Category: Home Power

Small Scale PV Power For TEOTWAWKI, by Mike in Alaska

When it all hits the fan and the grid is gone for whatever reason, be it EMP, all out nuclear exchange, a hurricane, or possibly a tornado, snow knocking down trees, or as we say up here in the interior of Alaska the four reasons power goes out: it’s either too hot, too cold, too wet, or the dawgs pee on the phone pole, and when that happens, we are now all equally being given a ride back in time … a time of no lights to just switch on, no medical life sustaining devices, and now it’s “game-on”, folks. …


Practical Preparedness Suggestions – Part 2, by R.J.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) 5. Self Defense This segment references reading, training and situational awareness that will be difficult for some people. Use what you can. Learn how to profile people and your surroundings. It happens in many forms, constantly. There are predators who don’t care about how nice you are. (Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”) They will take advantage of the graces and courtesies that we usually employ to soften or de-escalate a problem. Learn what and how those predators think. Trust me, you …


Update: A Home-Based Business — Your Ticket to The Boonies

JWR’s Introductory Note: The following is an update and expansion to a post that I made in SurvivalBlog back in December, 2005. It is part of a series of SurvivalBlog 20th Anniversary update re-posts, in recognition of the fact that the majority of readers did not join us until recent years. — The majority of SurvivalBlog readers that I talk with tell me that they live in cities or suburbs, but they would like to live full-time at a retreat in a rural area. Their complaint is almost always the same: “…but I’m not self-employed. I can’t afford to live …


Dakota Power Bank and PV Panel – Part 2, by Mike in Alaska

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) The Dakota Lithium Power Bank can supply up to 2,400 watts by itself and can supply you with 4,800 peak AC when needed. This is according to their user’s manual that comes with the unit. That 4,800 watts is a rating given when a second power bank unit is set up in parallel with the first unit. The bank came with the necessary connector to link it with a second bank, and I am planning to buy a second unit to add to the setup I have now.


Dakota Power Bank and PV Panel – Part 1, by Mike in Alaska

As the saying goes “One is none, two is one, three is two …. and if you are building your preparations with only one back up then you have failed to prepare.” Disclaimer: I purchased the system with my own funds. I am not being paid by the company for this article. We live in the Arctic area of Alaska. Our winters here are long and dark, and they can be brutal. For us it starts in mid-August when the sun begins to set earlier and rise later in the day, and the truth be known, it starts June 21st …


From Unprepared to Prepped – A Beginner’s Guide – Part 1, by Mr. Wobbet

Introduction When thinking of what a “prepper” might look like, I am quite far from your expectations. I am an avid indoorsman who enjoys watching television and having stuff delivered. I am not a gardener, a camper, a hunter, or an adventurer. I don’t have anything against those things, it’s just not who I am. But a collection of life events and experiences have convinced me that learning those skills and adopting an attitude of preparedness is important for myself and my family. Once I made the decision, I had to ask the question of how I get there. I’m …


A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 5, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 4. This concludes the article.) 9. CLOTHES AND A WAY TO WASH THEM It’s hard to believe how many top-10 lists mention ferro rods, manual can openers, plant-identification books, and the ever-present multi-tool without ever mentioning clothes or washing equipment. Clothes last for quite a while if we’re sitting in an office all day but they won’t lost long when manual labor becomes a daily routine. Since we’ll be wearing them at some future point anyway, it’s a good idea to be stocking up on clothes for all of the inflation-fighting reasons already mentioned. At the same …


A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 4, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 3.) 7. ELECTRICITY Prepping for electricity was only on one of the top-10 lists I could find, and wasn’t mentioned at all even on most of the lengthier prepping lists. Of all the things we take for granted in our daily lives, electricity has to be one of the most common. If the Schumer hits the fan, there’s no need to step back to the 1800s and punish ourselves by living electricity free when there are some inexpensive, easy-to-use modern-day options. Too many preppers haven’t gotten past that 1800s mentality and modernized their thought, a conclusion I …


A Top-10 Prepping List, Multi-Tool Not Included – Part 1, by St. Funogas

A while back, while reading one of my daily economics blogs, I read an article on the top 25 things to have on hand in case the SHTF tomorrow. It was quickly apparent the author was an armchair prepper at best. Many of the non-negotiable items were overlooked, some items would be good for wilderness survival but not post-SHTF survival, and others were common everyday things we already own such as warm socks. Some of the items were unnecessary gadgets. Out of curiosity I did a search for other top-10 lists. The ones I found had the same issues. The …


My Most Recent Lesson in Logistics, by Reltney McFee

Last weekend, I was performing my periodic battery survey, assessment and replacement ritual. I have a list of (I had thought) every battery device, and its location, along with a hidey-hole for the batteries to replace those that require them. This list, in the summer 2025 edition, runs 3 pages of 14 point type. On my yearly planner, it is slated for January. (Yes, I am aware that this is September. Let us consider the gulf between plans, and actions, shall we?) As it developed, as I was working my way through each page, I would pass one shelf in …


A Three-Year Window or a Three-Month Window?

As an observer of contemporary politics, economics, and emerging threats, I have come to the conclusion that the last three years of Donald John Trump’s second term as President may provide a potential window of opportunity. If we were now living under a Harris-Walz Administration, we would surely be out of time to prepare. I have my doubts about Trump’s sincerity when he talks about scaling back the size and power of government. Alarmingly, the gains of the DOGE project were wiped out by the huge deficit spending included in the recent  “Big, Beautiful Bill”.  But I don’t consider DJT …


Fully Practicing Your Preps, by A.C.

In our world of unpredictable emergencies, from natural disasters to personal crises, a common saying always holds true; “You don’t rise to the occasion, you revert to the level of your training.” This isn’t just my cynical view of human nature; it’s a powerful call to action, especially to us self-described preppers. It emphasizes that true readiness isn’t about spontaneous heroism or “hoping for the best”.  Instead, it’s actually about the deliberate, often unglamorous work of turning preparation into an ingrained, automatic response. When the “stuff” hits the fan,  our carefully laid plans are only as good as our ability …


The “Come as You Are” Collapse–Have the Right Tools and Skills

Introductory Note From JWR: This article is an update and small expansion to a succinct post that I made back in February, 2008. When the Second World War broke out in September, 1939, the United States had nearly two full years to ramp up military training and production before decisively confronting the Axis powers. In the mid-1970s, looking at the recent experience of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, the Pentagon’s strategic planners came to the realization that the next major war that the US military would wage would not be like the Second World War. There would not be the luxury …


Memoirs of a Disaster Survivor – Part 1, by AppComms

I am a prepper who has survived three natural disasters. That doesn’t mean I am special by any means. I feel my experience is nothing more than a testimony of God’s Amazing Grace. As a retired Pastor and soon-to-be retired employee of North Carolina’s Prison system, I write to you as a southern Appalachian hillbilly with some prepping experience that may benefit you. This article is a firsthand account of my personal survival experience with three natural disasters that have affected me during my lifetime. To begin with, you should be familiar with the region where I live. I was …


Some Hidden Threats to Critical Infrastructure, by A.C.

In an increasingly interconnected world, the security of critical infrastructure, particularly power grids, is paramount. While geopolitical tensions often dominate headlines, there are some extremely concerning threats that aren’t getting as much play as they should: the potential for foreign actors to exploit vulnerabilities in seemingly innocuous imported components. In the essay, we’re going to chat about some recently uncovered instances of undisclosed communication devices embedded in critical infrastructure components, such as solar inverters and port cranes, highlighting the severe risks these “backdoors” pose to national security and even you as a private citizen (prepper or not). We’re also going …