10 Survival Tips If You Face A Blackout While Traveling
Sometimes, we get overwhelmed with the bustling city life from which we crave a temporary escape. We tend to go out of the city to an off-the-radar location or some other place in the world for vacation. However, blackouts may happen without warning for natural calamities or a nationwide power shortage. You may be traveling somewhere when the outage occurs. How will you survive if you face such a situation?
Here are some survival tips to guide you to face a blackout while traveling to an offline location. Of course, you have to prepare beforehand for such a possibility.
1. Travel Maps That Work Offline
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Before heading to your offline location, you should install an offline travel app that you can use in emergencies. Whether you’re camping or just want to stay in a secluded area for a few weeks, such maps can help you when you cannot get a cellular network.
Also, be a miser about using electronics. Charging your electronic devices will be difficult because you won’t get electricity during power outages. You have to be very strategic about using them so they don’t run out of charge quickly.
2. Prepare an Emergency Technology Kit
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Whenever you plan on traveling somewhere, especially in offline locations, you must prepare an emergency kit with all the technological tools. This includes battery-operated or solar-powered flashlights and lamps, power banks, radios, emergency phones, radio phones, hand-held fans, etc.
Some electric stoves run on batteries. It’s good to have one of these in stock. And if you’re traveling for photography, keep your power banks charged properly and carry backup batteries.
3. Keep Fuel in Stock
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You need to stock up on fuel to give you some backup if you face a power outage while traveling. Load up petrol, gasoline cans, gas cylinders, dry wood, etc.
Have candles and match sticks ready in case you run out of all fuel and don’t have any other lighting source. It’s better to have more than you think you need, as you don’t know how long you’ll have to live without electricity.
4. Have Backup Power Sources
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It may sound unnecessary to a lot of people. Still, you should always carry portable generators with you, especially if you’re traveling to an offline location, as you may need emergency electricity. With that, you also need to carry enough fuel to support the generator, and you should check if they’re working correctly
Place solar panels on top of your housing, and make sure you have them pretty high to get enough sunlight. Solar panels should give you enough backup power to pass the night easily.
5. Keep a Toolbox and First Aid Box Ready
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Don’t we all have a first-aid box at home? You should carry one too, while traveling to an out-of-the-radar location. Make this first-aid box comprehensive, as you may not be able to reach the paramedics in case of an emergency.
Also, get first aid training, as you won’t have the internet to access how to do something. Don’t forget to keep bug sprays, as bugs can give you diseases you don’t want to deal with in such a situation.
Having a toolbox is crucial not just at home but also when you’re traveling in a secluded area. Keep all the basics and necessities in this box, and learn how to use them, as you may not find an expert nearby during a blackout.
6. Look for Resources Around Your Location
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Secluded places often are rich in natural resources, so take a tour to see what’s available around you. You may find ponds or a lake where you can catch fish, may be able to forage if there are woods nearby, and may also find burnable woods and leaves. This is especially important if you’re traveling on a budget.
However, be careful with what you consume. No matter how beautiful or harmless something looks, it can be dangerous. Many fruits, vegetables, and flowers are poisonous, which you’ll fail to treat without immediate medical attention.
7. Find the Nearest Departmental Store
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Even though you may not find a medic or fuel station near your location, there’s a high chance you’ll find a departmental store a few kilometers away. Know the route to that store properly, and stock up on everything you think you’ll need to survive a blackout.
Also, have enough fuel in your car to drive to the store and back. You may run out of something you need to grab urgently, so you must have a proper commute.
8. Stock Up on Water and Non-Perishable Food
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The first things you should grab in that departmental store are water and food items with longer shelf life. You should buy plenty of drinkable water as you’ll need it for almost everything you do, including showers. You’ll barely be able to pump up and filter clean water for showering, washing dishes, and cooking food!
Stock up on canned food items and dry food, and store them in a dry area. These foods are processed so they’ll be good for quite a few years in optimum conditions. Besides, most of them are cooked and ready to be eaten, so you don’t have to worry in case you can’t cook anything. Also, buy plenty of protein bars. They’re pretty filling and healthy!
9. Prepare for Outdoor Cooking
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In case you only have perishable food and can’t find non-perishable items, you’ll need to cook. How will you do it without electricity? There are a lot of burners that only need batteries and a gas canister.
However, if you don’t have them, find enough dry and burnable wood, twigs, leaves, etc., that can produce enough heat. You can accumulate and arrange them to create a campfire, on which you can cook food or even grill a whole fish or meat! Just take advantage of this blackout!
10. Pack Clothes Specific to the Season
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While packing for traveling, take enough clothes suitable for the season. For example, take plenty of breathable and light clothes for summer, warm clothes, shiny blankets, blankets for winter, and water-resistant clothes for rainy seasons.
Conclusion
As exciting and fun as it is to travel to a place for an escape, you can’t ignore the possibility of a long-term blackout. That’s why it’s better to make all the necessary preparations before heading off to your escape destination and after you reach there.
With that, these survival tips will hopefully help you with the preparations you need to take and pull through a blackout while traveling.
