HJL,
As we have been reminded this year in the Northwest and elsewhere, power outages can occur at any time for a variety of reasons (fires, floods, wind storms, snow, ice). As the utilities shutdown, electricity goes off. If we have been diligent, we have been getting ready to the best of our ability and means for at least short-term self sustainment. We have food, several gallons of water, and various supplies on hand. As I was updating the health and hygiene portion of being prepared I discovered that shaving could become a real problem for me. I have stocked some safety razors, shaving cream, and after shave. However, I have sensitive skin, which is easily irritated by using a safety razor. I normally use a rechargeable shaver and stock several bottles of pre-shave and after shave lotion. However, during a power outage, the charge on my shaver will last only a few days at best. I really don’t want to have to deal with a raw, chaffed chin and neck, which could result in a skin infection because I had to use a safety razor. Then it dawned on me. I have a solution in my travel shave kit. When I make short trips, I take a travel size shaver (2-AA battery operated). I have also used mine for several years while in the military reserve on my two or three week annual trainings. Since I already keep a good supply of AA batteries on hand for other gadgets and have a solar battery charger with several rechargeable AA batteries, I am prepared. As a result I now can continue to shave like normal until the power is restored. Although this might seem like a minor issue, it would mean one less source of stress in what would be a very stressful situation. – MRP