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29 Comments

      1. Agree 100% on the candles, and I have a couple of hundred in my preps, but the focus of the article is that using technology to supplement/complement analog preps has its place. For example, I have a bunch of LuminAID solar rechargeable PackLites, which can run up to 24 hours at the low setting on a single charge, and I’ve been using one for several years and it’s still going strong. I’d estimate that it’s done the work of hundreds of candles at a fraction of the cost, with no associated fire hazard, plus it works well outdoors in inclement weather.

        1. John, agreed! I have a large assortment of equipment including the Goal Zero stuff, 12V solar, oil and rechargeable lanterns, etc. It’s good to diversify and in quantity. During a one week power outage disaster in the 1980’s my friends and relatives borrowed a variety of items including a flashlight and buckets of hand pumped well water. (I could have sold a lot of water that week).

  2. Thank you, JM! Excellent first installment… Well organized and written, informative, and filled with helpful resource links. Looking forward to the series!

  3. @MattinOklahoma

    1) I don’t know of many low tech solutions for repelling human wave night attacks on a home base. You need to turn on high illumination out to at least 200 yards and the only low tech solution I know of is a 30- second marine parachute flare carried aloft on a rocket. But you can go through a ton of those costly flares in just one night — and resupply won’t be working if you are under siege. Ask a Vietnam Veteran.

    Otherwise you are restricted to hiding in a cave with a campfire continually burning at the entrance.

    2) Whereas a deep cycle marine battery charged by a 100 watt solar panel can run several high lum LED floodlights. A very cheap solution compared trying to outfit everyone with high end night vision goggles. $300 vs $800,000 ($4000 x 20)

    Plus you can also use the 100 watt solar array to charge batteries salvaged from cars and use the batteries to run the LED floodlights or improv floodlights made from headlamps also salvaged from cars.

    You don’t want those floodlights on continually — just when you detect an approaching enemy. Either by your dog warning you or by having one sentry equipped with a night vision scope. Which can be the cheaper model since it doesn’t need to be mounted on a rifle with heavy recoil.

    3) Plus the need for shortwave radios and police scanners to gain intel outside the range of your patrols has been known for decades — Mel Tappan was arguing for it back in 1980. Plus your scouts need radios to warn home base of an approaching threat. All of these radios can be charged off the deep cell batteries as well.

  4. Reading this is motivating. I let my goal zero personal size PV cell and battery go into disrepair. Battery was first gen and broke while backpacking. Their new stuff is much more solid. Need to get that and get my mobile setup back up and running!

  5. “Magic Smoke” When that escapes only real “Pixie Dust” can make something work again or so I understand??? LOL
    Enjoying your article immensely! The numerous links are thought provoking as to how to incorporate an idea/technology in to our preps.
    I’m a bit reluctant to use USB connectors as they are so fragile and easily damaged and so we went with Anderson Power Pole connectors to adapters for most everything else. We also stuck with 12 VDC outputs from our solar panels to the Andersons for numerous adapter outputs, including car battery charging and for our 12 Volt AA/C/D/CR123 battery chargers. There are many different ways to achieve one’s goals and these ideas promote the thought processes! Thanks!

  6. With the advent of Lithium Ion storage, man-portable charging/storage systems have become way more practical. I can run things on a single 18650 for days that used to take 4 or more D-Cell alkalines and still didn’t last as long. I remember hodding around serious lighting systems for spelunking events deep underground and what a grind that was. That, coupled with LED technology, has made some serious differences in our illumination capabilities. It took a pretty big technological step to overcome the practicality of carbide lamps, but we did it.

    1. benjammin, I have been looking into carbide lamps recently. I wonder if they are a reliable alternate source of light when SHTF.

      Is the fuel readily available? Are they safe?

      Carry on in grace

      1. Hello Once a Marine,

        I used carbide lamps quite a bit in my younger years exploring old mines. They worked well.

        Currently, carbide is a bit difficult to find probably due to lack of demand and shipping issues. I sometimes see new carbide lamps for sale but most are cheap Chinese knock-offs that are unreliable.

        On EBAY old USA lamps and repair parts are available. But my recommendation is to use them only as a novelty. I have a brand new in box Justrite model sitting on my workbench and there it will stay (it provides nice memories). I recommend modern LED lighting.

        My best to you

  7. Currently putting together an SDR package running on Raspberry Pi 3B+ and RSPdx. I recently added a 12V gel cell battery that seems to easily handle the current draw of the Pi thru a cheap 12v – 5V micro-usb buck converter that doesn’t add EMI to the reception in the lower HF radio bands. I have a 10.1 inch monitor being delivered today that uses a 12V DC @ 600 mA input. I’m hoping to eventually get this all assembled when I’m happy with my components into an enclosure that would be EMP resistant. My idea is to have an enclosure with a folding lid to expose the screen and useful USB ports with a mouse and keypad and then fold the whole thing up and store or travel with as needed. Battery power is a big deal so I’m hoping my little gel cell can run awhile. This article is intriguing since power consumption is such a big part of a project like mine. I’ve also recently added a 30W solar panel and cheap PWM solar charge to my components that seems to be working quite well.

    BTW, I also have collected quite the candle collection. I have a few large totes full stored in my crawlspace for power outages and emergency situations. Goodwill and local garage sales can be a goldmine if you need to store some. A lot of mine are scented or quite the ugly variety, but they’ll all give me enough light to paly board games around the kitchen table and light up a bathroom to do the necessities.

    Looking forward to part II

  8. If I had more time and money I’d go high tech, but as it is, most of the effort is focused on solving practical problems using as little money as possible. I do have a few low cost gadgets that are multi-purpose. The problem of a light weight power supply for a man pack mobile radio was solved by using an existing lithium battery for a Makita drill, and variable power supply that adjusts a 19vdc 3AH lithium battery to 13.8vdc for a small mobile radio using this: https://www.amazon.com/UCTRONICS-Adjustable-Converter-Stabilized-Regulator/dp/B07ZSGKTX5/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_0_13?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07ZSGKTX5&pd_rd_r=72d965f5-fc03-4bd0-9b00-4f3aa042a11f&pd_rd_w=YFvSx&pd_rd_wg=dIN7U&pf_rd_p=9ef72827-1bad-4c91-aa97-65cf3e340d20&pf_rd_r=J0B465TN2XJ5HCJX918A&psc=1&refRID=J0B465TN2XJ5HCJX918A

    Any DC power source, including laptop batteries can be made useful. The Ultronics device is also used to be a very high grade of colloidal silver. It can control the voltage and limit the current. This means just about any device that consumes DC voltage can be operated.

    1. I should add that the variable power supply that is the Ultronics device can also be used to charge batteries of any voltage, and even be used to step down voltage from a small solar panel no greater than 75 watts, or a panel that produces no more than 4 amps. Several expensive folding PV panels can be carried out into the field, but given the reliability of solar conditions in the state of Montana, it is probably best to carry as many light weight lithium batteries as possible, and carry a small panel that provides only enough power that the radio needs on standby, or about 250ma to 500ma needed to ‘listen’.

      For a poor man’s rig to be used at an OP some distance away, I might use an old mobile radio that sips power and program it for only 1 or 2 watts on the it’s lowest setting, or low power setting. A handheld could be used as well, but the mobile can push out up to 70 watts if need be, if there is battery to support it. Take both. 1 watt out of a directional antenna, a folding Moxon, or a tape measure yagi is very lightweight and compact and cheap and easy to build. The signal will travel surprisingly far, at least 20 miles if 1,500 feet AGL. Or if a directional antenna is not available, or an omni directional antenna is called for, then use a mobile for 10 watts and more, and an omni directional antenna.

      So a very light weight and very inexpensive package is a any larger capacity lithium battery available, the Ultronics device, a handheld and a mobile radio and portable directional antenna. Of course if you can afford better, there are many 12vdc lithium batteries available at automotive parts stores that provide enough power to jump start vehicles. These are extraordinarily compact, light, and powerful. If I could afford the latest and greatest, I would. The Ultronics device will however allow one to source and use any DC battery in the field to power most devices that require 1 to 30 vdc, and up to 4 amps. It is only $19 on Amazon.

      1. Tunnel Rabbit would you please list links where I can find your recommendation for reloading powder (both sonic and subsonic), primers, slugs,, for a 300AAC Blackout?

        1. Hello Wheatley Fisher,

          I have no experience with .300 Blackout, but here is some on line reloading data that will help you select the powder for the different weight bullets you’d like to try.
          Nosler data is shaded a darker color for the most accurate powder, and an * is used next to the charge weight that produces the best accuracy.
          https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/300-aac-blackout/

          For subsonic loads choose the heaviest weight bullets such as 190 to 220 grains, and for standard loads, I would go with 110/125 grain soft points that would be more potent than the M1 Carbine, and have flatter trajectories. Do a search for reloading data for .300 Blackout on the AR15.com chat boards, and there you’ll find of wealth of information.

          I do have subsonic loads for bolt guns using Trailboss, that even without a suppressor are surprisingly quiet, but an AR is a completely different animal. Sounds like fun! For those interested, subsonic factory ammunition is available in 7.62×39 for less than .70 cents/rd, for .308 Winchester, and .300 Blackout.

  9. Interested in where this article leads. I’ve had a lot of interest in satellite communication, and have seen some potential solutions for this. Ignoring technology would be a terrible oversight. Recently I’ve been brainstorming more solutions. Why not have digital animal traps send a signal when triggered? You don’t want to lose your prey.

  10. My wifes telescope is gimbaled and microprocessored. I was just thinking about kitting a deep cycle battery into some sort of pelican case or container to make it clean and convenient.

    Right now we have a quiet kilowatt inverter generator and onboard alkaline battery backing that up. A deep cycle would be peaceful or opsec.

  12. Well, I have never thought about a total power loss. I’ve planned on our one generator to supply our needs. So now, presuming 2 is 1 and 1 is 0, I’ll wait for the last installment and then decide what to do.

    This is a great thought provoking start.

    1. Francis,

      Thank you. Be aware that I’m focusing on the use of mobile technology in the field in this article, so it may be of limited use for making any decisions regarding a home system.

  14. Mr McDonald,
    I’m preparing for a complete relocation, I’ll submit and article soon. I’m not looking for home station ideas.
    Your first installment has me thinking about a real power loss and/or loss of gasoline as we head for the hills.
    Thank you, I am looking to read the remaining 5 submissions.
    Francis

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