Escaping the electric snare
by Chris Janowsky (ASG Sept. 96)
Self sufficiency is a major concern with a lot of people today. It's your responsibility to be prepared and know exactly what you are doing. I'd like to share with you some of what I've learned living in Alaska's mountains. Out of necessity I built my first cabin when a nice winter day had actual ambient temperatures of 40 to 50 degrees below zero F. and I pray I never have to do that again! I've also seen those temperatures drop to 86 degrees below zero F. and stay there for days.
When I wrote my book "Survival-A Manual That Could Save Your Life" (available from Paladin Press), it was by kerosene light and a wood stove to keep me and the dogs warm. For a long time I had no electrical power of any kind-no electric lights, no electrically powered heat (furnace) or hot water heater, and no mechanical refrigeration or freezing capabilities in the summers, when temperatures sometimes would reach 100 degrees F. Yet it was a very peaceful and happy time in my life.
The point I'm trying to make here is, in spite of the hardships, I did fine, and best of all, I learned some stuff. A lot of it increased my self-reliance, and I'm writing about it because it could save your life and that of your family.
Most of us depend heavily upon electric power to do most everything for us. I admit that these days, I use my share of electricity like everyone else. But the big difference is, I don't depend on it. Let's say that a major disaster hits NOW, whether it be natural or political. It is upon you, and right off the bat, you've lost all power to your home. Because it is a major disaster, you may not have power back for weeks, months or even longer.
If you have an emergency generator that will power the house and its appliances, that's fine for as long as you have fuel to feed it. Then you are back to Square One. Remember, this is a serious disaster that will change everyone's life for a long, long time and although a 72 hour emergency kit will get you started it is obviously not the long term answer.
I'll be using myself and my experiences as much as possible for a reference guide, looking at the ways we need not depend upon electrical power. Electricity can be a wonderful gift. It can do so much for us in so many ways that it should be used, if at all possible. But we should NEVER be wholly dependent upon it. Remember, as great as electricity is, it can be removed from us at any time. Depending upon electricity is truly a bad move on anyone's part.
Your mindset form here on in will be your most important asset. When we at World Survival Institute (WSI) teach a wilderness survival course, this mindset means everything. This mindset, this positive winning attitude, will keep you going and help you now to plan ahead.
Making the right moves toward self sufficiency becomes easier if you first take the time to recognize the wrong moves that you've made up to this point. We've all made wrong moves, and that's OK, it's life. However, to continue on in the same way is futile and under the right circumstances, becomes disastrous. Learn from your mistakes.
Living a wilderness lifestyle and being self sufficient does not allow for mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes people make today is waste. When living a wilderness lifestyle, waste can not be tolerated or you will soon run out of resources. For example, right now take a look around the house and see how many lights are on that no one is using. If those were kerosene lamps, you couldn't afford to waste the precious fuel. How many 100 watt lights do you use where 60 or 70 watt bulbs would be adequate? These are things to think about and change now to help develop that mindset.
As we talk about electricity, let's take my situation right now for an example. It's winter as I write this and the ambient temperature is 60 degrees below zero F. It's dark a good deal of the time in the winter months and it is dark now. The cabin is warm and dinner is cooking on the stove. The next thing you know a major disaster hits and the cabin has lost all electrical power for an indefinite amount of time, maybe forever.
But because I'm ready for such a situation, it will take me approximately 30 seconds to be back on line with lights, the cabin will continue to be heated, and dinner will keep on cooking. At this point, I really don't care if the power comes back on because I am not dependent upon it.
For a test, pick a nice cold night and get your family together. Make this spontaneous just the way you live right now with NO special preparation. Go to the electrical breaker panel without a flashlight and throw the main breakers off. If possible, turn off your phones, too. You've just simulated a complete power outage. Now imagine that the outage could continue for a long time if circumstances were out of your control, i. e., a real disaster.
The only thing you should do ahead of time for this exercise is put out some pads and pencils. You should have flashlights with fresh batteries or, even better, freshly charged flashlights mounted on the walls in strategic locations. If you don't, mark it down on those pads of paper you have laid out. For the rest of the evening mark down everything that is letting you down because of lack of power, and what you can do to change it for the future. You and your family will quickly get a good education, and that's wonderful, because this is just a dress rehearsal for the real thing. NOW is the time to learn, not when a disaster has hit.
Let's take a look at the truly bad situation of a long-term power outage, i. e. weeks or months. The house has no light and it's only heating source was a furnace that ran on fuel oil or natural gas. During major disasters, natural gas lines can rupture and fuel may be impossible to get. It really doesn't matter though, because most furnaces are electrically fired. Even if you have plenty of fuel for the furnace, without electricity the furnace has shut down permanently.
The refrigerator and freezer have shut down and food will spoil. An electric stove was used to cook the meals, with the aid of a microwave, but no more; they are also without power. To make matters worse, the water mains are shut down, and the sewers are not working. The people who live in this house are, to say the least, in big trouble. They are in trouble mainly because they were completely dependent upon electricity.
Many people consider purchasing a large standby generator to safeguard against this happening. In a remote area it's just fine to use a large generator for daily use. But it can be costly. The costs are not only in terms of fuel; they include maintenance and replacement parts too. So as a backup for the time when a major disaster may hit and you could eventually lose the electricity from your emergency generator, consider alternative ways of doing the daily things, ways that don't require electrical power.
I make my morning coffee in an electric coffee maker but I'm not opposed to making it in a percolator on the wood stove. I often use the microwave because it's convenience, but I don't need it to live comfortably. I use electric lights because they are easy, but in all honesty I prefer kerosene lamps because of their beauty with their soft light. I also know that electrical machines are not necessary to a good lifestyle.
Ask yourself, how many electrical appliances do you really need to use every day? Remember, in a disaster fuel may be impossible to get. Also, there is the noise from a large generator that can make you half nuts if it's running full time. And, even worse, that noise can be heard miles away alerting everyone in the area of your location and that you have power/fuel. The answer is to get off that power and use alternatives, such as a small whisper quiet generator for short times to charge batteries that will keep you going.
If you are building a retreat or changing over your present dwelling, set your mind to the liklihood of not having electrical power available in some future time. This possibility and the backup or alternative energy sources should you choose should be put into your primary design. Once this has been accomplished, you can add AC power to your plan, always bearing in mind that someday you might be without it.
Depending upon where you live, heat in the winter is of major concern. A wood stove that will heat the whole house is essential and should be your first investment. Then if you still want to have a furnace, have at it. Furnaces are useful and convenient so long as you have power. Also, if you are right now looking for property in a remote area, make sure your building site has easy access to plenty of firewood.
When you install your wood stove, I would also suggest installing a Stack Robber. A Stack Robber fits in line with your flue/chimney pipe and draws off heat that would normally have gone up the pipe. Stack Robbers assist your stove, which is giving off radiant heat, by contributing heat through convection, i.e., forced hot air. This is accomplished by an electric fan. Now you don't want to depend on 120 volt AC electric power, so install a 12 volt circuit that can be activated in seconds and you are back in business.
LIGHTING. Next let's take a look at lighting. If you have no alternative lighting system, you may at this point consider it. A couple of candles or flashlights can get you by for a few hours, but what if it's a week, months or years? The system that I use is regular 120 volt AC electrical power. If I lose that power, I can easily activate propane lamps all over the house. These lamps are permanently mounted on the walls, and propane to run them is piped in from large outside storage tanks.
I also have another option, a 12 volt DC lighting system installed throughout the house. The deep cycle batteries that supply the 12 volt power are recharged by a small efficient (and quiet) 1000 watt generator or by solar collection panels. At the same time, the generator or panels will recharge flashlight batteries and battery powered tools.
As you can see, a loss of conventional AC power does not have to be an inconvenience. When I first built my cabin, I used only propane, 12 volt DC electricity and kerosene lamps. It was great, and it wasn't rough living. I installed various conveniences that made things comfortable and easy for me. For example, if you are building, you might want to use this little convenience: I installed a 12 volt DC light just inside the cabin and wired it to a micro switch at the door. When I opened the door, the light would come on automatically and illuminate the kitchen. It made for no more stumbling around in the dark looking for a light. Try it, you'll like it.
Another thing you should think about is battery chargers and rechargeable batteries. In a disaster, you may not be able to get replacement batteries for your flashlights, radios, etc. Rechargeable batteries will get you out of this mess and reduce your dependence on outside energy sources. There are all kinds of batteries and chargers available. Pick the right combination for your lifestyle, and you will never have to buy batteries again. Don't forget to check out the solar battery chargers. I even have a small 3 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch solar charger for AA batteries that I keep in my survival kit.
Cooking is another concern. From a survival perspective, electric stoves are out of the question. I think a propane gas stove is the way to go. They don't need electricity and I also find them easier to cook with. At the same time, don't forget the good old wood stove. With my stove I use the flat surfaces to cook and bake on, so that I can be cooking up a nice stew while keeping the cabin warm. Also there are wood cook stoves available that are both beautiful and easy to cook on. And boy, do they help heat up a house!
When we talked earlier about a permanent AC power shutdown and the problem of food spoiling, the wood stove or the propane stove can supply the answer. Either will easily supply heat so you can use a hot water bath canner or a pressure cooker to can the food before it goes bad. By being prepared, even the loss of refrigeration is not too much of a problem. You should have a good pressure cooker, and cans or jars with lids, etc. ready for this purpose.
Many people think they can't do canning over a wood stove with fluctuating heat, but they are wrong. I've put up thousands of jars of salmon over an open fire at my fish camp. Once you get a system down, you'll be in good shape. But be sure to practice beforehand. After a disaster has struck is the worst time to be learning how to set up a good canning system.
WATER, SANITATION-Now a bit on water and sanitation in general. If you live in the city or suburbs, your water supply can very easily be interrupted. Optimally, you should plan on 3 gallons of water per person per day. And don't forget your pets. Remember, too, you need to be thinking in terms of LONG TERM sources of water, not just enough to make it through the weekend. Securing a steady supply of water is critical, even more than food.
If you are living in a rural area, you probably will have a well or spring. But remember that most well pumps run on 120 volt electricity. Think about installing a 12 volt DC pump with an inverter. Then you can run on regular AC power, but have the option of transferring to 12 volt DC power from your deep cycle batteries. If you live in an area where there is adequate rainfall, you might want to look into ways of collecting and storing rainwater, like rain barrels or a cistern.
Also, in your planning, don't forget to include a couple of methods of water purification, and the necessary supplies (Chlorox, iodine, water purification tablets). There are many good water filters that are hand operated (non electric) on the market today. Many of these units will do an excellent job purifying water, but make sure you get one that can handle the quantity of water you and your family will require each day. Don't forget to stash away some replacmenet filter elements and other spare parts for the unit. This could save your health and even your life during bad times; without safe drinking water you're dead.
How about hot water? Water can be boiled on the propane stove or the wood stove to both heat it and purify it. If you are building that retreat or converting your present house over, you might want to consider an On-Demand Heater. I use one and they are wonderful. Mine runs on propane and needs no power. When I open a hot water faucet, the burners come on automatically and you have an endless flow of hot water. The water is heated instantly as it passes through the heater coils which shut off instantly when the faucet is closed. The unit requires no outside power, only propane and water pressure.
The advantages of this heater are obvious. We have instant hot water that won't run out because the water is only heated at the time it is needed, as it passes through the heater. By contrast, conventional hot water heaters are constantly heating, say 40 gallons of water, even when you don't need it, such as at night. These tank heaters are constantly stealing fuel from you. In a disaster situation you can not afford even the smallest fuel loss. With the On-Demand Heater, I shut off the pilot light when I don't plan to use any hot water for a while. It's a habit that keeps me in the right mindset.
Good luck at escaping the electrical snare that has been set for you. Use the electrical power while you can, but please don't be dependent upon it. Plan ahead and get yourself prepared now.
If you need help, or have any questions feel free to call WSI and we will help you if we can. Also I've listed below some sources that you can contact to get you on the right road toward real self reliance.
