How to Live Without Electricity: Strategies You'll Need To Learn To Ensure Basic Survival

Understanding how to survive without electricity is an unfortunate reality, some more than others, regardless of whether it's natural disasters, rolling blackouts, EMPs, or a conscious decision to live off the grid.

How to Get Ready

Making a plan and setting priorities is step number one. Being independent and prepared will make a big difference, not only between just surviving and living, but it could actually save your life.

Power is outPhoto byRichelleg

Evaluating Your Requirements

The most important thing I think everyone overlooks is having enough clean water, not only to drink, but also to use. Think about all the things you use water for on a daily basis. Dishes, bathing, brushing your teeth, laundry, washing produce, washing hands, dishes... the list can seem endless.

If you're on a well, please look into manual hand pumps. This ensures you'll have access to your water with no electricity.

You'll also require food, obviously. Do you have enough non-perishable food stocked away that if the power goes out for three days, three weeks, or three months, you'll have enough to eat? Canned foods you don't have to cook like soups, beans, veggies, and meats, will become life. Pasta, rice, and dried beans, have a long shelf life and are simple to store but a little harder to cook if you don't have an outdoor grill, fire, or wood stove to cook on. Foods that have been freeze-dried are lightweight and easily rehydrated with boiling water, which is another great storage option that can keep you fed and moving. Just be sure to watch your sodium levels on some of these preserved foods.

What about comfort? Depending on your climate, you'll need a way to heat or cool your living space. Having light, communication tools, and things to keep ourselves busy are crucial for preserving safety and normalcy, even though they are not immediately life-threatening.

Lines are downPhoto byRichelleg

Putting together first aid kits and medical supplies

Bandages, antiseptics, painkillers, and any required prescription drugs should be included in your "power out" preparations. Consider including supplies like tourniquets, splints, and an emergency medical care guidebook for a more complete kit.

Alternative Light Sources

Having dependable light sources is essential for preserving safety as well as a sense of normalcy when there is no electricity. No one appreciates light more than someone who has been forced to deal with the darkness. The easiest no-worry set up, in my opinion, is solar. If the power goes out for an extended period of time, you'll have light. No need to worry about batteries or open flame. However, initial setup can be very expensive, so maybe consider a few solar lights or two. Anything helps.

Batteries

Lights that run on batteries are dependable and portable, but you never realize how fast you burn through batteries until you use them constantly. Batteries must be maintained and stored properly; keep them dry and cool and make sure they are not past their expiration date. Having solar-powered chargers and rechargeable batteries on hand is the best bet, but if all you have are battery flashlights, then that's good enough!

Gather your suppliesPhoto byRichelleg

Oil lamps and candles

Although oil lamps and candles can be useful, they should be handled carefully because they have that open flame. Place them away from combustible materials and always on firm surfaces. When using oil lamps, make sure there is adequate ventilation to prevent the buildup of hazardous vapors and extinguish them correctly to prevent fire.

Heating and Cooling

Maintaining the safety and comfort of your house, particularly in the event of a power outage, requires having dependable heating and cooling systems. In frigid climates, having enough heat is essential for survival as much as for comfort. Additionally, maintaining a warm home keeps pipes from freezing and breaking.

Cooling is just as crucial in hot weather. Your quality of sleep, hydration and rational thinking, and preventing food loss are all important. Heating is obviously easier than cooling, assuming you have a fireplace, gas heater (and plenty of gas), woodstove, ect. You can build a "swamp cooler" with a styrofoam cooler, battery-operated fan, and ice. It won't cool your whole home, but it can bring comfort on those sun-baked days.

Passive Solar Heating

Designing your living areas to absorb and hold onto solar heat is known as passive solar heating. This can be accomplished by installing thermal masses, such brick or concrete walls, and windows in strategic locations where they can absorb and release heat gradually. In order to maximize solar exposure in the Northern Hemisphere, windows that face south are your best bet.

Water Source Ideas

To make sure you always have access to clean water, try these doable techniques for gathering, storing, and purifying water.

Be preparedPhoto byRichelleg

Rainwater is the easiest, and cheapest option. You can divert rainwater into storage containers by installing gutter systems and downspouts on your roof, leaving out buckets, and making tarp traps, which will supply a sizable volume of water during rainy seasons. You'll have to keep bugs, algae, and debris out of it and have a way to filter or boil it, but you do have options.

Downspouts have rain barrels underneath them that are simple to install and have a large capacity to hold water. Installing huge water storage tanks, which can hold thousands of gallons of rainwater for future use, may be a good idea if you're able to do so.

Methods of Water Purification

It is vital to make sure your water supply is safe in the event of an electrical blackout. It is crucial to filter water, whether you are gathering rainwater or getting it from natural sources, in order to shield yourself from dangerous bacteria and pollutants.

The following are some of the most effective methods for doing that:

Boiling: One of the easiest and most efficient ways to purify water is to boil it. Heating water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute (3 minutes at higher elevations) can kill the majority of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It is safe to drink, cook, and clean with boiled water.

Water Filters: Water can be treated with a variety of portable filters to get rid of pollutants, germs, and bacteria.

You never know how much water you use until you don't have anyPhoto byRichelleg

DIY Filters: Sand, charcoal, and gravel are among the items you can use to make your own water filter. By eliminating particles and certain contaminants, these filters can greatly enhance the quality of the water, even though they might not be as efficient as commercial ones. You'll still need to boil your water.

Tablets for Water Purification

Disinfecting water is made easier with these tablets. Usually, they are made of chemicals that kill hazardous germs, like iodine or chlorine. For information on the proper dosage and waiting period, refer to the product directions and do your research.

Bleach

Bleach can be used to disinfect water in an emergency. Before using, add eight drops of unscented, ordinary bleach to one gallon of water, stir, and let settle for at least half an hour. Make sure the bleach doesn't include any additional ingredients.

Keeping Oneself Clean and Practicing Proper Sanitation

Living without power does not mean sacrificing hygiene. The easiest way is a solar shower, whether DIY or purchased. All you need to do is fill a solar shower bag (or a bucket, or water hose left in the sun) with water and set it in the sun for a few hours to have warm water ready for a shower.

Remember the importance of good sanitation. It's essential for keeping a healthy home atmosphere, especially in the absence of electricity.

Composting toilet and leaves for absorptionPhoto byRichelleg

Toilets

Without electricity, you probably wont have water or a toilet. If you don't have an outhouse, they make plenty of toilet options you can purchase made for camping. You can also make your own with a bucket and sawdust or dead leaves. You'll need a place to dispose of the waste, so keep that in mind. You can't just have it all sitting around, so try and think of how you can keep your safety #1 while you go #2.

In summary

Although going without power might seem impossible at first, it can actually be a tolerable experience if you plan ahead and make the appropriate arrangements. Knowing how to adapt is essential, regardless of whether you're opting to live off the grid, experiencing a brief power loss, the world goes dark, a massive storm hits, ect.

Start stocking up!Photo byRichelleg

Attributions:

Hope, H. R. (2021, February 16). How to Survive a Prolonged Power Outage. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/home-safety/how-to-survive-a-prolonged-power-outage-a1579830430/?srsltid=AfmBOoryEA0eRGF1P8FUVEOSiV0e2QYIYAjYvmvIMDumu3FChhS2CffR

Kim, J. (2024, January 21). 11 Tips for Living Without Electricity (Survive & Thrive Off-Grid). Green Building Elements. https://buildingelements.com/living-without-electricity/