Regenerative homestead in PA. Building practical homestead systems that work. Christian. Airborne combat vet. Prefers dangerous freedom to peaceful slavery.
Wilds of Central PA
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Since the DoD is discussing every major base being able to isolate and operate for 90 days on its own, have you thought about what that looks like for a normal household?
Bases get priority resources, power systems, fuel, and logistics by design. In a real disruption, the average civilian sits much lower on the list. Stores empty, deliveries slow, and help does not arrive on a fixed schedule. Ninety days for a base does not equal ninety days of easy living for the rest of us.
Most households are not prepared for even a fraction of that.
Here’s a practical breakdown of the main gaps and simple ways to close them, a 🧵
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A substation failure at I Street knocked out power this morning across parts of Foggy Bottom, a few blocks from the White House. Pepco reported roughly 1,100–1,200 customers without power near the State Department, World Bank, and George Washington University. Smoke came from manholes. Traffic lights went dark. GWU canceled morning classes while crews investigated.
The cause is still under investigation. What stands out is the location. When aging equipment fails in the capital, resources and attention follow. Rural areas and smaller communities sit further down the list. Crews, parts, and priority go where the impact is most visible. The hinterlands wait longer.
A large share of the country’s transmission lines and transformers are already 25–50+ years old. ASCE rates the energy sector a D+. Lead times for large transformers now run years while demand from data centers and electrification keeps rising. Substations fail. Critical facilities go dark with little warning. When it happens downtown DC, it gets noticed. When it happens outside the capital, it is treated as routine.
The grid is a convenience, not a guarantee. Single points of failure exist at every level. When the lights go out in government buildings and major institutions, ordinary people and local systems are left to manage. That is why distributed resilience is not fringe. Solar plus storage, generators, manual backups, and the ability to keep water, heat, food, and communications going without the grid are the practical response to infrastructure that is aging faster than it is being replaced.
If the capital already waits on a regular Monday, the hinterlands wait longer. Build the redundancy yourself.
Do you already have a working backup for lights and the fridge, or would you still be figuring it out after the first hour?
#KeystoneResilienceProject #Preparedness
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You’ve got the food, the equipment, and a solar system that will last for years. Most people stop there. The part that is missing is usually the one that decides whether any of it gets used.
Yourself.
Bases are planning for 90 days. We have covered food, water, sanitation, power, light, and medical. Today is physical capacity and the skills that go with it.
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Unmanaged health problems become hard constraints when normal care is delayed. High blood pressure, diabetes, significant joint damage, or untreated cardiac issues limit what you can physically do and how long you can sustain it.
Address the largest controllable ones while regular medical care is still available.
Capacity and skills both degrade without use. A regular gym routine and walking keep the physical baseline from sliding. Cooking real meals at home keeps the food-prep skill current. Periodic refresher training or range time keeps first aid, trauma, firearms, and communications from becoming theoretical. The people who stay functional are usually the ones who treated these as ongoing habits rather than one-time purchases.
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Gear only works if someone can still operate it after several hard days. Current fitness, body weight, unmanaged health issues, and a short list of practiced skills are the constraints that show up first.
Could you walk home from work today if you had to, and which of the skills above have you actually practiced in the last year?
#KeystoneResilienceProject #Preparedness
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Once again… Do not connect your refrigerator and freezer to the internet. It’s kind of easy.
UPDATE: Since our last update, two more countries have reported disruptions to supermarket refrigeration systems, bringing the total to seven countries affected across Europe.
🇸🇪 Sweden and 🇧🇪 Belgium appear to be among the hardest-hit countries, with multiple supermarket chains and stores experiencing significant disruptions and food losses.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg has also reported incidents affecting Delhaize stores.
🇮🇪 Ireland has seen refrigeration disruptions at 13 SuperValu stores, forcing chilled and frozen products to be removed.
🇳🇱 The Netherlands has reported incidents at at least 17 businesses, primarily smaller retailers, butcher shops and food-storage facilities.
🇪🇪 Estonia reported a cyberattack targeting refrigeration controls, with freezer temperatures reportedly reaching +50°C. The incident was detected and addressed within approximately 10 minutes, preventing major damage.
🇫🇮 Finland has reported only minor, limited-scale temperature irregularities in some K Group stores. The situation there appears significantly less severe than in other affected countries.
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Most people stock a first-aid kit and never open it. When normal medical care is delayed or diet variety drops, the problems that show up are usually ordinary ones that get worse without basic care: cuts, infections, dehydration, and nutrient gaps.
A simple kit of over the counter items and a few habits cover more ground than most households have in place.
Bases are planning for 90 days. We covered food, water, sanitation, power, and light. Today is medical.
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3/ wound cleaning and infection
Soap and water is the baseline for cleaning a wound. Plain water alone is not enough.
• Wash with clean soap and water, then apply antiseptic
• Cover with a clean dressing and change it when wet or dirty
• Watch for increasing redness, swelling, warmth, or fever
Most problems that get worse start with a wound that was not cleaned properly or left open.
4/ Multivitamins, fluid loss, and prescriptions
When fresh food is limited for weeks, a basic multivitamin covers the most common gaps from a narrower diet. It does not replace food. Store a few months’ supply with the kit.
Diarrhea, vomiting, and fever remove fluids quickly. Have oral rehydration salts or know how to mix a basic solution with clean water.
Prescription medications are different. If anyone in the household takes them regularly, the practical step is to talk with the primary care provider about longer fills or an extra supply while systems are still normal. That conversation is separate from stocking the over-the-counter items above.
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Soap and water, basic dressings, common OTC medicines, rehydration, and a multivitamin cover most of what shows up when normal care is delayed. Prescription needs are handled with your provider.
Basic medical training is also important but will be discussed in another thread.
Do you already have these over-the-counter items stocked and checked, or would you still need to pick them up?
#KeystoneResilienceProject #Preparedness
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Processing day for a few of the lambs and one of the rams.
Our animals have grass, water, shade, and regular moves. They never touch cement until they’re at the processor. They get scratches and pets. We want them to only have one bad day. That’s how it should be.
The sacrifice is hard. We respect what they give our family and customers: healthy meat, harvested humanely.
Most people never see this part. The grocery store keeps you feeling disconnected from your food. Raising your own makes it feel real.
Have you raised livestock for your family?
#KeystoneResilienceProject
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Light and basic security matter more than most people plan for once the power is out. Simple tasks get harder in the dark, and a place feels different when you cannot see what is around it. Both become daily problems if you ignore them.
A basic lighting setup and a few simple habits cover more ground than most people expect.
Bases are planning for 90 days. We covered food, water, sanitation, and power. Today is safety and light.
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Lighting that works without grid power
• Headlamps are more useful than handheld flashlights for most tasks. Keep one per person plus extras. Stock batteries or use rechargeable ones you can charge from a solar generator or vehicle.
• One or two bright battery lanterns cover a kitchen or main room better than several small lights. Solar path lights work for outdoor areas if you have sun.
• Candles and oil lamps are backups, not primaries. A typical candle burns 4–6 hours. Open flames add fire risk and do not scale well for regular use.
• A practical target: enough light for evening tasks plus a backup method. A couple of headlamps, one lantern, and spare batteries or a way to recharge them covers most households for weeks if used carefully.
These still need a power source. The power thread covered solar generators, fuel generators, and batteries.
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Basic security habits
Most problems are opportunistic. Simple steps reduce the odds more than specialized gear.
• Light the approaches to the house at night. A lantern or motion light near doors makes it harder for someone to move unseen.
• Lock doors and windows as a normal habit. Most issues start with an easy entry.
• Check the property at dusk and dawn. A short walk-around catches small problems early.
• Noise and visible activity help. A dog, a radio, or lights on in the evening make a place look occupied.
• Know who is normally around. Sudden changes stand out more when you have a baseline.
Do not rely on the idea that nothing will happen. A few consistent habits and working lights cover more than most households have in place.
Firearms and other defensive options will be discussed in a future thread.
Do you have a lighting plan and any basic security habits set up?
#KeystoneResilienceProject #Preparedness
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This is our oldest hen we have. She’s dealt with a black bear attack, foxes, hawks, neighbors dogs… she’s a survivor. She doesn’t lay anymore, but she’ll raise chicks every year, and she does a great job at running the flock.
This year she’s going thru a hard molt. Quite frankly she looks like crap. Most chickens molt once a year in the fall as the days get shorter. They shed old feathers and grow new ones. Egg production usually slows or stops while it happens because growing feathers takes a lot of protein. She’ll look rough for a few weeks, then fill back in.
A higher-protein feed or some extra protein (mealworms, fish, meat scraps) helps during a hard molt. As long as she’s eating and moving around, she’s fine. The bare patches are temporary.
Do you keep your older hens? Have you experienced a molt like this?
#KeystoneResilienceProject #Homesteading
ALT Looking like she’s dying
ALT No fluffy butt
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You have a freezer full of local meat but what happens if the grid stops running? Most people assume the grid will always be there. A basic plan for what you actually need to run covers more than hoping the freezer stays cold.
You’re better off knowing your real power needs and a simple way to meet them than buying gear you cannot keep running.
Bases are planning for 90 days. We covered food, water, and sanitation. Today is power.
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Generators and batteries
Generators
A small inverter generator (around 2,000 watts) can run lights, a fridge, and some charging at the same time. At light loads it uses roughly 0.1 gallons of gas per hour. One gallon can last 8–12 hours if you are only running essentials. Larger loads burn fuel faster.
Fuel storage is the real constraint. Gasoline does not store well long-term without stabilizer, and running a generator for weeks requires a steady supply. Noise and exhaust also matter. Do not run one indoors or near windows.
Batteries
Standard batteries still matter for lights and small devices.
• A good LED headlamp or flashlight on low can run for many hours on a set of AA batteries. High output drains them much faster. Stock extras.
• Rechargeable batteries with a way to charge them (from a solar generator or vehicle) last longer than constantly buying alkaline ones.
• Power banks are useful for phones but do not replace a larger system for lighting a room.
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What to prioritize
Lights, communication, and food preservation (fridge or freezer if possible) cover the most important needs for most households. Everything else is secondary.
You do not need to run a fridge or freezer continuously. Most will stay cold for several hours if left closed. Running it in cycles stretches battery or generator time. A full freezer holds temperature longer than a fridge. Keep the door closed and only open it when needed.
Start with a clear list of what you actually need to power, then match a system to that list. A solar generator for daily small loads plus a generator and fuel for bigger needs is more reliable than either one alone.
Do you have a power plan for lights and basic needs if the grid goes down?
#KeystoneResilienceProject #Preparedness
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