Experienced exactly your hypothetical scenario (in the dead of winter) when I was ~12 (currently 58). We had no power for 4 days. It has colored my home choices the rest of my life. Let's say that multiple forms of heating (w/ preference given to wood burning) tops my list.
@@Vortexan9804 The longer version of that story... We pulled the fuel oil heater out of the old (central) coal stove (that we hadn't used in about 7 years). Chopped up fallen (green) limbs from the storm. Hung quits in the doorways to the kitchen. Burned the wood to keep basement pipes thawed & heat rose up to warm the kitchen. We always kept kerosene lamps available. My father ultimately (day 2) rigged a large motor, old manual transmission to a tractor pto to provide limited AC power to cook & run well pump. I admired that man's ingenuity.
We lost power for 8 days a few years back. Fortunately we had some groceries and camping stove. The fireplace was barely able to keep the place warmish. From then on we keep a kerosene heater close by.
Step one. Hook up my Honda em6500. Step 2. Make sure the well pump had filled up the holding tank. Step 3. Hook up the Honda eu2200 to the freezer and fridge in the garage. Step 4. Build a fire Step 5 . Make a grilled cheese and tomato soup on the wood stove.
I love Florida but those hurricanes!! A generator and plenty of gas is a must. Power can be down for days affecting gas stations and stores as well. At least we didn't have to worry about freezing to death!!
Exactly. I can't believe most of these people are concerned about which stupid flashlight that have, or how long their chinese cell phone battery lasts. Un-screw your priorities, people.
In some places they can use the cistern method and catch rainwater then filter it. In other places it might be smart to drill a 2 inch water hydrant somewhere out on the property. In the extremely dry places or desert it probably smart to keep a couple hundred gallons of water in tanks in a barn or building.
I'm a little more old school. I'd hate for my refrigerator stuff to go bad,but I keep an ample supply of stuff that doesn't need refrigeration. I can catch,kill,or fish for any meat I need in my area. I can heat my home,water,and cook on my wood stove. I keep a kitchen garden in the spring, summer, and fall and raise chickens. I still keep oil lamps and barn lanterns for extra light if needed.
Country girl here....power outage is a regular occurrence. First concern: freezers. All else has a back-up plan x2, or 3. I keep a white board list and map of the contents that is magnitic to the outside of each of the 3 freezers. Open once and done.
I'm a country boy and keeping the food cold is nowhere on my top list of things to do. Put the food outside or put frozen water jugs in the freezer. This video was nothing but an advertisement for rich folks to flush their money.
I've got a generator that will run the house and shop and 300 gallons of fuel. Seems like power goes out in the winter once or twice a year here in Canada. Out on a farm so no worry about noise.
The absolute first thing to do is NOT PANIC I wish everybody would quit calling it a SOLAR generator, it doesn't generate anything, especially SOLAR. It's a battery in a fancy overpriced box with an inverter, usb, and 12 volt outlet
I love the life you have built with your sweet family. Thanks for giving back to us with such vital information and inspiration. My family really appreciates it.
Also since you live in a cold climate you could open a window to th garage or move your fridge or freezer to take advantage of the cold weather outside it might not even turn on. Lol dont keep your cooling in the heated parts of the house
My biggest concern about these solar generators is that I would use these at most 1-2 times a year. I like the idea of having them for an emergency, but I worry about throwing down that kinda cash (which is significant) and then the internal battery getting ruined because it doesn't get used often...
I`ve been homeless before without food or any money at all. Before that I went broke and couldn`t pay my electric or water bills. I buy every discounted power station I can find and invested 500 in a Bluetti EB70 to power a small AC freezer after hurricanes and just ordered a huge 50 lb refurbished Bluetti EB240 2.4 kWh one for a total of just over 500. I`ve gotten a lot of free power stations by reporting any issue I have no matter how minor. By doing this I have another free EB70, a 300 watt Rockpals, a 500 watt Rockpals clone, and two Aseuz 300 watt power stations. I have four other 300 watt ones I only paid 100 each for. Nobody can ever turn off my electricity again.
Yup. The vast majority of generators, even though they are 100% chinesium, will last at least a decade (more likely two) getting used once or twice a year. 500$ investment at the start and fuel as needed. Much better than 2 grand for the unit, solar panels, etc etc. Plus your neighbors will greatly appreciate you letting them plug a few things in to your generator that is several times larger than what you need.
@@eagle94haslanded I actually had a neighbor buy all the gas for mine during a 4 day outage at my last house because I let them hook into my generator for their fridge and lights.
Lithium Ion batteries take forever to breakdown. My company makes portable water purification systems and our pack uses a 10 amp hour lithium ion battery. You could literally charge it and leave it for years before you would ever have to top it off and it isnt going to degrade like common cell batteries.
100% disagree on the generator stuff... Harbor Freight generator will power 3/4 of your house with noise that you can talk to another human being with less than 3 ft away. The bigger generator will definitely power your entire house and that's everything that we use on our food trucks and you don't even know it's running. And I mean we're talking running furnaces etc. So I can completely disagree.
Power went out 2 nights ago, started my generator, plugged in my fridge and freezer a couple lights, then started a fire, in the wood stove, sat and relaxed with no worries...
How is it possible people thought "lights" were the 5th things to power? Lights and food should be the first things. Phones 3rd and the rest is just what ever. I have had years of power issues with PG&E and I can tell you that lights and food are hands down the first things you need
Another good way of getting light would be to place the torch on top ofa glass bowl with mirror under it. I do that every time the power goes out and it lights the room so well
Living in the Houston area for 12 years now I have been through two hurricanes and a winter storm that had our power out for one to two weeks. Due to the eventuality that another hurricane will come we have a 15kw generator that can run on gasoline or LPG, I keep 30 gal of gas on hand dedicated for the generator but needs be we have 4 vehicles that can be siphoned, we also have a 100lb LPG tank and 2 smaller grill 20lb lpg tanks so we could run for enough time to keep food for about two months. I would love a solar setup, long term I would like a 10-12kw solar setup with 100kwh of storage... still need to build a new garage though.
In the UK we just had a storm with 98mph winds. There was a LOT of damage. 200 yr old trees pulled out by the roots. Electric went off for nearly a week. And no water cos of an electric pump filling the resevoir. No mobile signals at all. Even if we had a solar generator, it wouldn't have been any good for us. Low tech, basic solutions were better for those who had them.
Professional homeowners might also think about buying a little attachment to their cordless drill batteries. I know Makita makes a really nice little device that clicks onto he battery and converts the battery to a small light and USB charger. I tend to keep my batteries charted, so it's a handy way to convert those into a quickie emergency light/power source.
I have just purchased a 3D printed unit that can use 1 or 2 Makita LXT batteries with an Anderson connector and a voltage gauge. I can run a 12v 40 litre fridge freezer for 24 hours on 2 6.0 batteries
As someone who lives off grid I would recommend people to look at what you have. If you have battery tools then get an adaptor that allows you to plug in USB to power lights, phones, etc. Totally agree about candles. Only use them in a proper metal lantern. Never have open flames! If you can look at your power heating systems in your home. Never be dependant on just one system. Icook with gas, heat or cook with solid fuel/wood stove and generate power both off my diesel engine and with solar and a petrol genny back up. I might lose one system but all three??? In that case I am pitching a tent somewhere! For refrigeration I use a cold cabinet I built with marble tile. Works excellently in all but peak summer to keep dairy, fresh veg, etc. Even then its cooler inside than out just not quite enough.
As an IT guy, I have to say that your computer/network/fancy electronic equipment should always be on a battery backup (UPS). Dips and surges in power can be disastrous to your electronics. At the very least, you should put your modem, router, PC, and alarm on UPS power.
If biolite had a full size wood stove, that could convert heat into electricity I would get it immediately - solar energy isn't reliable, but burning wood would be a great supplement.
Exactly. Water should be everyone's #1 priority. And how do you move it with no electricity or over-priced, garbage 'generator'. These people worried about their flashlights blow my mind.
I can only see this as an option if you live in the city, That kind of money better spent on something that will run your well pump and furnace also. My opinion.
I seen one of your videos awhile ago and you was talking about the streamlight so I bought one ans was not disappointed. Absolutely awesome flashlight.
1. only fire up the generator \ transfer panel after the first day. Food in freezer and fridge ok until then. 2. fire up generator. Use a transfer panel so you don't kill yourself or linemen with a suicide cable. 3. have candle lanterns for the house. Do not leave unattended. 4. Of course have a wood stove for heat. 5. have a barbeque for convenient cooking, unless dead of winter in a blizzard. 6. cook on the wood stove next, especially in winter. 7. have water filtration ready to do, independent of boiling, so you're not wasting BTU's prepping water. Especially in winter. 8. have a solar panel for recharging critical tools, batteries and devices.
@@maxbradley9534 how do you figure? You digging a hole 200’ deep to gain access to fresh water? Not all of us have fireplaces for heat either, so we are limited to heat pumps down here in Texas.
What timing, we’re under a level 4 warning for tonight, tornadoes are likely, if the weather gets as bad as predicted I’m sure many in our neck of the woods will lose electricity. Thanks for posting.
@@hillbillypatriot1 CO... A part of the exhaust from internal combustion engines, that will kill you if it's allowed to accumulate in indoor, habitable locations. If you're running a generator, be sure to have a CO detector inside the house, if ya don't have one already.
Great video, I encourage everyone to test their theory for at least a weekend every six months or so just to see if you might be overlooking anything. Kill the main breaker, and shut off the water & gas meters to see if you are actually as ready as you THINK. I think every couple should have a frank talk about exactly what, and how much you're willing to share with the people who laugh at you for how serious you take your preparations, because you can be sure they are going to turn to you for something after the first week of going without traditionally available resources. I keep my computers, wifi and routers on my UPS (uninterruptable power supply). As much much for the extraordinary surge protection, as actual outages. I can always swap the UPS input to an alternate power source without the wifi even rebooting. Your freezers, especially if full and remain closed, only NEED to cycle an hour out of every twelve if amperage needs to be limited for a few days.
I’m sorry Cody but I think you are mistaken by how much those panels produce. It’s 40 watts each not 100 watts for a total of 160 watts. . At least that is what is says on the eco flow website. So for 800 watts you would need 5 of those panels.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the shot opening the main breaker and having the Generac ATS next to the main panel. I have installed a whole house backup this year (with Generac battery) and upped my propane storage but love the visibility of the solar generator you show here. Great video!!
We don't need the internet to survive. We just experienced this scenario with the big wind storm that came through MN. When the power went out the first action item was to round up a light source (we have several LED sources ready to go). Next step was to start a fire in the wood burning fireplace (it's like a built in wood stove), it brings tons of heat that keeps the entire main floor cozy warm. Before the power came back in the morning the plan was to get the 2200 watt Honda generator out to power the refrigerator and freezer (note to self, get more extension cords). The power went out at at 8:30 pm, came back on at 11:00 pm, went out again about 30 seconds later and did not come back on until 8:00 am the next morning. It was a good test run and it did expose a few weaknesses that we will be working on soon.
Good video. It's clear this list is for those with non-power-required home heating options like a wood stove. For people like myself with NG furnace, I still need a little power to run the fans and such to heat the home. I'd put that as #1 or even #2 behind the freezer/fridge. I like your note on the loudness of the gas generator, since it really is very loud. Fortunately, my neighbors all have them as well, so the whole community sounds like engines running and no one bums off others unless something runs out (like gas, but we are all on good terms). For those in areas that need more discrete power, the solar "generators" (let's be honest, they're just big battery packs) are a great option.
I think this video is basically an advertisement for that battery bank, and that unit isn't going to handle a furnace. I thought the same thing with that list, heat certainly is in the top 5 based on weather.
Those look great, I have a gasoline powered generator in the shed beside my house for when the power goes out, I just have to trip a breaker switch in the meter box to disconnect the mains and plug in the generator to the wall socket in the shed to power my whole house, the only things that can't run are the electric kettle, electric cooker, dishwasher, and laundry washer and dryer. Which all get plugged out.
So...Cody is a 1 monitor type of man. Kinda East Coast status. Once you work with dual monitors you wonder how you ever did anything efficiently with 1 monitor.
The best thing i did when i was single was disconnect gas and electric. I just cooked on the wood stove, heated water in steel kettles to take a bath. I used oil lamps for light. The only thing i would like that runs on electric would be a freezer. The cell phone can charge in the car.
EcoFlow = $$$ Wow.. not even close to my price range. Maybe do a video on the same subject for those who are on more of a standard American income. (Under 100k a year)
just bought the Ecoflow Delta Max Power Station, the two battery stations, and the solar panels........ very excited to see what this can do for my family and working in the garage shop....Last week I received the Ecoflow mini river wireless ....
Looks like a excellent unit for camping short term. For the home, my 1st option would be HVAC system, 2nd option would be my well, 3rd would be my food (freezer & refrigerator), 4th would be my Hot water heater. I can charge small electronics from vehicles if cell towers are active. Luckily i bought a 11.1kw LP & Gas generator before prices doubled this year. It’s in a small brick enclosure that has a window and away from the house that makes it almost silent. Thinking you’ll utilize the River for Hydroelectric.
Yep, this isn't anything but a glamping gear setup. How is he worried about keeping the food cold.... In the winter especially as #1?? lmao I get a kick out of some these overpaid wannabe homesteaders.
He doesn't really know anything about survival. This is a commercial. Just look at the top of his list. He lives in the north which gets cold outside and his first concern is keeping the food cold. lmao
For lights & USB recharging, I use the Ryobi 18+ battery system. There's even a 100 watt inverter which can keep a laptop going quite a while. I have tons of these batteries, and are always charged.
Average person/old school wranglerstar- fires up generator, worries about essentials Suburban hipster wranglerstar- breaks out sponsored and overpriced battery bank to charge iPhones and computer and keep the WiFi on.
Why do they call it a generator if it doesnt generate power... it stores power and coverts it but nothing on it generates electricity unless you call a solar panel charging a battery a generator
Great episode Cody. I really like those things but they're about 3X the cost of a good generator. My gas generator is noisy so that does scare me a bit. I'm well armed but I would much prefer not having to resort to that. + side of generators is that they run the whole house out of the breaker box with no exention cords. We can't have wood stoves here so we would also need to run the furnace fan. + the extra gas could come in handy in the event of a bug out. But the silence and the eternal recharge source is hard to argue with. Gotta think on this more.
I just stumbled upon this video and wanted to clarify some things critical to backup power. I have been doing backup power since the 1980's so, wanted to pass on things I learned the hard way so you don't have to, which generally takes place during the worst possible time. Solar Generators are not true generators like a gas powered generator, they are a large rechargeable battery that has a power inverter to make house power, car power, and cell phone power. They don't recharge quickly (several hours needed) and they need a source of fairly high power to recharge (like a gas generator). They are very convenient, being essentially a miniature solar power system when you additionally purchase the solar panels. Recharge times for the solar generators are quoted at a rate that is better than ideal conditions, the rate assumes you have the maximum number of solar panels connected, the solar panels are putting out their rated output power (which is rare), and the solar generator is simultaneously being charged from house power. The biggest problem with the solar generators is their high cost. The number one priority when power is lost, is to power the kitchen refrigerator. To do that, the generator must supply 2,400 watts for a few seconds to cleanly start the frig. A deep freeze takes approximately 10X the running wattage to start. A 2,000 watt, 2 kWh solar generator is the bare minimum required to run your kitchen frig, which will run the frig for about 10 hours before needing a recharge. Solar panels must be located where they will receive full sun in order to be effective. If a small shadow falls on a solar panel, output will drop by about 90%! If the solar panels are connected in series, a small shadow falling on any solar panel, will drop the output from all the panels by 90%! If the power outage lasts more than 12 hours, you will need a gas generator to keep the solar generator charged. Charging from a car cannot be relied upon. Your car can only supply about 240 watts at most, which is a fraction of what house power provides. Yes, you can use jumper style cables that connect directly to the car battery but, if you pull more than 20 amps of current, you stand the chance of burning your alternator out.
Here's a "challenge" request: operate the Power Station with absolutely NON Load, to determine how much the Inverter consumes (and how long it will last (which is not in EcoFlow's specs), then put on a reasonable load and TIME how long the EcoFlow will support that load. Watt-Hours out... is that Gross or Net (of the Inverter) ? Thanks for the great work at keeping us ahead of the game!
They make some pretty quiet gas generators. My little Yamaha can go for 13 hours on a gallon of gas powering the fridge and freezer and low power LED lighting around the house. Solar is cool, just more upfront cost. I also wired hookups to my house into the power panel. Always a great video Cody. God Bless
I’d bet that Generac panel is the first and primary source of backup power to essential systems in the Wranglerstar compound. However, these battery packs are cool and a great option for emergency power storage. Particularly for those for whom a generator is not an option.
Good information for most folks, as usual. I must be doing fairly well. If we lost power today for several days I could, and would, do just fine without concern for any of the items mentioned on your top 5 list. Cold food storage in the winter here in my parts is no concern what so ever. And I can assure you I would be fine without any of those other electrical gadgets -- it would be a much appreciated vacation!! :) Thanks!!
I got a Jackery 500 and a 100w panel for free recently. I also have generators and infrared heaters, and 2 inverters. 400w 800w and 1750w. I live in the sticks. I have gone 6 days with no power in January. I learned!
I keep a small portable generator, 30000 BTU wall mount propane heater with 7,20 lb tanks. Solar LED lights. Also keep a freezer full of Frozen bottles so they can be arranged to keep food cold
I would have thought water access would have been high on the list. If the power fails and the water pump won't run, what then? Having a charged cell phone and your office running is nice and all, but if you need to flush the toilet or you get thirsty or need to cook and have no water, all that other stuff pales pretty quick.
@@T-Mo_ I suppose you're right, people should, but not everyone does. Sort of like having extra gas stored, people should, but how many actually do? I live in a rural area and it's no problem for me, I have a dug well and I can dip out water if need be. Also I have my 120V water pump rigged so that if the power goes off, I can hook my generator up to the pump and have running water to the entire household.. However lots of people around here have nothing other than drilled wells with 240v pumps, and if they didn't happen to store water they'd be screwed. And it happens. Over the years we've had several unexpected, unexplained (during calm weather no storms) long term power outages that lasted days and in one case almost a week! Sure if you're short taken you can go buy water but it's amazing just how fast that disappears from store shelves(if they are even open) and how much you use in the run of a day. It's a lot! I just thought having a way to get your pump going would have been on the list. Water was third on my list right after preserving food and heat.
That’s nice. We don’t have wood heat, so our generator powers our house in reverse. It runs our well by itself. It can run the whole house of lights, all the refrigerators and freezers at the same time. We usually don’t run technology since the power is “dirty,” sine waves don’t match up. Gas is the only way to do that.
We turned off our power in early July to see what we needed to work on if we were in a grid down situation. Its sorta like the marine who takes an ice cold shower every morning in the event he is called upon to do that which makes him miserable, he is mentally and physically prepared, thus giving him an edge. In Alaska, it's turned dark and cold recently, but I'm still on our quest/test. Thankfully, the mother of invention is necessity. I feel I've grown. Love.
I recently purchased a Generac Whole house unit and I am ready for any power outage. It will run my whole home and wit the 200 gallon propane tank , it will run steady for at least a week .
We have survived a number of hurricanes where the power is out for an extended time. I have been considering getting an Eco Flow River to power my CPAP.
For light, I use Flyhoom bulbs. I bought these for use in camping where they hang in the tent, but I store them in the house where I'm likely to need them if the lights go out. They've got a small battery built in that charges with a USB cable. They have variable brightness, so that they last a long time if you turn the light down, but are still good enough to read a book or play cards.
Good presentation and some nice gadgets. I lived off grid and suggest you turn off the power for a few days to find out what you don’t know. I lived off grid for 15 years and there are several things you have yet to realize. It’s most likely not going to run your well pump. 1) water, 2) food preservation,
If you shine a flashlight against the side of a 1 gallon plastic milk jug full of water (which you'll want to have water on standby) it will magnify the light throughout the room better than just shining at the ceiling. 😁👍🏽🔦💧
Experienced exactly your hypothetical scenario (in the dead of winter) when I was ~12 (currently 58). We had no power for 4 days. It has colored my home choices the rest of my life. Let's say that multiple forms of heating (w/ preference given to wood burning) tops my list.
It's that or gather in one bedroom with an electric heater IF you have a generator....or Cody's dual alternaters...🤠
@@Vortexan9804
The longer version of that story...
We pulled the fuel oil heater out of the old (central) coal stove (that we hadn't used in about 7 years). Chopped up fallen (green) limbs from the storm. Hung quits in the doorways to the kitchen. Burned the wood to keep basement pipes thawed & heat rose up to warm the kitchen.
We always kept kerosene lamps available.
My father ultimately (day 2) rigged a large motor, old manual transmission to a tractor pto to provide limited AC power to cook & run well pump. I admired that man's ingenuity.
We lost power for 8 days a few years back. Fortunately we had some groceries and camping stove. The fireplace was barely able to keep the place warmish. From then on we keep a kerosene heater close by.
Step one. Hook up my Honda em6500.
Step 2. Make sure the well pump had filled up the holding tank.
Step 3. Hook up the Honda eu2200 to the freezer and fridge in the garage.
Step 4. Build a fire
Step 5 . Make a grilled cheese and tomato soup on the wood stove.
step 5, sounds like heaven
We have lost power for 2 to 4 weeks because of ice storms in the past. We have 2 fire places and the cold outside will preserve food.
Very nice. It's worth it. I hate using loud generators at my house where I need to shut it off by night time.
Step 1. Have dual alternators.
Step 2. Attach them with Loctite.
Step 3. Fizz.
😄 In before Mr. W with a ❤️
@@markhowards420 👍😁
😂👍
I love Florida but those hurricanes!! A generator and plenty of gas is a must. Power can be down for days affecting gas stations and stores as well.
At least we didn't have to worry about freezing to death!!
I can't believe water supply is not number one. That's crazy to me. I guess you can get it from the river, but others need water supply.
city water supply would still be available (most would be in the city) most country folks would have this as an item for sure.
yea, can this thing run a well pump?
Exactly. I can't believe most of these people are concerned about which stupid flashlight that have, or how long their chinese cell phone battery lasts.
Un-screw your priorities, people.
In some places they can use the cistern method and catch rainwater then filter it.
In other places it might be smart to drill a 2 inch water hydrant somewhere out on the property.
In the extremely dry places or desert it probably smart to keep a couple hundred gallons of water in tanks in a barn or building.
I'm a little more old school. I'd hate for my refrigerator stuff to go bad,but I keep an ample supply of stuff that doesn't need refrigeration. I can catch,kill,or fish for any meat I need in my area. I can heat my home,water,and cook on my wood stove. I keep a kitchen garden in the spring, summer, and fall and raise chickens. I still keep oil lamps and barn lanterns for extra light if needed.
Country girl here....power outage is a regular occurrence. First concern: freezers. All else has a back-up plan x2, or 3. I keep a white board list and map of the contents that is magnitic to the outside of each of the 3 freezers. Open once and done.
I'm a country boy and keeping the food cold is nowhere on my top list of things to do. Put the food outside or put frozen water jugs in the freezer. This video was nothing but an advertisement for rich folks to flush their money.
My generator does my fridge, gas furnace, water pump, 1 house plug and 1 light. The router, and other things are secondary.
Just had a wind storm in Michigan. My power is out rite now unfortunately!!
A bag of 100% mesquite lump charcoal to grill all meats in the refrigerators. Cook it, bag it, store it.
Water is the number one priority. A person can only live three or four days without an water. Food and shelter is 2 and 3.
It's a power bank. That's all. Not a generator.
I've got a generator that will run the house and shop and 300 gallons of fuel. Seems like power goes out in the winter once or twice a year here in Canada. Out on a farm so no worry about noise.
In some situations you might have to think about people seeing lights on more so than noise.
The absolute first thing to do is NOT PANIC
I wish everybody would quit calling it a SOLAR generator, it doesn't generate anything, especially SOLAR.
It's a battery in a fancy overpriced box with an inverter, usb, and 12 volt outlet
I love the life you have built with your sweet family. Thanks for giving back to us with such vital information and inspiration. My family really appreciates it.
First snow last night. 12”+ with intermittent power outages. The Ecoflows are working a treat. Thank you for the recommendations. Cheers!
First snow was 12"+?? Where tf do you live, Alaska??
@@RichieD_21 i was in the same spot
But i was in below frost bite weather for 1hour plus and survivrd
IKD HOW
IDK HOW*
WTF is this an ad or something?
Also since you live in a cold climate you could open a window to th garage or move your fridge or freezer to take advantage of the cold weather outside it might not even turn on. Lol dont keep your cooling in the heated parts of the house
My biggest concern about these solar generators is that I would use these at most 1-2 times a year. I like the idea of having them for an emergency, but I worry about throwing down that kinda cash (which is significant) and then the internal battery getting ruined because it doesn't get used often...
I`ve been homeless before without food or any money at all. Before that I went broke and couldn`t pay my electric or water bills. I buy every discounted power station I can find and invested 500 in a Bluetti EB70 to power a small AC freezer after hurricanes and just ordered a huge 50 lb refurbished Bluetti EB240 2.4 kWh one for a total of just over 500. I`ve gotten a lot of free power stations by reporting any issue I have no matter how minor. By doing this I have another free EB70, a 300 watt Rockpals, a 500 watt Rockpals clone, and two Aseuz 300 watt power stations. I have four other 300 watt ones I only paid 100 each for. Nobody can ever turn off my electricity again.
Yup. The vast majority of generators, even though they are 100% chinesium, will last at least a decade (more likely two) getting used once or twice a year. 500$ investment at the start and fuel as needed. Much better than 2 grand for the unit, solar panels, etc etc. Plus your neighbors will greatly appreciate you letting them plug a few things in to your generator that is several times larger than what you need.
@@eagle94haslanded I actually had a neighbor buy all the gas for mine during a 4 day outage at my last house because I let them hook into my generator for their fridge and lights.
@@baneverything5580 you should be banned!
Lithium Ion batteries take forever to breakdown. My company makes portable water purification systems and our pack uses a 10 amp hour lithium ion battery. You could literally charge it and leave it for years before you would ever have to top it off and it isnt going to degrade like common cell batteries.
100% disagree on the generator stuff...
Harbor Freight generator will power 3/4 of your house with noise that you can talk to another human being with less than 3 ft away. The bigger generator will definitely power your entire house and that's everything that we use on our food trucks and you don't even know it's running. And I mean we're talking running furnaces etc. So I can completely disagree.
this video is basically an ad. Hes just showing off an ecoflow and trying to sell it.
Power went out 2 nights ago, started my generator, plugged in my fridge and freezer a couple lights, then started a fire, in the wood stove, sat and relaxed with no worries...
How is it possible people thought "lights" were the 5th things to power? Lights and food should be the first things. Phones 3rd and the rest is just what ever. I have had years of power issues with PG&E and I can tell you that lights and food are hands down the first things you need
“I pulled some of the most smartest people that I know…” - LOVE IT. Much love buddy
Another good way of getting light would be to place the torch on top ofa glass bowl with mirror under it. I do that every time the power goes out and it lights the room so well
Living in the Houston area for 12 years now I have been through two hurricanes and a winter storm that had our power out for one to two weeks. Due to the eventuality that another hurricane will come we have a 15kw generator that can run on gasoline or LPG, I keep 30 gal of gas on hand dedicated for the generator but needs be we have 4 vehicles that can be siphoned, we also have a 100lb LPG tank and 2 smaller grill 20lb lpg tanks so we could run for enough time to keep food for about two months.
I would love a solar setup, long term I would like a 10-12kw solar setup with 100kwh of storage... still need to build a new garage though.
In the UK we just had a storm with 98mph winds. There was a LOT of damage. 200 yr old trees pulled out by the roots. Electric went off for nearly a week. And no water cos of an electric pump filling the resevoir. No mobile signals at all. Even if we had a solar generator, it wouldn't have been any good for us. Low tech, basic solutions were better for those who had them.
Professional homeowners might also think about buying a little attachment to their cordless drill batteries. I know Makita makes a really nice little device that clicks onto he battery and converts the battery to a small light and USB charger. I tend to keep my batteries charted, so it's a handy way to convert those into a quickie emergency light/power source.
Ryobi often gets crapped on... But they have a ton of things that help in an outage. I love their stuff.
Dewalt has one that turns into Zumba, not a light though
I have just purchased a 3D printed unit that can use 1 or 2 Makita LXT batteries with an Anderson connector and a voltage gauge. I can run a 12v 40 litre fridge freezer for 24 hours on 2 6.0 batteries
I’m not convinced those solar panels would last in a wind storm
For $3,500, I guess I'll just let the meat in freezer go to waste. After I eat all I can.
Try putting a clear water bottle over the top of the flashlight when it standing upright to disperse the light in the room
Welcome to 2021, most important things to power. Cell phone, wifi and computer lmao
As someone who lives off grid I would recommend people to look at what you have. If you have battery tools then get an adaptor that allows you to plug in USB to power lights, phones, etc.
Totally agree about candles. Only use them in a proper metal lantern. Never have open flames!
If you can look at your power heating systems in your home. Never be dependant on just one system. Icook with gas, heat or cook with solid fuel/wood stove and generate power both off my diesel engine and with solar and a petrol genny back up.
I might lose one system but all three??? In that case I am pitching a tent somewhere!
For refrigeration I use a cold cabinet I built with marble tile. Works excellently in all but peak summer to keep dairy, fresh veg, etc. Even then its cooler inside than out just not quite enough.
As an IT guy, I have to say that your computer/network/fancy electronic equipment should always be on a battery backup (UPS). Dips and surges in power can be disastrous to your electronics. At the very least, you should put your modem, router, PC, and alarm on UPS power.
If biolite had a full size wood stove, that could convert heat into electricity I would get it immediately - solar energy isn't reliable, but burning wood would be a great supplement.
Look up the Devil Watt, a thermoelectric generator that goes on your existing wood stove.
They do, firepit+
@@maxst2 fire pit+ is just a power bank that runs the fan for the fire pit, it does not generate electricity.
@@hachimachi808 really! Well thats a bummer...
Office computer and wifi over well pump? Furnace/heat? This seems to be missing some pretty important things for long term power outage.
What about your water well. What is your plan for that? I like the simple pumps.
Exactly. Water should be everyone's #1 priority. And how do you move it with no electricity or over-priced, garbage 'generator'.
These people worried about their flashlights blow my mind.
I can only see this as an option if you live in the city, That kind of money better spent on something that will run your well pump and furnace also. My opinion.
I seen one of your videos awhile ago and you was talking about the streamlight so I bought one ans was not disappointed. Absolutely awesome flashlight.
The phrase solar generator only makes sense to those who know nothing about solar.
1. only fire up the generator \ transfer panel after the first day. Food in freezer and fridge ok until then.
2. fire up generator. Use a transfer panel so you don't kill yourself or linemen with a suicide cable.
3. have candle lanterns for the house. Do not leave unattended.
4. Of course have a wood stove for heat.
5. have a barbeque for convenient cooking, unless dead of winter in a blizzard.
6. cook on the wood stove next, especially in winter.
7. have water filtration ready to do, independent of boiling, so you're not wasting BTU's prepping water. Especially in winter.
8. have a solar panel for recharging critical tools, batteries and devices.
I will just go to Harbert freight go buy a cheap two-stroke generator and be set
Man! Even your bench vise is cool! Thank you for the info. God bless.
If people are putting home office ahead of heat or water, I question your priorities.
You don't need electricity for water and heating.....
@@maxbradley9534 how do you figure? You digging a hole 200’ deep to gain access to fresh water? Not all of us have fireplaces for heat either, so we are limited to heat pumps down here in Texas.
@@everydayman3497 are you telling me that when your power is out you can't turn on your taps?
@@maxbradley9534 yes…no power to the well to suck the water out of the ground
@@everydayman3497 ahh right I'm with you. You live pretty remote. Can you get a hand crank override for the well?
What timing, we’re under a level 4 warning for tonight, tornadoes are likely, if the weather gets as bad as predicted I’m sure many in our neck of the woods will lose electricity. Thanks for posting.
Same situation with me
Ho[e no one dies from CO gas
@@meyep6447 what???
@@jimmystheworkbee hope you have a safe night.
@@hillbillypatriot1 CO... A part of the exhaust from internal combustion engines, that will kill you if it's allowed to accumulate in indoor, habitable locations. If you're running a generator, be sure to have a CO detector inside the house, if ya don't have one already.
Great video, I encourage everyone to test their theory for at least a weekend every six months or so just to see if you might be overlooking anything. Kill the main breaker, and shut off the water & gas meters to see if you are actually as ready as you THINK.
I think every couple should have a frank talk about exactly what, and how much you're willing to share with the people who laugh at you for how serious you take your preparations, because you can be sure they are going to turn to you for something after the first week of going without traditionally available resources.
I keep my computers, wifi and routers on my UPS (uninterruptable power supply). As much much for the extraordinary surge protection, as actual outages. I can always swap the UPS input to an alternate power source without the wifi even rebooting.
Your freezers, especially if full and remain closed, only NEED to cycle an hour out of every twelve if amperage needs to be limited for a few days.
100% agree that recovery plans must be tested. Whatever the plan is for, if you didn't test it, the value is questionable at best.
I’m sorry Cody but I think you are mistaken by how much those panels produce. It’s 40 watts each not 100 watts for a total of 160 watts. . At least that is what is says on the eco flow website. So for 800 watts you would need 5 of those panels.
1. Get out generator.
2. Start generator.
3. Run power cord.
And a PMAG D-60 full of 62gr Hornady TAP for anyone drawn in by the noise.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the shot opening the main breaker and having the Generac ATS next to the main panel. I have installed a whole house backup this year (with Generac battery) and upped my propane storage but love the visibility of the solar generator you show here. Great video!!
We don't need the internet to survive.
We just experienced this scenario with the big wind storm that came through MN. When the power went out the first action item was to round up a light source (we have several LED sources ready to go). Next step was to start a fire in the wood burning fireplace (it's like a built in wood stove), it brings tons of heat that keeps the entire main floor cozy warm. Before the power came back in the morning the plan was to get the 2200 watt Honda generator out to power the refrigerator and freezer (note to self, get more extension cords).
The power went out at at 8:30 pm, came back on at 11:00 pm, went out again about 30 seconds later and did not come back on until 8:00 am the next morning. It was a good test run and it did expose a few weaknesses that we will be working on soon.
Good video.
It's clear this list is for those with non-power-required home heating options like a wood stove. For people like myself with NG furnace, I still need a little power to run the fans and such to heat the home. I'd put that as #1 or even #2 behind the freezer/fridge.
I like your note on the loudness of the gas generator, since it really is very loud. Fortunately, my neighbors all have them as well, so the whole community sounds like engines running and no one bums off others unless something runs out (like gas, but we are all on good terms). For those in areas that need more discrete power, the solar "generators" (let's be honest, they're just big battery packs) are a great option.
I think this video is basically an advertisement for that battery bank, and that unit isn't going to handle a furnace. I thought the same thing with that list, heat certainly is in the top 5 based on weather.
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Those look great, I have a gasoline powered generator in the shed beside my house for when the power goes out, I just have to trip a breaker switch in the meter box to disconnect the mains and plug in the generator to the wall socket in the shed to power my whole house, the only things that can't run are the electric kettle, electric cooker, dishwasher, and laundry washer and dryer. Which all get plugged out.
So...Cody is a 1 monitor type of man. Kinda East Coast status. Once you work with dual monitors you wonder how you ever did anything efficiently with 1 monitor.
The best thing i did when i was single was disconnect gas and electric. I just cooked on the wood stove, heated water in steel kettles to take a bath. I used oil lamps for light. The only thing i would like that runs on electric would be a freezer. The cell phone can charge in the car.
I was distracted throughout that video by that beautiful “fizz” inducing bench vise!
EcoFlow = $$$
Wow.. not even close to my price range.
Maybe do a video on the same subject for those who are on more of a standard American income. (Under 100k a year)
I was just wanting this exact topic. Thanks!
just bought the Ecoflow Delta Max Power Station, the two battery stations, and the solar panels........ very excited to see what this can do for my family and working in the garage shop....Last week I received the Ecoflow mini river wireless ....
Hiya Cody. The first thing I would do, is call the government, because they are here to help us.
Looks like a excellent unit for camping short term. For the home, my 1st option would be HVAC system, 2nd option would be my well, 3rd would be my food (freezer & refrigerator), 4th would be my Hot water heater. I can charge small electronics from vehicles if cell towers are active. Luckily i bought a 11.1kw LP & Gas generator before prices doubled this year. It’s in a small brick enclosure that has a window and away from the house that makes it almost silent. Thinking you’ll utilize the River for Hydroelectric.
Yep, this isn't anything but a glamping gear setup. How is he worried about keeping the food cold.... In the winter especially as #1?? lmao I get a kick out of some these overpaid wannabe homesteaders.
How about an idea for people that can't afford one of those generators?
He doesn't really know anything about survival. This is a commercial. Just look at the top of his list. He lives in the north which gets cold outside and his first concern is keeping the food cold. lmao
#1, by a LONG way, is our water catchment purification and pump. Food storage is a FAR distant second
Outstanding information from real experience! Thank you!!!
For lights & USB recharging, I use the Ryobi 18+ battery system. There's even a 100 watt inverter which can keep a laptop going quite a while. I have tons of these batteries, and are always charged.
Average person/old school wranglerstar- fires up generator, worries about essentials
Suburban hipster wranglerstar- breaks out sponsored and overpriced battery bank to charge iPhones and computer and keep the WiFi on.
Yep, he's worried about keeping the food cold... in the winter. 😂
Why do they call it a generator if it doesnt generate power... it stores power and coverts it but nothing on it generates electricity unless you call a solar panel charging a battery a generator
Great episode Cody. I really like those things but they're about 3X the cost of a good generator. My gas generator is noisy so that does scare me a bit. I'm well armed but I would much prefer not having to resort to that. + side of generators is that they run the whole house out of the breaker box with no exention cords. We can't have wood stoves here so we would also need to run the furnace fan. + the extra gas could come in handy in the event of a bug out. But the silence and the eternal recharge source is hard to argue with. Gotta think on this more.
Get the solar anyway. Use the solar primarily and the gas generator for extreme emergencies only.
AWESOME INFO ONCE AGAIN!!! THANK YOU, CODY!
I just stumbled upon this video and wanted to clarify some things critical to backup power. I have been doing backup power since the 1980's so, wanted to pass on things I learned the hard way so you don't have to, which generally takes place during the worst possible time.
Solar Generators are not true generators like a gas powered generator, they are a large rechargeable battery that has a power inverter to make house power, car power, and cell phone power. They don't recharge quickly (several hours needed) and they need a source of fairly high power to recharge (like a gas generator). They are very convenient, being essentially a miniature solar power system when you additionally purchase the solar panels. Recharge times for the solar generators are quoted at a rate that is better than ideal conditions, the rate assumes you have the maximum number of solar panels connected, the solar panels are putting out their rated output power (which is rare), and the solar generator is simultaneously being charged from house power. The biggest problem with the solar generators is their high cost.
The number one priority when power is lost, is to power the kitchen refrigerator. To do that, the generator must supply 2,400 watts for a few seconds to cleanly start the frig. A deep freeze takes approximately 10X the running wattage to start. A 2,000 watt, 2 kWh solar generator is the bare minimum required to run your kitchen frig, which will run the frig for about 10 hours before needing a recharge.
Solar panels must be located where they will receive full sun in order to be effective. If a small shadow falls on a solar panel, output will drop by about 90%! If the solar panels are connected in series, a small shadow falling on any solar panel, will drop the output from all the panels by 90%!
If the power outage lasts more than 12 hours, you will need a gas generator to keep the solar generator charged. Charging from a car cannot be relied upon. Your car can only supply about 240 watts at most, which is a fraction of what house power provides. Yes, you can use jumper style cables that connect directly to the car battery but, if you pull more than 20 amps of current, you stand the chance of burning your alternator out.
The flash lights for the head are really good too...
I think that "surefire" is actually a stream-light . I have 2 I drag all over the place. Never let me down.
Here's a "challenge" request: operate the Power Station with absolutely NON Load, to determine how much the Inverter consumes (and how long it will last (which is not in EcoFlow's specs), then put on a reasonable load and TIME how long the EcoFlow will support that load. Watt-Hours out... is that Gross or Net (of the Inverter) ? Thanks for the great work at keeping us ahead of the game!
The efficiency of the inverter changes with load, so that test won't tell you anything... But it's somewhere around 98-99%
Don't fall for absurd marketing, this isn't a generator, it's a battery pack.
explain
Your viewers in SoCal thank you for this video
Thank you for sharing this wonderful information 😊 😀 🙏 ❤
They make some pretty quiet gas generators. My little Yamaha can go for 13 hours on a gallon of gas powering the fridge and freezer and low power LED lighting around the house. Solar is cool, just more upfront cost. I also wired hookups to my house into the power panel. Always a great video Cody. God Bless
O bulbs are a great source of rechargeable light.
No mention of keeping a furnace running?? Not a very good list
Stock up on wood!
Keep my wood stove going and run my back up gen
I’d bet that Generac panel is the first and primary source of backup power to essential systems in the Wranglerstar compound. However, these battery packs are cool and a great option for emergency power storage. Particularly for those for whom a generator is not an option.
@@michaelwarnock3988 we have a Cummins natural gas unit and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Good information for most folks, as usual.
I must be doing fairly well. If we lost power today for several days I could, and would, do just fine without concern for any of the items mentioned on your top 5 list. Cold food storage in the winter here in my parts is no concern what so ever. And I can assure you I would be fine without any of those other electrical gadgets -- it would be a much appreciated vacation!! :)
Thanks!!
Same! Except...need the freezers running.
Exactly! This is just a short glamping trip setup that's not even useful in the winter.
I got a Jackery 500 and a 100w panel for free recently. I also have generators and infrared heaters, and 2 inverters. 400w 800w and 1750w. I live in the sticks. I have gone 6 days with no power in January. I learned!
I keep a small portable generator, 30000 BTU wall mount propane heater with 7,20 lb tanks. Solar LED lights. Also keep a freezer full of Frozen bottles so they can be arranged to keep food cold
I would have thought water access would have been high on the list. If the power fails and the water pump won't run, what then? Having a charged cell phone and your office running is nice and all, but if you need to flush the toilet or you get thirsty or need to cook and have no water, all that other stuff pales pretty quick.
@@T-Mo_ I suppose you're right, people should, but not everyone does. Sort of like having extra gas stored, people should, but how many actually do? I live in a rural area and it's no problem for me, I have a dug well and I can dip out water if need be. Also I have my 120V water pump rigged so that if the power goes off, I can hook my generator up to the pump and have running water to the entire household.. However lots of people around here have nothing other than drilled wells with 240v pumps, and if they didn't happen to store water they'd be screwed. And it happens. Over the years we've had several unexpected, unexplained (during calm weather no storms) long term power outages that lasted days and in one case almost a week! Sure if you're short taken you can go buy water but it's amazing just how fast that disappears from store shelves(if they are even open) and how much you use in the run of a day. It's a lot! I just thought having a way to get your pump going would have been on the list. Water was third on my list right after preserving food and heat.
This is just an advertisement to sell rich folks "solar generators" that are nothing more than fancy batteries and inverters.
When we lose power, I go directly to our camping & ice fishing equipment, because it’s all off grid.
Water is a big priority!
Cody, where would getting power to your well pump fall on your list of priorities?
*Should* be #1.
That’s nice. We don’t have wood heat, so our generator powers our house in reverse. It runs our well by itself. It can run the whole house of lights, all the refrigerators and freezers at the same time. We usually don’t run technology since the power is “dirty,” sine waves don’t match up. Gas is the only way to do that.
Don’t think I didn’t see that terrible dog food you have in that garage 😂😂😂
We turned off our power in early July to see what we needed to work on if we were in a grid down situation. Its sorta like the marine who takes an ice cold shower every morning in the event he is called upon to do that which makes him miserable, he is mentally and physically prepared, thus giving him an edge.
In Alaska, it's turned dark and cold recently, but I'm still on our quest/test. Thankfully, the mother of invention is necessity. I feel I've grown.
Love.
Awesome content. Thanks so much I learned so much. Nice set-up I’m the home office😁
Well pump came in near the top for me.
Having horses, first priority is getting water for them as they have an on demand waterer. Power the well pump to fill a stock tank.
I recently purchased a Generac Whole house unit and I am ready for any power outage. It will run my whole home and wit the 200 gallon propane tank , it will run steady for at least a week .
We have survived a number of hurricanes where the power is out for an extended time. I have been considering getting an Eco Flow River to power my CPAP.
For light, I use Flyhoom bulbs. I bought these for use in camping where they hang in the tent, but I store them in the house where I'm likely to need them if the lights go out. They've got a small battery built in that charges with a USB cable. They have variable brightness, so that they last a long time if you turn the light down, but are still good enough to read a book or play cards.
Good presentation and some nice gadgets. I lived off grid and suggest you turn off the power for a few days to find out what you don’t know. I lived off grid for 15 years and there are several things you have yet to realize. It’s most likely not going to run your well pump. 1) water, 2) food preservation,
Our #1 is water from a 240V, 1.5HP well pump.
A Delta Pro configuration may work for that type of load (and supply the house like a generator).
If you shine a flashlight against the side of a 1 gallon plastic milk jug full of water (which you'll want to have water on standby) it will magnify the light throughout the room better than just shining at the ceiling. 😁👍🏽🔦💧