Going solar with my home (maybe): a diary Jon StokesStaff - September 3, 2020 I’ve been wanting to do solar since we first moved into our house in 2015. We’re on 17 acres, and we’re 100% electric — everything from the range to heating and cooling to the well pump is on the grid. So we’re actually more “on-grid” than were in Austin, because if the power’s out then we can’t heat the house and the taps don’t work. Because I’m a prepper, and because we do have substantial blackouts here periodically due to electrical storms, I’d like to back up the some or part of the property with solar + battery backup. So as I think through this process and my options, I figured I’d make a thread in there to get insight from others, and to share my experiences. I want to learn as much as I can, so that I not only do this right for myself and my family, but so that I can work on a guide on this topic for The Prepared. In fact, my main goal is to come out the other end of this process with — at a minimum — enough info to do some kind of guide, even if I don’t end up actually pulling the trigger on the actual solar install right now. I do want to acknowledge up-front that my living and financial situation is not very typical (I’ve successfully sold a company, and live on a ranchette with some horses and a pond and so on). I say this because I’m just going to be kinda honest about numbers and specifics in this thread, and I know that so many people are struggling… I don’t want to come off like I think all my particular parameters are generally applicable; they definitely are not. But there is a lot of cost/benefit calculation involved in sizing a solar install, and thinking through all that in any kind of worthwhile way requires putting some actual numbers down. Here are a few parameters and considerations I’m working with: Location: I’m in Central TX right north of Austin (Georgetown area), so lots of sun. Property: We have a large house with a metal roof that has terrible, ancient insulation. It would cost us $30-$40K to get the roof redone with modern closed-cell insulation. That would significantly cut our bill, from what I’m told (though I don’t know how much), so that is something I’m seriously considering. We have a well on a separate meter that runs about $40/month, and are adding a 1200sqft guest house that may be occupied much of the year. We can easily do a ground-mounted setup, since we’re on 17 acres. We can also do it next to the meter and keep the trenching at under 50 ft. Current electrical usage: We’re paying $0.09 kwh, which is pretty cheap. But given the state of the roof and size of the house, we’re doing over 5,100 kwh per month on average, which is nuts. Our bill is around $425/mo average, though it’s way way worse than that in the summers (gets close to $600). When we add the guest house in we’re looking at around 5,600 kwh per month roughly. Timing: Sunpower and other companies are going to be launching Powerwall competitors in early 2021, so theoretically (barring battery supply chain problems, war with China, and a billion other things that could go wrong between now and then), batteries should be a lot cheaper in about Q3 of next year. So if I did the solar now and the batteries later, I could get a lot more bang per buck. But of course then I’d have no backup, and if I lose grid power my solar won’t help. So solar-only is not that appealing to me. Financial stuff: I’ve started talking to Freedom Solar — they’re a SunPower dealer. They’ll finance up to $100K at 2.9%, no money down, 25-year terms. If you go over $100K, you have to pay the delta up-front to get below that threshold. They quoted me like $140K for an 88-panel Sunpower system to replace 79% of my usage, backed up with two Powerwall batteries. This kinda feels like a lot! Especially since I’d need to pay them $40K up-front to get the financing down to $100K. This is a 25-year loan, so the monthly note works out to over $420/month. If I factor in another $90/month in ongoing electric utility payments (remember I’d only be at 79% replacement) then that’s ~$500/month for about 25 years for electricity. I could tell the salesperson was used to talking to people who just wanted to do solar for reasons of replacing their existing electrical bill with a payment on a solar system that will give them some inflation protection and increase their home value. But as a prepper I’m more interested in the backup aspect than I am in the inflation protection and home value aspects. Options: I do have the capability to put the $40K down to do this. But obviously that’s a big chunk, and I could do a lot of other things with $40K, including buy gold or bitcoin or stocks, or fix my roof (more on that in a minute, tho). As pessimistic as I am about the upcoming fall and winter, if I’m thinking about allocating $40K of my portfolio as a hedge against economic catastrophe risk, then $40K in a personal off-grid setup looks better than $40K in many other asset classes. Anyway, here are some options I’m thinking about: I could put $40K down for the full $140K package of 88 panels + two Powerwalls. I don’t know that I love this, because if I do end up with a new roof in a few years, and kwh usage drops by like 30%, then I’m way over-provisioned and am still paying ~$450/month for electricity and not seeing real savings from the roof. I could spend $40K to redo my roof, and then buy a smaller solar system. Not sure how much money I’ll be saving via the new roof until I actually do it, though. I could start with just $100K worth of solar and wait for batteries to get cheaper next year, and put $40K somewhere else. But as I said, doing this without the batteries doesn’t scratch the prepper itch. I could get a sub-$100K solar-only install, and then try to do my own batteries using lead-acid. I have no idea how feasible that is. I could bring in another area solar company to give a competing bid, and see if that gets me anything. So that’s where I’m at with this as of this morning, and will update as I know more and learn more. Would love to hear other people’s experiences with solar — especially off-grid setups — and how you’ve thought about or are thinking about it. Edit: Just typing all this out has made me realize that I can’t competently do the math on this without knowing exactly how much a new roof will cost and what the impact of that new roof will be on my electric bill. Without those inputs, it’s too hard to size correctly. Read More 20 39 Virtual Preparedness Conference – Now Online Paul Martin - September 2, 2020 Along with Karl Rehn of KR Training, we’ve created a virtual preparedness conference with a series of videos you can watch, on demand, on a variety of topics. We are regularly adding new videos to the set list. There is a small charge associated with these videos – most can be rented for 90 days for as little as $2. This allows us to maintain the Vimeo account and to compensate other presenters who share their knowledge with us. It’s our goal to not only jumpstart people’s preparedness efforts, but help them troubleshoot areas of their plan where they are struggling. Check out the set list by clicking here. Read More 5 0 Cooking setup while bugged out? H. P. - September 1, 2020 So a problem I identified but haven’t solved is: It’s time to get out of Dodge, throw the go-bags and boxes in the car or hoof it out with packs etc., away we go, kids… …and when we stop at some point, meal prep has to happen. Cleverly, I have food, camp stove, water and/or filters prepared. But I don’t have a good plan for cookware/dishes for meal prep. How are the rest of you planning for this? I’ve considered just shelling out for camping gear, which is lightweight enough, but seems undersized or not robust enough. Hauling heavy Dutch ovens or large iron skillets seems like a lot of weight. Is it just a gnarly problem to feed a family on the go and I need to set aside resources for it? 🤔 Thanks! Read More 17 6 GearScenarios NYCer looking to buy Protective Vest David Niño Brown - September 1, 2020 I’ll keep this short and sweet. Crime is up. The crazies are running the asylum. Batman is nowhere to be found. We can’t strap up. (Obv.) So i need a vest. Ghost Is this good? Just need something discrete in an obviously urban setting. To be able to get away and be able to escape the situation without getting critically injured , as well as get away from surprise stabbing attacks and stray bullets of low calibers with minimal to no damage. Read More 16 2 Gear Women’s professional dresswear that is preparedness appropriate CamilleContributor - August 31, 2020 After I graduate in December I’ll be moving away from my parent’s farm and beginning a position where I’ll be expected to dress professionally. I’ve always felt pretty comfortable in the casual clothes I am able to wear to my classes and the work clothes I wear on the farm because in the event of an emergency I feel set and have never felt like my clothes would inhibit me in movement/coverage and it’s easy to dress in clothes that seem fit for preparedness when going casual. I’m interested in advice anyone may have on women’s dresswear that is also still appropriate for moving about uninhibited in an emergency scenario. Essentially I am looking for women’s dresswear that is prepping appropriate: easy-movement, durable fabric and functional pieces (I’m excluding skirts and dresses based on this last requirement as they don’t have great coverage for the most part and often don’t have pockets). Lots of womens dresswear is super impractical, made of fragile fabric and has special restrictions on how to care for it and I’d feel unprepared wearing most of it. My searches so far have been refined to clothes that are machine-washable, have pockets and that also look professional (I do not want to look like I went shopping at a tactical shop for clothes). So far, I’ve found two brands that hit my requirements and a few pieces I like: 1. Betabrand Women’s Dress Yoga Pants, Straight Leg with 7 Pockets: https://www.betabrand.com/womens/pants/dress-pant-yoga-pants-collection/7-pocket-stretch-wrinkle-resistant-dress-pants 2. Betabrand Women’s Blazer with Functional Pockets: https://www.betabrand.com/womens/outerwear/womens-four-way-stretch-transcendent-blazer-black 3. Eddie Bauer waterproof trenchcoat that I wear all the time that has many pockets but seems to have been discontinued. Finding professional blouses, a tote/purse and shoes (I won’t consider anything but flats) is proving to be a bit more difficult. I welcome any input! Read More 16 7 Best online places to buy backup glasses? Jay ValenciaContributor - August 31, 2020 I wear glasses and so does my wife. We’re not interested in getting laser surgery, so that means an extra pair of glasses are part of our preps at home. I think most people do that. But now I’m wondering if I should have an extra pair specifically for our BOB and maybe our EDC. My prescription hasn’t changed so my guess is I can just use that to order a few pairs online for us? Where would you recommend? Read More 22 11 Advice What did covid-19 expose as a weakness in your preps? Dragoon - August 26, 2020 No prep is ever done or perfect. So whenever something bad happens I try to learn from it as a real-world stress test. What did the last few months with covid make you realize was a weakness in your preps? My husband and I already had the important supplies on hand like respirators and food. But the biggest “d’oh!” moment for us was that we didn’t have some of our food supplies labeled with purchase dates to know which food should be eaten first. It probably won’t matter, but if we needed to survive on what we have for a long time, it would be nice to know what will spoil first. We solved this by putting a Sharpie marker on a string by our food shelf and will write the year on everything we buy. We also did not have enough gloves. We had a box of 100, but two people can run through those pretty quickly when using a pair or two every day over months. If you could go back in time before COVID, what would you change about your preps? Read More 20 29 Scenarios Prepping for Hurricane Season Matt Black - August 25, 2020 NPR’s Life Kit has an article and accompanying podcast episode entitled, “It’s Peak Hurricane Season. You Should Have These Plans Ready” by Debbit Elliott. I’m not in a hurricane prone area, but some of you may be. I’m wondering what other preps you might have. Read More 16 3 News Recommendations for solar camping lanterns? KKW - August 24, 2020 Does anyone have recommendations for solar lights? I thought it might be nice to have some lanterns in case of no power. Thanks! Read More 12 5 Preserving eggs with calcium hydroxide Alisa Felix - August 24, 2020 Has anyone tried using calcium hydroxide to preserve eggs? It has a bunch of other names like slaked lime, but you basically combine it with water and then jar it. And the eggs can last a couple years with no funky taste. But based on what I’ve been reading, it won’t work on eggs you get from the store. It has to be eggs that haven’t been washed yet… something about the natural coating still needs to be there? So if you have chickens or know someone with some, it could be an easy way to store them long term. I haven’t done it yet but just wanted to throw it out there in case someone else has. Or maybe it doesn’t work at all? Read More 16 7 Advice Tornados Cia - August 24, 2020 Could anyone give advice about preparing for a tornado? We live in central Missouri, tornado country. I just told a friend in Oregon yesterday who is thirty miles from a wildfire that we weren’t in danger from wildfires or hurricanes here, but we certainly are from tornados. We have a closet under the basement steps: how should we prepare it? Thanks! Read More 10 2 Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds? Kelsey DonkContributor - August 23, 2020 My partner and I just bought our first house and we’re looking for some advice from this expert prepping community! 🙂 We live in Minneapolis and like true Northerners, we spend all year planning for and dreaming of our brief window of spring and summer weather. We both love to garden and have done lots of gardening in community gardens and on our rental balconies and in rental yards, but this is the first time we’ll actually be able to invest in a long-term garden of our own! We’re so excited. I’m planning on getting some galvanized stock tanks for raised beds (with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage, of course). Does anyone have experience with this? Any tips for growing vegetables or setting up the stock tanks? We move in to our new house late next month. Is it smartest to wait until spring to dig up the grass and plop the tanks down? Or should I do that this fall while the ground is still soft and before the winter freeze descends? Read More 14 6 AdviceGear Newbie prepper MrsG - August 22, 2020 and probably looking for a little input or advice. Prior to Covid really hitting (around February) my partner came home from work and suggested we stock up on food. I always keep a pretty stocked pantry and freezer but I immediately went out and got extra–rice, beans etc. We were one of the first areas to shut down and I have to say it was incredibly comforting knowing I could feed my family for weeks before needing to go out. I have some generalized anxiety and I think I was able to feel calmer going into the pandemic having that little stockpile. So that led me here. Now I’m trying to get started having more preps in place BUT I feel really overwhelmed with all the things I could do and the number of decisions to make. Example–I would like to create bug out bags for the family, but even just contemplating a backpacks for each of us stymies me. I’m relatively tall but pretty small-boned—so what size do I get? (an example of how my brain spins out). Anyone have some good advice on getting started and not overwhelmed? Read More 23 25 Is there a Window Security Film that does double (or triple) duty? mseg77 - August 21, 2020 I’ll post a comment directly to the article but thought I should separately as well – I apologize if that’s not appropriate and admins, please delete if so. I read the “hardening your home” article (https://theprepared.com/homestead/guides/home-hardening-basics/). We’ve been looking at adding window film for a while, but mainly for purposes privacy (shaded, NOT blackout or mirror-finish, preferably) and to help with heat/cooling efficiency. It’s a single-story home in a suburb neighborhood of the Capitol here in CA w/ 2 sliding glass doors. I’m wondering if there is a product, or if someone has experience/suggestions with a film that does both/all three (security + privacy + thermal), and well? This is the product referenced in the article https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00FRLJU0S/tp-kb-20?th=1 Read More 11 2 AdviceGear What media sources do you consult? Whatevs - August 20, 2020 Besides this website, what media sources do you consult for preparedness? Looking to cast a wide net. Read More 12 17 Advice How Soap Works / Soap > Sanitizer Matt Black - August 13, 2020 I listen to a lot of podcasts. I find it frees my hands and eyes, especially when I’m busy with my prepping projects and I can actually learn a thing or two other than the latest deathtoll numbers. One area of interest (especially given the importance of hygeine amidst the current pandemic) is how I’ve seemed anxious about the shortage of sanitizer and disinfectant (and their skyrocketing prices). Turns out, according to a July 30th episode of How Stuff Works, soap is better. And it has everything to do with soap’s structure. Spoiler! Soap physically tears apart the cells of germs, viruses and microorganisms! This episode covers (in 54 minutes), the origins of soap, how to make soap, how soap works, and how using soap compares to sanitizers and disinfectents. How Stuff Works: How Soap Works: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/episode/how-soap-works-69248640 Read More 13 3 Prepping strategies for larger families chicksnhens - August 12, 2020 Alot of prepping advice is based on the number of people you are prepping for…”save X amount of rice/water/supplies for each person in the family.” This is pretty manageable if you have a small household, but what do you do when you have a bigger family, with constantly shifting nutritional needs and preferences? Right now I have 3 kids under 5, which means they don’t eat all that much now, but they will in a few years. Their preferences also bounce around like crazy – one week they LOVE a certain food or snack, and the next week they won’t touch it. We are also considering adding a 4th child at some point, so it is possible we will end up with a family of 6 to prep for. Right now I don’t have the space, mental bandwidth, or finances to stock up on a full supply of food for 5-6 people that will last a year, especially when half my family is guaranteed to refuse a bunch of it at some point. To date, my strategy is to simply stock up on the items I know I’ll definitely use, and to prioritize items that have longer shelf lives: rice, pasta, sauces, canned tomatoes, baking supplies, specific snack items, peanut butter and jelly. I’m less about aiming for a certain amount on hand per person, and more about making sure I have enough to get us through the next 3-6 months if these items disappeared from the stores tomorrow. Any other tips on how to approach prepping for bigger families? Read More 17 6 What can I plant now in a 36 x 24 x 10″ wooden box? Haus Monkey - August 11, 2020 I recently moved into a new house and the previous owners left a 36 x 24 x 10″ wooden raised box in the backyard. So I want to know if it’s worth it for me to keep it and plant something edible in it, or not. I don’t care much about what I plant. That is, I’m thinking about stuff I can eat – not flowers. I’m fine even if it’s just herbs. FYI the box faces South. The soil in it was already there so I have no clue if I need to do something with it or not. I’m a total newbie, in case that wasn’t clear! Thanks! Read More 14 0 Where is the hurricane/fire coverage? hbic - August 10, 2020 I’ve been kind of surprised to not see even mentions of recent natural disasters on the blog or the forum. There are millions without power due to Tropical Storm Isaias right now and thousands were evacuated from the Apple Fire this weekend, and both of those seasons are just starting. Would love to see some new content geared towards preparing for hurricanes & wildfires, particularly with COVID potentially complicating evacuation plans. Thoughts? Read More 11 3 Meta Thoughts on mens’ “Dress shoes” that are also practical? Hazard Awareness - August 10, 2020 I subscribe to the belief that the “best” piece of equipment is the one that you have, when you need it. Not the one sitting in a closet at home or on a store shelf. With that in mind, in regards to every day carry, my employer requires business casual, dress shoes required. Dress shoes usually fall under a category of Form>Function. While the “dress-boots” I have now are certainly comfortable and don’t hinder me at all, I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for footwear that they enjoy and provide some protection without the “look” of work or combat boots? Any thoughts appreciated. Read More 18 10 What are you doing with your stimulus check? JB - August 10, 2020 Finally got mine. Are you guys spending some of yours on more preps, especially in this window before we might have more lockdowns? If so, on what? A lot is sold out, so I was thinking about getting some workout stuff but I haven’t decided. Not being able to go to the gym is really effecting me, and I think fitness is a part of prepping. Read More 20 20 Advice What did you learn from the experience from COVID-19? FPV California - August 10, 2020 Did you learn something fundamental? Were you rocked to your core? Or did you learn something little that you just want to share with the world? For me it was the realization that 2 weeks of prep just won’t cut it. I was prepping with a big earthquake in California in mind. But with toilet paper disappearing for a month it finally dawned on me how desperate the whole state will be after an earthquake. With so many people in need there’s no way there will be enough logistics to feed everyone or supply water for weeks or months. I’m going to have to rethink things. One small thing I learned is you can chop up green onion and it keeps in the freezer. I like to dress up my Top Ramen with more ingredients and green onion is one of my favorites. In the past I would just use fresh from the store, but in order to reduce my trips to the store I tried freezing it and it worked out great. Read More 20 25 Advice When to bug out… and where? Runcible - August 8, 2020 Hi y’all, I’ve been trying to manage my fight/flight impulses recently, but I find my fear at a constant idle of anxiety. We have the food, defense, and energy preps we might need to shelter in place in our home for a few months, I think. We have good relationships with our neighbors. But home maybe doesn’t feel like the safest place? I live in a town recently mentioned as a potential target for Federal Troops coming to quell civil unrest, in a seismicly active area, a town with great wealth disparities and a large population of folks living pretty marginally. As times get worse, crimes of desperation will surely increase. We’re trying to decide, in this very uncertain and potentially pre-cataclysmic economic time, when the best time to bug out is. Certainly, if we were to try to sell our house and investments it would be prudent to make those moves before housing and stock markets falter. That’s super hard to predict. Advice sought: what triggering event/events would you use as economic indicators/triggers to make you pack it all up and move it on out? Further: where would we go? If we can keep our jobs and schooling running remotely, what are the best options? Should we stay within driving distance of our work HQ and friends, or should we try to immigrate to another country? Hunker in the woods or near a Costco or on a tropical island? I’d love to hear your thoughts on these matters. It’s OK to call me overwrought, or to say you’ve had similar thoughts, or hear about your bug out locations and triggers. I seek a variety of opinions. Read More 15 15 Advice < Prev 1 2 3 … 57 58 59 60 61 Next > Recently Active How to sew and repair a leather glove - 6 days agoMoooooooo…Can you rec a powdered milk? - 6 days agoLight weight backpacking gear and techniques - 6 days agoNews for the Week 12-16-24 - 6 days agoNews for the Week 2024-11-18 - 1 month ago RULES This forum is heavily moderated to keep things valuable to as many people as possible. Full community policies are here. The basics: 1. Be nice to each other. 2. Stay focused on prepping. 3. Avoid politics, religion, and other arguments. 4. No unfounded conspiracies, fake news, etc. 5. Debate ideas, not people. FILTER Show all Advice Gear Meta News Scenarios Skills

Going solar with my home (maybe): a diary

Jon StokesStaff - September 3, 2020

I’ve been wanting to do solar since we first moved into our house in 2015. We’re on 17 acres, and we’re 100% electric — everything from the range to heating and cooling to the well pump is on the grid. So we’re actually more “on-grid” than were in Austin, because if the power’s out then we can’t heat the house and the taps don’t work.

Because I’m a prepper, and because we do have substantial blackouts here periodically due to electrical storms, I’d like to back up the some or part of the property with solar + battery backup.

So as I think through this process and my options, I figured I’d make a thread in there to get insight from others, and to share my experiences. I want to learn as much as I can, so that I not only do this right for myself and my family, but so that I can work on a guide on this topic for The Prepared. In fact, my main goal is to come out the other end of this process with — at a minimum — enough info to do some kind of guide, even if I don’t end up actually pulling the trigger on the actual solar install right now.

I do want to acknowledge up-front that my living and financial situation is not very typical (I’ve successfully sold a company, and live on a ranchette with some horses and a pond and so on). I say this because I’m just going to be kinda honest about numbers and specifics in this thread, and I know that so many people are struggling… I don’t want to come off like I think all my particular parameters are generally applicable; they definitely are not. But there is a lot of cost/benefit calculation involved in sizing a solar install, and thinking through all that in any kind of worthwhile way requires putting some actual numbers down.

Here are a few parameters and considerations I’m working with:

Location: I’m in Central TX right north of Austin (Georgetown area), so lots of sun.

Property: We have a large house with a metal roof that has terrible, ancient insulation. It would cost us $30-$40K to get the roof redone with modern closed-cell insulation. That would significantly cut our bill, from what I’m told (though I don’t know how much), so that is something I’m seriously considering.

We have a well on a separate meter that runs about $40/month, and are adding a 1200sqft guest house that may be occupied much of the year.

We can easily do a ground-mounted setup, since we’re on 17 acres. We can also do it next to the meter and keep the trenching at under 50 ft.

Current electrical usage: We’re paying $0.09 kwh, which is pretty cheap. But given the state of the roof and size of the house, we’re doing over 5,100 kwh per month on average, which is nuts. Our bill is around $425/mo average, though it’s way way worse than that in the summers (gets close to $600). When we add the guest house in we’re looking at around 5,600 kwh per month roughly.

Timing: Sunpower and other companies are going to be launching Powerwall competitors in early 2021, so theoretically (barring battery supply chain problems, war with China, and a billion other things that could go wrong between now and then), batteries should be a lot cheaper in about Q3 of next year. So if I did the solar now and the batteries later, I could get a lot more bang per buck. But of course then I’d have no backup, and if I lose grid power my solar won’t help. So solar-only is not that appealing to me.

Financial stuff: I’ve started talking to Freedom Solar — they’re a SunPower dealer. They’ll finance up to $100K at 2.9%, no money down, 25-year terms. If you go over $100K, you have to pay the delta up-front to get below that threshold.

They quoted me like $140K for an 88-panel Sunpower system to replace 79% of my usage, backed up with two Powerwall batteries. This kinda feels like a lot! Especially since I’d need to pay them $40K up-front to get the financing down to $100K.

This is a 25-year loan, so the monthly note works out to over $420/month. If I factor in another $90/month in ongoing electric utility payments (remember I’d only be at 79% replacement) then that’s ~$500/month for about 25 years for electricity.

I could tell the salesperson was used to talking to people who just wanted to do solar for reasons of replacing their existing electrical bill with a payment on a solar system that will give them some inflation protection and increase their home value. But as a prepper I’m more interested in the backup aspect than I am in the inflation protection and home value aspects.

Options: I do have the capability to put the $40K down to do this. But obviously that’s a big chunk, and I could do a lot of other things with $40K, including buy gold or bitcoin or stocks, or fix my roof (more on that in a minute, tho).

As pessimistic as I am about the upcoming fall and winter, if I’m thinking about allocating $40K of my portfolio as a hedge against economic catastrophe risk, then $40K in a personal off-grid setup looks better than $40K in many other asset classes.

Anyway, here are some options I’m thinking about:

I could put $40K down for the full $140K package of 88 panels + two Powerwalls. I don’t know that I love this, because if I do end up with a new roof in a few years, and kwh usage drops by like 30%, then I’m way over-provisioned and am still paying ~$450/month for electricity and not seeing real savings from the roof. I could spend $40K to redo my roof, and then buy a smaller solar system. Not sure how much money I’ll be saving via the new roof until I actually do it, though. I could start with just $100K worth of solar and wait for batteries to get cheaper next year, and put $40K somewhere else. But as I said, doing this without the batteries doesn’t scratch the prepper itch. I could get a sub-$100K solar-only install, and then try to do my own batteries using lead-acid. I have no idea how feasible that is. I could bring in another area solar company to give a competing bid, and see if that gets me anything.

So that’s where I’m at with this as of this morning, and will update as I know more and learn more. Would love to hear other people’s experiences with solar — especially off-grid setups — and how you’ve thought about or are thinking about it.

Edit: Just typing all this out has made me realize that I can’t competently do the math on this without knowing exactly how much a new roof will cost and what the impact of that new roof will be on my electric bill. Without those inputs, it’s too hard to size correctly.

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39

Virtual Preparedness Conference – Now Online

Paul Martin - September 2, 2020

Along with Karl Rehn of KR Training, we’ve created a virtual preparedness conference with a series of videos you can watch, on demand, on a variety of topics.  We are regularly adding new videos to the set list.

There is a small charge associated with these videos – most can be rented for 90 days for as little as $2.  This allows us to maintain the Vimeo account and to compensate other presenters who share their knowledge with us.

It’s our goal to not only jumpstart people’s preparedness efforts, but help them troubleshoot areas of their plan where they are struggling.

Check out the set list by clicking here.

Read More

5

0

Cooking setup while bugged out?

H. P. - September 1, 2020

So a problem I identified but haven’t solved is: It’s time to get out of Dodge, throw the go-bags and boxes in the car or hoof it out with packs etc., away we go, kids…

…and when we stop at some point, meal prep has to happen. Cleverly, I have food, camp stove, water and/or filters prepared. 

But I don’t have a good plan for cookware/dishes for meal prep. How are the rest of you planning for this? 

I’ve considered just shelling out for camping gear, which is lightweight enough, but seems undersized or not robust enough. Hauling heavy Dutch ovens or large iron skillets seems like a lot of weight.

Is it just a gnarly problem to feed a family on the go and I need to set aside resources for it? 🤔

Thanks! 

Read More

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GearScenarios

NYCer looking to buy Protective Vest

David Niño Brown - September 1, 2020

I’ll keep this short and sweet.

Crime is up. The crazies are running the asylum. Batman is nowhere to be found.

We can’t strap up. (Obv.)

So i need a vest.

Ghost

Is this good? Just need something discrete in an obviously urban setting. To be able to get away and be able to escape the situation without getting critically injured , as well as get away from surprise stabbing attacks and stray bullets of low calibers with minimal to no damage.

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Gear

Women’s professional dresswear that is preparedness appropriate

CamilleContributor - August 31, 2020

After I graduate in December I’ll be moving away from my parent’s farm and beginning a position where I’ll be expected to dress professionally. I’ve always felt pretty comfortable in the casual clothes I am able to wear to my classes and the work clothes I wear on the farm because in the event of an emergency I feel set and have never felt like my clothes would inhibit me in movement/coverage and it’s easy to dress in clothes that seem fit for preparedness when going casual. I’m interested in advice anyone may have on women’s dresswear that is also still appropriate for moving about uninhibited in an emergency scenario. Essentially I am looking for women’s dresswear that is prepping appropriate: easy-movement, durable fabric and functional pieces (I’m excluding skirts and dresses based on this last requirement as they don’t have great coverage for the most part and often don’t have pockets). Lots of womens dresswear is super impractical, made of fragile fabric and has special restrictions on how to care for it and I’d feel unprepared wearing most of it. My searches so far have been refined to clothes that are machine-washable, have pockets and that also look professional (I do not want to look like I went shopping at a tactical shop for clothes). So far, I’ve found two brands that hit my requirements and a few pieces I like:

1. Betabrand Women’s Dress Yoga Pants, Straight Leg with 7 Pockets: https://www.betabrand.com/womens/pants/dress-pant-yoga-pants-collection/7-pocket-stretch-wrinkle-resistant-dress-pants

2. Betabrand Women’s Blazer with Functional Pockets: https://www.betabrand.com/womens/outerwear/womens-four-way-stretch-transcendent-blazer-black

3. Eddie Bauer waterproof trenchcoat that I wear all the time that has many pockets but seems to have been discontinued.

Finding professional blouses, a tote/purse and shoes (I won’t consider anything but flats) is proving to be a bit more difficult. I welcome any input!

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Best online places to buy backup glasses?

Jay ValenciaContributor - August 31, 2020

I wear glasses and so does my wife. We’re not interested in getting laser surgery, so that means an extra pair of glasses are part of our preps at home. I think most people do that. But now I’m wondering if I should have an extra pair specifically for our BOB and maybe our EDC. My prescription hasn’t changed so my guess is I can just use that to order a few pairs online for us?

Where would you recommend?

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Advice

What did covid-19 expose as a weakness in your preps?

Dragoon - August 26, 2020

No prep is ever done or perfect. So whenever something bad happens I try to learn from it as a real-world stress test.

What did the last few months with covid make you realize was a weakness in your preps?

My husband and I already had the important supplies on hand like respirators and food. But the biggest “d’oh!” moment for us was that we didn’t have some of our food supplies labeled with purchase dates to know which food should be eaten first. It probably won’t matter, but if we needed to survive on what we have for a long time, it would be nice to know what will spoil first. We solved this by putting a Sharpie marker on a string by our food shelf and will write the year on everything we buy.

We also did not have enough gloves. We had a box of 100, but two people can run through those pretty quickly when using a pair or two every day over months.

If you could go back in time before COVID, what would you change about your preps?

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Scenarios

Prepping for Hurricane Season

Matt Black - August 25, 2020

NPR’s Life Kit has an article and accompanying podcast episode entitled, “It’s Peak Hurricane Season. You Should Have These Plans Ready” by Debbit Elliott. I’m not in a hurricane prone area, but some of you may be. I’m wondering what other preps you might have.

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News

Recommendations for solar camping lanterns?

KKW - August 24, 2020

Does anyone have recommendations for solar lights?  I thought it might be nice to have some lanterns in case of no power. Thanks!

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Preserving eggs with calcium hydroxide

Alisa Felix - August 24, 2020

Has anyone tried using calcium hydroxide to preserve eggs? It has a bunch of other names like slaked lime, but you basically combine it with water and then jar it. And the eggs can last a couple years with no funky taste.

But based on what I’ve been reading, it won’t work on eggs you get from the store. It has to be eggs that haven’t been washed yet… something about the natural coating still needs to be there? So if you have chickens or know someone with some, it could be an easy way to store them long term.

I haven’t done it yet but just wanted to throw it out there in case someone else has. Or maybe it doesn’t work at all?

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Advice

Tornados

Cia - August 24, 2020

Could anyone give advice about preparing for a tornado? We live in central Missouri, tornado country. I just told a friend in Oregon yesterday who is thirty miles from a wildfire that we weren’t in danger from wildfires or hurricanes here, but we certainly are from tornados. We have a closet under the basement steps: how should we prepare it? Thanks!

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Looking for advice: galvanized stock tanks for raised garden beds?

Kelsey DonkContributor - August 23, 2020

My partner and I just bought our first house and we’re looking for some advice from this expert prepping community! 🙂 We live in Minneapolis and like true Northerners, we spend all year planning for and dreaming of our brief window of spring and summer weather. 

We both love to garden and have done lots of gardening in community gardens and on our rental balconies and in rental yards, but this is the first time we’ll actually be able to invest in a long-term garden of our own! We’re so excited. 

I’m planning on getting some galvanized stock tanks for raised beds (with holes drilled in the bottom for drainage, of course). Does anyone have experience with this? Any tips for growing vegetables or setting up the stock tanks? 

We move in to our new house late next month. Is it smartest to wait until spring to dig up the grass and plop the tanks down? Or should I do that this fall while the ground is still soft and before the winter freeze descends? 

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AdviceGear

Newbie prepper

MrsG - August 22, 2020

and probably looking for a little input or advice.  Prior to Covid really hitting (around February) my partner came home from work and suggested we stock up on food.  I always keep a pretty stocked pantry and freezer but I immediately went out and got extra–rice, beans etc.  We were one of the first areas to shut down and I have to say it was incredibly comforting knowing I could feed my family for weeks before needing to go out.

I have some generalized anxiety and I think I was able to feel calmer going into the pandemic having that little stockpile.  So that led me here.  Now I’m trying to get started having more preps in place BUT I feel really overwhelmed with all the things I could do and the number of decisions to make.

Example–I would like to create bug out bags for the family, but even just contemplating a backpacks for each of us stymies me.  I’m relatively tall but pretty small-boned—so what size do I get? (an example of how my brain spins out).  Anyone have some good advice on getting started and not overwhelmed?

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Is there a Window Security Film that does double (or triple) duty?

mseg77 - August 21, 2020

I’ll post a comment directly to the article but thought I should separately as well – I apologize if that’s not appropriate and admins, please delete if so.

I read the “hardening your home” article (https://theprepared.com/homestead/guides/home-hardening-basics/).  We’ve been looking at adding window film for a while, but mainly for purposes privacy (shaded, NOT blackout or mirror-finish, preferably) and to help with heat/cooling efficiency.  It’s a single-story home in a suburb neighborhood of the Capitol here in CA w/ 2 sliding glass doors.  I’m wondering if there is a product, or if someone has experience/suggestions with a film that does both/all three (security + privacy + thermal), and well?  This is the product referenced in the article https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B00FRLJU0S/tp-kb-20?th=1

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AdviceGear

What media sources do you consult?

Whatevs - August 20, 2020

Besides this website, what media sources do you consult for preparedness? Looking to cast a wide net.

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Advice

How Soap Works / Soap > Sanitizer

Matt Black - August 13, 2020

I listen to a lot of podcasts. I find it frees my hands and eyes, especially when I’m busy with my prepping projects and I can actually learn a thing or two other than the latest deathtoll numbers.

One area of interest (especially given the importance of hygeine amidst the current pandemic) is how I’ve seemed anxious about the shortage of sanitizer and disinfectant (and their skyrocketing prices).

Turns out, according to a July 30th episode of How Stuff Works, soap is better. And it has everything to do with soap’s structure. Spoiler! Soap physically tears apart the cells of germs, viruses and microorganisms!

This episode covers (in 54 minutes), the origins of soap, how to make soap, how soap works, and how using soap compares to sanitizers and disinfectents.

How Stuff Works: How Soap Works: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-stuff-you-should-know-26940277/episode/how-soap-works-69248640

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Prepping strategies for larger families

chicksnhens - August 12, 2020

Alot of prepping advice is based on the number of people you are prepping for…”save X amount of rice/water/supplies for each person in the family.” This is pretty manageable if you have a small household, but what do you do when you have a bigger family, with constantly shifting nutritional needs and preferences?

Right now I have 3 kids under 5, which means they don’t eat all that much now, but they will in a few years. Their preferences also bounce around like crazy – one week they LOVE a certain food or snack, and the next week they won’t touch it. We are also considering adding a 4th child at some point, so it is possible we will end up with a family of 6 to prep for. Right now I don’t have the space, mental bandwidth, or finances to stock up on a full supply of food for 5-6 people that will last a year, especially when half my family is guaranteed to refuse a bunch of it at some point.

To date, my strategy is to simply stock up on the items I know I’ll definitely use, and to prioritize items that have longer shelf lives: rice, pasta, sauces, canned tomatoes, baking supplies, specific snack items, peanut butter and jelly. I’m less about aiming for a certain amount on hand per person, and more about making sure I have enough to get us through the next 3-6 months if these items disappeared from the stores tomorrow. Any other tips on how to approach prepping for bigger families?

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What can I plant now in a 36 x 24 x 10″ wooden box?

Haus Monkey - August 11, 2020

I recently moved into a new house and the previous owners left a 36 x 24 x 10″ wooden raised box in the backyard. So I want to know if it’s worth it for me to keep it and plant something edible in it, or not. 

I don’t care much about what I plant. That is, I’m thinking about stuff I can eat – not flowers. I’m fine even if it’s just herbs.

FYI the box faces South. The soil in it was already there so I have no clue if I need to do something with it or not. I’m a total newbie, in case that wasn’t clear! Thanks!

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Where is the hurricane/fire coverage?

hbic - August 10, 2020

I’ve been kind of surprised to not see even mentions of recent natural disasters on the blog or the forum. There are millions without power due to Tropical Storm Isaias right now and  thousands were evacuated from the Apple Fire this weekend, and both of those seasons are just starting. Would love to see some new content geared towards preparing for hurricanes & wildfires, particularly with COVID potentially complicating evacuation plans. Thoughts?

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Meta

Thoughts on mens’ “Dress shoes” that are also practical?

Hazard Awareness - August 10, 2020

I subscribe to the belief that the “best” piece of equipment is the one that you have, when you need it. Not the one sitting in a closet at home or on a store shelf.
With that in mind, in regards to every day carry, my employer requires business casual, dress shoes required.
Dress shoes usually fall under a category of Form>Function. While the “dress-boots” I have now are certainly comfortable and don’t hinder me at all, I was wondering if anybody had any recommendations for footwear that they enjoy and provide some protection without the “look” of work or combat boots? Any thoughts appreciated.

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What are you doing with your stimulus check?

JB - August 10, 2020

Finally got mine. Are you guys spending some of yours on more preps, especially in this window before we might have more lockdowns? If so, on what?

A lot is sold out, so I was thinking about getting some workout stuff but I haven’t decided. Not being able to go to the gym is really effecting me, and I think fitness is a part of prepping.

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Advice

What did you learn from the experience from COVID-19?

FPV California - August 10, 2020

Did you learn something fundamental? Were you rocked to your core? Or did you learn something little that you just want to share with the world?

For me it was the realization that 2 weeks of prep just won’t cut it. I was prepping with a big earthquake in California in mind. But with toilet paper disappearing for a month it finally dawned on me how desperate the whole state will be after an earthquake. With so many people in need there’s no way there will be enough logistics to feed everyone or supply water for weeks or months. I’m going to have to rethink things.

One small thing I learned is you can chop up green onion and it keeps in the freezer. I like to dress up my Top Ramen with more ingredients and green onion is one of my favorites. In the past I would just use fresh from the store, but in order to reduce my trips to the store I tried freezing it and it worked out great.

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Advice

When to bug out… and where?

Runcible - August 8, 2020

Hi y’all,

I’ve been trying to manage my fight/flight impulses recently, but I find my fear at a constant idle of anxiety. We have the food, defense, and energy preps we might need to shelter in place in our home for a few months, I think. We have good relationships with our neighbors. But home maybe doesn’t feel like the safest place?

I live in a town recently mentioned as a potential target for Federal Troops coming to quell civil unrest, in a seismicly active area, a town with great wealth disparities and a large population of folks living pretty marginally. As times get worse, crimes of desperation will surely increase.

We’re trying to decide, in this very uncertain and potentially pre-cataclysmic economic time, when the best time to bug out is. Certainly, if we were to try to sell our house and investments it would be prudent to make those moves before housing and stock markets falter. That’s super hard to predict.

Advice sought: what triggering event/events would you use as economic indicators/triggers to make you pack it all up and move it on out? 

Further: where would we go? If we can keep our jobs and schooling running remotely, what are the best options? Should we stay within driving distance of our work HQ and friends, or should we try to immigrate to another country? Hunker in the woods or near a Costco or on a tropical island?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these matters. It’s OK to call me overwrought, or to say you’ve had similar thoughts, or hear about your bug out locations and triggers. I seek a variety of opinions.

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Advice