When I left for work yesterday at half past five in the ayem, I turned the porch light on because it was still night. Almost 12 hour later, driving home in the dark, I thought ‘Heh. I left with the porch light on, and the SO will have it on when I get home.’ And then the car rang. (Bluetooth.)
She asked told me the power was out and didn’t know what to do for dinner. We’re stuck with electric appliances, see. (I didn’t mention my Svea stove collection, or the easier-to-use MSR Internationale.) She suggested I pick up a couple of grilled sandwiches from Jack In The Box. When I got home I smelled smoke She’d started a fire in the wood stove. She had a couple of candles burning, and her LED flashlight/lantern was in the kitchen. You know those LED lanterns that look like kerosene lanterns? I picked one up at Bed Bath & Beyond a couple of years ago. She had that turned on too. I’ve seen commercials for them on TV (I think they’re like $10, but you have to buy two and pay extra shipping and handling) and I have to say the one I bought really does work.
Anyway, I fired up the Coleman lantern for some extra light I could take with me. My Honda generator hasn’t been started in two years. It started on the second pull, but wouldn’t run without the choke on even after having run for a few minutes. With the choke on, it wasn’t making enough turns to generate power. Probably old gas. Eventually it started running properly and I hooked up the TV. I was able to get onto the Internet to call PSE and find out about how long the outage would last. They said 10:30. We watched a couple of shows that were on the DVR, but when we tried to watch cable it wasn’t working. Weird.
I went to bed about 9:30, and the SO woke me up half an hour later to tell me the power was back. I dressed and went out and turned off the generator, pulled the extension cord back inside, and plugged the TV/cable/router power strip back into the wall.
This morning everything is back to normal. I thought we were done with power outages after they put a beefier fuze on top of the power pole outside. But this was a much wider outage than the ones we had when a squirrel fried itself. I’m so glad I have a generator!
And I’m glad I have a nice wood stove insert. The SO put a piece of aluminum foil on the little ‘shelf’ that sticks out, and warmed up the half of her sandwich she didn’t initially eat. Had she known how hot it got, she could have saved me $17 and made us grilled cheese sandwiches! 
Hey. I know that you are in a part of the country with Geo-activity, so underground gas fed generators are not your answer.
If you can use a Real kerosene powered Coleman lantern (and not destroy the wicks) then you really should have one of these babies:
http://bit.ly/1x1hdeP
Look, I know that in a power outtage you’ll pump & curse like a sailor… but you’ll have working burners & hot food that night. (I know that sounds wrong, but the reader needs to keep their mind out of the gutter)
The 5 gallon can of unleaded in your garage will probably last you a week easily if not more. Still… if you aren’t going to be the one who first pulls out the gear, you may end up crying about equipment loss/damage.
You probably already have a plastic footlocker in your basement or attic with your camping gear. Store Extra Mantles in the foot locker and keep a sealed can of Coleman White Gas in the garage.
I have a two-burner Coleman stove, but it’s in storage. I was just thinking the other day that I should pull it out. It’s in the footlocker marked ‘Camping Stuff’ – but I don’t know how deep it is in the storage unit. It’s in the back, though. There’s also a Coleman two-mantle lantern that burns unleaded gasoline in there. The lantern I lit up last night is a two-mantle Coleman that burns Coleman fuel. I also have another, vintage one from the '60s or early-70s that’s brand new. Extra mantles are in a cupboard in the laundry room.
So here in the house, I have plenty of light. And cooking potential. I think I have… nine?.. Svea 123s. Or maybe it’s nine including a couple of Primus stoves. And there’s a kerosene-burning Svea No. 1 stove somewhere, too.
I’m pretty good in case of severe weather. Stoves, lanterns, flashlights all over the place, those LED lanterns, generator, propane heater (needs electricity for the fan – but… jenny)… And there’s the wood stove that can actually be cooked on if need be.
Johnny, you’re pretty dam good for a SoCal refugee! I covet your Sveas. I don’t know where mine is…
I’ve ALWAYS (except the very brief city/college times) lived where power outage is an inconvenience but not a deal breaker. We have all the light sources available that don’t require electricity, a wood stove, gravity feed water, stashes of unleaded, kero, a huge old Onan generator, 5 cords of wood, and a supply of edibles and drinkables. I grin at the “preppers” because they are thinking what has pretty much been a lifestyle for this New England born old lady who tried to join the Boy Scouts as a young’un. Over here, JLA, we missed the recent power outage narrowly, so you have my sympathies.
Oh yeah, and I could give a shit if the TV/computers are off. Himself differs 
but then I’m busy doing things by hand that used to be done with electrics.
No need for sympathy. (But Thanks! 
) Just a local power outage. It lasted several hours, which is longer than usual, but nothing to the outages I hear about back East or in the Midwest – or even down in King County, occasionally.
Personally I’ve found the best insurance against a power failure is a Coleman lantern. When I lived in L.A., the power would go out when it rained. (I think people would drive their cars into a ‘box’.) Once I got the lantern, and except for the Northridge quake, there was only one more outage when I lived there. It lasted about 30 seconds, and the power came back just as I got the lantern lit.