As we dig out from back to back snowstorms, I have to be thankful for having some good camping skills in place. We lost power for three days after the first snowstorm, but made do just fine. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been-- I did have to go on a run for more candles, batteries, and canned goods. But we got through everything just fine.
Having well water, our water shut off when the electric ran out. I didn't think we'd lose power so quickly, so we didn't have a big supply saved up for use in an emergency. Luckily, there is a creek right out front, so we were able to haul up water to use. I boiled water in a large stock pot for use in washing dishes, bathing, etc. and we had a couple bottles of water for consumption. Having a gas stove, I was thrilled with the coffee press I got for a Christmas present. The only thing needed was water heated on the stove. Perfect!
The one particular thing that seemed to help the transition the most was washing dishes. Many a night I've scrubbed pots and pans in a small pan by a camp fire. It wasn't any different here, I boiled a load of water, added cold water and soap, and went from least dirty to most dirty. My only complaint was that I couldn't see the pots and pans as clearly as I would have liked, so I felt like I wasn't getting them as clean as usual. But I had set the stopper in the sink and let the clean dishes soak in extremely hot water for several minutes, effectively killing any germs I may have missed.
The one particular thing that seemed to help the transition the most was washing dishes. Many a night I've scrubbed pots and pans in a small pan by a camp fire. It wasn't any different here, I boiled a load of water, added cold water and soap, and went from least dirty to most dirty. My only complaint was that I couldn't see the pots and pans as clearly as I would have liked, so I felt like I wasn't getting them as clean as usual. But I had set the stopper in the sink and let the clean dishes soak in extremely hot water for several minutes, effectively killing any germs I may have missed.
All in all, it wasn't too bad. I had a good book to read, we had loads of snow to play in, and we thought of it as an adventure. I was reminded that I didn't like roughing it in the cold nearly as much as the warmth of summer, but we made it through unscathed. We still had heat and our regular stove for cooking, but I feel confidant if we'd lost that we could have made it through just fine. Not that I would like to try that route, but knowing as a camping we could do it should the situation arise made it all the more bearable. And one last thing-- the portable shower was a godsend!
***Edited to add: If you find yourself needing to use your camp stove for cooking in an emergency situation, please do remember to use them OUTSIDE or in a well ventilated room (such as a garage with a door or window open) to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
***Edited to add: If you find yourself needing to use your camp stove for cooking in an emergency situation, please do remember to use them OUTSIDE or in a well ventilated room (such as a garage with a door or window open) to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
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