"Grid Down" Would Be Unthinkable!

[Peacemaker]

I have been through a week and a half of pure discomfort and aggravation with power loss from hurricane Ida.

I stayed behind while family evacuated and it was no picnic. I had no generator to make things easier. I did have access to my vehicle and was able to travel about 75 miles one way for gas and other supplies that made life a little easier.

If we were in a total "Grid Down" situation, if no safety net, no automobiles running, survival would be so difficult it would nearly be impossible. It was so stressful and this was no where near total collapse. I slept in the airconditioned cab of my pickup truck for seven nights in a row. So even then I had a little break from the heat of summer in south Louisiana.

I'm interested in what you guys think. I know there will be some bashing, and some trash talk, but I really want to take a real look at what it would take to get through if it's even possible.

Water only lasts so long. MRE's only last so long.

A total "Grid Down" situation is unthinkable!

 

[flyboy]

These days a vast majority of people are so "soft" that I think they could not survive a total "grid down" situation.

 

[lesgeaux]

A LIFESTRAW
PERSONAL WATER FILTER would be an invaluable tool in this scenario.

I have went 11 days without power and consider myself lucky. I was able to travel and retrieve fuel for the generator that supplied my fridge and a few fans, still the heat was miserable and I could see the mental toll mounting day by day.
In a total grid collapse it would get dicey real quick I suppose.

 

[shrxfn]

Lots of good ideas in the thread below and ways to make life easier after a storm.

https://www.bayoushooter.com/forums/showthread.php?201505-Next-Time-Preparing-Now

 

[Peacemaker]

A LIFESTRAW
PERSONAL WATER FILTER would be an invaluable tool in this scenario.

I have went 11 days without power and consider myself lucky. I was able to travel and retrieve fuel for the generator that supplied my fridge and a few fans, still the heat was miserable and I could see the mental toll mounting day by day.
In a total grid collapse it would get dicey real quick I suppose.

That's what I'm talking about. An honest assessment. This was no pleasant experience and we all were able to get out and get away to get fuel and more comfort even for a little while. What happens when you have no escape, nowhere to run? What happens when it all is lost? It is going to be BAD! It will take capabilities that I really don't think anyone possesses these days. It would go south so quick that it would be unimaginable.

 

[dantheman]

A total grid down situation would bring this country to a screaming halt . How many of you are old enough to remember the blackout in the North East in 2003 ? It was bad . Affected 10 million people in 8 states and parts of Ontario . Let's face it , we have made ourselves completely dependent on electricity in so many ways . Without it , we slip back into the stone ages over time .

 

[drill sgt]

Electric powered vehicles ?????? How are the batteries supposed to be re-charged when there is no power in the system ????? Be the power outage due to hurricane storm damage or flooding or ice storms or something else be it natural or man made..... Even for the electric bicycles what are you supposed to do??? ...................................... drill sgt.

 

[KDerekT83]

I just got power back yesterday. I was using it as a real life training/testing ordeal even though my wife didn't recognize it. My entire house runs off electricity. I made a washboard small enough to use in a 5 gallon bucket so my wife could do laundry, while I fished the pond behind the house. For a week, we were eating catfish I caught in the pond, canned foods I had in the kitchen, and drinking water (I keep Kentwood 5gallon jugs in the house). I built a stove with 2 cinder-blocks in my driveway once I ran out of propane on my grill due to not having any charcoal. (Poor planning on my part) we opened all the windows in the house at night to let a breeze through, and just slept hot for 4 days, until my parents brought my generator back to me. With the generator, I only ran a lamp, 3 small fans and a window ac unit during the day to conserve gas. Needless to say, I was able to make it. Not a life of luxury that I'd want to live, but Im at least confident I can make it if I had to.

 

[krotsman]

Electric powered vehicles ?????? How are the batteries supposed to be re-charged when there is no power in the system ????? Be the power outage due to hurricane storm damage or flooding or ice storms or something else be it natural or man made..... Even for the electric bicycles what are you supposed to do??? ...................................... drill sgt.

Gas powered generator?

 

[KDerekT83]

Gas powered generator?

Like this..,..

 

[dantheman]

Imagine a total grid down scenario . Whatever you have stockpiled will eventually run out . EVERYTHING . Food , water , medications , any type of fuel , ANYTHING made from petrochemical products , you name it . You're not going to head down to the camp and survive on Ducks , deer , and fish forever . When the truck and boat runs out of fuel and your batteries fail and on and on ...NOTHING you have can be replaced when it runs out . Oh , and that tooth that get's abscessed ? It'll kill you . Blood pressure issues ? Stroke or death . Like I said , stone ages .. Imagine the worst . It'll be worse than that .

 

[krotsman]

Like this..,..

Tesla tow truck!

WAIT - Million dollar idea!!! Get a trailer hitch and just drag the generator behind the vehicle! Problem solved

 

[Peacemaker]

Imagine a total grid down scenario . Whatever you have stockpiled will eventually run out . EVERYTHING . Food , water , medications , any type of fuel , ANYTHING made from petrochemical products , you name it . You're not going to head down to the camp and survive on Ducks , deer , and fish forever . When the truck and boat runs out of fuel and your batteries fail and on and on ...NOTHING you have can be replaced when it runs out . Oh , and that tooth that get's abscessed ? It'll kill you . Blood pressure issues ? Stroke or death . Like I said , stone ages .. Imagine the worst . It'll be worse than that .

This is what I'm talking about except the boat, truck, batteries will be worthless right at the outset! This will be so bad it is unconscionable. You will have to have a mental strength that I'm not sure anyone possesses anymore!

 

[Jstudz220]

It would absolutely be terrible. A hurricane is just a small piece of what great times would look like. In a hurricane scenario it’s a lot easier knowing eventually help is on the way and eventually life will get back to normal and even that’s not easy. A hurricane scenario is a walk in the park compared to what things would look like. I’m sure most would die off fairly quickly. It’s not something I’d ever want to experience. I’d like to think I’m a strong minded individual but thinking about a situation like that is almost hopeless. It would be hard enough to survive on the land not to mention in a scenario like that you can rest assure people would turn into savages and start murdering people for any and every reason imaginable.

 

[Old School]

It would absolutely be terrible. A hurricane is just a small piece of what great times would look like. In a hurricane scenario it’s a lot easier knowing eventually help is on the way and eventually life will get back to normal and even that’s not easy. A hurricane scenario is a walk in the park compared to what things would look like. I’m sure most would die off fairly quickly. It’s not something I’d ever want to experience. I’d like to think I’m a strong minded individual but thinking about a situation like that is almost hopeless. It would be hard enough to survive on the land not to mention in a scenario like that you can rest assure people would turn into savages and start murdering people for any and every reason imaginable.

Yeah, they already will kill ya for nothing!

 

[foz1359]

Ladies -your slips are showing! Folks live "post Ida" conditions in war torn countries every day, some guys I know from central America tell me stories about living w/o electricity, farming the land, etc. I grew up w/o AC and sweated my bed many a night, then split pecan to stay warm -we didn't own a chainsaw until I was a teenager. There are many ways to stay cool, to chill foods, to BE COMFORTABLE and SATISFIED. Our reliance on everything petro has gotten us to this place where we're all screaming for FEMA everytime the wind blows. It's weak and from a worldly view I'd agree, our survival as a _____________ (whatever we think we are) would be near zero. I suggest to anyone that's half ass'd interested in surviving and thriving to look into a set of the Foxfire Books by Eliott Wiggington. Imagine what depth of character might be shared with the younger set. We have a 4yo and 2yo that will need to survive the conditions that've been brought up in this thread. My job is to teach them.

 

[Peacemaker]

Ladies -your slips are showing! Folks live "post Ida" conditions in war torn countries every day, some guys I know from central America tell me stories about living w/o electricity, farming the land, etc. I grew up w/o AC and sweated my bed many a night, then split pecan to stay warm -we didn't own a chainsaw until I was a teenager. There are many ways to stay cool, to chill foods, to BE COMFORTABLE and SATISFIED. Our reliance on everything petro has gotten us to this place where we're all screaming for FEMA everytime the wind blows. It's weak and from a worldly view I'd agree, our survival as a _____________ (whatever we think we are) would be near zero. I suggest to anyone that's half ass'd interested in surviving and thriving to look into a set of the Foxfire Books by Eliott Wiggington. Imagine what depth of character might be shared with the younger set. We have a 4yo and 2yo that will need to survive the conditions that've been brought up in this thread. My job is to teach them.

That's a good answer. No one here is wearing a slip. My point is to really talk about this seriously because many including myself are not prepared for a "Grid Down" environment. I understand certain skill sets are needed I get that. You were living that way because many others were living that way, its the way it was back then. I've heard all of the stories from my dad about how lucky we are and "you don't know hard" yada, yada, yada,..

This isn't anything to do with who's tougher or better prepared, "Grid Down" will be nothing like anyone can possibly imagine. I can deal with trouble and I can get through maybe a little better than some but for how long? How long can anyone go when you know there is no Calvary coming?

 

[flyboy]

Like I said earlier in the thread, the "soft" will not last very long.

 

[machinedrummer]

I pray the Calvary (Jesus) comes before a total fall. Not a world I would want to exist in.

 

[drill sgt]

Like this..,..

^^^^^^^^^^^ Maybe they will enlarge the trunk carrying capabilities so as to be able to carry a generator full time in the trunk as well a gasoline fuel cell. ........................ think about it. How long sitting on the side of the road till batteries recharged????? ................................................... drill sgt.