How to Survive the First 7 Days of a Blackout

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

The following first 7 days of a blackout scenario is loosely based on a real experience of a prolonged power outage. It happened at a time when supply chain issues and labor shortages made it hard for utility companies to restore the electrical grid.

The following journal entries and in-depth insights are meant to help you prepare and refine your strategy should you need to survive a 7-day blackout in your own life.

Day 1 of Blackout

The news report says the ice storm knocked out the eastern third of the city’s power grid, and it might take several days to fully restore power. Living at the end of the road by the wilderness park, I’m guessing we’ll be one of the last to get power back.

I don’t know how long we’ll have water pressure being at the end of the line. So, I filled the bathtub and every jug I’ve got. There should be enough water to manually flush the toilet and wash up for a few days.

A bunch of people ran out panic-buying. I stayed home and kept working on the house. I hope that doesn’t come back to bite me. The water pressure seemed to die in the late afternoon when all the neighbors got back from the stores.

I tried launching my phone as a hotspot and tethered it to my laptop, but there was no signal. I think the blackout is affecting the cell towers.

I pulled the flashlights and power station out of the camping gear. It’s still got 77% of the charge left. Thank God, I recharged it after our last trip!

Notes:

The lithium-ion batteries will lose 3 to 5% of charge per month.

These batteries can be damaged if depleted of charge.

So, it’s always wise to fully charge your power station after every camping trip.

Related: DIY Off-Grid Battery Charger

If you have municipal water, there’s no telling how long water pressure will last. Keeping a dozen big water jugs on hand or filling the bathtub immediately ensures you have water for washing, drinking, and flushing the toilet.

Day 2 of Blackout

The refrigerator didn’t stay cold as long as I hoped. I moved what I could to the chest freezer, then we had a big cookout last night. Tried to keep the thawed meat from going to waste. Used the charcoal grill to save propane.

It got colder in the house than I expected. So, I moved everyone into the downstairs family room where we could all sleep in one room at the same time.

We tried the ceramic pot candle heater thing you see on the internet, but it didn’t do much. Hooked up the sunflower heater I use when ice fishing and it kept the living room warm enough.

I used the power station to run some lights and a fan for white noise last night. It was down to 48% this morning. I figured out how to connect it to the 100-watt solar panel but it’s only trickle charging.

Notes:

A refrigerator will only stay cold for 4 to 6 hours at best. A freezer might keep food cold for 24 to 36 hours. A strategically packed chest freezer can keep foods cold for up to 72 hours.

A 300-watt-hour (WH) power station can’t run big appliances for long. They’re meant more for running small lights and fans.

When using a propane heater indoors, make sure to place a CO detector nearby. Only use the heater in the coldest parts of the night.

Day 3 of Blackout

Figured out how to make coffee by boiling water on the old charcoal grill. Then I slowly poured it over the grounds in the coffee maker. Nice to get a little taste of my usual morning routine again and my headache finally went away!

The kids are getting cranky. I think the idea of camping at home isn’t fun for them anymore. They’ve been out of their comfort zone for too long. Rigging up the camping shower kit in the upstairs bathroom. I simmer water on the grill to give everyone a short shower.

I think I’ll hook the power station up to my old laptop so we can all watch a movie tonight.

Notes:

Morale can start to suffer after 3 days in a blackout. Recreating little creature comforts helps maintain a positive mindset. You can improvise a camping shower at home with a cheap solar shower to get everyone clean.

Related: How to Build an Endless Hot Water System (Without Electricity)

Playing a favorite family board game, or just sitting outside promotes family togetherness. It’s especially helpful for kids.

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