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Last year I bought a nice little cast iron barbecue; just in case of problems. I thought I would be prepared if power went off.
Well, last week a rather violent thunderstorm took out one of the nearby telegraph poles in the early hours of the morning and when we woke up it was to no electricity at all. It was interesting to watch the locals standing on their doorstops looking around (really helpful when the power's out!) and calling across to see if anyone knew what had happened. Well, I did, the engineers had arrived at 4 a.m. in the morning looking for the problem.

Out came the little barbecue and I had it fired up and heating nicely very quickly. I had kept a nice hefty range kettle and a cast iron skillet from our previous sejour in France, and was planning to make a hot drink and something to eat. OH, who evidently had no faith in my talents with the BBQ, headed out to try and obtain a little gas camping stove. Honestly! Men! By the time he returned I had gratefully drunk a couple of mugs of hot tea and made and bacon butty to eat. At that point none of the neighbours had got their act together and were still wandering round moaning about lack of coffee. (I was kind; I had hot water!).

But it did make me think. This was a tiny outage - 12 hours max - and no-one else managed to get moving. Neighbours over the road had a BBQ but the gas canister had run out.

Salutory lesson or what? Somehow, I doubt it!

Note to self - buy any heavyweight cooking utensils when spotted - just in case.
A tradition in the Southern Atlantic states is the Hurricane Party. When the AC Mains go down, all the BBQ grills come out as soon as the storm has passed a.d everyone starts cooking the food left in their frig before it spoils. Grilled veggies BBQ chicken and warm beer. Country music by firelight. Next day start on fhe frozen food.
Our outages are so common that everyone keeps a couple of 2liter bottles of water in the deep freeze.

As soon as the power has remained out for any time the frozen bottles go into the cooler with whatever drinks and goodies need cooling.

I have had these bottles remain frozen/cold and keeping food eatable for up to a week.

One thing we do, much like CH has described, is have an icecream party when the power goes out. Can't let the icecream melt and go to waste!

I have lived in many places and seen many people but I do not think I have ever heard of souls as helpless as those described above.
Mortblanc,

Last time the power went out here they all stood in the street talking for hours and bemoaning the fact that they couldn't make a cuppa. Those with gas used that the others simply did without hot drinks or food. My friends/close neighbours used my BBQ.

I have a few gas canisters for my BBQ and I replace those that run out within days. I have wood burning capabilities but don't use them atm. They are my fallback.

The fact is that we in the UK get power cuts infrequently and we just sit it out. It'll be 24 hours before people get concerned and because they know I have a BBQ I'll use it till the gas runs out, they can witness that and then they will be on their way. I'll move to the smaller stoves then for family only and then be very careful.
(13 August 2014, 03:30)Mortblanc Wrote: [ -> ]Our outages are so common that everyone keeps a couple of 2liter bottles of water in the deep freeze.

As soon as the power has remained out for any time the frozen bottles go into the cooler with whatever drinks and goodies need cooling.

I have had these bottles remain frozen/cold and keeping food eatable for up to a week.

Another top tip from Mort. Keep 'em coming.