5 items to make life easier in a short-term power outage

[Well-Prepared Witch]

[Erick]

Good list I want to add the following.

Water Jugs of Ice.

I put 2 water jugs in my freezer at all times.
Water has a huge heat capacity (which in this case translates ot cold capacity)

I will take one of the jugs out and leave it on the top refrigerator shelf.
This will keep the fridge near normal coolness for many many hours and will give some coolness for as long as a day ( depnding how often you open the door and how well your fridge is insulated)

The much smaller freeze compartment can be kept to  a colder standard than the fridge compartment by a single frozen water for about the same amount of time

[special-k]

Head lamps. 

Those are always my first and most often used items during my frequent outages.

[Kbop]

great list.

how about a battery/solar powered radio.

[Nemo]

A P-38 or P-51 can opener on your keyring.  So easy to get put right where you know where it is.  And cannot find it when you need it.  And so so many people have an electric can opener but no crank one.

Nemo

[JoJo]

A P-38 or P-51 can opener on your keyring.  So easy to get put right where you know where it is.  And cannot find it when you need it.  And so so many people have an electric can opener but no crank one.

Nemo

The problem with having a P-51 or P-38 on your key chain is that at times it opens and sticks you in the leg. Ask me how I know?

[special-k]

The problem with having a P-51 or P-38 on your key chain is that at times it opens and sticks you in the leg. Ask me how I know?

I wrap a cloth-covered hair band around mine.  A rubber band will work also.
(see attached pic)

[Nemo]

I have one there and its been there for years.  Never got stuck yet.  But now that you mentioned it .  .  ..

Nemo

[Kbop]

A P-38 or P-51 can opener on your keyring.  So easy to get put right where you know where it is.  And cannot find it when you need it.  And so so many people have an electric can opener but no crank one.

Nemo

i keep a couple in my pantry and one in my car.  I used to keep one on a chain around my neck - i never got jabbed by it i stuffed it inside a dog tag silencer

[JohnyMac]

The electric went out a few Sundays ago. Went and lit pre-filled Aladdin lamps. Then turned on the 12 volt Siris radio for entertainment. All took about 5 minutes. Then I did the dishes as our water system is 12 volt and the Rinnai water heater is plugged into a $50- inverter that...Yes...Runs off of our 12 volt system.

Turned on thew VHF radio to listen to see if their was any emergency. Nope, no emergency. Talked to a few hams and then had a great chat with MrsMac.

If the wood stove was on I would have hooked up the ceiling fan to 12 volt system too.

Electric came back on at about 0300 hrs. 

[Well-Prepared Witch]

I forgot where I saw it, but I loved the line, "like any good prepper I checked my phone to make sure this was just a power outage and not an EMP".  

I need to add one of those can openers to my key chain.  I was at a friend's house and had brought some home canned goods to contribute to dinner.  She didn't have a church key style can opener, so we had to improvise to open it.

[Nemo]

Get 12 and put in different packs and sack.  One in your purse (standard assumption) pocket.  Another on keyring.  One for Mr. WPW's keyring.  Glove boxes for all vehicles.

Couple in kitchen drawers and one in each go bucket.

Then think about places to store and put extras.

Nemo

[Well-Prepared Witch]

Great idea Nemo!  I read Mr. WPW this post and he dug out a couple for me!  One's on my keychain now (and thanks to whomever suggested the rubber band!) and another is in my office.