Getting Prepared Month 10: Practice Going Off GridGaye Levy, Contributor Being an optimist, I can only assume that if you made it this far, you are well on your way to being self-sufficient in an emergency. And based upon the emails that I have been receiving, I know positively that a number of you are following along each month. As with the previous months, month ten is not overly difficult but it will take some time and it will take some effort. More specifically, this month we are going to take a break from purchasing gear and supplies. Instead we are going to focus on disaster readiness and, more specifically, earthquake preparedness and and an actual practice drill so you can anticipate what happens when you go off grid. SUPPLIES GEAR: Oops . . . we are skipping the supplies and gear this month. Of course, if you simply must add to your gear this month, do an inventory to insure that you have the following items: In addition to regular use around the house or on a camping trip, these items will help you dig your way out of a disaster and are a solid investment in your ability to cope when the big one this. Imagine your house with no electricity. Better yet, shut off the power for 4 to 24 hours and try to live off-grid. Steps to Prepare for an Earthquake I happen to live in Washington State which is earthquake country, but if you live in a tornado, hurricane or flood area, the same principles apply. You still need to secure your stuff so it does not blow away or float away. And you still need to know how to take care of shutting off the utilities when disaster strikes. The Practice Drill Going Off Grid for Practice This month month ten I challenge you to ask yourself the question: what would life be like if we were off grid for an extended period of time? There is the obvious: no lights going on when you flick on the switch, no power to your refrigerator or freezer, no air conditioning, no hot water to your electric hot water heater, no washer and dryer, no computer, no Internet, no way to charge your cell phone or other electronic gizmos, no access to online banking or online shopping . . . and well, I could go on and on. But what about the less obvious? There will be no way to access cash from the ATM, no working cash registers or credit card machines at the grocery store, no way to pump gasoline at the the gas station, no way to pump water from your well . . . and again, the list goes on. So here is the deal: practice going off-grid in your own home. If you can the resist temptation to turn on the power, you can simply go about your life for a day or two without using any electricity. Better still and something I do is to shut down breakers to everything except refrigeration (so your food does not spoil) and see how you do. Make a list of things you had issues with. Not enough light sources? Get some light sticks,a lantern,and batteries.No way to cook the food you have stored? Store different types of foods those that do not require cooking or get yourself a charcoal or biomass grill or stove. Trust me, you will be surprised at the results of your drill. Things will come up that you that next time your needs are covered. Dont forget that during this drill, you need to forgo stores (no cash registers or credit cards, remember?), restaurants (same thing), gas for your car, and other commercial conveniences. You are on your own for just a day or two. Learn from it. The Final Word I will be addressing this more in the future so keep in mind that your drills and practice sessions are important. You want to be able to act without thinking and, more importantly, act without fear. That is what this is really all about: having the ability to react to a disaster with common sense devoid of panic and devoid of fear. You can support this information by voting on Reddit HERE In case you missed any of the articles in this series: Month 1: Supplies, Gear and Tasks to Get You Started Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation! Gaye Levy, theSurvivalWoman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable, self-reliant and stylish lifestyle through emergency preparation and disaster planning through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. SurvivalWoman speaks her mind and delivers her message with optimism and grace, regardless of mayhem swirling around us. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 