The Rise Of Conservative Preppers

AMAC Newsline ^ | 27 Mar, 2024 | Shane Harris

[Openurmind]

“-microwave ovens
-room air conditioners
-Fans, lots of fans
-refrigerators and small freezers
-Washing machine
-my computers
-My ham radio gear
-simplex repeaters for local comms
-electric blankets
-LED room lighting
-DC chainsaws
-Small power tools”

Unfortunately you are dreaming... We have actually lived off grid for over ten years and the only items in that list that are sustainable are the computer, ham gear, and lights. Even the repeater will not be sustainable unless you only turn it on occasionally and intermittently.

Having experience living without and minimal electricity I can tell you now your approach is backwards. Rather than try to satisfy electric devices, the reality is you have to change your lifestyle to minimize and reduce electric device demand or it is completely unsustainable.

[fatboy]

One of the best and most effective preps is to eliminate consumer debt. Then pay off your home. Traditionally, preppers store food and supplies. Not having some (shelf stable) food and basic survival supplies is a more modern lifestyle thing. Everyone my age remembers having some what would be considered “survival” food items as a regular practice back in the day but this has gone out of style. I’m all for having some long terms storage of food, emergency lighting, a second heat source, some kind of plan to protect in case of lawlessness and some communication device, tools and maybe barter items. But acquire this stuff after you get your debt (if you have some) under control.

[nonliberal]

Sure there is. Weren’t you taught to just get under your desk at school? Those school desks will ensure your survival.

[1Old Pro]

Weren’t you taught to just get under your desk at school? Those school desks will ensure your survival.

Government sure knows how to get things right, like the covid jab will stop the sickness and the transmission of the virus....WRONG.

[Bobalu]

What you say is true for a small system but not for a large system.

It's best to have a large solar panel array AND and large LiFePO4 battery bank...AND run efficient items like the solar refrigerators/freezers I got, they are energy stingy.

Build your system so that you can get by even if EVERY day from now on will be overcast... you only get 10-20% of your panel rating in such conditions and only for perhaps 6hrs a day at most so OVERBUILD. 20kw of panels will give you 2-4kw for 4-6hrs a day 20kw of panels are selling for roughly 12,000 dollars currently (Amazon) 100kw of panels for roughly 60,000.. Of course you need to live on a farm or something to put out so many panels.. I have 40 acres.

If you don't build for the worst possible case of every day being overcast you will be disappointed with your results.

And if you get clear bright days an overbuilt system can really get you some power... say 20kw+ on a bright day, you can run a clothes dryer during such times... but I'd still rather store the extra and hang the clothes out :-)

Be aware that the copper wiring for a large system is pretty costly.. 2 aught copper ain't cheap and it's best to run a 48VDC system so you can use smaller/cheaper wiring :-/

Also get enough AC charge capability so if your power from the grid is intermittent you can top up your battery bank... but don't depend on that, again.. OVERBUILD!

These are the panels I am now buying to put in storage.. unconnected in case of EMP, they should survive if not connected to wiring... I have diodes to replace those if the ones on the panel were to blow.

I have about 100 of these and more coming... here they are, it's a good buy for 100watt 9bb monocrystalline panels with free shipping.

[Paisan]

learning to live without central heating and A/C.

Lived in Florida in the early 60’s. NO ONE had AC. And, since it was FL, central heat in the winter was called long pants & a sweater...

[suthener]

“If the power goes out permanently I want be able to run the following and have put the gear together to make it so.”

Where are you going to get the fuel to run all this stuff...permanently?

[suthener]

“One of the best and most effective preps is to eliminate consumer debt.”

The entire grid is down, there’s no fuel, no water, no nothing. I don’t think your credit score is really going to make much difference. And who is coming to repossess your house? If they do, shoot them. (Just being a little contrarian.)

[ansel12]

That is ghetto fantasy (EMP/nuclear war/alien invasion will send us back to the 1800s and I won’t have to pay anything off), in real life when the emergency is over you want to have weathered it well and do not want the chaos of credit shot, things being repossessed, losing your home, etc., and if your employer went out of business you want to be in a position to keep up with things until you get back on an even keel.

We just went through one of America’s biggest emergencies and being debt free was good advice for it.

[daniel1212]

You mean compared with

nw_arizona_granny's Prepper Threads from FR's Clinton era:

1. Thread #1, 2008 - over 10k posts -
2. Thread #2, 2009 - over 10k posts -
3. Thread #3, 2009 - over 10k posts -

   Then there were

CottonBall's Prepper Threads

1. Thread #1, 2018 - over 17k posts -
2. Thread #2, 2020 - 226 posts -

The decline of Christian faith and rise of social media and many blogs and the median age increase. Thank God for what is good.

[Bobalu]

It’s solar, the sun powers it

[suthener]

“It’s solar, the sun powers it”

If you’re going to run air conditioners, microwaves, etc. you must have or plan to have one heck of a solar system.

[suthener]

“That is ghetto fantasy”

That’s what I love about Freerepublic. You can make a semi-sarcastic humorous comment and in return get a despicable personal insult. You could have left off that part and still made your point, but, no, in current FR fashion, you just couldn’t do it. Gotta be badass sitting behind your keyboard.

[ansel12]

There was no reason to think your post wasn’t serious and it reflects ghetto type thinking, getting out of debt is an excellent part of being a prepper.

Your reaction is way overboard and nasty, you seem to be trolling the thread just to argue.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

The idea of “prepping” first entered American culture during the Cold War with the looming specter of nuclear holocaust.

No.

It entered human culture the first time we moved into an area where it was not continually summer.

[suthener]

“it reflects ghetto type thinking”

Amazing. I told you my comment was tongue in cheek, but, instead of an apology for a baseless personal insult, you double down. I really don’t get it with people like you. Go ahead and insult me one more time and I’ll call it quits.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Actually there is surviving a nuclear war.

It will not be fun but surviving any war is not fun.

"On the Beach" was fear porn from a guy who wanted to scare people. He succeeded.

[TexasFreeper2009]

modern nuclear weapons are over 3,000 times more powerful than the weapons we dropped on Japan. There is no surviving, world war with those weapons = all life eliminated. To think otherwise is folly.

[Lurker]

The first rule of Prep Club is do not talk about Prep Club.

L

[GenXPolymath]

If you are going big go commercial grade panels even at retail prices by the pallet they are 2/3 the cost of Amazon.

https://sungoldpower.com/collections/solar-panel/products/450w-mono-perc-solar-panel-full-pallet-32-panels

Get someone with a TIN number and get wholesale price by the pallet worth. Half of the retail price point on a minimum two pallet order that’s 64 panels for around six grand. That’s 20 cents per watt with a25 year 80 cap life. 64 panels is a 28.8 kilowatt system and will power a HUGE home with dual A.C. Units roaring. Those panels are 75”*44” or 2.12 square meters no small coincidence as the 120 cells have an’m exactly 2 square meters area. If you laid them flat you won’t those 64 panels cover ~136 square meters or 1463 sq freedom units. Those panels will be tilted at an angle roughly equal to the latitude of instal. No need for acreage at all a fairly large home would already have the roof area facing south if not then cover the back yard deck, 3 car garage as well. Now you have a large system that even on overcast days are gonna put out 10 to 30% rates capacity. No need for copper wires outside you use aluminum wire just like every other commercial installation does.

You series wire your panels into groups of 8 for a working 277VDC at 13 amps or 3600 watt groups. 64 panels gives you eight groups. This is direct buried cable no conduct needed above or below ground. Cheap too and 50 amp @600V

https://nassaunationalcable.com/products/8-duplex

You run them need eight 277vdc input 4000 watt pure sine inverters that will output either 3 phase (240/400)/50hz or split phase (120/240)/60Hz for the Americans. Here again with a TIN number those are in the 20 cents per watt capex.

Do the install with subcontractor labor and only use a licenced electrician for the breaker tie in and inverter to breaker connections. Your all in cost should be under 25 grand. You then have a full off grid capable power supply if you want to add in powerwalls Tesla will be happy to sell you some.