Let there be light...

Thats what God said, so I'm following his lead.

So I introduced you to my Bug out / base camp trailer, but as I made my base camp site "wish list", one of the things that stood high on the list was electrical power.  Now I'm not going find 110v in the middle of nowhere coming out of a rock.  A gas generator is noisy, smelly, and attracts a lot of unwanted attention. Even if I could overcome those obstacles, I can only carry so much gas and i'm only leaving ifwere talking about an extended evac.  I already had several Goal Zero battery kits and lanterns and lights, as well as plenty of flashlights. But the question was how to take it to the next level and provide campsite power.

I decided a larger solar power system was the proper way to go because it would be both sustainable and quiet.  I basically needed to scale down a home solar system and make it mobile.  First remembering a solar power system has 3 components. Generation through the panels, storage through the battery, conversion to AC through an inverter.

Of course things always go wrong at the wrong time, and part of prepping is being ready for the unexpected.  With that in mind I came up with a way to prevent short circuits from blowing my whole system.  I installed these in line breakers in the system between the battery and the distribution system. instead of regular fuses that blow and need to be replaced, these pop just like panel breakers and can be reset. I will not have to search for fuses in a crisis.


I figured 110v was way beyond what I needed in an emergency so no power inverter was needed, and I would loose too much in the conversion from batteries anyway. I decided I would just stick with DC power.  Since I was mounting the power system in the trailer and not going to be hoofing it all over creation weight was not too much of a concern, but it would need to be efficient and rugged. After a little research, I decided a marine deep cycle battery was the solution.  It would be rugged enough to take the punishment of the road and powerful enough to handle my equipment. I mounted a battery box in the front of the trailer to secure it in with room to add a second in the future.

I then created a power distribution system that uses cigarette lighter outlets on 25 foot cables to supply power to each of 3 tents in my base camp. I purchased and packed away car chargers for all my equipment, from laptop to communication equipment, to chargers for all my 12 volt batteries, and while not a necessity there are even small refrigerators that operate off DC if i want that option.   Even all the Goal Zero lights come with car adaptors so I can string individual lights in each tent. 

To generate power I'm using all briefcase solar panels.  They are rugged and tougher then their traditional counterparts. I went with an Instaspark Mars100 - 100 watt and two Goal Zero Escape 30 watt panels.  I plan to add a second Mars100 when finances allow.  I've tested them in the yard, and with a little adjustment to keep the best focus on the sun I was able to generate sufficient power to replenish what I would use over night.





Now, all of this can and does function around the house as part of my bug in plan, but having designed it to function in the field, gives me the flexibility to make camp and life a little more normal in a time of stress.   I still want a gas generator for typical power outages and boondock camping, so I will probably pick one up this spring, but my SHTF evac power system is done.

My "Bug out bag" solution

So it's kind of clear to anybody who reads this that I'm not a fan of "bugging out", right?.   Wrong. Its not that i don't believe in it.  I just don't think it should be the first solution.   I mean,  "Oh God, there is a black out, What should i do, oh let me grab a backpack full of stuff and run out into the woods"... Thats just dumb.   Especially for "city folk" who have no clue what they will encounter and no training.  I personally think its foolish and irresponsible to encourage the idea.  Thats, not preparedness, its sending lambs to the slaughter.  But, since an evacuation plan is a necessary evil, I wanted a bug out solution that was practical for my family and situation.

My biggest hurdle is how the heck am i suppose to get all the stuff i need to survive for EVEN a few days in a backpack when my wife needs a bigger bag then that to go to the mall?  And are my cars and trucks magically suppose to stop running so i have to carry everything myself like a beast of burden? OK, all jokes aside, i'm a "bug in" guy, i don't want to leave, and even though i'm training to be able to survive in the wilderness, thats not my first choice.  But admittedly there are situations (mostly environmental) that could bring about the need, so to ignore the possibility would also be foolish.  

With that in mind I evaluated what I needed, then prioritized my list and went about creating a solution.  I showed my "storage kits" earlier and how I planned them out to fit in my truck and go, but they still don't hold everything I would need, plus in an extended evacuation there are other things you will need like shelter.  Well, my solution was to created a giant rolling kit so to speak. I literally store all my camping gear, tents, and equipment permanently in a small equipment trailer so I can hook up and go.  Its got to be stored somewhere, and in keeping with my philosophy of "time shifting", why not store my gear organized and in a fashion that would be conducive to an emergency evacuation, as appose to having it randomly spurn around the house in closets and cabinets with no rhyme or reason.

My next step was to make a "Wish list" of what I would want to have for a 30 day survival camping trip.   I let my mind go free and imagine the best "camp life" situation, and began to pull together the items and develop solutions to make that possible.  I took away things and added others, i've pitched my tents and completely set up camp time and time again in my yard just to see what I might have missed. I test, test, and re-test.  Any given weekend it's not unusual for my next door neighbor to look out their window and see my son and I making camp in the back yard.



I have cooked whole meals on my camp stove to see how long my propane tanks will last in real use.  I have added tools like bolt cutters, axes, mini shovels, and other gear that you wouldn't need in a regular camp site, but could be invaluable in a survival situation.  I developed perimeter security systems, water resupply strategies, sustainable power and heat generation.  Now all of this is WAY too much for a bag, but if i'm going to evacuate, then i'm guessing its going to be bad enough to stay gone a good while so plan to make it the best, safest, and most comfortable base camp I can.

Ok, so here is everything nice and neatly packed it its trailer / mobile storage container, ready for a weekend campout, or if that darn Emergency Broadcast System ever starts buzzing for real.   And it sits in the corner of my garage ready to go.       

The day when the taps run dry...

would be a very dark day.  Most people think of black outs and power loss on a micro level.  They think of what happens when a tree takes out a wire or pole and my house or block is dark.  But part of prepping is elevating your thinking to a higher level.  We Look for critical dependancies and relationships in the systems that society depends on.  One such dependency is the water system.

In a lot of the country, municipal water systems have provided safe drinking water with such reliability that its almost inconceivable that one day the tap would run dry.  But the truth is a major power outage could easily shut down a water system.  Even a well can "run dry" if the pumps don't have a manual back up.  This might only be a day or two, but with no water that could be a long LONG day.

Now unlike more extensive prepps, you can fix this easy and cheap.  Just find a 1 X 2 foot corner and stack 3 cases of bottled water.  Here are to quick examples where I found dead in my basement, moved my wife's plastic decorative plants, and reclaimed the space for water.

My highly efficient scientific calculation method consist of watching my family of 4 and seeing how much they drink in a weekend. I figure 3 cases will last 5 to 7 days but your milage may vary.

Now as for water on the road, I have a couple of Katadyn Vario water purifiers as well as some spare parts in my totes.  I also have a Katadyn Gravidyn in my gear stored in my trailer, to be set up at base camp or in the house in a shelter in place to use with rain water.  Its good for 40,000 gallons or six months. and I have a full set of spare filters.  More then enough time for any crisis to subside.

I also keep a couple of water bobs in my gear.  Assuming warning is given or for some reason we were required to stay inside and prohibited from traveling, say martial law,  i could fill the BOBs in our 2 tubs and greatly increase my potable water on hand.   These would also come in handy with an extended blackout where power is lost to the pump station.  We have had "boil water" alerts last days, where pressure is restored, but the water is not safe to drink.  Filling the BOBs immediately would insure more safe water on hand.

TEOTWAWK? How about not!

I don't believe in "The end of the world as we know it".  I mean, sure there could be a rouge asteroid or something that wipes out the earth, but a social collapse, pandemic, earth quake taking out man? I can't see it.   Now I'm sure this sounds funny coming from a self proclaimed prepper, but I have a firm belief that mankind has a natural affinity to organization and a social group.  I don't believe we will revert to wild animals, but rather will rise from the ashes of whatever apocalyptic event may be around the corner and grow together.

So, how does this believe effect my prepping?  It doesn't effect it,  it is the key linch pin to my prepping.  I prep to survive through the "dark days" so that i can be here to contribute to the rebirth of society.  I don't need to prep to live forever in some off the grid cave. Just until the crisis subsides. My plan it to BE a cornerstone, put my shoulder to the wheel and push the load that brings society back. Prepping is my lifeboat, not a desert island, and I will find shore.

The "Zen" of prepping

When I think of prepping, I don't think crisis and chaos in Multicam BDUs and MREs off in the remote woods in some buried Shipping container.  When I think of prepping I relax.  I feel an inner peace.  A calm like you felt back in school when you are walking in for an exam and you have studied well so you know that you know the information.

Now, i'm not saying i'm the smartest guy around or that i am perfectly prepared for whatever the future holds. In fact, far from it.  But I can say having made some personal preparations to protect my family and myself in case of emergency allows me to have a sense of clam when a storm makes the lights flicker, or the evening news is on.

A crisis may never come, but I enjoy the peace of knowing i'm preparing every day.   No one is ever truly "ready" for a crisis because we can't be. Perfection is unattainable.  Prepping is a path we walk, not a goal to be reached.   A lifestyle, that should bring peace.