Emergency Preparedness

 The picture above is an actual picture of the aftermath of a tornado that hit our 1965-built lake house on Lake Martin in April 2011. Tornadoes are very common in Alabama, which is in the Dixie Tornado Alley, where the warm air from the Gulf of Mexico meets the cold air from the north to produce storms that can contain supercells, which can develop tornadoes. Power loss is unfortunately a common occurrence. Of course, the United States is operating on a power grid that is over 70 years old, 20 years past its expected useful life and today is more strained than ever. Disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes can result in loss of power for days or weeks. Even a strong solar flare or God forbid an Electromagnetic Pulse bomb (EMP) can shut down the already strained power grid. Most any area in the United States or Canada, has weather events such as droughts causing low water levels in hydroelectric dams (Western USA), flood-prone areas or Winter storms which can all result in electric power outages. As such, having generators, food, tools and gear on hand to be prepared for either short or long-term outages is a smart investment, knowing that you and your family can survive more comfortably during these unfortunate events.

 Emergency Preparedness Gear

While I have a gasoline generator, I have invested in a couple of solar generators, as if a disaster is prolonged and power outages stretch into a few days or more, I will not have enough gasoline to power the generator. Additionally, keeping gasoline stored in a basement or garage for extended periods is not a good plan either, as it is dangerous and the gas can go bad when stored for extended periods. If the power is out for extended periods in a wider spread outage, then the pumps at gasoline stations will not dispense gasoline for the generators. No available gasoline to replenish yours stored at home, means no electricity to power appliances and phones at home.

A solar generator is also a cheaper option than a whole house natural gas generator that may cost upwards to $10,000. A solar generator can recharge with solar panels using only the sun, which is free! While it may not power your whole house, it can power the essentials to help make life more bearable and survivable during both short and long term outages.

Unlike gasoline generators, these generators run very quiet, so your neighbors won’t hate you or you become a target for thieves. These generators can be charged with house current prior to a disaster or quickly in between outages, with DC car chargers, with solar panels or even a spare deep cycle car battery if you purchase the right adapters ahead of time and keep a few car batteries on hand.

Depending on the model you purchase, the solar generator can help run a refrigerator or freezer to help keep your food from spoiling, keep your medication cold, run fans and lights, run CPAP machines, electric blankets to stay warm, run fans to stay cool, power televisions, computers and phones to stay in communication with the world and even run a small electric cooking eye, coffeemaker, or hair dryer.

Also, the smaller more portable solar generators and a set of portable solar panels can also be taken with you if you have to evacuate, providing important power to help cook, refrigerate, communicate or even run power tools if needed. The River Pro is 16 lbs. and can even be taken on camping trips for more comfort or a worksite or hunting club that has no power. These EcoFlow models also have a quick charge function, that is rare among solar generators that restores the generator more quickly, when time is precious.

To me, while solar generators are more expensive than gasoline powered generators, they provide me the peace of mind that when disasters occur, I will always have electricity as long as the sun is shining. Having a couple of units, maybe a more powerful unit and a smaller unit can allow you to charge one while using the other one to power your essentials to make life more bearable. And this can be done as a more affordable investment than using a full-home generator, which in times of crisis (when people can become desperate), can be a signal bell to thieves, resulting in security risks for you and your family.

 Camping or glamorous camping (Glamping) is a good way to not only enjoy the outdoors, but also to become a bit more reliant on surviving with less. You can develop your skills while enjoying the outdoors, nature and visiting other places on the cheap. Additionally, in my experience, you will meet some of the nicest people while camping.