Power outage?

[Northstar Herp]

I recently had some time to wonder what to do about my reptiles in a power outage, mostly because we had a power outage and I couldn't watch tv...

Long story made less long, we all survived. I put heat packs in the cages and we got our power back about 8 hours later, but the room temp was still 52 degrees where my scalies live. We lost power for four days last year, so I'm beginning to think I should plan for an outage at least once a year in the winter.

I'm in New England where it gets butt cold, so I understand that you southern and western folks might not have the same dilemma, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts.

It made me curious if anyone else has had to deal with an outage, and what you did? How did/would you prepare for an extended loss of power? I mean, please share your emergency plan for a worst case scenario? "Buy a generator" comments can be left out, I'm not an idiot... at least that's what my momma tells me.

 

[GeckoTrouble]

Heat packs
miniature power packs which will run UTH
Wrap tanks in blankets to keep heat in
Insulate house so as to prevent escape of heat
geckos stuffed under your clothes (my blind one loves this)

It's also important to have cold packs if it gets hot in the summer and the AC goes out.

 

[Mel&Keith]

We lost power for 10 days during Hurricane Ike. We had a generator hooked up to a window unit in the gecko room so we made it through just fine. We don't have to worry too much about winter power outages here since it doesn't get that cold and we have gas heat but summer power outages could kill all of our Rhacs. So a generator was really a necessity for us.

 

[Doubelminttwin]

haha as silly as it sounds, when we travel (college breaks ect.) and we have to bring them with us we use handwarmers from wally world. We keep a few handy just in case the bulbs blow after the stores close (live in the middle of knowhere) Watch the heat but if you put them under their hides (ours are plastic) they work wonders! Usually last about 8 hours, not long but you can get a whole bunch cheap. We actually used them to transport eggs when we had too, bought two of the same tubberwear containers, put the hand warmer in one but the eggs in the other and put it on top of the one with the handwarmers.

Desperation

 

[marineman26]

back in 09 we had a bad power outage here in ohio and was without power for 4 long freezing cold days. I heat with total electric in a small house with no other means of heat at all. long story short I dont wanna ever go down that road again. I had to end up borrowing a kerosene heater from a friend and I had a time getting kerosene the crap was sold out everywhere in this area and I finally ended up getting some after standing in line for atleast an hour. I am thankful there has not been no outages in 2010 (yet) especially with all this snow we have been getting.

now my animals all survived it and the local petshop I go to was asking me how I never lost no fish or anything he said everyone up this way came in was yelling about there fish dieng. I have three turtles, one oscar, marine fish, 6 geckos, 3 african clawed frogs in this small house. I had hunting heat pads to put under each gecko tank but the problem was I lost track of where I put them and the only thing I could think of to do was to wrap each gecko cage up with blankets to reserve what heat was left in the tanks.

anyways the roads were nothing but ice making it very very dangerous to be out in fact you werent even allowed to legally be on the roads. but anyways this house got so cold I could see my breath for a long while lol and thats the truth so finally I got to the point to where I had to do something its not very fun setting in 10 degree weather with no means of heat!!

 

[RampantReptiles]

Heat packs
miniature power packs which will run UTH
Wrap tanks in blankets to keep heat in
Insulate house so as to prevent escape of heat
geckos stuffed under your clothes (my blind one loves this)

It's also important to have cold packs if it gets hot in the summer and the AC goes out.

ditto

Not sure what you mean by miniature power packs but Im guessing something similar to this...
http://www.amazon.com/APC-BE350G-Outlet-350VA-Back-UPS/dp/B001985SWW/ref=pd_cp_e_3_img

Battery back up surge protector... meant for computers but can be used for whatever electronic device. I think the one I have is a different brand but you get the idea.

 

[shadowdragon619]

i use heat packs from k-mart. its the only place i can find the bigger ones.

i wrap them in a towel. i even use them in the winter if i buy i gecko in the winter

heat packs are a life saver!!!

 

[acpart]

THis doesn't work for a regional power outage, but for local outages I have been known to drive my incubator over to someone else's house and plug it in till power comes back. There's a device (UPS -uninterruptable power supply) that will switch to battery power if the electricity goes out. We have our incubator plugged into one but have not yet checked to see if it actually works (yeah, someday . . .)

ALiza

 

[Northstar Herp]

THis doesn't work for a regional power outage, but for local outages I have been known to drive my incubator over to someone else's house and plug it in till power comes back. There's a device (UPS -uninterruptable power supply) that will switch to battery power if the electricity goes out. We have our incubator plugged into one but have not yet checked to see if it actually works (yeah, someday . . .)

ALiza

Funny you should mention that. I just got an incubator from LLL, the one that everybody is trying to figure out the difference between the Reptipro and the Thinkgeek and the LLL...

it actually has a car charger that came with it. I chuckled when I opened the package and saw it, but I guess if you've got eggs and the power goes out, you'd be thankful for it.

 

[Keith N]

We have a few deep cell batteries that we wired a car lighter too. They make a inverter that plugs into that and it gives you a standard plug, you can get those at any hardware store. Then we just plug the power strip into that. I can post pics on how to do so if anyone is interested. All in all it probably runs 130.00 to make up but works great in a jam.

 

[RocksMama77]

We don't loose power here often but when we do I tend to panic. I have insulated the reptile room as well as put blankets all around their cages. I do have heat packs so I am semi prepared. My husband had a good idea though. He said he would make straps so that we could strap the hides to the back of our rotties, who give off heat even in the coldest of climates. I do believe the dogs wouldn't mind this because they have no interest whatever in the lizards. We would just have to make sure the dogs didn't move to much, lol.