Storms ripped through our area yesterday leaving thousands in the dark, but not all of us. I have to say I’m very proud of my wife as she executed the plan flawlessly. I was stuck at work 35 miles away when the storm took it’s toll, but she was ready. On my journey home I passed countless downed trees and darkened homes. I admit I was a bit surprised at how few homes I passed showed even a flicker of candlelight – most people were ill prepared for even such a common disruption of power. As I pulled in the driveway my wife met me at the porch with a flashlight, (she rocks) so I didn’t stumble in the darkness. Once inside I had to smile; she had our little LED lanterns strategically placed around the home, a few candles flickering in the main room, and a movie all lined up for me on the PC. Unlike our neighbors, our solar backup along with other preps, made this event a non-event. We were able to enjoy a meal, watch a movie, and go about our normal routine, (mostly anyway) as though nothing had happened. Although she’s always supportive I sometimes got the feeling she was a bit skeptical about my new solar experiment, but no more. We not only survived the storm, but while others sat in the dark, we were unscathed and even learned a lesson or two.
With our society so ill prepared for even common disruptions to normal life, can you imagine how they would react to a real SHTF situation?
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Happy prepping!
Prepper 365 
Good for you. I wonder sometimes if my neighbor’s even own flashlights or candles because when power temporarily goes out. The neighborhood homes look dark. We personally have blackout curtains in the living room, so as not to give the impression that we have power. Perhaps a few of the other homes also have blackout curtains. Anyways we in the past have used Deitz lanterns for light and for some heat. Have two LED lanterns. Have recently purchased a 200 watt solar system with 2-100ah deep cycle batteries to get our feet wet in solar power. Using a Renogy 1500watt pure sine wave inverter. Will soon run outlets for the fridge, living room and dining room for power from the battery bank. Will use 12 volt RV LED lights in the living room, dining room and kitchen. The inverter is for the fridge and microwave and for sensitive electronics. Will soon purchase 2 more batteries for the battery bank as I still have time, the previous batteries were purchased 3 months ago new.
Anyways, the idea now is to lower my overall energy consumption and reduce the energy bill. And to not live like a caveman during power outages. I don’t have current plans for expanding the solar panel array as I will probably be moving when I retire in 7 yrs. Hopefully I can keep working that long in my current field. If things work out the way I plan, my new home will have a larger solar array. Perhaps a windmill for added energy production as the current demographics suggest it being advantageous.
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Sounds like you’re in pretty good shape! Thanks for reading.
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