Hour-by-hour playbooks for 24-hour to 2-week outages. Priority triage, load management, and the gear that keeps critical systems alive when the grid goes dark.
Every blackout unfolds in phases. Your response must match the phase. Panic-buying gear during Phase 3 means you already failed Phase 1.
Most outages end here. Don't burn reserves yet. Monitor and maintain.
Grid restoration is uncertain. Shift to conservation mode and reassess food safety.
Full conservation protocol. Food safety critical. Community coordination begins.
Infrastructure event. Full off-grid operation. Community resources becoming critical.
When capacity is limited, this order saves lives. Do not deviate from it. Every watt spent on entertainment during a medical emergency is a failure of judgment.
| Priority | System | Avg. Draw | Daily Need | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Devices (CPAP, oxygen, insulin pump) Critical | 30–150W | 75–350Wh | Non-negotiable. Calculate exact runtime from device label first. |
| 1 | Heating / Cooling (extreme temps) Critical | 600–1500W | 1–5kWh | Life-threatening in <20°F or >95°F. Prioritize a single room. |
| 2 | Communication (phones, radio, router) High | 15–65W | 50–200Wh | Emergency alerts, coordination, morale. Keep phones above 50%. |
| 2 | Water Pump / Well Pump High | 300–750W | 300–750Wh | Run in cycles, not continuously. Fill storage containers proactively. |
| 3 | Refrigerator (food preservation) Medium | 100–200W | 400–800Wh | Cycle on 2hrs, off 4hrs. Freezer holds 48hrs sealed. Fridge 4hrs max. |
| 3 | Lighting (essential areas only) Medium | 10–60W | 40–180Wh | LED only. One lamp per occupied room. No decorative lighting. |
| 4 | Cooking (induction, microwave) Lower | 700–1800W | Used in short bursts | Cook once, eat multiple times. Minimize appliance usage duration. |
| 5 | Entertainment / Comfort | Varies | Cut entirely if needed | Low-wattage screens acceptable if surplus capacity confirmed. |
Most people dramatically underestimate how much power their devices consume. These are real-world running watts — not marketing specs.
Execute this in order within the first 30 minutes of any outage lasting more than 15 minutes.
Determine the scope of the outage before taking any action. Scope drives strategy.
Bring your primary power station online immediately. Do not wait.
Replace all ambient lighting with LED lanterns or directed task lighting. Kill all non-essential lights.
The clock starts ticking on perishables the moment power cuts. Act within the first two hours.
Thermal management is the highest-wattage challenge. Strategy beats brute force.
If outage extends past 6 hours, calculate your watt-hour budget for the next 24 hours.
Decide now — not in a crisis moment — when you will leave. Write it down.
Selected specifically for multi-day survival scenarios. Large capacity, fast solar recharge, and reliable AC output for medical devices and essential appliances.
How each system performs across blackout scenarios running essential loads only: fridge (cycling), CPAP, lighting, and phone charging — approximately 400–600Wh/day combined.
| Power Station | 24 Hours | 3 Days | 7 Days | 14 Days | With Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow Delta Pro (3.6kWh) | ✓ Full capacity remaining | ✓ Comfortable | ~ Marginal | ✗ Needs solar | ✓ Indefinite w/ 2 panels |
| Bluetti AC200MAX (2kWh) | ✓ 75%+ remaining | ~ Tight | ✗ Needs solar | ✗ Needs solar | ✓ 3–7 days w/ 2 panels |
| Anker 767 (2kWh) | ✓ 75%+ remaining | ~ Tight | ✗ Needs solar | ✗ Needs solar | ~ 2–4 days w/ 2 panels |
| EcoFlow Delta 2 (1kWh) | ~ Just enough | ✗ Needs solar | ✗ Needs solar | ✗ Needs solar | ~ 1–2 days w/ 1 panel |
Preparation done before an outage is worth 10x the same preparation done during one. Run this checklist quarterly.