Handy Nation

Being a lifelong Floridian, one of the things you always account for is hurricane season. Over my lifetime, one way or another, I’ve been affected by the following hurricanes.

’79 David
’92 Andrew
’04 Charlie
’04 Frances
’04 Jeanne
’05 Katrina
’05 Wilma

Hurricane season runs from the beginning of June through the end of November, which creates a sense of paranoia for half the year. Not to mention all the prep work.From tree trimming, to lubing up all the shutter parts and getting all the non-perishable supplies. Those first couple of weekends of June are not too much fun.

During “The Sisters” of ’04, I created and tested the Handy Hurricane Survival Kit. This batch of goodies is a great way to not only be prepared for a major catastrophe, but also helps during those longer than expected power outages. Most of these items got me through six days without power after the first storm. The others were things I wish I had, the promptly bought after things got back to normal.

1  Water
A couple of cases of bottled water is great, but you also need a 5 gallon water keg. Fill it full before the storm and use it first. You can never have too much potable water.

2  Canned Food
A steady diet of Spaghetti-O’s is not the greatest, but it’s way better than starving.
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3  Grill
It’s in your best interest to at least have a small propane Tailgater’s Grill. Besides, how else are you going to heat up those Spaghetti-O’s?
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4  Fuel
This is not a simple as you may think. Not only do you need full tanks in all your vehicles, but also for the grill and generator. You have to get an early start on this one, because everyone is out doing the same thing. The longer you wait, the less likely you’re going to get what you need.

5  Generator
Can you survive without one? Yes, but it makes things way easier. It’ll make your coffee, keep your fridge cold and even run a small A/C unit. Pick up a small 2000 watt portable generator. It’ll power what you need, run quiet and has a very small footprint for storage.

6  Lighting
From flashlights to camping lamps, there’s tons of energy efficient battery powered lighting out there. Pick you up a good variation of lighting types to cover any situation you might find yourself in.

7  Batteries
Sure rechargeable batteries are great, but when your power is out for several days, they’re about as useful as a back pocket on a t-shirt.
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8  AC-DC Converter
These bad boys plug into you car’s power port and covert alternating current into direct current. With the right size converter, you can run just about anything short term. Just keep the car running.

9  Portable Television
A small, portable, battery powered TV is a must. Not so much for catching up on your soaps, but for keeping your eye on the storm and other pertinent information.
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10  Corded Phone
This is one of those things you really need. Trust me when I tell you, this is the most reliable way to communicate days after a major natural disaster.
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11  Cash
Cash is King. No power, no phone, no way to process credit cards, no service. Everyone takes cash, so make sure you have a few beans in your back pocket, while the ATM is still working.

12  Rechargeable Fan
These fans are awesome! You can get these up to 10 inches, and move a lot of air for a long period of time. It’s enough to keep you cool over night, especially if you don’t have #5.

13  Coffee Maker
Your regular coffee maker draws an unbelievable amount of power, on average 800 watts. Pick you up a small 4 cup brewer that can run off an AC converter, or even a stove top percolator you can use on the grill.

14  Portable DVD Player
Bored? Pop in a movie to pass the time. These things are designed to run a couple of movies on a single charge. You’ll thank me later.
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15  Handheld Gaming Device
Still bored? One of the world’s greatest time wasters, never disappoints. If you’re not a gamer, grab a book.
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I prioritized this list to help you pick off the things that I found to be most important. Although honestly, I still feel that the coffee maker needs to be higher on the list. When you’re house is converted to a large tent, and you’re basically stuck camping there until the power is restored, everything boil down to the proper tools for the job.

Tags: Camping Gear, Hurricane, Power Outage

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 at 8:00 am and is filed under From The Handyman. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.