Self - Sufficiency

[Jims1025R]

Another vote for Dick Proenneke, his movie is quietly excellent, and his book gives lots of interesting background on his life. You can't rush these things!

 

[coobie]

Being a electric lineman for 39 plus years I seen all too much how folks get with no power after 7 days.Told the wife before I retired whole house generator, gas/diesel gravity fed tanks and 1000 gallons of propane on hand and plenty of food in our freezers.

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[sea2summit]

Being a electric lineman for 39 plus years I seen all too much how folks get with no power after 7 days.Told the wife before I retired whole house generator, gas/diesel gravity fed tanks and 1000 gallons of propane on hand and plenty of food in our freezers.

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Having grown up in the Alaskan bush I’d just say the problem with gravity feed is any leak in the system drains your whole cache embarrassingly fast…

Other than that I love this post.

 

[Oaktree]

Being a electric lineman for 39 plus years I seen all too much how folks get with no power after 7 days.Told the wife before I retired whole house generator, gas/diesel gravity fed tanks and 1000 gallons of propane on hand and plenty of food in our freezers.

We're pretty well set in that regard...propane stove & HW heater, woodstove for heat and a gravity-fed well, plus a small (3500W) generator to keep the fridge/freezer cold.
The well and propane appliances were a big selling point when we bought the house.

 

[3930dave]

A lot of fuel seems excessive....

....... until you get that once a decade or so big outage, and go through 1/2 or more of it.....

Like money in the bank, except that on it's own doesn't keep ya warm !

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

We're pretty well set in that regard...propane stove & HW heater, woodstove for heat and a gravity-fed well, plus a small (3500W) generator to keep the fridge/freezer cold.
The well and propane appliances were a big selling point when we bought the house.

The longer I live, the more I appreciate well thought-out Simple Designs. And.... I already held them in pretty high regard, even in my younger Daze.....

A propane fridge is about the closest thing I've seen to a perpetual motion machine.... (in terms of not wearing out.....).

Rgds, D.

 

[Jstpssng]

Whole house is really nice, and we finally convinced my 84 YO mother to get one. Now every time there's a storm I check the power company website, waiting for the first time that her power goes out.

Nothing is perfect though...

Several years ago there was a major storm in Western Maine and power was out for days. I happened to be doing a property line down that way and went past a widow's house. We started talking and she said she'd been out of propane for several days, had no heat, lights, or way to cook and they wouldn't fill her tank because there was a downed power line across her driveway. Even though it wasn't live they still couldn't risk it.

 

[3930dave]

Whole house is really nice, and we finally convinced my 84 YO mother to get one. Now every time there's a storm I check the power company website, waiting for the first time that her power goes out.

Nothing is perfect though...

Several years ago there was a major storm in Western Maine and power was out for days. I happened to be doing a property line down that way and went past a widow's house. We started talking and she said she'd been out of propane for several days, had no heat, lights, or way to cook and they wouldn't fill her tank because there was a downed power line across her driveway. Even though it wasn't live they still couldn't risk it.

Murph was working OT on that lady's property.... still, I'm a bit surprised the utility didn't at least clear (remove) the line fast.

Peace of mind, for both you and Mom...... though we've had more than one account on here of somebody putting in whole-house support, because the grid was often down, then going years with no interruptions .

Ol' Murph keeps busy, but prefers easier pickings.....

Rgds, D.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^

Though we've had more than one account on here of somebody putting in whole-house support, because the grid was often down, then going years with no interruptions

I suspect that's what will happen. Yet I won't have to worry about her going out in an ice storm with her cane, to shut the portable generator off.

 

[3930dave]

... I won't have to worry about her going out in an ice storm with her cane, to shut the portable generator off.

Worth way more than the price, right there.

Rgds, D.