How to charge your phone without electricity
It is arguably the hottest time of year here in Pittsburgh and summer weather can be unpredictable.
As I write this, the RETHINK Home Office is experiencing a power outage from downed trees during a summer storm. Everyone is fine but it reminds me that we need to plan ahead.
Have you ever been startled by an unexpected power outage? Are you the type of person that only charges your phone when it's below 10%?
Plan ahead and don't panic.
3 Ways to Charge Your Phone during a Power Outage
1. Get a portable backup battery charger.
This is the easiest way to get power to your phone during an outage. There are several models available. Just do a web search on “portable battery charger”. Keep it charged up at a household charging station.
2. Take power from your laptop.
Use a USB cord to pull power from your laptop battery. This is enough to get you through most short-term outages.
3.Remember your car USB ports (or cigarette lighters in older models).
Pull power from your car battery. Your car battery recharges as the engine runs so as long as you have gasoline, you’re good. Plus, in a house without power, it is nice to go drive around in the A/C sometimes.
There are fancier and more expensive ideas, like securing solar power generators or hand crank chargers. If you live in a disaster-prone area (looking at you, Gulf Coast) you might consider investing in a gas-powered generator to power your whole house for several days, or install a second electrical panel to power a whole-house generator.
But for the purposes of a “standard” summer storm the three options listed here should help your phone.
3 things to remember
Disasters generally happen fast. You don't always get prior notice. So 3 things to remember:
Plan ahead. It always helps to give these things some thought BEFORE they happen. We learned this as residents of the City of Houston during Hurricane Ike in 2008. We planned ahead, had supplies, and literally weathered the storm.
Ask questions. The locals in an area have probably lived through these sorts of things before. Talk with your neighbors before a storm hits. Storms bring out our vulnerability and it is good to establish rapport with neighbors before that happens.
Above all don't panic. There are solutions to pretty much any problem. Talking it over with others and asking for help are great ways to recover from the unexpected.
We are so reliant on our phones these days. Being disconnected for a bit is good for us. It's all in the mindset. I am here if you need me, folks.
Keep cool.
When you're ready to tackle your tough organization project, I am here to help you learn how.
Let's RETHINK organization together.
For more information, visit the RETHINK website today.
Mandy Thomas is a professional organizer fulfilling her lifelong passion for creating order out of chaos. She finds joy in helping people tackle their most overwhelming spaces and collections to create the optimal living space and enjoy their homes.
RETHINK organization is on a mission to help you develop long-term patterns of organization that you can maintain and feel good about long after our work together is done.
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