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…

Parrafin or oil lamps are great -I have 2 parrafin hurricane lamps,and 4 oil lamps.
Remember you need spare wicks and lamp oil/parrafin too....

Where we used to live,because of it being rural with only a few households close by,we used to get long powercuts.Its a lack of light abd hot drinks that are worst initially I think.
I have an actual dedicated powercut box with all the immediate things needed.So much easier than scrabbling around for stuff in the dark!

Good point - Right spare wicks on the list for today.

There seem to be loads of oil lamps on ebay. Nice for out in the garden in the evenings too (not just apocalypse scenarios!)

Everytime I think of Blackout or American Blackout I think "I must get some cash out!" I never do. I have about 76p in my purse.

About the same as me atticus

Well around $1.50 (about 75p) which isn't going to get me far either.

This thread has really got me thinking about what we would do if it happened. DP thinks I've gone mad, planning to stock our attic space with tinned food, toilet roll, batteries etc.

The cash is to get you and your family home and to spend on whatever you can get your hands on before all hell breaks loose, not because anyone thinks cash would have any value after a couple of months without power.

I have a big bank of seeds. I have an allotment and use heritage varieties that breed true from seed. I save seeds every year for the next year. I'm thinking those would have currency value after a few months.

Where are you watching Blackout, and American Blackout, please?

I wouldn't last long, I'm a wimp. No internet, no power, no grocery shops. Shoot me now and get it over, once the first really cold weather arrived I'd freeze to death anyway.

I've been reading little house on the prairie the cold winter - it has some great tips in

One thing I did read on a website was we need to know how all of this survival stuff works before anything bad happens. If you are going to be filtering sea water you need to practise it now so you know how to do it if the time comes.

I am a closet prepper and at the moment I am practicing with herbs for medicine - very basic like cough mixture and elderberry syrup kind if thing.

I'm still being determinedly upbeat, Stratter5, so I couldn't possibly advise you to look on Youtube.

Unless you already had 4OD (free) loaded - which has Blackout on it for the watching.

Yes I watched both on YouTube. I liked blackout because it was British and felt more realistic.

www.solarshop.co.uk/Solar-Panels/solar-panel-calculator.html - if that helps - might also give you a clue what you could run if you needed to re purpose the system you have in place.

The only thing about having rifles/shotguns is that you'll eventually run out of ammo. Can anyone here make "black powder", lead shot/musket balls? Convert a shotgun to fire musket balls?

You'll be better off acquiring a decent bow & masses of arrows or a x-bow +bolts. Plus a fishing spear

I never cook or keep food in the house (I buy something that doesn't need cooking each day) so I could starve.

However, without electricity to run my phone and TV/DVD player, I would probably want to shoot myself within the hour.

You can obtain generators and wind-up technology easily enough if you're motivated - it's mainly (and people consistently forget this) that there will be little or no central provision of infrastructure services. It would be difficult enough (in my view, impossible in many areas) to provide any fuel for vehicles and generators for critical services across the whole country, let alone other services such as eg powering the myriad of towers for mobile comms.

There will probably be an aim of keeping a national radio service going - pubic service announcements etc - so get yourself a battery radio as a minimum. Wind-up/solar powered radios and torches are also easily available.

My solar power radio sits on the window ledge and is always ready to go. The kids also have walkie talkies which would be useful. We often pick up other people in the area so it would be a decent method of local communication as long as we could keep the rechargeable batteries going via solar chargers.

I have a wind up radio and lanterns/torches,plus a solar lantern that I keep on the windowsill.It keeps me feeling in control of any unexpected events!

I am rapidly starting to believe that survival involves community building -something best done before the imminent apocalypse.
I'd like to join an intentional community based on the principles of permaculture and sustainability.DH thinks I'm a fucking hippy.Actually I am.But I'd rather that than armchair militia types with small penises and dodgy politics,who depend fortunes on preppers gear but have no idea of how to use it.

I watched both those blackout films on youtube yesterday.

I thought the American one was ok but the British one really quite scared me.

I was looking up solar power phone chargers last night and survival equipment and made a plan for if anyone came to the house to steal our supplies. too much time on my hands

I have enjoyed reading this thread a bit too much. I now have a fully functioning bug-out bag.

Even on a snow day,the nearest village has shelves empty of the staples like bread and milk.
It really really doesn't take long.

Midnight dinosaur what is your plan if someone came to your house to steal food?

Does anyone else actually worry about this happening ?, I'm a single parent and rubbish at anything outdoors so I have bought a survival book ( even though I probably wouldn't last a night outdoors with my bad back)