preparedness

7 Things You’ll Realize After Living Without Electricity

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7 Things You'll Realize After Living Without Electricity

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live without electricity for a long time, just ask the people of Puerto Rico. Many of them lived without power for nearly a year. And according to a Harvard study, the death rate in Puerto Rico nearly doubled after Hurricane Maria do to a lack of air conditioning and medical care.

It has been estimated that if the power went out all over the United States for a full year, 90% of the population wouldn’t survive. That’s how dependent we are on the power grid, which is a scary thought considering that a cyber attack or an EMP could bring it down at any time.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the luxuries we take for granted. Here are seven things you’ll realize after the power grid goes down.

1. Climate Control is a Godsend

Most people don’t realize just how awful life can be without climate control such as air conditioning and heaters. These things really are wonderful inventions.

First let’s talk about air conditioning. For the better part of a century, people have relied upon electric climate control to keep their homes a comfy 73° F year-round. So what happens when the power goes out?

The shutdown of this particular luxury can be life-threatening. In the heat of the summer, temperatures inside a home with no air conditioning can easily reach 120°F-130°F. There are people each year that die in hot weather without air conditioning. Dehydration, heat stroke, and heart failure are the primary causes.

There is no good way to cool off the inside of a home without electricity, but here are some options to consider:

Use emergency blankets to make blackout curtains.
Put up awnings to shade all of the windows.
Use cold water. Hang out in the tub or put a wet cloth around your neck.
Build a solar A/C unit.
Use battery powered or manual fans.
Improve the insulation in your home.
Wear loose clothing.
Open your windows at night to get a breeze going.
Stay on the lowest level of your home.

Related: 20 Ways To Stay Cool Without Power

Cold can be just as deadly. In some places, temperatures can dip well below 0°F in the winter. Without electric heaters, eventually the temperatures inside would be the same as the temperatures outside. You can build a fire or use a wood stove to heat your home, but any open flame becomes a safety risk of its own.

The smart thing to do is move the whole family into a small room, put blankets over the windows and doors, get in bed with lots of quilts, and use body heat to stay warm until electricity is restored. Hypothermia can be a serious threat during winter blackouts.

Here are some other ideas to stay warm:

Improve the insulation in your home.
Replace curtains with clear shower curtains to generate heat.
Exercise.
Use body heat.
Cook indoors.
Cover bare floors with rugs.

Related: 17 Ways You Can Stay Warm When The Power Goes Out

2. Nighttime is Really Dark

Really, really dark. Have you ever been miles away from civilization on a cloudy night? If you’re not used to it, it can be very unnerving.

In modern society, we are accustomed to walking into a room and flipping a switch to turn on the lights. But without power, this is not going to happen. Flashlights, headlamps, and electric lanterns can be a temporary solution, but eventually, the batteries will run out. This leaves us with fire-based sources of light.

Fuel lanterns and candles can provide some light, but they leave you with a huge fire hazard. If a candle or lantern is knocked over, your home could go up in flames in just minutes. In addition, these sources of light provide much less illumination than electric lighting. You will likely have to strain to see across a room or to read a book, so functioning at night is much more difficult.

Here is a list of a few inexpensive lighting tools that can work without electricity:

Glow sticks
Oil lamps
Solar lighting
Rechargable flashlights
Candles

Related: 17 Ways You Can Stay Warm When The Power Goes Out

3. We Are Too Reliant On Appliances

Most homes have electric ranges for cooking. Not to mention microwaves, toasters, coffee makers, mixers, blenders, panini presses, and food processors to help us prepare our meals.

Most people have over a dozen different appliances that require electricity. Without power, we are reduced to cooking over a fire. This will certainly get the job done, but like our lighting issue, it creates a fire hazard.

Related: 15 Kitchen Gadgets That Work Without Power

Your best option for cooking in your home without electricity is some sort of enclosed firebox. This could be a fireplace, a wood stove, or your own personal invention. Keep in mind that fire produces carbon monoxide, especially when the fire dies down to coals and starts to smolder. Be sure you have good ventilation in your home if you are using a fire to cook.

Here are some other ways to cook without electricity:

Solar oven
Earth oven
Propane grill
Camp stove
Tea candle oven
Self-heating cookware
Charcoal grill
Smoker

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Without Power

4. Refrigerators Are Amazing

Most people store about half of their food in a refrigerator and freezer. However, without electricity, these means of preservation are not an option. We like to enjoy fresh produce, meats, and dairy, but none of this is possible long-term without electricity. A long-term loss of power requires us to completely rethink how we preserve and eat food.

More primitive methods of food preservation are needed in the absence of electricity. Vegetables and meats can be canned and stored on shelves in a root cellar. Meat, fish, and fruit can be dried and turned into jerky. Fish and ham can be salted for preservation. Meats can also be smoked for preservation.

These methods are much more time consuming but can keep your foods edible for months or even years.

Related: 7 Alternative Ways To Preserve Food

There are also some staple foods that do not need to be preserved. Here are a few examples:

Sugar
Flour
Oats
Dry Pasta
Honey
Jerky
Hardtack
Rice
Dry Beans
Herbs and Spices

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Without Power

5. Smartphones are Magic

In the age of WiFi, smartphones, and satellite communication, it is strange to think that we could be instantly cut off from the world. Without power, most modern communication would shut down. Devices with batteries would die within a few days, and there would be no power to recharge them. Almost all interaction outside of your neighborhood would stop.

In order to imagine this scenario, you must think back to a time before these modern conveniences. To learn new information, we didn’t just go online. Instead, we went to the library to do research or we asked somebody older and more experienced than us.

To talk to people out of state, we wrote letters or sent couriers. A lucky few people had a landline phone that would work without power. However, most of our conversations were with our neighbors and family that lived within walking distance.

Here are a few ways to communicate without power:

Hand crank emergency radio
Rechargable HAM radio
Cell phone with solar powered charger
Walkie talkies with batteries

Related: 3 Ways to Communicate Through the Apocalypse

6. Having No Power is Boring

It may not seem vital, but entertainment is important if you want to stay sane during a blackout. Most modern families are entertained by Blu-ray players, satellite television, Pandora radios, and video games.

These devices help us bond and pass time, avoiding boredom altogether. While downtime is scarce in a survival scenario, there are always hours that need to be filled. Without electricity, all of these devices are useless.

For entertainment, you will need to read books or sing songs with your family. Maybe you could learn to play an instrument or learn to draw and paint. There are always games like charades and eye spy. You may become more interested in crafts like cooking or sewing. Entertainment takes on a whole new look when electricity is not available.

Here are a few other ways to pass the time:

Work on improving your situation
Start a garden
Go fishing or hunting
Weave or sew items you can use
Start a fire
Collect drinking water
Cook a meal
Set some traps
Secure the perimeter
Exercise
Go for a swim to cool off

Related: Preventing Boredom After The SHTF

7. Modern Day People Live Like Kings

In addition to these major conveniences supplied by electricity, there are always smaller items you might not consider. Grooming items such as a hair dryer, a curling iron, a hair trimmer, or an electric razor are used by most people on a daily basis.

Things like alarm clocks or kitchen timers are considered necessities. When working in the garage, almost everybody uses power tools such as drills, jigsaws, and sanders. In the lawn, many people use electric trimmers or leaf blowers. All of these items would be shut down leaving you to use more conventional tools.

Here are some tools you should have just in case:

Hand drill
Hack saw
Hand saw
Sickle
Hedge clippers
Loppers
Axe
Hatchet
Sundial
Hourglass
Comb
Straight razor
Kitchen knives

Related: 11 Powerless Tools You’ll Need After The SHTF

Conclusion

Modern society has become completely reliant upon electricity. If you really stop to imagine life without it, you will quickly see that it would be completely different. However, it was not that long ago that people got by just fine without power. In order to survive a blackout, you must think back to what our forefathers did before power was common.

If you want to be truly prepared for a scenario such as this, try to limit your reliance upon electricity. Pick certain days or times to shut down all or most of the power in your home. Cook over a fire and break out the lanterns. Read a book or maybe write some letters. All these thigns will help you survive when the power goes out.

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preparedness

4 No Cook Meals For Surviving The Pandemic And Food Supply Shortages

When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!

No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic

As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.

When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!

To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.

1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches

Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.

Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Can of White Beans
Olive Oil
1 Avocado
8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)

Instructions:

Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.

2. Delicious Crab Salad

Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Crab Meat
1 Bunch of Asparagus
Chipotle Mayo
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro

Instructions:

Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
Gently toss in the crab meat.
Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
Chill in the fridge and serve.

3. Simple Greek Salad

Simple Greek Salad | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.

Ingredients:

2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
Balsamic Dressing

Instructions:

I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.

4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
Canned Artichokes
Canned roasted Red peppers
Fresh Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Minced Olives ¼ Cup
2 Cans of Tuna
Green Onions
Basil

Instructions:

Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!

These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!

What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!

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This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

preparedness

Billionaire Whistle Blower: Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Is Over 50,000

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000.

A Chinese billionaire and whistleblower who lives in U.S. exile says Wuhan crematoriums have burned 50,000 coronavirus victims. | Credit: Chinatopix via AP

The official coronavirus death toll in China is a little over 800. But an exiled Chinese businessman says crematoriums are leaking the real figure.
A billionaire whistleblower alleges Wuhan has crematoriums working 24/7. He claims they’ve cremated some 50,000 coronavirus victims.
Guo Wengui is a Chinese billionaire living in exile in the United States.

The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide, outside of China, is 774. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher.

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Whistleblower: 1.5 Million Coronavirus Cases In China, 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths In Wuhan

He also claims to have inside information that there are 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in China. Wengui is emphatic that these are not merely quarantined or “under observation” but confirmed cases of coronavirus infection:

China has struggled to contain the coronavirus. But it has also struggled to contain public outcry against censorship and tight control of information. Dr. Li Wenliang, who sounded the alarm about the disease, succumbed to an infection and died this week. The Chinese government arrested him for blowing the whistle.

Then officials tried to suppress news of his death. Afterwards, millions of Chinese citizens saw the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech on Mandarin language social media. But the Chinese government censored that too.

Are Wengui’s Crematorium Claims Credible?

Watch VICE’s 2017 profile on Guo Wengui. At the time, he published bombshell documents alleging corruption in the Chinese government. He got the attention of the media and reportedly the U.S. State Department.

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