Anyone
living in a cold or variable climate spends a judicious amount
of time planning supplies and logistics. This is not only for seasonal changes, but for the all important Plan B when those changes are
extraordinary and when things go awry! In Alaska, it is not a facile
statement to say that the seasonal changes are always extraordinary.
Planning
is particularly important for those of us living far from roads and
community services, where you can't say, “We're out of eggs, dear.”
Bryan and I have whole files devoted to inventory, shopping, future
construction projects, and fuel needs. We have back ups for
everything we have been able to anticipate so far. What if the
propane stove breaks down in winter? (Cook on top of the wood
stove). What if the freezer or refrigerator breaks in summer? (Smoke
all meats, stuff the cold hole with other foods) What if we run out
of food? (We have 128 lbs of long term tofu substitutes, and
supplemental freeze dried foods). What if the generator breaks?
(I'd say that we'd be screwed, but actually, our wind and solar
panels are our primary sources of power, and our heaviest usage is in
the summer, when we have more leeway.
