Survival guide [6/7]: how to get by without electricity at home?

Traditionally, power outages occur due to severe weather conditions (storms, cold spells, etc.). However, even a few days without air conditioning or heating, phone, radio, or TV can be a handicap. To manage these power outages, several options are available to help you prepare effectively.

 

Portable Energy (solar panels, external batteries & lighting)

Emergency Power Supply

Let's start with an essential point: energy needs. It is important to always have a plan B for electricity, whether it is to recharge your devices, cook a meal, stay warm, or stay informed and communicate with others. Fortunately, there are backup solutions to ensure you are not completely without power.

Portable solar panels and small solar generators are ideal for having electricity on demand, whether at home or in an apartment. They are not only useful for lighting but also for communication as they are handy whenever your phone needs to be recharged. All you need is a few rays of sunshine. You can also replace the solar generator with an external battery, as long as you have a solar panel to collect energy, that's the main thing.

• Which solar panel to choose?

For larger-scale needs, more powerful power stations and solar panels to accompany them are useful for powering numerous devices in households temporarily. Some stations are capable of recharging small devices like a smartphone or tablet, but also larger ones like a refrigerator, which can be very useful if you are without power for several days.

You can also consider fuel generators that do not depend on the sun but require fuel storage.

Cooking and Water

One of the concerns during a power outage is the loss of food inside the fridge and freezer. To maintain freshness inside, try to keep them closed as much as possible. Preservation is key in an emergency: the less energy you use, the better you can power your essential devices.
Note: For a refrigerator, food stays fresh for about 4 to 6 hours if you avoid opening it too often. For a freezer, you can keep food for about 24 to 48 hours at best. After these times, it is recommended to throw away or cook your food.

To manage without, try to have food at home that does not need to be kept cool. This can include snacks, canned goods, carbohydrates, but also compact rations, for example. Having long shelf life food can be a good idea to avoid rapid stock rotation.

If you have a gas or alcohol stove at home, for example, it will make the task easier. If you don't have one, most freeze-dried meals can be rehydrated with cold water. It won't warm you up as much as a hot meal, but it will still provide the necessary energy. It is in these situations that we realize the importance of having a quality food reserve.

• If you don't know which stove to choose, this article should guide you in making your choice.

Regarding cans and compact rations, they are essential for long-term storage. The NRG-5, for example, are ideal because they have a good quality/weight/nutritional value ratio.

• To learn how to store your food, the Lyo team has created a guide with their best tips.

Regarding water, consider having bottled water or a water barrel with you. Thanks to this, if the tap water is cut off, you will still be able to stay hydrated and cook.

Lighting

To cope with power outages and get light back (especially in winter when night falls quickly!), you can first check that you always have a stock of candles at home. In addition to being inexpensive and easy to store and use, this will give you a light source - more or less effective depending on the number of candles lit, of course.

While candles are great for emergencies, they are not a long-term solution. That's why it can be useful to stock up on batteries and rechargeable batteries in advance. With these, you can use your flashlights, headlamps, or even lanterns without worrying about running out of light too quickly.
Light sticks can also be a solution, being 100% autonomous, very bright, with several hours of lighting!

Some portable power stations are also practical given their ability to provide you with energy, but also to light you up for several hours continuously.

Heating

If it is possible in your home, lighting a fire is one of the best ways to warm up easily and quickly. If that is not possible, you can always wear the warmest clothes you have: socks, sweaters, and even neck warmers will be very useful to keep you warm.

Remember to hydrate with hot drinks and especially to eat hearty meals. This will help your body warm up faster, have more energy, and allow your body to continue producing heat, even at night.

If you have the opportunity, check the insulation of your home. It may be poorly insulated and the cold can easily enter your home without allowing the heat to take place. There are aids available to help you carry out these renovations, which can quickly be expensive, and several sites provide all the information you need to know how to proceed.

Finally, if you are really too cold, our article on " How to Stay Warm at Night While Camping " may give you some additional ideas, although not everything may be applicable.

Communication

To stay informed about the situation, have at least a small battery-powered radio to know more about the duration of the outage, the cause, etc.

Get an external battery if you don't already have one, and make sure it is always charged. With it, you can continue using your smartphone a little longer without losing too much battery. For larger needs like recharging your computer or any other energy-intensive device, you can refer to the first point of this blog article, which talks about power stations and will help you have more energy with you in any situation.

In conclusion

Electricity is undoubtedly one of the most important resources, present in all aspects of our daily lives, and sometimes taken for granted, which is not always the case. That is why it is important to think about alternatives and be prepared in case a general power outage occurs.

Whether it is to continue feeding, warming up, lighting up, or simply recharging your devices, solutions exist. Solar panels and power stations are part of these solutions and are increasingly developing around the world. Also, consider having a stock of long shelf life food, accessories for lighting and heating, so that you are not too affected when a general power outage occurs.