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4 Things You Need When the Lights Go Out

September 14, 2015 by Melissa Norris 25 Comments

The smallest amount of light can penetrate the heaviest dark. When the power goes out, there is nothing more reassuring than having a light source.

Make sure you're ready when the power goes out so you're not running around looking for supplies. These are great tips and suggestions for 4 things to have when the lights go out. Grab this now to make sure you're ready before you need to be.

It's funny, we humans have lived for centuries without power, but in just a little over a hundred years, most Americans shudder at the inconvenience of going without electricity for a few hours and get quite put out if it's over a day. Now, I'm not saying I don't enjoy my electricity. I certainly do. When we were without power for almost 2 weeks, I cheered when it finally came back on. Like full on jumped up and down and may have went through and flipped a few light switches on and off like a kid to make sure  it was really back on.

Life is easier with electricity for most of us, unless you've converted your home to complete off-grid or some sort of solar or wind generated energy. This is something we've look at, but haven't made the plunge just yet.

Because we do experience power outages, and because we're extremely rural with no businesses for miles around, we are last priority to the power company when there are large storms. We've learned to always be prepared for an outage.

Heat is the first thing you'll want during a power outage. We have our trusty wood stove as our main heat source and always have seasoned and dry wood stacked in the woodshed. For us, heat is not a concern.

For those who rely completely on electric heat, I'd encourage you to look into another heat source if at all possible. We'll go into other options in another post.

Second thing to the lights going out is finding away to provide yourself with light. If you can't see, you're not going to be able to get your food out, see how to cook, find your warmer clothes, or walk without stubbing your toe (yeah, done that one).

4 Things You Need When the Light's Go Out

1. For a quick solution, we love these little head lamps. We have one in our children's bedrooms just in case. My husband and I both use it when going out to the wood pile in the dark and feeding the animals in the winter when we get home from work after dark. They allow you to work hands free, which is golden. They're under ten dollars and a great tool.

2. A great solar option are these LuminAid lanterns. They're small and will stay lit off of one charge for 16 hours. They provide a decent amount of light and don't require batteries, just access to daylight to recharge. They're also water proof, so you can use them outdoors in the wet or if they're dropped in a puddle, you're good to go.

In the evening when the whole family is gathered in the kitchen or living room, you're going to want something that will provide a decent amount of light. I've found nighttime is the hardest without power as we're not as accustomed to rising and going to bed with the sun (most of society, that is). Though if you're without power for long, you'll begin to find yourself adjusting to that rhythm more readily.

3. Like a true pioneer of old, an oil lamp is your best bet. They give off a lot of light and can be adjusted by turning the wick for more or less light. My father grew up with kerosene lanterns and they always make me feel a bit nostalgic. I purchased this glass oil lamp to have when the power went out and it stays on the kitchen counter for emergencies and part of our decor.

Note: With any of your preparedness items, take them and know how to use them before it's an emergency.

A few things to remember is keep it on a stable place when lit where it can't be jostled or knocked over. Our kitchen goes into our living room and I usually leave it on the counter. Remember, the glass chimney will become hot, so be careful when moving it. If a wick is kept too long it will smoke more.

Obviously, you need oil in order to burn your lamp. Make sure you have at least a back up bottle or two. We purchased and have been burning this brand of oil in ours. We didn't notice any odor or smoke when using it in our living room and kitchen.

For over all efficiency, the oil lamp is my number one pick when the power is out. I can sew by it, read a book, the kids can color or play a game, and we aren't having to each hold a small light or get close to a candle flame.

4. The only thing more old-fashioned than a kerosene or oil lamp are candles. Candles will help light a room, but unless you have a lot of them, I don't recommend them as your main light source. But we will light a candle in bathroom of for light in another room of the house for short periods of time. Candle wicks should be kept trimmed short to avoid smoking. And I hate to state the obvious, but don't leave any kind of flame, be it a candle or lantern, burning unattended.

For us pioneer and homestead folks, you're going to love these candles. They're made form beeswax and lard and I have a full on DIY candle making tutorial so you can make your own to have on hand for preparedness. I kind of think they'd make an awesome gift as well.

Do you have any other tips or suggestions to add for lighting when the power is out?

Filed Under: Homestead-Life, Preparedness/Survival Tagged With: homesteading, off-grid, preparedness, self-sufficiency, survival

11 Ways to Cook Off-Grid Without Power

September 15, 2014 by Melissa Norris 47 Comments

One of my favorite things about the pioneer days is their ability to accomplish so much without electricity. It's amazing when one looks at how they lived and what they did. Many of us would be hard pressed to make it a few days, let alone years, without our electricity and stores.

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11 ways to cook off-grid without power. Learn which is best for you before the winter storms hit so you won't be caught without a way to cook for your family. If you don't know how to cook without power you need to read this immediately.


Now, I'm not saying I don't appreciate my power and the use of said stores. As long as they're here, I plan on using them. However, I also believe in knowing how to do things without said benefits. I'm often an eclectic mix of old-fashioned and modern. You, too? See, I knew we'd be fast friends.

Cooking outdoors and off-grid, aka without power, is something I believe everyone should know how to do. While I don't cook every meal without electricity, I do have the confidence and knowledge that I am able to do so.

Just this afternoon as my father helped me shell beans to can we were talking about his growing up through the Depression years. He said, “I know what it was like and I'll always live thinking it could happen again and wanting to be prepared for it.” As beans dropped into the bowl at our feet he said, “But you know something, hard times bring people together.”

I believe he's right.

And I also believe he's right in wanting to be prepared.

We go without power every winter. Some times for a few hours, a few days, and once for a few weeks. I have a feeling most folks will experience a prolonged power outage in their lives a time or two. Or like us, a time or two every month or so… 🙂

When the power is out, there's nothing like still being able to serve your family a hot full course meal. Here's several ways to choose from to cook and bake (because trust me, living without baked goods is not really living) your food without power. I hope you learn how to do several of them well before you need to.

You'll need a few cooking tools to make use of your off-grid cooking. Actually, I use some of them indoors, too, but that's what makes them so versatile and awesome and why  ya need to have them in your arsenal.

Here are my favorite and most reliable items to use in your off-grid outdoor cooking.

Spider Dutch Oven– absolute must for cooking over an open fire. I actually own 3 in different sizes.

Dutch Oven w/ Casserole Skillet– This is the coolest thing ever. The lid turned upside down becomes a skillet. You get two items in one. Can I get a high five?

Dutch Oven Lid Lifter– Trust me, those Dutch ovens get hot. Cast iron retains heat (yeah, baby) and those burning coals are not something you want your fingers near. For less than $10 you'll save yourself a lot of hurting.

Outdoor Percolator — AKA coffee maker. Because a world without coffee isn't a place I want to be for very long. This little percolator will make coffee on almost every single way we have of off-grid cooking.

11 Ways to Cook Off-Grid without Power

castironcareguide

1. Dutch oven cooking. I love cooking outdoors with my cast iron Dutch ovens. Let me say it again, I love cooking outdoors with my Dutch oven. It makes me feel like a bonafide pioneer woman, saves me money on my electricity bill, and I swear, food tastes better when cooked outside. Whatever the case, here's Dutch Oven Cooking Over an Open Fire  with full on pictures and a round-up of some fun Dutch Oven Recipes and tips here.

Grab your FREE Cast Iron Care, Use & Storage E-Guide

2. Outdoor Camping Stove. This stove is the perfect starter stove. It's light weight, talking 3.9 ounces peeps, and great for boiling water or reheating food. Wanna know the best thing? It's under $10. Yes, for less than $10 you can have a stove to cook with outdoors.

Get it here–> Best deal stove for under $15

3. Solar Cooking. Use the power of the sun to cook your meals. I love this one because all you need is a sun oven to cook a meal. Not having to worry about fuel, smoke, or heat makes this my new favorite way to cook outdoors.

I received an All American Sun Oven from Sun Oven (in exchange for my review) and it's seriously my favorite new toy. I didn't think a solar oven would work all the way up here in the Pacific Northwest and I was shocked when it heated up to 300 degrees in just twenty minutes. Not only does it save on electricity, but no heating up the house on hot days, and it can double as a dehydrator–> All American Sun Oven

4. Wonder Oven. Basically, you bring food up to temperature, pop it in a wonder oven, and it continues to cook without any fuel. You still have to have a way to bring food up to temp before putting it in, but these are easy to make at home. Think the off-grid slow cooker. Food cooks all day while you go play!

Not having to stand over a stove or feed a fire all day option, go here –> wonder oven and some great reviews to boot.

5. Outdoor fires and smoking. I love how this uses just a plain old outdoor fire and smoke to cook and preserve food. This is true pioneer fashion at its best. Did you know you can even smoke your own cheese at home? How to Smoke Cheese at Home

We've owned several smokers and this one is by far our favorite. We only have to load it with fuel once and it holds the temperature for over 12 hours without adding anymore. Our favorite smoker— Weber Smoky Mountain 

6. Cooking on top of a wood stove. We use our wood stove as our main and only heat source. I love being able to use our heat source for a second purpose and frequently cook on it even when the power is on. Here's my tutorial on how to cook on a wood stove.

7. How to cook on an open fire. This is the way many a pioneer cooked on their trip's west or on the frontier. And if all you have is a cast iron skillet, it will get the job done. This picture tutorial is great if you don't have any other supplies on hand. Did you know you can make a pumpkin pie in an open fire, without a skillet? This is one of the coolest recipes I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot, Pumpkin Pie “Pioneer Style”. 

8. Earth Oven. An earth oven is an oven made from clay, sand, water, straw and newspaper. I kind of love DIY and being able to make my own outdoor oven would be a priceless skill. Here's how to cook in an earth oven and make your own.

9. Tea-light ovens. Yes, you read that right. You can cook a meal using tea lights. And, you don't have to purchase those expensive ones, you can make your own for less than $40! Sometimes little things can have powerful impact… here's how to make and use a Tea Light Oven.

10. Volcano Stoves. Volcano stoves are the ultimate in versatility. You can use either wood or charcoal. It packs down to 5″ and comes with a carry bag. The neat thing about this little stove is you can use it on multiple surfaces and it can be used to grill, bake, Dutch oven use, or open fire cooking. Because you know I'm all about multi-use tools!

For a 4 in 1 stove go here –> Volcano Stove

11. Propane and Grills. One thing most folks has is propane grill or camp stove. But not everyone realizes just how much and how many different things you can cook or do with them. You can use your outdoor grill for canning (hello no more hot kitchen in the summer), cooking meats, corn on the cob, and even baking. This is our favorite propane stove for both canning uses and cooking seafood. My husband loves crab but I hate the way it makes the house smell, so we only do our crab and seafood boils on this outdoors. Best part, the legs come off and it breaks down into a fairly compact bag for storing and traveling when not in use. We take it camping and use it for all of our cooking when the burn ban is on. Our favorite propane 2 burner stove –> Camp Chef Explorer Stove

And a bonus. 12. How to cook with a Solo Stove.  The Solo Stove allows you to cook and boil water with only using twigs as fuel. You don't have to gather large amounts of cooking wood, purchase, or carry fuel with you. It only weighs 9 ounces so it's light for back packing, camping, or anytime you need to travel on foot. You can boil water in less than 10 minutes and not as much smoke as a regular fire. I love using Amazon because you can see from the reviews how well a product does in real life.

Click here to check out the –> Solo Stove.

Want my outdoor cooking series with video lessons and download guides? It's just one of many traditional skill sets and e-courses found inside the Pioneering Today Academy, click here for information on joining.

More Off-Grid wisdom? Here's 10 Ways to Keep Warm Without Electricity!

Filed Under: Homestead-Life, Preparedness/Survival, Skills Tagged With: 30 Day Preparedness Challenge, cooking without power, off-grid, preparedness, survival

Melissa K. Norris

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