Source: http://gizmodo.com/meet-the-preppers-who...

To prepare for power outages following a massive solar storm, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advises building a disaster supply kit with enough food, water and medication to last at least 72 hours. NOAA further recommends keeping your car’s tanks at least half full (gas stations rely on electricity to power their pumps), and stocking your freezer with ice to keep essential perishables cold.

These preparations will buy first responders a little time to focus on restoring functionality to the grid. But they might not be enough.

“If you take electricity away, either immediately or within a short period of time, you’ll suffer the failure of all critical infrastructure,” Kappenman said. This includes things like water, sewage treatment, gas stations, banks and hospitals. “One of the concerns that we have is that in the worst case scenarios, we could be looking at weeks, months, maybe even years before restoration of the grid.”

That’s why preppers are taking a longer view. “I have a five year supply of food for employees and family,” a source who requested anonymity told Gizmodo. This individual says he’s rigged up a 12.5 kW solar array in the “remote wilderness,” complete with “power outlets and water spigots about every 50 feet” to support a small fleet of RV trailers for the long haul. Other preppers agree that a multi-year food and water supply is crucial. Some are also stockpiling large quantities of medications (“five year supplies of meds can be obtained from Asia without prescriptions,” one source told Gizmodo).