BlueSkyWanderer said:

Really curious how long folks here have actually managed without grid power, not just in theory but real-life experience. What tripped you up first—water, heat, food storage? Looking to pinpoint weak points in my own setup.

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The longest stretch I managed without power was five days after a bad ice storm a few winters back. The thing that tripped me up first wasn’t what I expected—it was actually water. I’d thought food storage would be the problem with the freezer and fridge, but that held longer than expected thanks to the cold weather outside (I put perishables in insulated coolers on the porch). My well pump is electric, so after the pressure tank ran dry, I had to haul water from a neighbor with a hand pump. Not fun in icy conditions!

Heat was a close second concern. The wood stove kept the main rooms comfortable, but bedrooms were freezing. I layered up and went to bed early—felt like going back a century or two. If I could change anything, it might be setting up a rainwater collection system and keeping more

BlueSkyWanderer said:

Really curious how long folks here have actually managed without grid power, not just in theory but real-life experience. What tripped you up first—water, heat, food storage? Looking to pinpoint weak points in my own setup.

Click to expand...

Five days without power is no joke—I’m with you on water being the surprise challenge. My well pump’s electric too, so I keep extra jugs filled, but if the outage goes beyond a few days it gets dicey. Never thought freezing bedrooms would bother me as much as it did, either; I swear I wore every sweater I own that week! Rainwater collection is on my to-do list for this exact reason. Have you looked at manual hand pumps for your well, or is that not an option where you are?

Water’s always my top concern, too. Lost power for four days last summer—no well pump meant hoarding every drop and rationing for plants was tough. Ended up using melted ice from the freezer for drinking and cooking. Wood stove gets me by in winter, but in July, it was the fridge contents going bad that stressed me out the most. Does anyone store extra water outside, or just inside to avoid freezing?

BlueSkyWanderer said:

What tripped you up first—water, heat, food storage?

Click to expand...

Water caught me off guard, too—funny how you think food's the big worry, then realize you can’t even flush the toilet! I’m seriously considering a manual pump or more rain barrels before next winter.