But look at the upside. If a hundred million televisions just quit, people would start talking with their neighbors and learning things instead of being constantly brainwashed.

No matter what happens WTSHTF, you can bet long term power outages will be rare. TPTB will make it a top priority to keep power plants running so that they can control the masses with teevee.

Who would bury them all Mick?

The smell would scare a hungry dog off a gut wagon.

Music

you could say the same thing about the internet....

Without a doubt A/C.

Hot showers are nice, but I can jump in a lake to get clean and refreshed. Refrigeration would be very crappy, but odds are I would be with a group of people and any game we killed would be eaten almost immediately and FL has a year round growing season.

But losing A/C man......geez


The internet or A/C? That is a tough one a very tough one. I think for the first few months I would say A/C but I'm sure like anything you can get used to it, but not having the internet would be hard, I learn so much from it to lose that resource would be more perilous to my life. So I change my mind, put me down for internet too.

I could see this being an issue where you and other folks here live. What do you need to keep the A/C on during a shtf situation? A big genny? It might be a good idea to find a solution now, as in how much power you need to keep it on.

This is a good thread. Honestly, I think losing the internet might be tougher than I think it may be. I realize now how having all this information at our fingertips is taken for granted. If you need to research something...it's all right there. But, with no internet, or access to vast free information, it's all books. Having a good library at hand might be a very good idea. Get the books you need now.

When the power goes off, people in the midwest and the east will just broil. It won't kill very many. If you don't use AC you don't need it. You acclimate to the heat and life goes on. If you are in Phoenix or Las Vegas, you already asked to die, best wishes.

got a 5000w gen for 2 bills last year at a moving sale, never used. had to break carb down and clean varnish off last sat.(had gas sit in it, just was never used) Our elec was out 46hrs. My 4yr old started to blubber about watching a movie on the flat screen. I had to sit her down and explain the priorities. Freezers and fridge (have alot of meat etc stored ) A/C was next (had two window unites I popped in upstairs and downstairs) then entertainment was last. Even though i ran a line up to my computer to check, cable was out so.... I would say in that 46hrs I not once hooked a light into the power. (had 3 powerstrips hooked up to lines coming in through the window.) I would venture most with generators ( heard were sold out state wide) only had fans, so with A/C I was a little spoiled. But, am sure fans would work ok if thats all you had. Sooooooooooooooooooooo.
By far, what I would miss the most is ..........the net, I know, sad. What I would classify most important......the freezers(food storage) refridgeration. I pondered on this much over the weekend. With only 2 lines coming out of the gen, had to put an a/c on each and freezers/fridge split up. Flat screen would pop fuse, so had to take freezers down for few hours to make kids happy. Im in suburbs, so outside you could hear the haves and havenots, only a few generators humming. On a long term grid down, not a viable option, unless you had a large diesel that was designed for that. Then for sure, the havenots will want to take from the haves. Would have been nice to have a mountain retreat to practice 'bugging out' last weekend. I just do not have the $ to swing everything. Those currently in the country have the upperhand in this situation , imo.

edit: like often, I am in a rush and answer a post without bothering to read all the pages, just read, seems refridgeration/a/c and net the most important. Ya gotta figure, if it comes down to it, if done 100+ years ago, can be done again. But, like mentioned complete grid down will be avoided like the plauge and if it comes, it is game on for sure.

My debit card/bank accounts.

Net.......

I'm doing my best to stock up on non perishables

But if worst came to worse I vould use a terra cotta pot fridge to keep stuff cold for the da day

Guess where I learned it?

are dig a deep hole ... if you can