20 “Poor Man” Blackout Tricks That Make High-Tech Prepper Gear Look Ridiculous

Summary

The video argues that blackout readiness can rely more on inexpensive household materials, practiced habits, and community ties than on costly prepper equipment. It counts down 20 suggested tricks:

1. 20. Shortening candle: Put a cotton wick in a can of vegetable shortening and use it as a long-burning light.
2. 19. Bathtub water storage: Before a storm, fill a cleaned bathtub—or contractor-bag liners inside it—and other containers with water for household use.
3. 18. Frozen water jugs: Keep water jugs frozen in a freezer to help keep food cold during an outage. Move some to the refrigerator if needed.
4. 17. Quarter-on-ice check: Freeze water in a cup with a quarter on top, then check the quarter’s position after an outage to see whether the ice melted. The video suggests discarding food if the quarter sank to the bottom.
5. 16. Solar garden lights: Bring charged outdoor path lights inside at night to use as small lamps, then return them outside to recharge.
6. 15. Car as a charging source: Use a car and a compatible power inverter to charge small devices. Run the engine outdoors, never in a garage or near a window, and keep the fuel tank topped up.
7. 14. One warm room: Gather in a small room, close off the rest of the house, and use blankets and towels to reduce drafts and retain warmth.
8. 13. Cinder-block rocket stove: Arrange cinder blocks into an outdoor, wood-burning stove for cooking with small pieces of wood.
9. 12. Windshield-shade solar cooker: Shape a reflective car windshield shade into a funnel, place a dark pot inside a clear oven bag, and use sunlight to cook food or heat water.
10. 11. Two-pot evaporative cooler: Nest a small unglazed clay pot inside a larger one, pack the space between them with wet sand, and cover with a damp cloth to cool food in dry conditions.
11. 10. Milk-jug lantern: Aim a headlamp into a translucent, water-filled jug to spread its light through a room.
12. 9. Bubble-wrap window insulation: Press bubble wrap onto a lightly wetted window and use newspaper to block drafts.
13. 8. Warm bed with a brick or rice sock: Warm a wrapped brick or a rice-filled cotton sock, then use it to warm a bed or as a heat pack.
14. 7. No-cook pantry: Keep familiar shelf-stable foods that can be eaten without cooking, rotate supplies by using older items first, and keep a manual can opener available.
15. 6. Buddy burner: Fill a tuna can with coiled corrugated cardboard soaked in wax. The video describes using it with a ventilated coffee-can stove for simple cooking.
16. 5. Battery-powered AM radio: Keep a small radio for news, weather, and emergency instructions when internet and phone service are unavailable.
17. 4. Emergency cash: Set aside small bills for purchases if card readers and ATMs stop working.
18. 3. Insulated “hay box” cooking: Boil a pot briefly, then place it in a box or basket surrounded by blankets so it continues cooking with retained heat.
19. 2. Blackout drill: Practice using household lighting and cooking alternatives before an emergency, and add glow-in-the-dark tape to stairs and doorways.
20. 1. Neighbor network: Get to know nearby residents and share skills, supplies, and shelter during a crisis.

Broader Message and Safety

The video’s broader message is that routines, a stocked pantry, basic skills, and cooperation can be as important as equipment. Fire-based cooking and improvised lamps require careful handling. Never run a vehicle indoors or near openings. Treat the video’s food-storage and water suggestions as prompts to follow current food-safety and emergency guidance.

Notable References

• Locations and events: The 2021 Texas freeze; an elderly widow in Abilene; the Gulf Coast; Iowa; the American Southwest; the 2003 Northeast blackout; and Chicago’s 1995 heat wave.
• Products and materials: Crisco, contractor bags, solar garden lights, power inverters, cinder blocks, windshield shades, clay pots, bubble wrap, rice socks, buddy burners, AM radios, and manual can openers.
• Speaker: An unnamed narrator for Forgotten American Survival.