by popular request, a short thread on ideas for how to prepare for / handle power outages, starting with the newest concern: - organize against the far right so that they are less capable of shooting up power stations

- basic disaster preparedness: several gallons of water per person, some ready to eat food, emergency/windup radio, reasonably expansive first aid kit, extra warm blankets, keep vehicles with at least half a tank of gas

- water filtration might matter if regional power outtages impact your water sources. there are a ton of options, from chemical treatment pills (or even bleach, read directions!!) to ceramic personal filters (i like sawyer personally) to whole house systems.

- ability to heat food might be impacted. camp stoves are great backup at various price points. most aren't designed to be used indoors.

- remember that some of the major sources of death in disaster are based on uninformed decisionmaking, like using a chainsaw on downed trees without safety gear and training, or running a car in a garage for heat, or using outdoor propane devices inside, or running a generator

- check on your neighbors. can't stress this enough. know them ahead of time. Know who will be impacted badly by lack of power.

- the flower pot candle heater trick is a lie and not an adequate source of heat for anything larger than like, a tent, and is dangerous anyway owing to the flashpoint of candlewax.

- DIY alcohol lamps CAN be effective and safe if done right, in small spaces. A lot of emergency heating involves only heating some small portion of your residence.

- backup heat sources are useful! the "big buddy" style propane heaters are designed for inside use (check the box, not all propane heaters are inside rated). i lived several winters off grid relying on a big buddy. it ruled.

- woodburning stoves are lovely additions to a home but of course would need to be done well ahead of time and there are lots of things to be careful about in a DIY installation that i won't get into here.

- backup power comes in all kinds of budgets and styles. never run a generator inside. small battery banks can keep phones alive. larger "solar generators" (Bluetti is a a cheap brand i've used to good effect) can run a laptop or a pellet stove or lots of other stuff

- propane or gas generators are great to have around if you can run them outside at a decent distance from the house. backup generators that trigger automatically during an outage rule but are expensive but are worth considering; they're common in rural areas.

- if your house has solar, consider a battery backup system (i think you can do this without solar as well). Also expensive, not DIY friendly at all, but can be wired to run your fridge, well, furnace, modem, etc. etc. when the power is out.

if there are solar incentives in your area, get a battery thrown in for good measure if possible

if you prepare for having power during an outtage, it's worth communicating that to your neighbors, especially anyone who requires power for health related concerns.

there's always more you can do but that's some of what i've got. stop the fash. that part is important.