the most oppressive heat I have ever been in in my life in lousiana.

Fricking 103 degrees 99% humidity in late september early october.......uggg

My grandparents had a summer kitchen, we spent many a summer night out there playing cards and eating good food.

My grandpa smoked 2 hogs in it every winter.

Not a bad idea to build something like that. I do have a man cave that I'm planning on tearing down, I could just keep it and turn it into a summer kitchen. You should have been here in 2011. 113° with 99% humidity on some days, and a 121° heat index. First year, and last year I ever saw temps like that. The last 3 summers have been mild and we haven't even reached the hundreds.

A ceiling fan or attic fan sure moves some air quickly. It will make 113 feel like a cool 99.

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: LSU0408

originally posted by: mikell
It would take less than a week for things to come to a complete stop and everyone would be on foot. Millions will die in the first 30 days and if nobody figures out how to keep the nuke plants cool they will start to melt down in less than 60 days. Game ,point ,match!! It wouldn't take long. Only so much wild game to survive on

Not if millions are dying. Then there's plenty of wild game. Especially wild hogs down here where I'm at.

Wait, the worlds ending and you have a thriving supply of bacon and ham readily available!!!!

I wanna move back to the south now that I think about it.

Oh yeah brother, the South is open season on feral hogs year round because they're so overpopulated. Ever had fresh cracklins seasoned with red pepper? Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiittt

a reply to: LSU0408

I have some very old editions of "mother Earth news" magazine.
This was the "preppers bible" before prepping got started.

a reply to: NewzNose

True... That would be a dead give away. I'm gonna have to check that book out.

a reply to: network dude
Ho harm, no foul...
We would have to learn to trust one another for sure. I mean humans in general. I'm still working on that one. My neighbors ...not close, but close enough... Are right leaning as well. They think we're weird, I'm ok with it. I still offer veggies and stuff from the garden trying to be a good human, and make friendly. I would still try to do the same if the shtf.

a reply to: tinymind

We'd have to sit out and wait for them, but you could use my land for sure. I only have 4 acres but my property backs up to a creek and acres upon acres of woods.

Eat, rape and pillage. What else would there be to do?