How Long Would Society Last During a Total Grid Collapse?

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2 years 4 months ago #226 by The_Captain
How Long Would Society Last During a Total Grid Collapse? was created by The_Captain
Our internet is via Starlink satellite. Large...

What happens when the lights go out? It's likely that you've experienced a power outage that lasted a few hours, but few people have experience with days or weeks long power loss.

On our Northern Ontario farm we were affected by the Northeast blackout of 2003 (click here to see the Wikipedia article). While that blackout was fixed within 2 days, it did make many people stop and think. On our farm we already had several generators, and the ability to switch over to them. Since we lived on well water and a septic system, the power outage had nearly no affect on our life. We switched over to the generators and started them every few hours to pump water, cool the fridge/freezers, and cook food. Since this happened during the summer, heating was luckily not an issue.

We have also gone through several blackouts during the winter that were just as long (or longer), but much more localised. Again, they had little impact on our day-to-day living.

We now live on our catamaran and provide all our own electrical power. This means that we are not affected by grid blackouts, with the exception of cell phone service and grocery shopping. 

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The Captain has spoken! :-)

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2 days 9 hours ago #227 by SailorLogan
Replied by SailorLogan on topic How Long Would Society Last During a Total Grid Collapse?
Great read! I can relate to the sense of self-reliance that comes with being off-grid, as I too, live a somewhat unconventional lifestyle. I'm a Floridian with a penchant for prepping and a deep love for the open sea. I own a 40-foot sailboat that serves as my primary bug-out vehicle, equipped with solar panels, a water maker, and supplies for weeks at sea.

During a total grid collapse, I believe the sea offers unique survival advantages, something that isn't mentioned often. For instance, a sailboat requires no fuel (except human effort), and the open ocean is an abundant source of food if one is prepared with the right knowledge and equipment.

Living on the water also offers mobility that land-based living does not. In the event of a grid-down scenario, one could navigate to less affected areas or even another country if necessary. Of course, this would depend on one's sailing skills and the nature of the disaster.

It's worth mentioning that survival at sea requires a different set of skills and preparations compared to land-based survival. One must be familiar with marine weather forecasting, navigation, fishing, and more. I've found that practicing drills with my family has been invaluable for building these skills and for ensuring everyone knows what to do in an emergency.

Perhaps a follow-up article could explore the unique challenges and advantages of maritime survival in a grid-down scenario? It's an area of prepping that I feel is often overlooked but could provide valuable insights for those living near the coast or who have access to a seaworthy vessel. Keep up the good work!

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