At some point in our lives we are bound to find ourselves in a situation where the power goes out and we need alternative energy options. This could be something that only lasts for a couple of hours, or something that affects our daily lives for an extended period of time.

While a short term power outage is certainly more likely, it’s entirely possible that we could find ourselves without power for days or even longer.

Everything we do these days involves electricity in one way or another. On a personal level no electricity means no Tv, no lights, and no internet. On a larger level, things get a bit more serious.

Banking would be affected, hospitals would be affected, and

grocery store would be affected. Even getting fuel from the gas station tanks

would be a challenge if not impossible. 

Regardless whether a power outage is caused by a hurricane, an earthquake, or a squirrel chewing on a power line (yes…it happens) it’s up to us to be prepared for these situations.

Basic Power Outage Supplies

Before I get into this list of alternative energy supplies to consider, I want to briefly touch on the “not so sexy” but just as important alternative energy items to consider. As with everything in life, it’s usually the little things that derail our plans. This is why in preparedness we are constantly fine tuning our plans, and figuring out where those holes might be.

Intelligence Gathering

While this may seem a little obvious, understanding what you’re facing is key to executing your plan. In the event of a natural disaster like a hurricane or tornado, the local news and the internet could give you valuable information.

However, the odds are you’ll have no warning when the lights suddenly go out.  This is where being prepared beforehand can save you headaches down the line. You don’t want to be one of those people rushing to the store only to find they don’t have what you need.

Your neighbors can also be a great source of information. Maybe you have a neighbor that is an amateur radio operator, or a neighbor that just came home from an unaffected area. You just never know what information they may be able to offer.

Extension Cords

If you are using a power inverter or a generator (more on these later) you’re going to need a way to get that power where you need it. You may need to run your refrigerator a few hours a day, run a space heater, or just keep a few lights on at night.

Extension cords come in different gauges, so make sure you get the right size for the job. The higher gauge cords are good for lights, while a refrigerator will need a smaller gauge cord.

Entertainment

While this isn’t something you need when considering alte...