Free Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual by Survival/Camping

more combustibles to the mix. Some recommend underground tanks, but this is illegal in many places and a serious risk to the quality of your groundwater. Don’t risk it. If you want to stockpile fuel in bulk, you can purchase above-ground storage drums.
    TEMPERATURE As with food storage, you want your fuel kept somewhere clean, dark, and as cold as possible. Direct light and higher temperatures can degrade fuel’s quality quickly and, in a worst-case scenario, pose a fire risk as well.

74 Determine How Much Fuel You Need
    There’s a school of thought that says you can never stockpile too much fuel. While there’s something to that, your space and resources are limited, so you need to do a little figuring and make the right decision for your circumstances. Here are the rock-bottom basics.
    BUGGING OUT If you need to leave fast, and gas stations are unlikely to be open (which will happen in just about any natural disaster), figure out how much gas or diesel you’ll need to fill your tank and to refuel on your way to wherever you imagine will be your destination. That will vary wildly depending on where you are, how many cars your family has, and how far you reckon you’ll need to drive. Do that math and then add a little extra just for safety.
    STAYING PUT If you have a gas-powered generator, try and estimate how you’ll use it and what that would burn. A rule of thumb is about 15 gallons (57 l) per week, assuming absolutely minimal usage. How many weeks do you think you’ll need to prepare for? Do that math and stock up accordingly.

75 Burn This, Not That
    Some fuels can be swapped, should you run out of one but have another. Others aren’t so versatile or may even be explosive if substituted. If you do have fuel on hand in a crisis, be sure you use it safely.
    DIESEL AND HEATING OIL These two fuels are good substitutes for each other. Diesel burns a little cleaner than home heating oil, but either of these can burn in a diesel vehicle or your home furnace.
    LANTERN FUEL Anything other than kerosene or liquid paraffin in an old-fashioned, wick-based lantern is not an option. Diesel, white gas, alcohol, or other fuels can lead to an explosion. Pressurized lanterns should only be filled with white gas (naphtha).
    ALCOHOL Pure alcohol in the form of high-proof (anhydrous) ethanol or methanol can be added to gasoline to stretch your vehicle fuel supply, but keep the alcohol percentage low—somewhere around 25 percent of the total fuel volume. If you use too much alcohol, the engine will run very poorly.

76 Live on Solar Power
    In the event of a temporary or (hopefully not) permanent loss of public utility power, you can provide power on your own (see item 196) at a small scale, or make use of a fuel-powered generator. A longer-term solution is also available: A solar array on your home can easily provide a good measure of backup power.
    Solar power systems are usually either grid-tied or off-grid. You can save money on your utilities and sell excess power in some areas if you’re grid-tied, but if the power grid goes down your solar setup will also be compromised. Off-grid power systems can be totally independent but are a bit more costly, although they can also be supplemented by generators. Some setups can be hybridized: grid-tied solar with a battery backup and inverter, which will automatically switch over if there’s an outage.
    The biggest cost comes from installation (and the setup lasts for decades), but some areas of the United States and elsewhere often provide incentives for those who choose to get solar power systems. A professional vendor can provide more information on getting solar power for your home, but here are some questions for you to consider.

    • Is your solar setup going to be grid-tied, off-grid, or battery-backup?
    • What state or federal incentives or rebates are available for solar power?
    • Will my local power authority pay me for electricity?
    • How many panels will I need to