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No. All we’ve used the inverter for is two computers and a lamp or two. We can both plug our phones into our computers, as long as the computer has power. My husband says it all depends on the wattage output of the inverter. Here’s what he says:
Watts and amp ratings of inverter would need to meet or exceed demand items. All of the data is published about each inverter and each appliance.
Beware of peak ratings, such as when an appliance turns on. Those are only available momentarily and can easily exceed the general operating wattage. Use nominal ratings for comparison.
I actually work for a survival food company that makes non-perishables that last up to 25 years. I think i’s super important to have a solid supply of food that lasts a while that also tastes good and you wont hate eating.
There’s also preparing for a week or two of problems due to weather and prepping for the apocalypse. A bug out bag is one thing, there won’t be more food in the stores for months is another.
When the pandemic started I joked that I had enough food in my house to last me a year and I probably still do as none of the worst case scenarios did not come to pass in terms of the supply chain. My friends are tired of me offering them pounds of dried lentils.
I was reading on twitter yesterday about a family with a fireplace but they were out of firewood and were running out of things to burn. Some ideas of wood products in the home were rife with concerns of what sorts of toxins would be in the paints and varnishes. As I was out in my garage today I realized that I have a lot of stuff stored in cardboard boxes. And I also a have good supply of empty cardboard boxes as well as a recycle bin with cardboard.
From what I’m reading it seems that one of the best things I could do if my power went out is get in my Rav 4 hybrid and stay warm and run my electronics (more if I had an inverter). If the sun was shining and the wind wasn’t blowing sitting in the sun in my driveway would probably be a good idea. Apparently they will run for days on idle if you have a full tank of gas.
I could set my beer outside in the shade of my car to keep it chilled.
By the second day, personal sanitation starts to become a problem. By the third day I MUST have a shower. So hot water is definitely an issue.
Hmm… maybe I need to get an old fashioned galvanized bathtub, and use it for a wood storage bin next to the basement wood stove. Then I could heat water on the wood stove and use the tub after unloading the woodpile!
Nothing like jumping back 100 years. My dad grew up taking baths that way in the Missouri Ozarks 80-90 years ago.
I was thinking about how much I love hot water when I saw some of the water crisis coverage. One Sterno burner would cover my cooking skills and I could use an electronics break, but my joints will rebel if they don’t get a nice shower or bath.
I was specifically referring to a family I read about on twitter that was talking about removing baseboards to burn, burning wood tables, books, picture frames, even clothes. I’ve actually made “logs” from rolled up strips of cardboard. I was surprised at how long they lasted. But that’s not an option when it’s freezing, you have to have them made in advance.
At one point I had to get rid of all my cardboard boxes and use wooden boxes or plastic totes for storage because the cockroaches where I am love cardboard.
My best tip for emergency preparedness is to have a bucket, a skipping rope and a coconut.
After Hurricane Wilma, we were without power for a week and without water for ten days. Not of those are really a huge problem, apart from not being able to run any AC, temps in the 80s and not being able to shower - those things made the place a bit stinky though.
However, being without water means you can’t flush the loo. So get your bucket and tie the skipping rope onto the handle. Head to your nearest canal or swimming pool. (This is Florida).
Now simply getting water up from the canal by throwing the bucket into the water won’t work. The bucket floats.
So put the coconut into the bucket and lower the bucket into the water using the skipping rope. This way you can get enough water to pour into the cistern for two or three decent flushes.
