Power knocked out!

[ubersoldate]

Last Saturday it started snowing.
Sunday the power lines were getting knocked out by falling trees and my house was one of the 70% of my area to be without power or phones.
It didnt stop snowing untill Wed.
We managed to get out to go down the hill for thanksgiving with family yesterday for the first day.
We think we got around 4-5 ft on my property, with drifts far higher!
Got the jeep dug out enough to drive on monday, but power lines, and power line poles were blocking our road so we were stuck at our house.
Pipes froze for two days but we got em working eventually.

We had enough wood to keep the place warm, and being a survivalist type of person, I really enjoyed using a ton of the stuff Ive collected over the years...
Wife and I decided to for-go the generator to see how we would fare.
We never even sparked it up.
A great way to see how the family would deal with a katrina sitaution.

We had a BLAST! So did the kids. I learned alot about our house, and saw some of the issues that some of my gear had.
Snow shoes a must to get out of here, I did two miles to get to a phone in my ole military muck luc's, and it was a real workout in waste deep snow.

Ive always been cynical when it comes to the gear that is sold for "shtf" situations, I openly make fun of people on this message board who buy $300 bug out bags, and the best of the best due to the name "tactical " on the side.

The best piece of gear that I found usefull this week was my headlamp, Pretty much the best thing ever in our situation!
http://www.karstsports.com/pemy3e3.html
Mine will always remain in my bug out bag, with extra batteries, wont leave home without it.
I dont think I took it off all week!

The only bad part was the racoons who decided to attack my property like zombies.
They KNEW that people were storing food outside, so they came in force...
Fearless bastards!

So the power went on at lunch time, so it will be a nice evening of laptops, dvds, lights, and cooking on something but msr and propane cookstoves..

Kinda wishing the power was still off!

My drive way...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs561.ash2/148388_177019945643547_100000066272530_614799_1551 816_n.jpg
The HWY..
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1149.snc4/149101_178575845487957_100000066272530_625919_5095 64_n.jpg

[Full Otto]

Man I didn't need to see that snow I know it's coming but just cold here now. What kind of temps did you have with that.

Ya know there's a reason those pioneers wore coonskin caps.

It's good you were able to keep up your spirits.

[ubersoldate]

Man I didn't need to see that snow I know it's coming but just cold here now. What kind of temps did you have with that.

Ya know there's a reason those pioneers wore coonskin caps.

It's good you were able to keep up your spirits.

Wasnt tooooo bad temp wise, I mean there was two night that it was around 10, but mid twentys the rest of the time at night...
This Phoenix boy is getting used to it though!

[aliceinchains]

Wasnt tooooo bad temp wise, I mean there was two night that it was around 10, but mid twentys the rest of the time at night...
This Phoenix boy is getting used to it though!




You didn't have any busted pipes? But you had plenty of target practice at coons.

[crapshoot]

Wasnt tooooo bad temp wise, I mean there was two night that it was around 10, but mid twentys the rest of the time at night...
This Phoenix boy is getting used to it though!

Welcome to the Sierra Nevadas!

[ubersoldate]

You didn't have any busted pipes? But you had plenty of target practice at coons.

Frozen up, but not broken, I was lucky!

Yea the two damn racoons made my nights interesting. Smart animals, really smart.

One of them looked as if he got into with something bigger and meaner as he didnt have a tail...funny fat tail'less bastard.

[ubersoldate]

Welcome to the Sierra Nevadas!

What a welcome it was!
Man it sure is beautifull though....

[crapshoot]

I've pondered moving north to Montana a few times, plus I have a ton of land back in PA that I own and have thought about going back there as well, but I can't seem to pull myself away from this region.

Too many things to do and so little time. The winter down in your area is beautiful.

[ubersoldate]

I've pondered moving north to Montana a few times, plus I have a ton of land back in PA that I own and have thought about going back there as well, but I can't seem to pull myself away from this region.

Too many things to do and so little time. The winter down in your area is beautiful.

I lived in Kalispell for a year when I came to the states, worked for the forest service, good time, nice country up there.
Never been out east, except a little tourisim style here and there..
I sure love the country here, it reminds me of Germany, and small town living is great, I just wish I would have got my ass out of Phoenix sooner!

[aliceinchains]

I lived in Kalispell for a year when I came to the states, worked for the forest service, good time, nice country up there.
Never been out east, except a little tourisim style here and there..
I sure love the country here, it reminds me of Germany, and small town living is great, I just wish I would have got my ass out of Phoenix sooner!



Your not missing jack shit here in the east. More left moving in every day. Old school values don't exist here any more. Jersey and philly are the worst.

[swampdragon]

The only bad part was the racoons who decided to attack my property like zombies.
They KNEW that people were storing food outside, so they came in force...
Fearless bastards!






http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Swampdragon/9a364587.jpg

[ubersoldate]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Swampdragon/9a364587.jpg

Two came back last night, and woke me up at 3 am, banging on the back of my house, and DIGGING under the foundation...I scared em off.

But they come back tonight, Im gonna make short work of them, period.

[swampdragon]

Two came back last night, and woke me up at 3 am, banging on the back of my house, and DIGGING under the foundation...I scared em off.

But they come back tonight, Im gonna make short work of them, period.

How cold is it outside?
Hell man, I'd just toss the fridge outside too, put everything in it and put a chain on the door for now....lol

[ubersoldate]

How cold is it outside?
Hell man, I'd just toss the fridge outside too, put everything in it and put a chain on the door for now....lol

its in the 20/30s but we have the power back on, and this time the honda eco generator will be turned on to keep the food.
I just dont want the damn coons to get under my house, or in the attic and make my life more of a living hell...

First day of work today, ten hour day with almost two hours of commute, and I was kept up all night by those little bastards.

[HDR]

Sometimes living in the "outback" has its disadvantages, I know.. Your power was back on quickly; sometimes it takes a while to get to the less populated areas..

[swampdragon]

Sometimes living in the "outback" has its disadvantages, I know.. Your power was back on quickly; sometimes it takes a while to get to the less populated areas..

Yep.
That's how it is here too.
We are at the bottom of the damned list.

[HDR]

Yep.
That's how it is here too.
We are at the bottom of the damned list.

There is always room at the bottom of the list. LOL

Here there are ice storms. When it is a bad one lots of people lose power. Bottom of the list means it is out for almost two weeks.

[swampdragon]

There is always room at the bottom of the list. LOL

Here there are ice storms. When it is a bad one lots of people lose power. Bottom of the list means it is out for almost two weeks.

You've got it even worse than me then!
The longest we've ever been down is about 4 days I think....so far, knock on wood.
It's the freakin' wind and snow that usually gets us.

[ubersoldate]

Yea, 5 days was a bit long, but we get some serious snow up here. I mean we measure our snowfall by the foot.
I think for my local we are the bottom of the list as well. There isnt really alot of houses close, and the ones that are, are either vacation cabins where people dont live full time, loners, or a religious compound or two up the mountain from me.

I enjoyed it though, seemed everything was more simple.
I also like using some of the camping/survival stuff I dont get to use all the time.

Alot of the stuff that is sold as surival gear isnt worth the packaging it comes in.

And some, like my and my wife sleeping bags are a amazing thing. -20 bag, that doesnt weigh a thing, and is so small it can fit in any type of pack is a nice thing to have in this country.
Headlamps are another.
Water purification systems.
Baby wipes.

You know, I know alot of people who are all about the end of the world, and stock up tens of thousands of rounds of ammo, yet never once took stock in clean water.
And if one takes a look at disasters, warzones, or third world countries, contaminated water is a major problem!

Did a nice little hike this evening, and tomorrow I start work again.
9 days straight, ten hours days.
Told my wife I wished the power would go off again, Im not ready to drive into town.:laughingtohard:

[HDR]

As I work, more than 5 days was a bitch. What really sucked was coming home and seeing lights on the paved road but not here. Everything was great here; however, using the laundromat etc was a pita.

As I had just moved in when the first bad ice storm caught me. I did not have squat. All the stores locally had been picked clean so I had to drive to buy water. Now, I keep about 25 gallons of water on hand.
Plus, enough bleach to purify hundreds of gallons and a shit load of propane for cooking.

If shtf does arrive (highly improbable) it won't take long for the people who have 10,000 rounds to realize they can't eat it and that will create problems.

[swampdragon]

As I work, more than 5 days was a bitch. What really sucked was coming home and seeing lights on the paved road but not here. Everything was great here; however, using the laundromat etc was a pita.

As I had just moved in when the first bad ice storm caught me. I did not have squat. All the stores locally had been picked clean so I had to drive to buy water. Now, I keep about 25 gallons of water on hand.
Plus, enough bleach to purify hundreds of gallons and a shit load of propane for cooking.

If shtf does arrive (highly improbable) it won't take long for the people who have 10,000 rounds to realize they can't eat it and that will create problems.

I have a whole bunch of these military 5-gal water cans.
I really like how you can pour from the little spout, but take off the big cap too and get yours hands in there to really scrub them out good sometimes too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Swampdragon/2f13504d.jpg

[ubersoldate]

If shtf does arrive (highly improbable) it won't take long for the people who have 10,000 rounds to realize they can't eat it and that will create problems.

Yup, agreed 100%

[HDR]

I have a whole bunch of these military 5-gal water cans.
I really like how you can pour from the little spout, but take off the big cap too and get yours hands in there to really scrub them out good sometimes too.

Do you add bleach? I have a well so I treat storage water.


Yup, agreed 100%

This is why I have no plans on leaving.

[Integratedj]

Glad everything went well for you and your family Uber. That looked like all sorts of cold in your pictures...That would take some getting used to.

Do you have a good place for gardening at your new place? Decent soil and sun exposure?