Prepping for electricity cuts.

[6onTheHappyFarm]

Whether due to Brexit (we live in NI) or power lines down (recently moved house to be more rural)....any reason really.

I was thinking of something like this....
Duronic Hybrid Radio Wind Up Solar and Rechargeable AM/FM Radio with USB Charger Cable www.<a class="break-all" href="https://amazon.co.uk/dp/B002D9FKDS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FqD8BbYQG7V41?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-preppers-3427614-Prepping-for-electricity-cuts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amazon.co.uk/dp/B002D9FKDS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FqD8BbYQG7V41

So we would have light, access to a radio for information and the ability to charge phones.

Our cooker is gas, we have an open fire and a woodburner.

Is there anything else we would need.

I'd suggest a head torch or two. If nothing else, wrap one around an old clean four pint plastic milk bottle filled with water - the torch bit facing inwards. It acted more like a lantern with the light diffused through the opaque plastic and the water. It looks a bit less scary and throws a nice light.

I have one of these.
You will hate trying to recharge a phone with it as you'll be sat there forever & a day winding the handle unless it's high summer.
The light is also very small, more like the sort of light you'd get from a keyring torch.
You would be better with a small solar panel & power banks for phone charging. Keep them charged from the mains so they are ready to go.

For light, you'd be better off with something like this Varta one.
www.amazon.co.uk/Varta-18663101111-LED-Camping-Lantern/dp/B004QNW988/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforum-21&refRID=H5VQ1WH2BP5X3M78VHED
It takes D batteries but lasts ages & gives off a fair amount of light for a torch.
None of the battery torches I've found are as bright as a ceiling light.
I have 2, one I use as a light to see in my understairs cupboard as it has no ceiling light & another I use to e.g. go to my greenhouse late at night.
Another alternative is head torches, hands free light only where you actually looking.

I also have battery operated motion sensor lights I bought for about a tenner at the top & bottom of my stairs so nobody can accidentally fall down them in the dark - I have one in the bathroom too so you can find your way to the toilet in the night without having to turn on the lights.
The motion detectors don't stay on very long if you aren't moving, but they are very handy.

Thanks! Got that all added to the Amazon wishlist.

I've bought very little that i don't use for other purposes anyway, like camping.

For cooking, I've got the gas barbeque and a 2 ring & grill camping gas cooker. I keep 3 13kg propane cylinders which i use and rotate anyway but in an outage should be enough to cook for a couple of weeks. Ive also got butane regulators so if for whatever reason i can't get propane i can switch.
I've got a 4 panel solar panel, several powerbanks and oodles of rechargeable batteries.
3 head torches, 4 extremely powerful led hand torches and 4 or 5 led lanterns. 2 of the hand torches have got diffusers so can be used as lanterns as well.

Finally, if you have a landline and use cordless/dect phones, buy a cheap plug-in handset so you can still use the landline in a powercut.

One of these

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?k=inverter&tag=mumsnetforum-21

And car batteries to power them. They'll keep the freezers running and other stuff.

And car batteries to power them.

Caravan leisure batteries would be more appropriate (look similar to car batteries but designed for lower load over longer time whereas car batteries are designed for a high load for short periods). Tbh though, if you're serious enough to buy several 12v batteries I think you'd be better buying a small petrol generator.

we have solar phone chargers & power banks
wind up torch
candles & matches
camping stove

I also have a couple of these & bought a pair for my parents last year for Christmas as they were concerned about power cuts.
You can carry them around like a torch or sit them beside you as a reading light.
www.amazon.co.uk/ARSUK-Battery-Operated-12-LED-Table/dp/B015MQ4PPW/ref=sr_1_24?s=lighting&keywords=battery+operated+adjustable+lamp&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1542582409&sr=1-24

We have two head torches by Varta, which seem very good (gift from DP who for some reason have loads of them - but they do live in the darkest of countrysides!). A few wind-up torches, too - just the cheap kind. Our bathroom light regularly blows out, so we have a little solar powered lamp that lives by the bathroom window, and is very much appreciated, instead of peeing in the dark! In the storage there's also a bag of 100 tea lights and some candles - more in case of a longer power cut (light to read with, generally stationary use rather than something to carry around in the dark), but I'm using them anyway during the winter.

For cooking we have a camping stove and currently a pack of four gas canisters. I'm not sure how long one canister would last, to be honest, but hopefully that'd be ok for a while. I'd love to get some kind of a kettle arrangement, though. Our stove is gas, as is the central heating, but I've been under the impression that neither will actually work without electricity.

No wood-burner here, or a fireplace, so I guess we'll just be putting more clothes on and piling on the blankets (which there are many), if the power goes out in winter!

We have a radio that should work with batteries, but I'm just now having a moment of realisation that I'm not 100% sure what batteries it needs! There's batteries in storage, but no idea if they're the right kind. Better check that out...

Some kind of a power bank / phone charger is on top of my list of things to get at the moment.

I got a couple of hurricane lamps cheap off eBay as well.

We have head torches, a variety of hand-held torches, a lantern, lots of candles and lighters, camping stove and supply of gas, b-b-q, open fire, outdoor toilet, radio and lots of batteries. I got most of these things 2 and a half years ago. There are still a few things on my list to get. I was thinking of getting a life straw. Does anyone know if they are any good or not? I doubt it would ever be needed, but might be good for peace of mind.

When storm Desmond took out our power there was no mobile phone signal so charged mobiles were useless. The most useful things were torches, a radio and a dial landline phone.

I have this wind up radio: I use it when I’m in the garden or pottering about the house cleaning. It charges really well in the windowsill and only needs a bit of winding. Never used it for charging a phone or as a light, just as a radio.

I agree with a previous comment about traditional landline being useful. I also use a car charger for my phone and try and keep them charged about 50% when possible.

I’m more a candles girl than solar, but I have lots of candle holders and tea light holders as decoration so it’s kind of a prep AND decoration so it’s a win win

We had a 3 day power cut a couple of years ago. Candles were good for adding warmth but you needed a LOT to give any kind of decent light. Positioning in front of a mirror helped magnify the light. I've now got a solar camping lantern that I used recently in a power cut which gave a much brighter light. I've also stocked up with torches/head torches which are safer to leave with children.

Luckily we could light our gas hob manually but a gas bbq and Kelly kettle have given more options.

We had a woodburner for warmth. We also used a lot of hot water bottles and cosy blankets as it was bitterly cold outside the living room.

We missed having a radio so I've now got a solar/wind up radio. We also spent a fair bit of time in the pub charging our phones so I now have battery packs, a car charger and 2 solar chargers. I want a couple more battery packs now the children have phones to avoid us arguing over them!

Oh and I've just bought a proper corded phone as we need to be able to keep in touch with elderly relatives and didn't want to rely on mobiles. And I accidently won about 10 sets of battery powered lights at an auction as they came with the hurricane lanterns I was actually after.

Very rural Wales here...

Yes to land-line and traditional telephone that takes its power from the phone line only. Unimaginably useful when the power goes off.

We have a single-ring cooker that uses bottles of compressed butane so we can boil water for tea and hot water bottles, make quick one pan meals and refresh hand warmers if you have them.

Keep a good supply of candles and plenty of matches. Head torches are extremely useful, but remember that you won't be able to recharge the batteries, so lay in some spares.

Keep the car topped up with fuel. Fuel pumps use electricity, so if it goes, no refills

Can anyone recommend a wind up radio?

@Mightybanhammer I have the one in the OP that’s good enough for me :)

For “electric” lights we have those little battery lights that you can stuck under units which worked really well when we had a power cut the other year for reading: although candles on the table was enough for playing cards/eating etc. We also have those little bright hand torches (but they are mainly used for looking for cats in the garden at night )