A few weeks ago, I gave you a quick run down of what is important to keep in your pantry. However, do you have what it needs in case you lose power for a couple of days… in WINTER?? This is what we will look at this week
My husband and I love anything and everything that makes us self-reliant, so it is normal for us to put in practice what we preach! I have to say, that the weekend we selected was a harsh one… temperatures went down in low 30s Celsius – you must think we’re crazy!
To be honest, it wasn’t that bad and we were very comfortable. Throughout the weekend, I tried to created a short list of things that were, according to me, a must have in such situations (my husband might have a few different items on his list)
1 – Heat Source
During cold weather, first thing you need to ensure is that you have a way to keep warm. We are lucky because we have a wood stove, so this was not too much of a brain teaser. However, what would we do if we didn’t?
2 – Solar Power Bank
We are freaks when it comes to being self-reliant so a while back, we got the opportunity to purchase at a decent price some solar panels… then came the power bank.
I have limited to no knowledge though on how to calculate the watts, and what comes in for electricity compared to what we use… I leave that to my husband!!
3 – Cooking, food & cleaning
The wood stove is again a good source for cooking. Make sure you have good cast iron skillets – not all types of cooking material can be used on top of a wood stove.
If you don’t have a wood stove, I recommend having a secondary type of cooking set-up such as alcohol stoves. They are amazing to heat up canned food and for boiling water – coffee is important!
If you are using an alcohol stove, your fuel supply will be important, so don’t waste it to heat up water for dishes! Always keep some disposable plates and cups.
4 – Lighting
Flashlights will provide you with some lighting but they are not the best. Get yourselves a couple of lanterns that are long lasting. They are battery operated and last for a long time.
5 – Keep yourself informed
In the event of a power outage for which you don’t know how long it will last – like the ice storm of 1998 in Montreal, have a functioning radio so you can you can be kept informed. It also serves to help entertain yourself by listening to music!
We have a solar powered emergency radio – we keep it near our kitchen window so it is always being kept charged by the sunlight. No extra batteries required.
There you have it, my short list of must for a power outage emergency. Did you ever stop to think if you would be ready if such emergency would happen? It is not something we really stop to think about… electricity as always been a part of our lives and we can’t imagine having to go without! But, what if? Think about it!
