If the grid went down.

[Admin]

Whenever there's a major outage or some kind of catastrophe, A huge upset occurs and people immediately start preying on each other, looting etc. Everybody is so dependent on the grid that their world turns upside down when there's an outage. All an enemy has to do is knock our power down for an extended time and we'll kill each other trying to survive.

If the grid went down with no fix it date in the near future, how would you fare and keep harmony in your household? Lighting, cooking, showers, etc? I know jackofalltrapping is off grid and styling so no problem there and I applaud him for that. I want to be completely off the grid myself but since I'm already connected and paying less that 400.00 a year for my power (4 otter hides), I don't see the sense in disconnecting. I will however keep rigging the house for independence with alternative methods. We consume very little power and propane here. I filled my goose egg propane tank in October of 2011 and I'm still at 20%. ;D If I lived alone it would be half full, but you know how it is...

[Deleted]

My supplies are currently at 24 months for 2 people, as far as not having to go to town. I still don't have a wood stove in house, but have a nice stock pile of propane and heating/cooking units.

[treestand13]

When we lost our power for 15 days here in Maine during the ice storm. We cut our way threw the road ways from the downed trees, picked up my in-laws and we all went to my moms who has a wood stove. A friend of mine also came with his girl friend. My oldest son was I think 11 and my youngest was just 1yr old, My sister and her young son was also there. my farther in-law was on o2 tanks. which I had to fill daily from a larger tank. we cooked on the gas grill and the wood stove got our water from the brook that behind her house. We used lanterns and flash light for lighting. Gathered the water and wood during day light hours. I had a wood stove installed in my house, which I went over in filled before going to work and after work every day, I had coarsen stoves at my in-laws including my sister in law. which I also took care of. We all did what we needed to and thing went great. We really was have a fairly good time. I can remember my step-dad come home from being on the road, He was a truck driver. He started telling us we cant do this we cant do that, My mom told him to git back in his truck and go stay in a motel or shut up we have been doing just fine with out him. I laughed like hell. Most people could not and would not know what to do

[mrchicken]

Went down and helped out after Katrina.

I think people in the country would be fine. Inconvenienced but fine.

The cities would fall apart in a matter of days.

A lot would depend on what time of year the outage happened.

People get REALLY CRANKY when they have no AC and its 98'. Like shooting cranky.

When its cold, people tend to stay inside more so there would be less conflict, at least in the first days.

You couldn't pay me to move back to the city and that is with the grid up and working.

[coyote30]

I would fare pretty well. I have a fire place for heat and small propane stoves for cooking. If i run out of propane, will cook on the fire. Water would be the main concern since there are no clean natural sources nearby it would have to go through exstensive purification. When the grid went down in 2003 people were robbing houses left and right. So we just got the shotguns out for protection. My uncle had an unfinished house we were building and the alarm had a battery backup. The alarm went off and we rushed up the street to the house and found two lowlives trying to steal wood and copper. They were removed at gun point, other than that we had no problems.

[mark572]

Would have no problem here! Just remember this...Maine the way life should be..

[patricimo54]

I have a small Dometic 5.5 I am thinking, and a hundred gallons of propane. One propane light above my main kitchen prep area. Several propane portable lights as well as several LED lanterns. and on and on it goes. Never enough food, water, or ammo, but we have more than most

[minktracks]

I wont kill anyone to survive but I will in a heartbeat for defense. I have propane, skills and enuff food for about six months. If it lasts longer then that, no one is safe.
If I win the next lottery, then we will have one here in the swamp. I will help some of you get off the grid completely. GL to us LOL.