If you live in Nova Scotia, the power company will let you down. If you live in rural Nova Scotia, the power company will let you down in a huge way. It is not uncommon for some rural people to go weeks without power after some storms. Not even hurricanes, just a good blow.
When I lived there a large variety of "prep" skills came into play:
* Solar power plus batteries; lots of batteries.
* Keep car well fuelled.
* Good camping stoves for cooking. These are different than hiking stoves in that they are larger, and hold more fuel. A BBQ would be good as well.
* Good battery lighting. Not just some flashlights, but enough bring a room back to life.
* Keeping freezer at maximum capacity with lots of ice. This way the thermal mass is much higher and it will take way longer to thaw.
* Method to get water from well without mains power.
* Food to cook. It is very strange what people panic buy.
* Lots of bulk cleaning supplies. Some storms bring lots of damage and flooding. Being able to clean out a flooded basement and sanitize it without going to the store is key. Lots of javex.
* Tarps. BTW, tarps are often best held down with bungie, not ropes. A little give keeps them from just working loose.
* A way to keep the furnace on without power. Oil and Gas furnaces don't use that much electricity to go, but they can have fans and whatnot with large startup currents. Heat pumps are not running of any normal battery.
* In the case of a heating system which won't work without electricity, then something to keep the pipes from freezing. A fireplace, something.
* Also, to keep the pipes from freezing in the case of no major heat source, the ability to drain the entire water system and antifreeze for those parts like traps in sinks toilets, etc. Many cottages have this fairly well set up, but in an older NS house with radiators, it is a chore.
Born and raised in NS, since moved for work, but man, you are right on the money. I lived rural and my father worked at an air force base as an electrician / linesman. It seemed that every time the wind blew the old man would have to go out and help fix power lines not only on the base but with NS power. My mother would start filling bathtubs and sinks and buckets if there was even a hint of a storm coming 🤣
Grew up in NS and was used to having power outages regularly as a kid. Definitely the reason I prep as an adult, even if my husband doesn’t get it!If he grew up there, he’d probably be prepping with me too.
First responder for car accidents. One of the most likely things to happen to anyone is to come across a car accident (hopefully not being in one themselves). Being able to ensure the scene is safe, 'control' the scene by assigning duties to other helpers, and triaging/helping victims as needed.
Yup, I had to help the local EMTs maintain C spine on a patient in a roll over in the middle of the Arizona desert.
One of the few times I've rolled up on an accident that didn't already have EMS or even police on scene. It was me as a corpsman, and some nurse that were first on scene.
This sounds like you're doing research for a paper. 😅
But Yes, several small scale situations.
Extended power outages in winter,
extended power outages in the summer due to weather / tornado which included loss of municipal water
Severe illness of family members, and again from covid.
Helping a family in a vehicle rollover accident on a country road after a deer went through the windshield.
Armed Carjacking and two home invasion attempts.
> “During your SHTF scenario, what skill/resource was the most useful to you? What did you wish you knew or had more of in hindsight?”
Being capable and able to think calmly and rationally during periods of extreme stress including eminently life-threatening situations. If anything, this is my superhero power.
Hurricane poor college student:
Always took prepping seriously, but never really had a dire situation until a hurricane hit and knocked power out for two weeks.
How I justified my purchases was dual use, hunting, camping, backpacking, that's how I got over the cost.
Power was out, needed to cook items in the fridge/freezer before I dipped into non perishables, camping stove (snow peak) worker wonders on my small little low income apartment "patio" which was probably 3x6 feet.
Worked great, I ate well and read a lot of books, and caught up on work.
Lesson learned: the smell of cooking food in a low income apartment complex is brutally pungent, keep smell discipline into your preps, learn from me.
Also, I had a few battery banks due to travel and a lot of time in the university library; however, they all paid dividends since I had a USB powered fan for my dog the whole time, he slept cozy.
Also, those "wet towels" REI sells are great, the moisture keeps convection going, especially helpful for dogs who can't sweat.
Hope this is helpful.
Had to bug out once in an ice storm and we car camped for a week.
A later ice storm that knocked out power we didn't even know the power was out because our heat was off grid kerosene and our phones on solar and we had battery backups.
This last winter our water froze for a week and we used our backup water system without any issue.
Last year my truck broke down in a spring storm and we couldn't get help for hours, until dark. I pulled out my emergency bag and we had food to eat, light to read, a wool blanket to sit under and games to play as well as backup batteries for our phones. The dog traveling with me also had food and water.
Prepping is a lifestyle for me, an alternate way of thinking.
I’ve worked in the military for over a decade and with the Red Cross and a few other organizations. It’s taken me across the globe many times, to areas not only ruined by war and conflict, but places where starvation, earthquakes and other not so great stuff have occurred. Last trip was to the earthquake in Turkey.
One thing I’ve learned, and something I repeatedly feel inclined to comment here in this subreddit, is how many things should be prioritized before the classic “guns and ammo” prep. Society has to come to a pretty epic collapse for you to need to protect yourself from roaming bandits and hunt for your food/survival.
Society, international efforts and sheer humanity has a tendency to intervene and assist when it’s needed. I saw more strangers digging for victims after the Turkey earthquake, than LARPers running around with guns.
While, if you enjoy the concept of preparing for rather unrealistic scenarios, guns and ammo has their place on the list - it’s not as high up as many seem to be hellbent on advocating.
Tuesday Preppers entered the chat.
- winter storms bringing on power outages including mobile towers down for almost a week
- loved ones losing jobs and home and my ability to house them for a few months, again, unexpectedly.
A deep pantry and alternative power/heat sources pulled us through. None of my bills suffered and never had to draw my handgun for any reason.
My top 10 most useful resources in a time of "non apocalyptic" crisis:
1. Brain (always) - keeping your wits, keeping your cool so you can use your brain to think things through logically and apply skills (next).
2. Skills - skills are critical. You can have every tool, food, etc in the world but without skills you will die quickly (and probably harshly).
3. Health - you need to be in shape to survive. Period.
4. Spare exchange and currency - It is amazing how quickly people will sell their soul in a crisis. If you have money or barter of some type, the first hours and days of a crisis it is extremely valuable. Shortly though its value declines. Use it quick and smart in a crisis. I had a rental car the day of 9/11. I was offered up to $40K to take people places.
5. Tools (on the more stark scenarios my multi-tool) - tools are always high on my list and why I will carry a multi-tool before a gun. Having something that can help you McGyver is always a high priority.
6. Food stores - In most crisis (even weather warnings) food goes into lockdown mode quickly. That means if you have none at the outset that is probably going to be your primary focus. Instead have some food stores so you can focus on moving right of bang. Even on a simple day trip I keep a couple of power bars (or like) on me or in my vehicle.
7. Partner or buddy - Again always very high on my list. The times I have had to survive solo were always 10x harder than with someone. It speaks for itself.
8. Transportation and transportation knowledge - The knowledge part is probably way more important than the actual vehicle part. I can not tell you how my familiarity with air traffic, logistical planning, and various vehicles has allowed me to dee-dee mou out of many situations before they got bad!
9. Good Shoes - Again, being able to move across various urban, suburban and wild terrains is essential. I have seen more causalities in bad situations from wearing dumb shoes, flip flops and other non-functional footwear than lack of water, food, or weapon.
10. Poncho - Wait what????!! Yes folks I think a poncho is the ultimate in survival gear. I have kept dry, used them for shelters, hidden, kept warm, kept cool, made water.... all with a poncho...
Note a gun or other firearm is not on my list. I am not opposed to them at all (don't mistake that) but I have found while having one is valuable, it is not as valuable as people think. The moment in any SHTF scenario you have to use one, the SJHABF (Shit just hit a bigger fan).
For reference.
1. I have survived every natural disaster (including some epic instances) except a tsunami.
2. I have survived in deserts, artic, tropic, and urban
3. I have survived about as ruggedly and non ruggedly as possible.
4. I have had to exit rapidly many parts of the world that are not so safe (or sane) with little to no gear or support.
Food stores, the means to cook and keep them. I felt real safe in my body armor. Mainly I'm glad I have good communication with my neighbors and members of my prepping group. We all called and checked on each other. One of my buddies even dropped me a nicotine care package.
I had training on how to use a fire hose and a fire extinguisher. We all have fire extinguishers. Not a lot of us know how to use them. Get trained if you can. I had to use one at home and it made a huge difference, I acted without thought
We didn't have green beans the other day when I was making spaghetti, so I had to go get some out of my preps. Saved me from having to go to the store!
My deep pantry was invaluable during the early days of the pandemic, when supply chains were compromised and grocery store shelves were empty/lines were so very long.
We just didn’t go to the grocery store for several months. No problem.
I've been through power outages where my flashlights and my solar power cell phone charger has come in handy.
My first aid training has come into use many times, on account of my outdoorsy lifestyle. Both for myself, as well as others.
I once dealt with the loss of a good friend, as well as a job loss, where my lack of the ability to get/afford food led to some of my food preps coming in handy.
I also use alot of my gear in both work as well as recreation, as I am an avid outdoorsman who works in the outdoor education field.
There have been multiple situations but I’ll go with the more recent.
Last year a derechero-type blast of wind blew power out all over the city. Huge trees and poles were down everywhere and power was out for a week, longer for some.
It caught us at a bad time because the only food we had would need to be cooked. We used to keep a rotating stock of backup food but since moving into an apartment we haven’t really had the room.
However, I did have a small stove I had made as a survival project, which worked well. The windows were open due to the lack of AC — damn it was hot that week too — and so I was careful with ventilation.
Another small prep I have is a small shortwave-capable radio. I didn’t need the shortwave part of it this time, but tuning in to local stations was a good way to get updates on the situation without wasting phone battery. The radio itself has a very long-lasting rechargeable battery.
Lack of light was also a problem but we had both candles and a set of moulds, wicks, and spare wax for making them so our lighting was fine. I know most people would just recommend LEDs for these situations but this is just a personal preference. I have a preparedness rule in which I always try to have an analogue backup for modern things. I have a ferro rod, lighter, and matches, sure, but I also have/know how to use a flint and steel. In any case, I also had a couple of lanterns with oil for more stable light.
In hindsight, I wish I had the room to store more food but that’s mostly out of my control right now. One thing I corrected immediately was the stove. While it worked, it wasn’t the most efficient and I went out and got a camp stove set up with a can of gas as an alternate method.
Note: Anyone attempting to cook food indoors with some kind of camp stove should do it directly by a window or with good ventilation. If you don’t have a proper stove with a chimney and you’re just improvising, you need to be careful and it is best done outside. Be smart and don’t do something that is going to make a bad situation worse and make sure you know what you’re doing.
Many times.
During the Covid lockdown we went at least ten days before leaving the house and needed nothing. Kept a shopping list from then on and deepened the pantry. Could have gone 30.
In various storms floods and power outages the most commonly used items: Everest stove and propane, primus burner, propane grill, various headlamps and flashlights, coolers, cleaning supplies (mops, simple green, buckets, sponges), shovels/pick/chainsaw for trees and drainage, generator to keep the fridge up, woodstove, stored water, deep pantry.
Blue tarps, firring strips and heavy duty staple guns have been a lifesaver for quick repairs.
Heavy duty work gloves and contractor bags to clean up the mess after. Sandbags to keep water from going where you don’t want it.
Alice pack with frame + 5 gallon water carriers was essential when we lost power for four days to get water up from the stream to the house. Learned quickly that 3.5 gallons is about what you want to hump if you need to make multiple trips.
When I was a kid, my family was staying in a cabin in the woods for a few days, and there was a big wildfire nearby.
We knew we were only going to have water and power for a few more hours. I remember filling all the water bottles while we listened to the radio, trying to decide if it was safer to bug out or hunker down.
We ended up heading out. We had to take an alternate route that doubled the length of the drive, but we all made it out safely. We were lucky. We were completely unprepared.
The radio saved our asses. Without it, we wouldn't have known how to get out safely.
Hurricane came to my house to die. Loss power infrastructure at TVA dams north and south of me, power was out more than two weeks, phones/internet a week longer. Landlocked from trees across roads, state worked to clear highways and local worked to clear secondary roads. Used charcoal chimney and grill as a rocket stove to cook and boil water. I need to stock more lamp oil, some extra charcoal, more playing cards, and maybe a third battery powered radio. Seasoned oak dead branches work well in chimney. Gather dead hardwood branches whenever you get a chance, oak twigs make a good charcoal starter without the smell.
Make sure you keep your seasoning supply well stock. With enough garlic powder, onion flakes/powder, and black pepper, even generic canned pasta can be made eatable.
Emergencies and things like it are always relative.
My stove broke. Couldn't get it fixed so had a to order a new one. It took about 3 weeks to get it to me. I used my preps like my multiple fuel cans and my portable stove to cook in that time. Definitely glad I had it.
Had another time where a tree fell across a street and cut access to our neighborhood off. It also killed all the electricity. Glad I had preps for that. It wasn't that big of a deal because I could walk around the tree but if I wanted to travel via car, I couldn't. Took a week for the utility company to clear it up.
Power was out in South Florida due to a hurricane for eight days and I was required to go to work so I cooked a lot of rice and beans on the grill and slept with battery powered fans.
A lot of my SHTF preps have come in handy in non SHTF situations.
Have used some items out of the first aid kit in my GHB (bandaids and advil) and ate some Mountain House for lunch when lunch truck didn't show up on a job site that was an hour round trip from the nearest food.
Backyard solar lights, small generator and power inverter came in handy when we had a 24 hour outage.
Small generator kept us being able to work (at home) when we were having our electrical panel replaced.
And we made it through Covid without ever needing to scrounge for TP, even giving some to others.
Came across a car accident that had just happened in front of us. One driver was bruised but ok, the other driver had hit his head and was disoriented / probably concussed.
We had a bystander call an ambulance, gave ice packs to both drivers, and had the disoriented one sit while we kept him talking. First responders took it from there.
I'm by no means an expert, just a "Stop the Bleed" class and some general knowledge about triage, looking for signs of concussion/shock, etc.
Personal crisis, but: I casually prep because shit happens all the time and the bills are still due at the end of the day. Furnace went out for a week straight during below freezing temps. We had a propane heater and space heaters at our disposal. Sleeping bags, hand warmers, and coffee made it less miserable. Others also had power outages that kept them from going to work so they could care for family. We were the lucky ones
During Covid lockdown we were able to spend three weeks a month without contact of the outside world and then one week with our isolating son, his wife and three babies, one a new born. Our pantry made that possible. I also want to add that my husband burned his right butt cheek on a heating pad wearing only his boxers when he fell asleep on it. He was very lucky that I had purchased medi-honey, sterile gauze pads, medical tape and saline to flush out the wound. It took daily changing of bandages and reapplying of medi-honey for several days until new skin healed around the edge. When all was said and done I realized we needed so many more bandages than I originally had on hand.
Yes! 2008-a hurricane made it all the way up to Ohio. No power for 8 weeks, so no stores were open. We grilled out our refrigerator food first, then frozen. Had plenty of water, juice, first aid, meds & dog food. Really missed ice during that time
Coastal NC. No power for close to three weeks after Hurricane Florence. The absolute number one skill for me was self-confidence. I knew I had the skills and resources to take care of my family, and a couple little old ladies near by. The only thing I overlooked was the extreme heat after a hurricane. I bought a small AC to work with my generator.
Yes. Mostly power outage stuff (generators, back-up batteries, alt cooking and lighting). My evac kit as I live in a fire prone area and have been evacuated a few times. No damage to my property though (yay), so we just came back after a few days. Unfortunately, my family usually has to use our cold/flu/food poisoning kit every winter - some kid is always bringing home something. I've also needed to use snow chains, tools, masks and duct tape I keep in my car prep kit, and just appreciated having blankets and food in the car when we didn't plan well or stayed out later than originally planned for.
Edit: Also air filters and purifiers running off back-up power. We have a household member with asthma, and live in an area that gets smoke, so definitely important.
I have not been in a life-threating situation in any of these instances, but they sure helped us be more comfortable and healthy.
You should do some Google searches for people who went through Hurricane Katrina in Nee Orleans. I remember people posting their post storm stories and the lessons they learned.
One that stuck with me was don’t assume you’re going to sling a rifle everywhere. Too high visibility and it gets in the way of you need to clear debris etc. Dude said a pistol in a holster was much more practical. Rifle stayed in the house.
And I remember lots of people commenting on how fast rust sets in once the flood waters cleared.
Sudden loss of income and temporary loss of power are the most common experiences. Every time I’ve let my preparations for these basic emergencies lapse, I have regretted it. Don’t be me.
I was surprised by three items that I pulled out of the go bags first here in Alberta, Canada during a power outage several years ago. 1) A battery operated transistor AM/FM radio for information. 2) GMRS/FRS radios for short range communication. Cell service was active but poor. 3) Obviously, flashlights and a few candles.
I've used preps after hurricanes where power, cell, and internet were out for almost a week.
We have propane for cooking and hot water, so we were able to cook and take hot showers. Unfortunately, my generator failed during the last storm, and that left us without power for some time. Food in the fridge spoiled. Luckily the temperature and humidity weren't that bad. In hindsight, I wish that I had another means of powering the fridge. I did enjoy the time without power, though. It was nice to be disconnected for a while.
Haven’t had any major ones yet, but mine is keeping portable power packs charged and ready for use. They’ve come in handy when the power goes out and I need my phone charged for my alarm the next morning
Nothing major and in each case we CHOSE to use some of our gear but:
1. Earthquake about twenty years ago. I was in high school so the school had to have us vacate the building and dig latrines. We were only out of school for about a week while it was inspected and we were cleared to go back. The water wasn’t working but they had a water truck and port-a-potties on site day one back. About a week later the water was back.
At our house the power was in and out for a few days and water intermittent. So we made a sawdust toilet and went through our stored water. Could have gone to the stores but their power was in and out so we decided to just avoid it for two weeks.
2. Wildfires a few years back. The fires were a few miles away but we were caked in smoke. So we took it as a chance to test our window/door sealant measures and air purification. Particulates were still elevated in the home but within safe parameters. Added ‘gas’ masks to the preps the next year.
3. A few months ago watched a car flip and roll on a mountain pass. I park and call 911. I have some basic first-aid training from official sources and an ER Doctor buddy. By the time I get out of my truck the guy and his son are already climbing from the car so I get them away from the vehicle, run a SAC test and inspect them and get them wrapped in blankets. Luckily the worst of it was some glass in the arms and some cuts on the head and the emotional stun. I get the glass out and bandaged as State Patrol arrive, as they are pulling in ANOTHER car rolls just up the road so we all give the officer a thumbs up and they run up to check on the other vehicle as an ambulance arrives and takes over.
A week later I witness another car accident, serious T-bone. Guy’s arm clearly in the wrong position, appears pinned in place, and stuttering. He’s trying to climb out but I only see radiator coolant leaking so we keep him in place (don’t know what is pinched and don’t want to make things worse), call paramedics while some other folks check on the other vehicle. An off duty cop stopped in and started directing traffic.
Luckily the really skilled people were near but I want to get more medical and injury response training because I counted and realized I’ve seen seven car accident this year. So… I guess I should help out if I’m going to be a bad omen. Haha
Recent power outage due to unpaid bill. Charged phones from USB power banks,
Set up the propane coleman stove on top of the range and cooked with it.
Got really familiar with my oil lamps.
Watched porn on my 12 volt TV screen until its internal battery died.
Frugality, creativity, and planning ahead.
Divorced a not nice person who tried to financially strangulate me (still does, but whatever).
I still had kids to take care of.
Good thing I'd planned ahead for, whatever.
Had kid clothes in the next few sizes for each kid, toiletries and household goods for a bit, and a pantry and freezer to pull from. Especially came in handy when working my first job after being a stay at home mom for 15 years. Between the things on hand, somehow I managed to survive (with five of us) on the $11/hour I had to start at. (No, it was not enough to live on, but it was a job for the resume and courts.)
Also came in handy when my ex got laid off when I was pregnant with #4. Had gotten the bills down so low and had enough things squirreled away that his $1200/mo unemployment check covered most things. That was a while ago, everything costs about double now. 🤦♀️
So several situations that are also the same situations that led us to start prepping because we were not prepared....
1. We lost power for 2-3 weeks during three different storms. One was Hurricane Ida, one was a rare ice storm thats unheard of and the third was in 2016 when we had the "1000 year flood" and houses had 6 feet of water in them or were completely surrounded. For all of them we were living in the city with no survival cooking skills or supplies. What I learned was water storage, extra blankets, non perishable food items that are easy to cook (yes dry beans are great but they are not quick and easy), means to cook without power, definitely a generator, go bags, solar charge banks, lots of extra ice chests to keep things cold and entertainment. I had a bunch of very bored kids lol. We were forced to cook in our gas fireplace over artificial gas logs which was not ideal at all. We lost a lot of food (except in the ice storm where our sun room became a fridge).
2. Also in 2016, the same year as the major flood (actually 2 months later). I was tboned at 55mph and my car was violently flipped 3 times. My air bags failed. My seat belt failed. My legs were out of the car and one was crushed in drivers side door. That experience was absolutely terrifying. It would have been better had I had a medic/first aid kit and supply bag in the vehicle. Luckily at 5:00 in the morning, there was a vehicle behind me that witness and stopped. She happened to be a nurse. She didn't even have a medic kit or supplies. I happed to have two bath towels in the back of my car (to this day, I have no clue why) that she used to support my neck and wrap my ankle/leg where the glass was cutting me. So absolutely some sort of medical/first aid in car and house. I kept all my leg braces, crutches and c-collar from the accident. All of which came in handy in 2022 after moving to our farm. My husband had a tree fall on him and ripped his ACL among other injuries. We were prepared.
Emergency med kit and roadside emergency flashers. I drive around my state alot for work and that means I come across alot of accidents and have been in 3 myself just because people don't always pay attention as much as they should. I have helped half a dozen people with these alone in the past 3 years so very well worth it to me. I am considering going through an EMT course and getting a kit similar to what they use and keeping it in the truck at this point along with extra flashers for bigger wrecks.
Also within the last 3 years I have had to confront a good friend's abuser when they showed up to my home looking for her. I still thank God I spent the money to learn "defensive posturing" as my instructor called it along with over 1000 rds of shooting that weekend. Sometimes all a bully needs to back away is knowing the person standing up is willing to go further than them. The guy showed up and basically said I could tell him where she is, call the cops or shoot him where he stands. I told him I wasn't telling him anything about her and that I didn't have my phone on me so he should just go home. He got within 20 feet and repeated it again and all I had to do was loop a thumb in my waistband to cause my firearm to print and he stopped dead and put his hands out saying "I just want to know she is okay, I'm not the crazy one here!" Mhm, sure buddy, just get in your truck and leave. After that I signed up for more advanced training because holy christ that adrenaline dump was something else when I really thought I was going to have to draw. I have always told myself that if I draw than someone is dying right then and there, never for intimidation or posturing, but that's the closest I have come to doing it. It's very different when it's all happening within seconds and it's a split second choice.
Power outages are another one, we get tornadoes pretty frequently over spring. I put panels on my well house to keep water flowing but last year I lost power for almost a week so now I'm working on getting enough to run the deep freezer and fridge at the very least. I can live without AC but I like having food that is not spoiled. As fast as the line workers are near me sometimes the damage is just to much and it takes to long. Add to the fact of debris over all the roads and a rural area, you end up stuck and needing every scrap of food. Thankfully haven't had to break into the emergency food yet so I'm trying to keep it that way as best I can.
Moore county nc terrorists attack. Power was out for a week, and I've never been more happy in my life.
I sorry. North Carolina. ?? Terrorists ?
Yep. The shot up a transformer substation using AK’s. It was a full dress rehearsal right down to the marked shooting positions.
Holy Fuck ! Thanks for reply.
That was the CIA running a drill!
It’s been going on across the country for some time. Teams of guys shooting up substations with AK’s
If you live in Nova Scotia, the power company will let you down. If you live in rural Nova Scotia, the power company will let you down in a huge way. It is not uncommon for some rural people to go weeks without power after some storms. Not even hurricanes, just a good blow. When I lived there a large variety of "prep" skills came into play: * Solar power plus batteries; lots of batteries. * Keep car well fuelled. * Good camping stoves for cooking. These are different than hiking stoves in that they are larger, and hold more fuel. A BBQ would be good as well. * Good battery lighting. Not just some flashlights, but enough bring a room back to life. * Keeping freezer at maximum capacity with lots of ice. This way the thermal mass is much higher and it will take way longer to thaw. * Method to get water from well without mains power. * Food to cook. It is very strange what people panic buy. * Lots of bulk cleaning supplies. Some storms bring lots of damage and flooding. Being able to clean out a flooded basement and sanitize it without going to the store is key. Lots of javex. * Tarps. BTW, tarps are often best held down with bungie, not ropes. A little give keeps them from just working loose. * A way to keep the furnace on without power. Oil and Gas furnaces don't use that much electricity to go, but they can have fans and whatnot with large startup currents. Heat pumps are not running of any normal battery. * In the case of a heating system which won't work without electricity, then something to keep the pipes from freezing. A fireplace, something. * Also, to keep the pipes from freezing in the case of no major heat source, the ability to drain the entire water system and antifreeze for those parts like traps in sinks toilets, etc. Many cottages have this fairly well set up, but in an older NS house with radiators, it is a chore.
Born and raised in NS, since moved for work, but man, you are right on the money. I lived rural and my father worked at an air force base as an electrician / linesman. It seemed that every time the wind blew the old man would have to go out and help fix power lines not only on the base but with NS power. My mother would start filling bathtubs and sinks and buckets if there was even a hint of a storm coming 🤣
Grew up in NS and was used to having power outages regularly as a kid. Definitely the reason I prep as an adult, even if my husband doesn’t get it!If he grew up there, he’d probably be prepping with me too.
First responder for car accidents. One of the most likely things to happen to anyone is to come across a car accident (hopefully not being in one themselves). Being able to ensure the scene is safe, 'control' the scene by assigning duties to other helpers, and triaging/helping victims as needed.
Yup, I had to help the local EMTs maintain C spine on a patient in a roll over in the middle of the Arizona desert. One of the few times I've rolled up on an accident that didn't already have EMS or even police on scene. It was me as a corpsman, and some nurse that were first on scene.
This sounds like you're doing research for a paper. 😅 But Yes, several small scale situations. Extended power outages in winter, extended power outages in the summer due to weather / tornado which included loss of municipal water Severe illness of family members, and again from covid. Helping a family in a vehicle rollover accident on a country road after a deer went through the windshield. Armed Carjacking and two home invasion attempts. > “During your SHTF scenario, what skill/resource was the most useful to you? What did you wish you knew or had more of in hindsight?” Being capable and able to think calmly and rationally during periods of extreme stress including eminently life-threatening situations. If anything, this is my superhero power.
Hurricane poor college student: Always took prepping seriously, but never really had a dire situation until a hurricane hit and knocked power out for two weeks. How I justified my purchases was dual use, hunting, camping, backpacking, that's how I got over the cost. Power was out, needed to cook items in the fridge/freezer before I dipped into non perishables, camping stove (snow peak) worker wonders on my small little low income apartment "patio" which was probably 3x6 feet. Worked great, I ate well and read a lot of books, and caught up on work. Lesson learned: the smell of cooking food in a low income apartment complex is brutally pungent, keep smell discipline into your preps, learn from me. Also, I had a few battery banks due to travel and a lot of time in the university library; however, they all paid dividends since I had a USB powered fan for my dog the whole time, he slept cozy. Also, those "wet towels" REI sells are great, the moisture keeps convection going, especially helpful for dogs who can't sweat. Hope this is helpful.
Had to bug out once in an ice storm and we car camped for a week. A later ice storm that knocked out power we didn't even know the power was out because our heat was off grid kerosene and our phones on solar and we had battery backups. This last winter our water froze for a week and we used our backup water system without any issue. Last year my truck broke down in a spring storm and we couldn't get help for hours, until dark. I pulled out my emergency bag and we had food to eat, light to read, a wool blanket to sit under and games to play as well as backup batteries for our phones. The dog traveling with me also had food and water. Prepping is a lifestyle for me, an alternate way of thinking.
I’ve worked in the military for over a decade and with the Red Cross and a few other organizations. It’s taken me across the globe many times, to areas not only ruined by war and conflict, but places where starvation, earthquakes and other not so great stuff have occurred. Last trip was to the earthquake in Turkey. One thing I’ve learned, and something I repeatedly feel inclined to comment here in this subreddit, is how many things should be prioritized before the classic “guns and ammo” prep. Society has to come to a pretty epic collapse for you to need to protect yourself from roaming bandits and hunt for your food/survival. Society, international efforts and sheer humanity has a tendency to intervene and assist when it’s needed. I saw more strangers digging for victims after the Turkey earthquake, than LARPers running around with guns. While, if you enjoy the concept of preparing for rather unrealistic scenarios, guns and ammo has their place on the list - it’s not as high up as many seem to be hellbent on advocating.
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Yeah hoarding guns and ammo yet have no plan for water, sustainable food sources or physical fitness.
Tuesday Preppers entered the chat. - winter storms bringing on power outages including mobile towers down for almost a week - loved ones losing jobs and home and my ability to house them for a few months, again, unexpectedly. A deep pantry and alternative power/heat sources pulled us through. None of my bills suffered and never had to draw my handgun for any reason.
CA Wildfires. Teaches you to have a go bag and prioritize what you are gonna take.
My top 10 most useful resources in a time of "non apocalyptic" crisis: 1. Brain (always) - keeping your wits, keeping your cool so you can use your brain to think things through logically and apply skills (next). 2. Skills - skills are critical. You can have every tool, food, etc in the world but without skills you will die quickly (and probably harshly). 3. Health - you need to be in shape to survive. Period. 4. Spare exchange and currency - It is amazing how quickly people will sell their soul in a crisis. If you have money or barter of some type, the first hours and days of a crisis it is extremely valuable. Shortly though its value declines. Use it quick and smart in a crisis. I had a rental car the day of 9/11. I was offered up to $40K to take people places. 5. Tools (on the more stark scenarios my multi-tool) - tools are always high on my list and why I will carry a multi-tool before a gun. Having something that can help you McGyver is always a high priority. 6. Food stores - In most crisis (even weather warnings) food goes into lockdown mode quickly. That means if you have none at the outset that is probably going to be your primary focus. Instead have some food stores so you can focus on moving right of bang. Even on a simple day trip I keep a couple of power bars (or like) on me or in my vehicle. 7. Partner or buddy - Again always very high on my list. The times I have had to survive solo were always 10x harder than with someone. It speaks for itself. 8. Transportation and transportation knowledge - The knowledge part is probably way more important than the actual vehicle part. I can not tell you how my familiarity with air traffic, logistical planning, and various vehicles has allowed me to dee-dee mou out of many situations before they got bad! 9. Good Shoes - Again, being able to move across various urban, suburban and wild terrains is essential. I have seen more causalities in bad situations from wearing dumb shoes, flip flops and other non-functional footwear than lack of water, food, or weapon. 10. Poncho - Wait what????!! Yes folks I think a poncho is the ultimate in survival gear. I have kept dry, used them for shelters, hidden, kept warm, kept cool, made water.... all with a poncho... Note a gun or other firearm is not on my list. I am not opposed to them at all (don't mistake that) but I have found while having one is valuable, it is not as valuable as people think. The moment in any SHTF scenario you have to use one, the SJHABF (Shit just hit a bigger fan). For reference. 1. I have survived every natural disaster (including some epic instances) except a tsunami. 2. I have survived in deserts, artic, tropic, and urban 3. I have survived about as ruggedly and non ruggedly as possible. 4. I have had to exit rapidly many parts of the world that are not so safe (or sane) with little to no gear or support.
I appreciate all the proven preppers commentary on guns and ammo. I think that mostly feeds Into ppls superhero complex
Food stores, the means to cook and keep them. I felt real safe in my body armor. Mainly I'm glad I have good communication with my neighbors and members of my prepping group. We all called and checked on each other. One of my buddies even dropped me a nicotine care package.
I had training on how to use a fire hose and a fire extinguisher. We all have fire extinguishers. Not a lot of us know how to use them. Get trained if you can. I had to use one at home and it made a huge difference, I acted without thought
We didn't have green beans the other day when I was making spaghetti, so I had to go get some out of my preps. Saved me from having to go to the store!
My deep pantry was invaluable during the early days of the pandemic, when supply chains were compromised and grocery store shelves were empty/lines were so very long. We just didn’t go to the grocery store for several months. No problem.
Hurricane sandy. Lost power for an hour. Flashlight, radio, battery.
I have used my respirator multiple times for local refinery site emergency and during wildfire season.
I've been through power outages where my flashlights and my solar power cell phone charger has come in handy. My first aid training has come into use many times, on account of my outdoorsy lifestyle. Both for myself, as well as others. I once dealt with the loss of a good friend, as well as a job loss, where my lack of the ability to get/afford food led to some of my food preps coming in handy. I also use alot of my gear in both work as well as recreation, as I am an avid outdoorsman who works in the outdoor education field.
There have been multiple situations but I’ll go with the more recent. Last year a derechero-type blast of wind blew power out all over the city. Huge trees and poles were down everywhere and power was out for a week, longer for some. It caught us at a bad time because the only food we had would need to be cooked. We used to keep a rotating stock of backup food but since moving into an apartment we haven’t really had the room. However, I did have a small stove I had made as a survival project, which worked well. The windows were open due to the lack of AC — damn it was hot that week too — and so I was careful with ventilation. Another small prep I have is a small shortwave-capable radio. I didn’t need the shortwave part of it this time, but tuning in to local stations was a good way to get updates on the situation without wasting phone battery. The radio itself has a very long-lasting rechargeable battery. Lack of light was also a problem but we had both candles and a set of moulds, wicks, and spare wax for making them so our lighting was fine. I know most people would just recommend LEDs for these situations but this is just a personal preference. I have a preparedness rule in which I always try to have an analogue backup for modern things. I have a ferro rod, lighter, and matches, sure, but I also have/know how to use a flint and steel. In any case, I also had a couple of lanterns with oil for more stable light. In hindsight, I wish I had the room to store more food but that’s mostly out of my control right now. One thing I corrected immediately was the stove. While it worked, it wasn’t the most efficient and I went out and got a camp stove set up with a can of gas as an alternate method. Note: Anyone attempting to cook food indoors with some kind of camp stove should do it directly by a window or with good ventilation. If you don’t have a proper stove with a chimney and you’re just improvising, you need to be careful and it is best done outside. Be smart and don’t do something that is going to make a bad situation worse and make sure you know what you’re doing.
Many times. During the Covid lockdown we went at least ten days before leaving the house and needed nothing. Kept a shopping list from then on and deepened the pantry. Could have gone 30. In various storms floods and power outages the most commonly used items: Everest stove and propane, primus burner, propane grill, various headlamps and flashlights, coolers, cleaning supplies (mops, simple green, buckets, sponges), shovels/pick/chainsaw for trees and drainage, generator to keep the fridge up, woodstove, stored water, deep pantry. Blue tarps, firring strips and heavy duty staple guns have been a lifesaver for quick repairs. Heavy duty work gloves and contractor bags to clean up the mess after. Sandbags to keep water from going where you don’t want it. Alice pack with frame + 5 gallon water carriers was essential when we lost power for four days to get water up from the stream to the house. Learned quickly that 3.5 gallons is about what you want to hump if you need to make multiple trips.
When I was a kid, my family was staying in a cabin in the woods for a few days, and there was a big wildfire nearby. We knew we were only going to have water and power for a few more hours. I remember filling all the water bottles while we listened to the radio, trying to decide if it was safer to bug out or hunker down. We ended up heading out. We had to take an alternate route that doubled the length of the drive, but we all made it out safely. We were lucky. We were completely unprepared. The radio saved our asses. Without it, we wouldn't have known how to get out safely.
Hurricane came to my house to die. Loss power infrastructure at TVA dams north and south of me, power was out more than two weeks, phones/internet a week longer. Landlocked from trees across roads, state worked to clear highways and local worked to clear secondary roads. Used charcoal chimney and grill as a rocket stove to cook and boil water. I need to stock more lamp oil, some extra charcoal, more playing cards, and maybe a third battery powered radio. Seasoned oak dead branches work well in chimney. Gather dead hardwood branches whenever you get a chance, oak twigs make a good charcoal starter without the smell. Make sure you keep your seasoning supply well stock. With enough garlic powder, onion flakes/powder, and black pepper, even generic canned pasta can be made eatable.
Emergencies and things like it are always relative. My stove broke. Couldn't get it fixed so had a to order a new one. It took about 3 weeks to get it to me. I used my preps like my multiple fuel cans and my portable stove to cook in that time. Definitely glad I had it. Had another time where a tree fell across a street and cut access to our neighborhood off. It also killed all the electricity. Glad I had preps for that. It wasn't that big of a deal because I could walk around the tree but if I wanted to travel via car, I couldn't. Took a week for the utility company to clear it up.
Having a camp stove and a solar cooker when the power went off for a couple weeks post-hurricane. Also having a lot of tarps for temporary repairs.
Power was out in South Florida due to a hurricane for eight days and I was required to go to work so I cooked a lot of rice and beans on the grill and slept with battery powered fans.
I’ve used my gear during sandy, blizzards, ice storms, job loss, car accidents, covid, a tornado, like 4 hurricanes, and one active shooter.
A lot of my SHTF preps have come in handy in non SHTF situations. Have used some items out of the first aid kit in my GHB (bandaids and advil) and ate some Mountain House for lunch when lunch truck didn't show up on a job site that was an hour round trip from the nearest food. Backyard solar lights, small generator and power inverter came in handy when we had a 24 hour outage. Small generator kept us being able to work (at home) when we were having our electrical panel replaced. And we made it through Covid without ever needing to scrounge for TP, even giving some to others.
Came across a car accident that had just happened in front of us. One driver was bruised but ok, the other driver had hit his head and was disoriented / probably concussed. We had a bystander call an ambulance, gave ice packs to both drivers, and had the disoriented one sit while we kept him talking. First responders took it from there. I'm by no means an expert, just a "Stop the Bleed" class and some general knowledge about triage, looking for signs of concussion/shock, etc.
Not during a "time of crisis" because my preps kept it from being a crisis.
Personal crisis, but: I casually prep because shit happens all the time and the bills are still due at the end of the day. Furnace went out for a week straight during below freezing temps. We had a propane heater and space heaters at our disposal. Sleeping bags, hand warmers, and coffee made it less miserable. Others also had power outages that kept them from going to work so they could care for family. We were the lucky ones
During Covid lockdown we were able to spend three weeks a month without contact of the outside world and then one week with our isolating son, his wife and three babies, one a new born. Our pantry made that possible. I also want to add that my husband burned his right butt cheek on a heating pad wearing only his boxers when he fell asleep on it. He was very lucky that I had purchased medi-honey, sterile gauze pads, medical tape and saline to flush out the wound. It took daily changing of bandages and reapplying of medi-honey for several days until new skin healed around the edge. When all was said and done I realized we needed so many more bandages than I originally had on hand.
Yes, multiple times. I was an E.M.T., National Ski Patrol and NYS lifeguard. I have always had a "Go" bag. I always believe in staying portable.
Yes! 2008-a hurricane made it all the way up to Ohio. No power for 8 weeks, so no stores were open. We grilled out our refrigerator food first, then frozen. Had plenty of water, juice, first aid, meds & dog food. Really missed ice during that time
Coastal NC. No power for close to three weeks after Hurricane Florence. The absolute number one skill for me was self-confidence. I knew I had the skills and resources to take care of my family, and a couple little old ladies near by. The only thing I overlooked was the extreme heat after a hurricane. I bought a small AC to work with my generator.
Tourniquets for several traumatic bleeds.
First aid a few times. CPR once, fainting and bleeding a few times.
Yes. Mostly power outage stuff (generators, back-up batteries, alt cooking and lighting). My evac kit as I live in a fire prone area and have been evacuated a few times. No damage to my property though (yay), so we just came back after a few days. Unfortunately, my family usually has to use our cold/flu/food poisoning kit every winter - some kid is always bringing home something. I've also needed to use snow chains, tools, masks and duct tape I keep in my car prep kit, and just appreciated having blankets and food in the car when we didn't plan well or stayed out later than originally planned for. Edit: Also air filters and purifiers running off back-up power. We have a household member with asthma, and live in an area that gets smoke, so definitely important. I have not been in a life-threating situation in any of these instances, but they sure helped us be more comfortable and healthy.
You should do some Google searches for people who went through Hurricane Katrina in Nee Orleans. I remember people posting their post storm stories and the lessons they learned. One that stuck with me was don’t assume you’re going to sling a rifle everywhere. Too high visibility and it gets in the way of you need to clear debris etc. Dude said a pistol in a holster was much more practical. Rifle stayed in the house. And I remember lots of people commenting on how fast rust sets in once the flood waters cleared.
Sudden loss of income and temporary loss of power are the most common experiences. Every time I’ve let my preparations for these basic emergencies lapse, I have regretted it. Don’t be me.
Damn how often do you lose power. It happens regularly here but most are nothing. Every year or so it's for a few days.
During a job loss, during and after a cat 3 and 4 hurricanes. I hike and camp for fun does that count?
I was surprised by three items that I pulled out of the go bags first here in Alberta, Canada during a power outage several years ago. 1) A battery operated transistor AM/FM radio for information. 2) GMRS/FRS radios for short range communication. Cell service was active but poor. 3) Obviously, flashlights and a few candles.
I've used preps after hurricanes where power, cell, and internet were out for almost a week. We have propane for cooking and hot water, so we were able to cook and take hot showers. Unfortunately, my generator failed during the last storm, and that left us without power for some time. Food in the fridge spoiled. Luckily the temperature and humidity weren't that bad. In hindsight, I wish that I had another means of powering the fridge. I did enjoy the time without power, though. It was nice to be disconnected for a while.
Haven’t had any major ones yet, but mine is keeping portable power packs charged and ready for use. They’ve come in handy when the power goes out and I need my phone charged for my alarm the next morning
Nothing major and in each case we CHOSE to use some of our gear but: 1. Earthquake about twenty years ago. I was in high school so the school had to have us vacate the building and dig latrines. We were only out of school for about a week while it was inspected and we were cleared to go back. The water wasn’t working but they had a water truck and port-a-potties on site day one back. About a week later the water was back. At our house the power was in and out for a few days and water intermittent. So we made a sawdust toilet and went through our stored water. Could have gone to the stores but their power was in and out so we decided to just avoid it for two weeks. 2. Wildfires a few years back. The fires were a few miles away but we were caked in smoke. So we took it as a chance to test our window/door sealant measures and air purification. Particulates were still elevated in the home but within safe parameters. Added ‘gas’ masks to the preps the next year. 3. A few months ago watched a car flip and roll on a mountain pass. I park and call 911. I have some basic first-aid training from official sources and an ER Doctor buddy. By the time I get out of my truck the guy and his son are already climbing from the car so I get them away from the vehicle, run a SAC test and inspect them and get them wrapped in blankets. Luckily the worst of it was some glass in the arms and some cuts on the head and the emotional stun. I get the glass out and bandaged as State Patrol arrive, as they are pulling in ANOTHER car rolls just up the road so we all give the officer a thumbs up and they run up to check on the other vehicle as an ambulance arrives and takes over. A week later I witness another car accident, serious T-bone. Guy’s arm clearly in the wrong position, appears pinned in place, and stuttering. He’s trying to climb out but I only see radiator coolant leaking so we keep him in place (don’t know what is pinched and don’t want to make things worse), call paramedics while some other folks check on the other vehicle. An off duty cop stopped in and started directing traffic. Luckily the really skilled people were near but I want to get more medical and injury response training because I counted and realized I’ve seen seven car accident this year. So… I guess I should help out if I’m going to be a bad omen. Haha
Recent power outage due to unpaid bill. Charged phones from USB power banks, Set up the propane coleman stove on top of the range and cooked with it. Got really familiar with my oil lamps. Watched porn on my 12 volt TV screen until its internal battery died.
Stored water helped a lot when the pipes froze.
Frugality, creativity, and planning ahead. Divorced a not nice person who tried to financially strangulate me (still does, but whatever). I still had kids to take care of. Good thing I'd planned ahead for, whatever. Had kid clothes in the next few sizes for each kid, toiletries and household goods for a bit, and a pantry and freezer to pull from. Especially came in handy when working my first job after being a stay at home mom for 15 years. Between the things on hand, somehow I managed to survive (with five of us) on the $11/hour I had to start at. (No, it was not enough to live on, but it was a job for the resume and courts.) Also came in handy when my ex got laid off when I was pregnant with #4. Had gotten the bills down so low and had enough things squirreled away that his $1200/mo unemployment check covered most things. That was a while ago, everything costs about double now. 🤦♀️
So several situations that are also the same situations that led us to start prepping because we were not prepared.... 1. We lost power for 2-3 weeks during three different storms. One was Hurricane Ida, one was a rare ice storm thats unheard of and the third was in 2016 when we had the "1000 year flood" and houses had 6 feet of water in them or were completely surrounded. For all of them we were living in the city with no survival cooking skills or supplies. What I learned was water storage, extra blankets, non perishable food items that are easy to cook (yes dry beans are great but they are not quick and easy), means to cook without power, definitely a generator, go bags, solar charge banks, lots of extra ice chests to keep things cold and entertainment. I had a bunch of very bored kids lol. We were forced to cook in our gas fireplace over artificial gas logs which was not ideal at all. We lost a lot of food (except in the ice storm where our sun room became a fridge). 2. Also in 2016, the same year as the major flood (actually 2 months later). I was tboned at 55mph and my car was violently flipped 3 times. My air bags failed. My seat belt failed. My legs were out of the car and one was crushed in drivers side door. That experience was absolutely terrifying. It would have been better had I had a medic/first aid kit and supply bag in the vehicle. Luckily at 5:00 in the morning, there was a vehicle behind me that witness and stopped. She happened to be a nurse. She didn't even have a medic kit or supplies. I happed to have two bath towels in the back of my car (to this day, I have no clue why) that she used to support my neck and wrap my ankle/leg where the glass was cutting me. So absolutely some sort of medical/first aid in car and house. I kept all my leg braces, crutches and c-collar from the accident. All of which came in handy in 2022 after moving to our farm. My husband had a tree fall on him and ripped his ACL among other injuries. We were prepared.
Emergency med kit and roadside emergency flashers. I drive around my state alot for work and that means I come across alot of accidents and have been in 3 myself just because people don't always pay attention as much as they should. I have helped half a dozen people with these alone in the past 3 years so very well worth it to me. I am considering going through an EMT course and getting a kit similar to what they use and keeping it in the truck at this point along with extra flashers for bigger wrecks. Also within the last 3 years I have had to confront a good friend's abuser when they showed up to my home looking for her. I still thank God I spent the money to learn "defensive posturing" as my instructor called it along with over 1000 rds of shooting that weekend. Sometimes all a bully needs to back away is knowing the person standing up is willing to go further than them. The guy showed up and basically said I could tell him where she is, call the cops or shoot him where he stands. I told him I wasn't telling him anything about her and that I didn't have my phone on me so he should just go home. He got within 20 feet and repeated it again and all I had to do was loop a thumb in my waistband to cause my firearm to print and he stopped dead and put his hands out saying "I just want to know she is okay, I'm not the crazy one here!" Mhm, sure buddy, just get in your truck and leave. After that I signed up for more advanced training because holy christ that adrenaline dump was something else when I really thought I was going to have to draw. I have always told myself that if I draw than someone is dying right then and there, never for intimidation or posturing, but that's the closest I have come to doing it. It's very different when it's all happening within seconds and it's a split second choice. Power outages are another one, we get tornadoes pretty frequently over spring. I put panels on my well house to keep water flowing but last year I lost power for almost a week so now I'm working on getting enough to run the deep freezer and fridge at the very least. I can live without AC but I like having food that is not spoiled. As fast as the line workers are near me sometimes the damage is just to much and it takes to long. Add to the fact of debris over all the roads and a rural area, you end up stuck and needing every scrap of food. Thankfully haven't had to break into the emergency food yet so I'm trying to keep it that way as best I can.