View Full Version : Extended Power Outages
This week I've had several day-long outages, which is relatively-speaking for around here nothing. I've been down for 9-10 days before.
Still, the drills exposed some weak points in the preparedness.
And now, today, with the arrival of the finest piece of machinery Peugeot has built in its 205-year history, I am at last prepared:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q-v-_lxlRNE/Vk57bvXhBjI/AAAAAAAARII/cXfYTkKgsng/s800-Ic42/grinder.jpg
catherine
11-19-15, 9:01pm
Preparedness at its best! I could survive any natural disaster as long as I had a good cup of coffee! And locally grown at that! Very cool.
The key there is the first time the power failed, I hadn't yet ground any coffee, and was forced to use mortar and pestle, not wanting to bother setting up the long-term zombie-plan Diamant mill for coffee :-) All my instant-ish coffee was out in my search/rescue pack, which was in the truck, and it was too cold and windy to go outside. I almost had to resort to tea.
For posterity, you can also get a pretty good grind with a 1-kilo blacksmith's hammer on your anvil, if you fabricate a guard out of sheet metal to contain the coffee. And the water heats up nicely atop the forge.
Things you learn when you need to :-)
SteveinMN
11-19-15, 10:09pm
A Peugeot mill is the way to approach power outages in style!
JaneV2.0
11-19-15, 10:14pm
I just took to my bed with a Kindle, some cooked bacon, good cheese, and an avocado. Maybe if it had gone on longer I would have broken out the brandy.
catherine
11-20-15, 1:02am
Maybe if it had gone on longer I would have broken out the brandy.
Damn electricity!
That's one fine looking mill. I resort to a small hand held mill intended for camping but more than one cup at a time is a real pain.
rodeosweetheart
11-20-15, 6:11am
I hope it works better than my Peugeot car did. My Peugeot watch, on the other hand. . .
Miss Cellane
11-20-15, 6:19am
Hey, what's wrong with tea?
But I agree--something a lot of people overlook in prepping for power outages or natural disasters or the like is their caffeine delivery system. It's not just that you miss your morning cup of coffee or tea--caffeine withdrawal can give you headaches. And when all around you is not functioning well, it helps a lot if you can function at your best.
But is that enough coffee for a few days, bae? :)
Yeah......that's the first thing I think about when we have outages. Then I think about how to roast meat in the fireplace.
That's a beautiful piece of machinery!
I always have the sterno fuel for my fondue pot for my tea! I can go to work without a shower or many things, but tea!
(I just went to Celestial Seasonings factory and got some Fast Lane, the tea with 110 mgs of caffeine)
Teacher Terry
11-20-15, 12:04pm
If I can't get coffee I drink Coke-caffeine is caffeine. I have about a 6 hour max without heat & then I am going to a hotel with all the doggies.
lessisbest
11-22-15, 10:03am
I keep instant coffee crystals vacuum-sealed in quart jars. By doing so, it will keep nearly indefinitely. You can also make coffee with whole beans.
WHOLE BEAN COFFEE
(no grinder, no problem)
Place 2 T. of whole beans per 6-oz. of boiling water in a Thermos. Lay on side for 1-hour. Coffee is lighter in color, and for those who have stomach issues with coffee, it reduces the bitterness of the coffee.
rodeosweetheart
11-22-15, 10:28am
Very cool coffee recipe, Lessis, we must try this, as we have some great antique thermoses perfect for the job!
Williamsmith
11-22-15, 12:59pm
A rocket stove is very easy to make from a cheap 12 quart stainless steel stock pot, some furnace pipe and a few other items. You can literally cook anything as well as boil water quickly with nothing more than some twigs gathered from your yard or nearby woods. Google "Rocket Stove Boss of The Swamp" for you tube video.
A rocket stove is very easy to make from a cheap 12 quart stainless steel stock pot, some furnace pipe and a few other items. You can literally cook anything as well as boil water quickly with nothing more than some twigs gathered from your yard or nearby woods. Google "Rocket Stove Boss of The Swamp" for you tube video.
That would be fitting, since it was the "nearby woods" that were responsible for our plight in the first place. :D
Biofuels for the win!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88BJEglYKII
lessisbest
11-22-15, 5:03pm
This thread got me thinking about our alternative heat/cooking options, and I came up with this list. I'm a big believer in redundancy in case of an emergency:
-gas fireplace (no electricity needed)
-2 Mr. Heater Buddy Burners (propane - safe to use indoors, and LOTS of propane in storage)
-Kelly Kettle (heats water and cooks food all at the same time using very little fuel)
-Sterno and Sterno Stove (chaffing dishes will also work for heating a small amount of food or water) One can of Sterno will usually heat 6-meals.
-3 Solar Ovens - you can heat water in quart jars (the jars are painted black on the outside using heat-resistant paint) Word of advise, it takes a lot of energy to heat water, so plan accordingly. Once you have it heated, store it in Thermos bottles to use for "instant" foods - instant soup, instant oatmeal, instant coffee, instant cocoa mix, hot tea..... I would also suggest filling hot water bottles to put inside your bed to keep you warm. In the morning the water will still be warm enough to use for shaving or a sponge bath.
-Q-Grill - small propane grill
-Cobb Grill - which takes the least amount of charcoal to cook a whole meal. Charcoal is the least expensive fuel per BTU that a family can store. $50-$60 could supply a family for a year if used sparingly - which the Cobb Grill is known for.
-We have a number of Hobo Stoves made out of recycled #10 cans and we make buddy burners out of sawdust and paraffin wax in small cans (tuna, canned chicken, canned pineapple....)
I'm addicted to black tea with cream and I just added powdered cream to my amazon list. Reviewer liked it, provided you stir the cream with a lttle hot water first.
Not going to order from them now till after Christmas, it's all too crazy!
lessisbest
12-19-15, 6:55am
I'm addicted to black tea with cream and I just added powdered cream to my amazon list. Reviewer liked it, provided you stir the cream with a lttle hot water first.
Not going to order from them now till after Christmas, it's all too crazy!
I use Land O Lakes Mini-Moo's Half and Half - found with individual servings of flavored non-dairy creamers (they come in a 24-count box at most grocery stores, or 196-count at Sam's Club). The Mini-Moo's don't require refrigeration. During an ice storm power outage, I quickly learned how handy the Mini-Moo's were for a cup of tea, enriching a cup of cocoa mix using water, using for cereal or Instant Oatmeal..... You'll need to use them, not just store them, because they are dated.
http://www.landolakes.com/product/2579/mini-moos-half-half
I use Land O Lakes Mini-Moo's Half and Half
Will definitely try those, thanks! No Sam's Club or Costco near where I live but I'll get a small batch at a local chain grocery store and see!
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