Understanding how to survive without electricity is an unfortunate reality, some more than others, regardless of whether it’s natural disasters, rolling blackouts, EMPs, or a conscious decision to live off the grid.
How to Get Ready
Making a plan and setting priorities is step number one. Being independent and prepared will make a big difference, not only between just surviving and living, but it could actually save your life.
Evaluating Your Requirements
The most important thing I think everyone overlooks is having enough clean water, not only to drink, but also to use. Think about all the things you use water for on a daily basis. Dishes, bathing, brushing your teeth, laundry, washing produce, washing hands, dishes… the list can seem endless.
If you’re on a well, please look into manual hand pumps. This ensures you’ll have access to your water with no electricity.
You’ll also require food, obviously. Do you have enough non-perishable food stocked away that if the power goes out for three days, three weeks, or three months, you’ll have enough to eat? Canned foods you don’t have to cook like soups, beans, veggies, and meats, will become life. Pasta, rice, and dried beans, have a long shelf life and are simple to store but a little harder to cook if you don’t have an outdoor grill, fire, or wood stove to cook on. Foods that have been freeze-dried are lightweight and easily rehydrated with boiling water, which is another great storage option that can keep you fed and moving. Just be sure to watch your sodium levels on some of these preserved foods.