Getting Prepared Month 10: Practice Going Off Grid

• Axe
• Hatchet
• Pocket Knife
• Portable (Folding) Shovel

In addition to regular use around the house or on a camping trip, these items will help you dig your way out of a disaster and are a solid investment in your ability to cope when the big one this.

TASKS:

Obviously, taking care of yourself while you are in the moment (with the Drop, Cover and Hold) is of utmost importance, which we covered in Getting Prepared Month 9: Duct Tape and Drills. But there are also some other things you can do in advance to protect yourself from the big one.

Locate the safe places in each room of your home, workplace and/or school in advance. Walk around and inventory your options. A safe place could be under a piece of furniture or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you.

• Keep a flashlight and sturdy shoes by each person’s bed.
• Bolt and brace water heaters and gas appliances to wall studs.
• Bolt bookcases, china cabinets and other tall furniture to wall studs.
• Hang heavy items, such as pictures and mirrors, away from beds, couches and anywhere people sleep or sit.
• Install strong latches or bolts on cabinets. Large or heavy items should be closest to the floor.
• Learn how to shut off the gas valves in your home and keep a wrench handy for that purpose.
• Keep and maintain an emergency supplies kit in an easy-to-access location.

I happen to live in Washington State which is earthquake country, but if you live in a tornado, hurricane or flood area, the same principles apply. You still need to secure your stuff so it does not blow away or float away. And you still need to know how to take care of shutting off the utilities when disaster strikes.

The Practice Drill – Going Off Grid for Practice

Last week I wrote about Six Things to Do to Prepare for Going Off-Grid. I was quite surprised when the article ranked as one of my most popular articles ever. This month, the issue is not that you are purposely going to move off-grid (although that is always on option for the truly self-reliant), but rather one of facing the issues if you were suddenly forced off grid.

This month – month ten – I challenge you to ask yourself the question: what would life be like if we were off grid for an extended period of time?

There is the obvious: no lights going on when you flick on the switch, no power to your refrigerator or freezer, no air conditioning, no hot water to your electric hot water heater, no washer and dryer, no computer, no Internet, no way to charge your cell phone or other electronic gizmos, no access to online banking or online shopping . . . and well, I could go on and on.

But what about the less obvious? There will be no way to access cash from the ATM, no working cash registers or credit card machines at the grocery store, no way to pump gasoline at the the gas station, no way to pump water from your well . . . and again, the list goes on.

So here is the deal: practice going off-grid in your own home.

If you can the resist temptation to turn on the power, you can simply go about your life for a day or two without using any electricity. Better still – and something I do – is to shut down breakers to everything except refrigeration (so your food does not spoil) and see how you do.

Make a list of things you had issues with. Not enough light sources? Get some light sticks, a lantern, and batteries. No way to cook the food you have stored? Store different types of foods – those that do not require cooking – or get yourself a charcoal or biomass grill or stove.

Trust me, you will be surprised at the results of your drill. Things will come up that you that next time your needs are covered.

Don’t forget that during this drill, you need to forgo stores (no cash registers or credit cards, remember?), restaurants (same thing), gas for your car, and other commercial conveniences. You are on your own for just a day or two. Learn from it.

The Final Word

Have you noticed that some of the prepping recommendations these past couple of months have started to sound repetitive? There is a reason for that which I will explain using a term we use in ballroom dance: Muscle Memory. This is when, through repetition and practice, a task or skill becomes automatic. Like walking or riding a bicycle, it becomes automatic and something you can do without thinking. That is exactly where you want to be with your survival skill set: on autopilot.

I will be addressing this more in the future so keep in mind that your drills and practice sessions are important. You want to be able to act without thinking and, more importantly, act without fear. That is what this is really all about: having the ability to react to a disaster with common sense devoid of panic and devoid of fear.

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In case you missed any of the articles in this series: