Humans have long depended on fuel of every kind to keep our created world functioning as efficiently as possible.
We use wood to warm our homes, cook our food, melt our metals. We use gasoline and diesel to run our cars and generators, and we also use kerosene and propane for just about everything else.
So what happens when SHTF and we can no longer get ahold of all the fuels we need to keep all the mechanics running smoothly in our lives? Will you be able to cook? Will you be able to drive your vehicle away from the chaos and get on with your life until the storm blows over?
If you can't answer yes to those questions, you should seriously consider stocking up on some fuels to aid you in the coming days of strife.
You never know when a little preparation will do you good. Learn how on the next page.
Next Page »
Kurtis Klingbeil
Step one: choose gasoline without ethanol.
Ruben Aguayo-Hagar
Step one, don’t store fuel.
Obvious troll account.
No, I’m saying internal combustion engines aren’t the way to go.
I have always considered fuel (of any type) be useful only in short term grid outages. I run my RV solely off a 5000 watt/8000 watt peak Briggs and Straton generator. The load: 2 window units, desktop computer, led tv, rv refrigerator, deep freeze and onboard fresh water pump. With 5 gallons of gasoline I get about 12 hours with load running. 10 gallons for 24 hour period, 20 gallons for 48 hours….etc. long term SHTF storing fuel even with Stabil is just not a solution.
1 word. Propane… They make portable propane generators now, along with the tried and true built in natural gas gennys
If you want long term storage and some availability at the outset of a downturn consider propane conversion.
Ethanol free gasoline stores vastly better. Use stabilizer regardless. A wood stove in a cold climate is a no brainer. The reality is the average person needs to get a bicycle and brace for the possibility of having to use that as their sole means of transportation once their fuel stash runs out…or walking. The average person is in fair to poor physical condition and any extended senerio where even 60% of sensitive electronics have been fried is a set up for a total meltdown senerio.
you can’t–gas loses about an octane point a month in storage.
Oil,and gas will be the reason it does go down, reduce fossil fuels, there destroying earth, for greedy people. By a freaking horse
The better gasoline of 91 octane WITHOUT the addition of ANY alcohol / ethanol will store for a long time if done properly , possibly even longer than most of the diesel fuels sold at the pump these days.
At my city they call it “Non Oxygenated Non Ethanol added Premium”.
It’s what they recommend for all of todays motorcycles and classic cars as well as small gas engines like lawn mowers ,generators etc.
Solar and Wind power are good alternatives to fossil fuels but not sure they would be long term enough or just a stopgap between oil based fossil fuels and something else……
I would think the wind powered generators would have a longer life expectancy compared to solar though.
Just needs wind not sunlight.
Most areas have good winds to use most of the time.
Where the problems arise is the ways to store such energy in off peak periods like the storage battery technology we now have.
It is not really that great.
Solar and Wind power are good alternatives to fossil fuels but not sure they would be long term enough or just a stopgap between oil based fossil fuels and something else……
I would think the wind powered generators would have a longer life expectancy compared to solar though.
Just needs wind not sunlight.
Most areas have good winds to use most of the time.
Where the problems arise is the ways to store such energy in off peak periods like the storage battery technology we now have.
It is not really that great.
How long is the shelf life of gasoline *stabilizers*? The article says to add them once a year, but they must have a lifespan too?
The solar panels themselves can last quite a long time. I’ve seen more wind powered generators go bad quicker. The newest battery technology is actually pretty good but expensive for now.
My house generator is connected to the natural gas line, but can be converted to propane with a small part. (seriously nothing more than a glorified washer to chance the size of the inlet).
Easier to convert generator to run off propane or hydrogen –
The main part of the storage problem is to reduce the load.
Products are being developed to use ac current when the newer leds work better and safer on DC power. There are many products that can make a much less demand on the current grid system . Currently available LED 12 volt lights can replace what lighting is used in a typical home and can run for more than a month without depleting a regular 12 volt car battery, solar water panels can be assembled to provide most the the hot water used in a home . Those items alone can cut an average of 30 % or more of the normal monthly demand on the power grid. There are other areas that can also cut the demand.
Brittany Loder
Depends on how much battery storage you have more batteries the better
Agreed.
Depends on how much you want to store and how long you want to store it for.
Batteries DO inherently lose some of the power they are storing.
There is a loss of energy in doing this.
It has to do with the internal resistance of the batteries you use.
Most battery manufacturers don’t even give you the specifications for that ; most likely because those storage batteries are junk.
As a rule the LOWER internal resistance a battery has , the better AND the more expensive they are. There’s MORE real lead in them instead of an alloy to make them lighter and cheaper.
6 months and had starts to go bad 1 year and it won’t run a lawnmower
Propane is better. Lasts almost indefinitely so long as there is no leak.
Patrick Huggins
Jacob Stewart
I personally am having issues, storing water for long term .
Caution, there is a federal law prohibiting storing more than 2 gallons of gasoline.
I make sure when I bring the toys home after riding then they are full of fuel. If you use them regularly the fuel is fresh. Also keep the truck at least half fuel. A siphon pump and ur set for short term events to power generators etc.
Propane. Doesn’t age, and runs most things that gasoline will with minor upgrades.
Switch to diesel.
Well when they bring the helix to the US, maybe
Helix?
Nothing worse than a can springing a leak and especially if you’ve been away for a few days.
Gas nowadays doesn’t store for very long because of the ethanol in it
Switch to diesel. Store Kerosene. It is far safer, cheaper, last damn near forever, and has more uses than gas or diesel.
Problem is that Diesel engines made recently need DEF, and that expires in months, crystallizing in place.
Use high quality storage containers. Use ‘Sta-Bil’ or another high quality stabilizing agent. Keep the containers out of direct sunlight. You can still find gasoline withou ethanol in some areas.
That was the primary reason for forcing that garbage on America. They want to predetermine an outcome as much as possible by stacking the deck against all who would resist.
I was particularly interested in how long you can store propane. Say I have a 250 gallon tank but don’t use all of it in a year? Is it still good the next year?
Yes
Gas and diesel have additives that make them garbage after a few months, stick with propane and kerosene
There won’t be a long term post collapse. The problem may be who props it back up, and who they are willing to help…
Tip number one, keep all the gas In the same color container, smh your killin me. I know it’s you Tim. 2 cycle goes in the blu can, non ethanol in the red fk I hate you
Melissa Dunn
Basically, you’re going need to learn to distill or be friends with one whom does.
gas isn’t supposed to be used after 3 months of proper storage. I use gas after 3 months of improper storage.
s**t I’ve used gas thrown in an unsealed can 6 months after filling it. Works just fine. Also fired up outboard motors that haven’t been cranked in 5+ years off the gas sitting in the line lol
ECU will adapt to 30-40% alch relatively quickly. All vehicles with electronic fuel injection will adjust engine parameters to accommodate high alcohol blends. The only difference between a flex and a non-flex fuel vehicle is how fast it will adapt. Alcohol is amazing stuff.