BUCKHORN CLIFFSA preparedness field manual

Scenario · 32 entries

Blackout

The power is out and nobody knows for how long.

A blackout starts three clocks at once: the food in the fridge, the water pressure in the lines, and the heat in the house. What you do in the first 45 minutes matters more than anything you buy afterward.

The timeline

First 45 minutesFill every container with water. Confirm the scope. Stay out of the stores.
First 3 daysEat from the fridge, then the freezer. Shrink to one room. Run power in short rotations.
Beyond day 3Water becomes a system. Ration power. Decide, calmly, whether to stay or go.

The clocks that matter

Fridge: About 4 hours

Eat or cook what will spoil first while it is still cold.

Freezer: 24 to 48 hours

Full lasts about 48 hours, half-full about 24. Keep the door shut.

CO: Minutes

Any indoor combustion can kill fast. Detector in every heated room.

Eat in this order

  1. Fridge first Most perishable
  2. Freezer next As it thaws
  3. Shelf-stable last Cans and dry goods
  4. Cook what may spoil While it is safe

Start with the full guide

Master guideBlackout GuideWhat to do in the first 45 minutes, the first 3 days, and beyond: water, food order, heat, power, comms, and medical.Open the full page ChecklistPower Outage Gear ChecklistWhat to have for an extended outage, from cash and backup power to water, lighting, fuel, and communication, with product picks.Open the full page Master guideCooking, Fuel and Fire When the Power or Gas Is OffWhat to eat first, how to cook with no power or gas, where each stove is safe, how long fuels keep, how to make fire, and the safety gear and spare parts behind it all.Open the full page
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Formulas 3

Tools and Repair · Formula Battery Terminal Cleaner (Vinegar) Alkaline: vinegar; Lead-acid: baking soda; First: disconnect cables Handle with care Hygiene and Sanitation · Formula Freshen Bedding and Sleeping Pads Without Washing (Vinegar, Sun) Foam pads, sleeping bags, and boots harbor bacteria in places you cannot easily wash with soap and water. Handle with care Food · Formula Water Glassing Eggs with Hydrated Lime (Long-Term Egg Storage) Ratio: 1 oz lime / quart; Per gallon: 4 oz (≈28-32 eggs); Submerge: 2 in on top Hazardous

Supplies 3

Food · Supply MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat): Contents, Heating, Shelf Life Shelf life is set by heat: about 11 years at 60°F, 8 at 70°F, 3 to 6 at 80°F, under 2 at 100°F, a month at 120°F Food · Supply Powdered Milk for Food Storage: Nonfat Keeps 20 Years, and How to Mix It so It Tastes Right Nonfat dry milk: 20+ years in Mylar with oxygen absorbers; 1 1/3 cups instant powder makes a quart Warmth and Shelter · Supply Wool: Why It Is the Fiber for Cold, Wet and Long Days, and What to Own in It Wool keeps you warm when it is wet, will not burn, and does not stink on day three; own socks, a base layer, a hat and a blanket in it before anything else

Skills 3

Power and Light · Skill Crayon Candle for Emergency Light One crayon gives about 15 to 30 minutes of light Communications · Skill How to Get a GMRS License $35 fee, no exam, good for 10 years, covers immediate family Water · Skill How to Source, Carry, and Filter Local Fresh Water Two 3-gallon AquaBricks on a frame pack: six gallons, about fifty pounds

Guides 23

Medical · Guide 3 Medical Books for Homesteaders and Preppers Auerbach for acute emergencies, Werner for diagnosis, Alton for long-term care Kits and Planning · Guide After a Flood: The Supplies That Matter, in the Order They Matter Water first, then dry and warm, then power and cleanup; floodwater is never a water source Communications · Guide Backup Internet with Starlink Mini and Portable Power Starlink Standby Mode: $10 a month, unlimited low-speed data around 0.5 Mbps Power and Light · Guide Blackout Guide: First 45 Minutes, First 3 Days, and Beyond Fill every container with water first; a bathtub holds 40 to 80 gallons Power and Light · Guide EMP: What Actually Happens to the Grid, Your Truck, and Your Phone, and What Is Worth Doing About It A high-altitude nuclear EMP can cover a continent; a solar storm hits the grid, not your phone; both mean a long blackout, and the plan is the same Power and Light · Guide Faraday Bag for Emergency Electronics: The Sling Bag and the Full Case Two builds: a shielded sling bag for a phone, radio and power bank, or a hard case with every device in its own Faraday bag or jacket Communications · Guide GMRS vs FRS: Same Channels, Different Power, and Which Radio to Buy Same 22 channels. FRS: 2 watts, no license, 1 to 2 miles. GMRS: up to 50 watts, $35 family license, repeaters, 5 to 25 miles Power and Light · Guide Home Backup Power System: 15 kWh of Battery, a 12 kW Hybrid Inverter, and the Transfer Switch I Did Not Need A hybrid inverter is the transfer switch: the service feeds its GRID port, the whole panel hangs on its LOAD port, and it islands the house in 20 ms. A manual transfer switch in front of it only narrows the pipe Communications · Guide How to Communicate with No Cell Service or Internet: GMRS Radios, the Plan, and What They Really Reach Two GMRS handhelds talk to each other with nothing else: 1 to 5 miles in open country, under a mile in town, farther through a repeater Communications · Guide Off-Grid Communication Options (No Cell Service Required) Starlink Mini on Standby Mode: $10 a month for about 500 Kbps, unlimited data Power and Light · Guide Off-Grid Portable Solar Power Field Guide: How to Size, What to Pick and Why (Full Overview) Hours = watt-hours × 0.85 ÷ load watts. One 400 to 480 W panel refills a 1 kWh station in about 3.5 hours of sun; match panel count to the station's solar cap Power and Light · Guide Power Outage Gear: What You Need for the First Hour, the First Night and the First Week The fridge holds for 4 hours closed and a full freezer for 48; everything else in an outage comes down to light, water, heat and a way to hear the news Kits and Planning · Guide Preparing Your Home: The Seven Systems That Keep a House Running Without the Grid A house that can run three days with no grid, no tap and no phone covers nearly every emergency most families will ever see; build toward two weeks from there Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Guide Propane for Self-Sufficiency: How Much to Keep, Where It Can Sit, and What It Runs Propane does not expire; 91,500 BTU a gallon, tanks fill to 80 percent, cylinders live outdoors and upright Power and Light · Guide Solar and Backup Power: Every Guide on This Site, and Where to Start Buy the portable power station and panel first in every case: useful on day one, still useful after the wired system or the generator exists Power and Light · Guide Solar Power Basics: The Equation, the Four Parts, and How to Size a System That Runs Your House Volts × amps = watts; watts × hours = watt-hours. Daily Wh ÷ sun hours ÷ 0.75 = panel watts; daily Wh × bad days ÷ 0.9 = LiFePO4 battery Wh Warmth and Shelter · Guide Staying Warm with Limited Gear (Mild or Warm Climates) Manage heat loss first: block wind and insulate underneath you before adding layers Kits and Planning · Guide Survival Bucket for Under $300 from Walmart Everything fits in one 5 gallon bucket and costs under $300 at Walmart Kits and Planning · Guide Sweden's "In Case of Crisis or War" Pamphlet: Key Lessons Sweden's target: self-sufficient for at least a week, three liters of water per person per day. I store 1 gallon per person per day for at least two weeks Cooking, Fuel and Fire · Guide The Camp Kitchen in a Case: Everything to Cook Anywhere, Packed so It Loads in One Trip One case holds everything but the cooler, the dutch oven and the table; it cooks at camp and it cooks at home when the power is out Kits and Planning · Guide The Print Shelf: 21 Books to Own for When the Internet Is Not There A printed book needs no battery, signal or power; buy the medical, the preserving and the reference books first Food · Guide When the Power Goes Out Cold food is safe only while it stays cold. Keep the doors shut, know your timelines, and eat down the fridge before you open the freezer. Warmth and Shelter · Guide Wood Stove Installation Through a Ceiling and Roof (DIY) Took less than 10 hours at a total cost of $2,682, using 6" DuraVent pipe