Ice Apocalypse After-Action Report | Episode 581

Ice Apocalypse After-Action Report | Episode 581

Opening

It’s been over a week of ice, snow, sleet, freezing rain, and roads that look like a skating rink. Tennessee doesn’t have enough plows, most side roads don’t get touched, and once the snow turned to ice it just sat there — two to three inches thick.

I recorded this episode driving to work, watching the roads slowly improve, and thinking through what actually worked, what didn’t, and what I’m changing after a real, boring, inconvenient winter event. No collapse. No drama. Just real-world stress testing.

The Timeline: Snow → Ice → Stuck

It started with snow on Saturday. I left work early around 9am — still snow, not a big deal. By Sunday morning the roads were bad enough that I called out. Snow play, sledding, normal stuff.

Then came the sleet and freezing rain. By Monday everything locked into solid ice. One warm day teased us, then temperatures dropped again and stayed there. Roads became sheets of ice, especially back roads. Main roads were fine because they actually get plowed and salted. Side roads? Forget it.

That’s the pattern here every single time.

Power Outages: Minor, But Telling

A lot of people around us were without power for days. We got lucky.

Our power went out twice in the same day. First outage lasted a couple hours during daylight — honestly not a big deal. We let our daughter play outside, broke out board games, and just rolled with it.

Second outage hit that evening for about an hour. Same thing: board games, hanging out, no stress. That alone tells me our baseline preparedness is solid.

But it also exposed gaps.

What Worked Really Well

Board games were clutch. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it — entertainment is a real prep. Especially with kids.

Lighting worked well overall. Candles were easy. I dug out a headlamp from my camping bag. No scrambling, no panic.

I tested the Mr. Buddy propane heater. It worked perfectly. We didn’t really need it, but testing it in real conditions matters. I also gathered the butane for the camp stoves just in case.

One standout win was a rechargeable lantern/light bar that also functions as a battery bank. As a lantern, it’s fantastic — bright, efficient, great coverage. As a battery bank, it’s just okay. It struggles to recharge phones, but for lighting it’s solid.

Electric heated clothing was another big win. My wife’s electric jacket worked great and kept her warm without needing to heat the whole house. That got me thinking hard about electric blankets that run directly on DC power — no inverter. That would be a serious game changer.

What Didn’t Work (Or Needs Improvement)

My blackout kit wasn’t ready to grab.

We have everything we need for a blackout, but it wasn’t staged, charged, and consolidated. Battery packs were scattered. Some were charged, some weren’t. People would use them and set them down instead of returning them to the charger.

That’s on me.

Two flashlights failed because the rechargeable 18650 batteries were dead. Cheap knockoff batteries failed fast. I’ve had Olight batteries last for years under heavy use — these didn’t even come close. Lesson learned.

I also need some non-rechargeable lithium 18650s ready to drop in as backups. Rechargeables are great… until they aren’t.

The charging station itself needs a permanent, known location that everyone uses consistently. If gear gets moved around, it stops being reliable.

Fuel and Heat Lessons

Having two propane tanks worked well. One in rotation, one full. A third would have been even better.

I’m adding a refill adapter so I can refill 1-lb propane bottles from a 20-lb tank. That makes the Mr. Buddy heater much more sustainable long-term and keeps everything flexible.

A solar generator would have been nice — not essential, but useful. I talk a little trash about them, but the reality is having one simple, user-friendly unit that my wife can operate confidently matters. Long-term, I’ll build a better system, but a decent off-the-shelf unit fills the gap.

Snow Gear, Kids, and Reality

We finally bought our daughter a snow suit this year — about $23 — and it was absolutely worth it. She played hard, stayed warm, and had a blast while the snow was still snow.

Once it turned to ice, snowballs were impossible and sledding was limited, but that’s just how it goes here. I guarantee after this storm there will be snow gear on Facebook Marketplace for pennies. That’s when to buy.

Panic Shopping Still Makes No Sense

People shopped like lunatics.

Produce that won’t last without power — lettuce especially — flew off shelves. I still don’t understand that. We didn’t worry about meals at all. What we topped off were snacks and drinks. That’s always what runs out when kids are stuck inside.

We didn’t run out of Coke Zero. That’s a win.

Prepping isn’t about hoarding milk and bread at the last minute. It’s about already having slack so storms are boring.

Final Takeaways

Overall, our preps worked — but they showed friction points that need fixing:

• Blackout kit needs to be staged and charged

• Better battery management and quality control

• Dedicated charging station everyone uses

• More redundancy in fuel

• Easier, spouse-friendly power options

None of this is dramatic. All of it is realistic.

Closing

This wasn’t a collapse. It was inconvenience, ice, and boredom — exactly the kind of thing preparedness is actually for.

Fix friction. Remove stress. Make the next one easier.

This is James from SurvivalPunk.com.
DIY to survive.

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Propane Refill Adapter for 1 LB. Tanks, Propane Adapter 20lb to 1lb Converter with Gauge Valve, Propane Refill Elbow Adapter for BBQ Grill Stove Camping

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