Here are three things you might not have considered when preparing for the power going out over an extended period of time. Short interruptions, maybe a few minutes or even a few hours, cause us an inconvenience. Most of us have never been without power for a longer period of time – a few days, or maybe weeks. What if the power was out for a month, two months or longer? What if it wasn’t localized to your street or neighborhood? What if it was your whole town, your state, or even the national power grid?

This is not an exhaustive list for how to prepare for a power outage by any means. What I want to present here is a short list, including things about which 1.) you might not have thought (timekeeping), 2.) may not have followed through (appliances) and 3.) may have received bad advice (cash).

For one other very critical item, see my article on emergency communications. And for a more extensive discussion of preparing for the pending collapse, read the book Get Prepared Now.

A Way to Tell time

In the past decade or so, the way we keep track of time has changed dramatically. Many people no longer wear a wristwatch, but instead look at their cell phone to know what time it is. Your cell phone, constantly in communication with the cell tower, is always right – you don’t have to set it, and don’t worry that it has lost or gained time. Even if the power goes out on the street where I live, my partially charged cell phone is still operational for several hours, maybe even a day or longer. So far, the power has never been off long enough for my cell phone to run down if I am conservative with its use.

But what if, in the future, there is a more widespread outage that lasts considerably longer? In a catastrophic event, the cell network may not be operational. In the event of an electromagnetic pulse, my phone probably won’t even power on. (On a related note, a hardwired landline phone might work – get a non-portable one that you can try if you still have this service in your home.)

Of course, there are other clocks around the house. Many of them require electric power to operate, and those with a battery would last until the battery runs down. Then when the battery is changed, the time also has to be reset. And if you need to evacuate quickly, taking a clock with you may not be a priority thought.

Another thing to consider is the change that has taken place in the past generation. It is surprising the number of young people who struggle with telling the time on an analog clock. They have grown up in the digital age, reading the numbers off their phone, computer, microwave or a digital clock. For some, the hands on an analog clock are foreign to them.

In a power outage, you might not initially be concerned about telling time. After all, you won’t need to keep track of when your favorite TV program comes on. But you may need to coordinate when a meeting takes place or when you make contact with someone else, especially if the outage goes into several days.

To prepare for an extended power outage, you need a wristwatch. A battery powered watch will last for a long time, and you can store extra watch batteries, but a self-winding or manually wound watch might be better. Teach your children, and if necessary remind yourself, how to read an analog timepiece. A wind-up alarm clock could be a good investment as well. Evaluate your own needs and plan accordingly.

Manually Operated Appliances

Can you go about your daily tasks without relying on electricity? Consider the appliances you use in your kitchen, and assess whether or not you could use them if there was no electric power. Do you have an alternate method off accomplishing the same task?

If you have made any preparation at all, you probably already have a manual can opener. This may sound silly, but can you use it? Sometimes in our preparation, we purchase what we think we will need and then set it aside until the time comes when we have to use it. Even with something as simple as a can opener, make sure you know what to do with it. Is your grip strong enough to hold it in place and turn it? Is it sharp enough to cut the can? Does the gear grip the side of the can? A lot of cheap can openers simply don’t work, or stop working after just a few uses.

Can you prepare hot food? If you have a gas range, you probably have this covered. If you have an electric range, consider that you might need to have a camp stove and fuel in order not only to heat food but also water. And if you need to use your camp stove, do you know how? Again, don’t just buy it and set it back until you need it.

If you are a coffee drinker, chances are you make your coffee in an electric coffee maker of some kind – maybe even the single cup kind with the pods. Do you have what you need, and do you know how, to brew coffee over a gas flame?

Other appliance items to think about are food processors or choppers, a grain mill, and a clothes washing apparatus. Walk through your kitchen and utility area and look at the things you use on a regular basis that require electricity. Write down your alternative methods of accomplishing the same task and consider how you will compensate for those things you can no longer do.

Cash

Many who are prepping for long term survival don’t think about cash. Their focus is on gold and silver, real money that has actual value. Often the experts tell you that paper money, fiat currency or whatever other term they choose to use will be worthless when the economy crashes. They are probably right.

Combine that thinking with the fact that we are quickly moving to a cashless society. People carry very little cash today; rather we rely on plastic, either credit or debit cards, to transact daily business. Even inexpensive things, like a cup of coffee or a parking meter fee, are paid for electronically. Recently I was in a grocery store (Aldi) when a downed computer system made them unable to process debit cards. The only option was to pay cash, and several customers were unable to do so.

In the event of a long-term power outage, electronic funds transfers will stop. When you cannot use debit and credit cards, cash will be necessary. But you won’t be able to go to an ATM to get cash. Recall the recent financial crisis in Greece. Although it was not the result of a power outage, access to cash from ATMs was severely limited. You can prepare and avoid that problem. Having an emergency bundle of cash might be the only way you can pay for something, and at least in the short term  it will be accepted.

If it comes to the point you can no longer use cash, be prepared with items you can barter. Staples like coffee, salt, sugar, or soap, or things like a deck of cards or books, a small pocket knife or ammunition could be items for barter. You may want to watch sales and availability now and stock up on ammunition even for firearms you don’t have. Always use cash first, then barter items not essential to your survival, and then only when nothing else will work turn to your gold and silver. It is unlikely you will get to that point just because of a long-term power outage.

Personalize These Suggestions

These are just a few critical areas for you to think about when preparing for an extended power outage. Most experts are acknowledging that this will happen, either as a phenomenon of nature such as solar activity creating an electromagnetic pulse, or through terrorist-type activity that regionally or nationally brings down the power grid. When that happens, our needs will be as individual as they are common. Take some time now to determine specifically how you will prepare.