This is really cool. Readiness Plan made a video tutorial explaining how to make a portable phone charger with just a few things: 9V snap connector, 9V USB car charger, electrical tape, 9V battery, rubber band, multi-tool, and of course a mini Altoids tin. If you plan on using this a lot, you'll want to stock up on plenty of 9V batteries. You could also … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Hack Outdoor Solar Lights for Survival
Outdoor solar lights are a prepper's best friend. I have several in my front yard that I plan on using for extra indoor lighting during a power outage. But the following article has several interesting ideas I never considered before. For example, if your solar garden lights have AA rechargeable batteries inside, you can use them as solar battery … [Read more...]
11 Powerless Tools You’ll Need After The SHTF
If you're living through a long-term disaster, odds are the power is out and gasoline is scarce, which means most of your power tools are useless. You might not think this is very important, but you'll need non-power tools for things like boarding up windows, cutting tree branches, and various DIY projects. In this article, I'm going to cover 11 powerless … [Read more...]
17 Ways You Can Stay Warm When The Power Goes Out
A cold snap accompanied by strong winds and heavy snow or ice often results in the power going out. This can be very dangerous for people who rely on electricity to heat their homes in the winter. It's important to have a plan in place to keep yourself and your family warm while riding out a power outage. Hypothermia is a very real possibility that claims … [Read more...]
3 Ways To Start Your Off Grid Transition
When the subject of off-grid living comes up, the average person pictures guys with scruffy beards living in makeshift shelters in the woods. But living off-grid is simply about liberty, independence, and shunning the corporate/government machine that wants to control every facet of your life. The less you have to rely on someone else for your daily human … [Read more...]
Lights Out Box: Everything You Need for a Power Outage
This week's video comes from the The Peaceful Prepper and her channel, "Urban Prepping for the Single Gal." She has a really great idea that she calls a "Lights Out Box." It's not a full emergency kit; it's just something you can use during ordinary power outages. The box includes things like flashlights, batteries, a lantern, an emergency radio, a … [Read more...]
How to Charge a Cell Phone With Batteries
Here's a skill that could come in handy. Imagine your phone is dying and you have no way to charge it--the power has been out all day, or you're stranded somewhere and your car's battery is dead. In a situation like that, you might still have access to your car charger and some batteries. If only you could get the power from those batteries into your … [Read more...]
20 Ways to Stay Cool Without Power
I've written about how to keep warm without power, but keeping cool is a greater challenge down here on the Gulf Coast. After hurricane Katrina the power was out for two weeks and we were miserable, constantly wiping sweat out of our eyes and fanning ourselves with magazines. Almost every survival site has an article about generating heat when the power … [Read more...]
The Ultimate Guide To DIY Off Grid Solar Power
If you're at all interested in setting up a solar power system, then I have the ultimate video series for you. It was created by Tin Hat Ranch, and it's the perfect introduction for anyone who wants to be as comfortable as possible if the grid goes down. Some people argue that as long as you know how to do things the old way, you won't need solar power. … [Read more...]
11 Ways To Light Your Home When The Power Goes Out
Imagine you're relaxing on the couch with your phone or tablet -- perhaps reading an article on Urban Survival Site -- when lightning flashes against the windows followed by a deafening crack of thunder. An instant later the lights go out and your home becomes dark and eerily quiet. What is the first thing you would do in this situation? Hopefully, you … [Read more...]
Endless Hot Water Without Electricity
Engineer775 has an ingenious setup where he can easily heat water without using any electricity. He made a coil from some copper tubing and placed it inside a stovepipe. Basically, the fire heats up the coil to several hundred degrees, and as water flows through the coil, it gets nice and hot. After that, it dumps into his water heater. You can watch … [Read more...]
15 Questions To Ask Before The Power Goes Out
When disaster strikes, usually the first thing that happens is the power goes out. While earthquakes and hurricanes ravage nearby cities, your home might experience nothing more than a power outage. If that happens, count yourself lucky. But what if the power stays out for a long time? Not just a day, but a week or two? Or longer? How well would you … [Read more...]
How to Build a Bicycle Generator
7 Trumpets Prepper recorded a video where he shows step by step how he built a custom bicycle generator. This would be a great thing to have, especially if it's too cloudy for solar power or if you're running low on fuel. Here is the video. The tools and parts lists along with special instructions are below the video. Tools Safety Glasses Tape … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Save Money On Solar Panels
How great would it be if you had enough solar panels to power your entire home? Not only would you still have power during most disasters, you wouldn't have to pay that electric bill ever again. The only problem is, solar panels are so expensive it could take over a decade to break even. Still, if you can afford it, just one will make your life far more … [Read more...]
Fuel Considerations in a Survival Situation
In a survival situation you will need some sort of fuel in order to cook food. Fortunately, camping technology is getting better all the time so we have many options that are clean, affordable and long-lasting. Depending on the application, fuels utilized are propane, kerosene, butane, alcohol, and gasoline. There are other fuels out there, but this is just … [Read more...]
Rechargeable Batteries Guide
I can't emphasize how much easier it will be to get through a disaster if you have plenty of rechargeable batteries and a solar-powered battery charger. You'll be able to power lights, radios, fans, games, clocks, alarm systems, and all sorts of things that will make your life far easier. You might be thinking, "I already have extra batteries," but what if … [Read more...]
