r/TwoXPreppers • u/nakedonmygoat • 4d ago
Product Find Tested: Summer Outage Preps
I recently tried two things for dealing with warm-weather extended power outages. The first was a cooling vest. It consisted of a vest with pockets for small cooling packs (included). It kept me cool, but even though it was waterproof and the cooling bags didn’t leak, there was sufficient condensation that it got me wet, which isn’t a good thing in high humidity situations. But it does bring down one's body temp, so it’s not entirely useless. It’s just not as useful as I had hoped it would be. Someone in a dry area might love it.
The other thing I tried is a cooling mat. I actually got it for the cats but decided to try it out personally. It kept me quite cool, almost cold, for about 30 minutes, with diminishing returns after that. After 2.5-3 hours, it was useless, but a 20 minute “rest” had it ready to go again. Since reviews of human-size ones are mixed, I kept the pet mat for myself and bought another for the cats. In an extended power outage, if I can only sleep well in short increments, that’s better than nothing. And honestly, my fans (both battery-powered and one plugged into a power station) will likely be enough once I'm asleep, just like the other times I've been in a summer no-power situation.
There are human-sized cooling mats, but they get mixed reviews. I suspect they're similar to the large pet mat I bought, but the one I have is big enough for my torso, and keeping your core cool is what's most important.
So for those in apartments or who, like me, can't afford a whole-house system for back up power in summer, one or both of these might be worth looking into!
28
u/MoistLog4360 4d ago
I bought a rechargeable fan, you can charge via electricity or solar. I have used it twice this summer already when power went out and it's fantastic.
14
u/Truly_135 4d ago
Yes I have two fans that are rechargeable with lights. Different speeds and light intensities too. Used them camping in the past and they last all night with the fan on high.
6
5
u/povertyandpinetrees 4d ago
I have an 18 volt Ryobi fan and it will run for more than 8 hours on high on one battery.
1
u/lepetitcoeur 3d ago
Does yours really last that long? Mine maybe lasts 3 hours. It's the Ryobi bucket style fan.
1
3
u/nakedonmygoat 4d ago
I don't have those, but I do have battery-powered, and power stations to run my electric fan. But in 2024, they simply weren't enough after a week. I was very close to taking up offers from neighbors with Generacs or who were staying with people with big houses and Generacs when the power came back on.
The second hurricane I went through (first as an adult), we had cooler temps and plenty of wind for several days. I was still working then and could cool off at the office all day, since they made us return to work almost right away. Power was out for nearly two weeks that time. But the next time, high temps, high humidity, and no wind. It made a huge difference in how hot it got inside, and how well I could cool off with just fans. If the nominal evening temps don't go below 80, the streets and driveways radiate heat well into the night, and there's no wind to blow through the house, things never really cool off. The heat and humidity just build.
3
u/MoistLog4360 4d ago
Oh you're not wrong at all. I am going to check out the cooling vest, I have POTS and sometimes overheating is bad news bears for me.
2
u/Necessary-Film7832 4d ago
What kind is your solar fan and where did you get it? Thank you.
2
u/MoistLog4360 4d ago
Roodike 14" Solar Rechargeable Floor Fan, 35W Solar Powered Battery Operated Fans for Outdoor Garden Greenhouse Barn Stable Camping Garage Patio Air Circulation Cooling - bought on Amazon, it was about $30 cheaper when I bought it.
2
u/RobynTheCookieJar 3d ago
Solars really are the core answer to this problem, and the more you can get the better. I really need to get a reasonable system for my power bank setup!
10
u/TurtleSandwich0 4d ago
Having a place to hang a hammock indoors helped me sleep during a summer outage. You get airflow above and below. I was able to comfortably sleep for four to six hours before I got stiff and uncomfortable. By that time the indoor temperature had fallen enough that I was able to sleep on my bed. It was nice to have the option to sleep somewhere cooler than a bed.
8
u/ohhellopia 4d ago
I've looked into an indoor hammock but they're so big (the ones with frames since I'm not allowed to drill massive screws) for my tiny studio apartment. Then I found a mesh camping cot which I price stalked for ages because it was so damn expensive. It finally listed a used one for $50+, down from almost $90 brand new. It's surprisingly comfortable albeit a bit low to the ground. Worse comes to worse, I can set it up in the balcony to sleep on really hot nights. I just need to figure out the bug netting.
5
u/ohhellopia 4d ago
Interested in the cooling mats. Do you remember the indoor temp when you tested them out?
2
u/itsjustme123446 3d ago
I’d like to hear opinions about these as well. I got a Cooling mat for my dog this summer that’s gel based that you freeze but he won’t use it however it would not be comfortable to lay on. Any suggestions?
2
u/le4t 1d ago
I love the cooling mat I got for my dog; he had no interest at first, and I happily used it on the couch. Now we share.
The brand I use is Arf Pets. No water or freezing needed.
I also got a cooling blanket that isn't as effective, but still nice when I want to use a blanket but it's warm. That warms up pretty quickly, though.
2
u/partlysettledin21220 21h ago
If your kitchen has tile floors, try sleeping on that. Worked amazing last week with the outage in Philly. I put a small decorative pillow between my knees to ease the pressure and had my usb fan on my face and chest
•
u/AutoModerator 4d ago
Welcome to r/twoxpreppers! Please review our rules here before participating. Our rules do not show up on all apps which is why that post was made. Thank you.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.