Why Preppers Should Take Earth Hour Seriously
Every year, millions of people participate in Earth Hour, turning off their lights for 60 minutes to promote environmental awareness. But for preppers, this is more than just a symbolic event—it’s a perfect opportunity to test grid-down survival skills in a controlled environment.
Could you function without power for an hour? What about a full day or longer? If you take Earth Hour seriously, it becomes a low-stress way to identify weaknesses in your preparedness plan. Here’s how to use it as a survival drill and the essential gear you’ll want on hand.
Step 1: Simulate a Blackout—Go Beyond Just Lights
Most people just flip the light switch off during Earth Hour. But if you want a real survival test, go further:
✅ Turn off all power sources you’d lose in an actual outage. That means:
- No lights
- No Wi-Fi
- No refrigerator
- No electric stove or microwave
- No HVAC (if safe to do so)
✅ Set a challenge for yourself and your family. Can you cook, communicate, and function normally? This will reveal gaps in your preps before a real emergency hits.
Step 2: Test Your Off-Grid Lighting
When the grid goes down, having reliable lighting is crucial. Test your setup during Earth Hour and take note of any weak spots.
Essential Gear for Backup Lighting:
A compact, rechargeable lantern that’s perfect for blackouts.
Tip: Keep flashlights in multiple locations around your home. You don’t want to be searching in the dark when an emergency happens.
Step 3: Try Cooking Without Electricity
During an extended blackout, your electric stove and microwave are useless. Can you cook a meal without power? Use Earth Hour to test alternative cooking methods.
Recommended Off-Grid Cooking Gear:
Challenge: Cook an entire meal without using any electricity!
Step 4: Check Your Emergency Power Backup
Earth Hour is the perfect time to test your battery backups and solar power solutions.
Power Solutions to Keep You Running:
Tip: Keep flashlights in multiple locations around your home. You don’t want to be searching in the dark when an emergency happens.
Step 5: Communication & Security Test
During a power outage, cell towers might be down, and home security systems may not function. Earth Hour is a good time to evaluate your communication and security plan.
Survival Communication Gear:
Home Security Without Power:
Test your plan: If cell service is down, how will you contact loved ones?
Step 6: Water Storage & Filtration
A real grid failure could affect water supply. Would you have enough clean drinking water?
Essential Water Preps:
Step 7: Heat & Shelter Preparation
If Earth Hour happens in winter, can you stay warm without power? This is crucial in an actual blackout.
Emergency Heating & Shelter Gear:
Pro Tip: Have a designated “warm room” where your family gathers if the heat goes out.
Step 8: First Aid & Medical Readiness
A blackout could limit access to emergency services. Do you have a fully stocked first-aid kit?
Survival Medical Supplies:
Test Your Readiness: Run a first-aid drill during Earth Hour. Can you handle a basic medical emergency without outside help?
Final Thoughts: Earth Hour is Just the Beginning—Are You Truly Ready?
Earth Hour isn’t just a symbolic event—it’s an opportunity for preppers to test their survival skills in a real-world scenario. A power outage lasting one hour is easy, but what if the grid goes down for days, weeks, or longer?
Don’t wait until disaster strikes—start preparing now. Use this drill to identify weaknesses in your plan, test your gear, and train your family for true self-reliance. Because when the lights go out for real, the only thing that matters is whether you’re truly prepared.
Take action today:
Stock up on emergency lighting, water storage, and power backups
Test your survival cooking and communication methods
Ensure your home security and medical preps are in place
Upgrade your gear with trusted Survival Frog & Amazon products
The best time to prepare was yesterday. The second-best time is now. Make Earth Hour your wake-up call and take control of your survival plan today!
Test your plan: Try using only stored water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene for the full hour.