So if the power went off (indefinitely) how long would you last on the basis of what you have in the house?

[atticusclaw]

So the power's gone off. Everything is suddenly dead, shops can't sell you anything since the electronic tills don't work, petrol pumps don't work, lifts don't work, traffic lights don't work, tap water won't last for long since the pumps won't work, mobile phones won't work, gas/electric heating won't work (and most oil and solar systems also need mains electricity to make them work unless they're off grid systems) - MN won't work!!

How long could you last with what you have?

There are no zombies, this isn'"t necessarily a "top yourself now - who would want to live?" scenario since the power could be restored at any time….or it could last months…

[00100001]

Not long - I have an electric oven :(

[LWR3008]

Around 2 days tops.. I don't stockpile food or anything.. Not long at all

[PancyFants]

Like revolution?

Based on what I have not that long, week or 2. Based on what I've learned through being slightly obsessed by apocalyptic type books and tv...forever!!

[Peaceloveandbiscuits]

Hmm I think we'd go and stay with PILs who live in the woods and have plenty of firewood and some coal so we could stay warm, and boil rain water. They also keep chickens and geese and grow vegetables so we'd have a bit of food to last us (not to mention the get-you-through-a-nuclear-fallout tins of sandwich paste they stockpile!). They also have a generator and oil lamps. I think we'd be okay for a while! Suddenly feeling fairly okay about the prospect

[meglet]

I'd fill every container (bath/jug/plastic toy box) I could find with the last of the water in the taps.

We'd be ok for a few days I think.

[DarylDixonsDarlin]

Approx 3 days with cupboard food. I think in those circumstances shops would be keen to take cash for goods which would otherwise be spoiled.

We have two water butts and it rains a fair bit here but I wouldn't consider them to be clean enough to drink from. There is no way domestic situations allow for stockpiling water really, so surely we would all be fucked within about 2/3 days with no tap water?

[mousmous]

for a while.
have solar appliances chargers and camping gaz stoves + plus a garden full of seedlings so we can eat when the larder is empty.

[RatOnnaStick]

I have a calor-gas powered hob so I could cook for a bit, maybe 6 months. I don't have much in the way of food in the cupboard though, once I'd worked my way through the fresh food and defrosted food in the freezer I would probably have a few days at most of tinned or packet stuff.

We have a woodburning stove with back boiler so heating is not a problem.

I think the major problem though is my children, who would run feral er than normal after a very short period.

[Nevercallmehun]

About two or three weeks of food at least (Costco has always been part of my zombie plan). Heating and cooking OK, have gas hob and a woodburner.

[SecretNutellaFix]

This is purely theoretical, right?

If shop tills don't work, then their alarms won't either. I live a very short distance from a shop. I'd break in and steal everything I could so we'd survive a bit longer.

We would be very cold, no way of heating or cooking, unless we also launched a raid on Homebase using the last of the fuel in the car and "buying" up all the camping gas/stoves/barbecues/matches.

BAsed on what we actually have- not very long at all as I've been running down supplies to do a big clean up.

[RatOnnaStick]

Oh, we could run the freezer on the Genny. And maybe the tv & dvd player so we could run Thomas DVDs and The West Wing on a permanent loop for entertainment. Maybe the boys wouldn't go mad after all.

[Nevercallmehun]

Have a stream next door and could boil the water.

[SecretNutellaFix]

Those of you who plan on using a gas cooker- if it's mains gas you are totally screwed. You realise that there would be no way of pumping the gas to your house to use?

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

I'd also fill every available jug/bottle/container with water.

We have a camping stove and enough gas canisters for about a month and would use the bbq for meat.

Cupboard isn't overly full but if we used the food in the freezer for the first few days then I reckon we have enough to last a few weeks.

So I would say we could survive 4 - 6 weeks.

Now surviving without MN I'd last 3 hours max

[atticusclaw]

DarylDixonsdarling you can't let yourself down with a name like that! Don't you think the shop managers will be thinking "sod this, what do I want with money I'll take the food!"

Besides, the cash machines won't work. Do you have loads of cash lying around?…..

[BaronessEllaSaturday]

Cooking would be fine as I have a solid fuel stove. Heating would be ok as most rooms have either open fires or wood burners. Water would have to resort to manually fetching from the spring (spring fed water system but is pumped). I do have some solar powered torches so would give me some light at night. Food should be ok.

[DishwasherDogs]

I think I'd do pretty well.
I know how to catch and kill small animals (I'm not a psycho, honest)
I have a sparky Ray Mears type fire lighter.
I'd return to the wild :o

Actually sounds quite tempting....

[DarylDixonsDarlin]

We have plenty of animals around locally, and could obtain materials for fire to cook, live near the sea and can fish

[crappyday]

We'd run out of water quickly, so I'd pray for rain.
Food- I think I could last a week or so from the cupboards and freezer. Cooking on the woodburner which would also keep us warm and boil water to drink. That's what we did a year ago when we had a 48 hour power cut -unexpected and in middle of winter. Obviously we still had water then.

[Marcipex]

I'll go with PeaceLoveandBiscuits to the in laws

[atticusclaw]

Now that's more like it Daryl - he'd be proud of you

[atticusclaw]

Think I should get a couple of water butts.

[houseofnerds]

Lol, when it happened in our town two years ago, it was fine. A lot of businesses had separate generators and enough fuel until a route in had been built to reconnect a road (and ergo fuel supply). On about day four or five, the Army arrived. The road had been taken out in both directions, and the catastrophic flood event (as well as chewing up roads and houses) had taken out the water and power.

There were short term inconveniences, obviously - none of the slushie machines could be used because boiling the water prior to making slushies was a pointless exercise, but the coffee shops were doing a roaring trade, as were the restaurants. Much easier to go out to eat than get out the camping stoves.

In fact, it was mildly amusing that the first thing everyone did when we woke up and discovered the world had gone crazy and no one could leave the town to go to work, was head to the coffee shop to pick up breakfast and regroup...

I am ignoring the fact that a third of the town was evacuated to the sports centre for two weeks, of course. But those of us in our homes just got on with it. The town set up water collection points in each neighborhood, and most people either had gas hob or a cooking stove. Those who had lost their homes were moved into temporary accommodation.

After the first few days the resupply route was working so store deliveries were getting through (although the road was not open to private vehicles at this point).

Life pretty much carried on, including people getting married (some very cool photos of the bride and groom being driven through standing water in the back of a pick-truck), although obviously no one could actually leave to go to work, and their out of town visitors couldn't get in for the ceremony. The schools remained shut (which was just as well as the Army used the infant school as a coordination point...)

[Chuffingelves01]

With what we had in the house I would say 3 months. Water would be the problem. We do have a stock of purifying tablets as a river is about a mile away.

We have lots of wood so I could cook on a Dutch oven and the BBQ. It would be easier in summer than winter - heating and not much grows.

I have a Pinterest board on survival I am fascinated with it. Not over the top but I like to have quite a bit I food in the house, plenty if blankets, candles etc.

Tbh I am more prepared for the chance that we come in to financial difficulty, a few years ago Dh was unemployed for 10 months and it was such a help that we could take our food shop down to the very bare minimum. Financially we are ok now but it's always in the back of my mind.

[DarylDixonsDarlin]

Haha atticus well yes you're right on that one! hmm what would Daryl do

We wouldn't go far from home, I know that much. And we'd be happy to set up a commune with our home as the base. Reservoir within cycling distance (the water would still need boiling I should imagine) Our men would hunt and forage in packs for safety while the women minded the children I guess? (not saying everyone should do this, its just probably how it would work out in my group!)