I DO!! I have found 3 super cool products this week that I plan to get for my own house.

One is a stove that cooks your dinner and charges your small electronics!
The second is a hand pump that you can hook up directly to your normal well!
The third is an Awesome version of a wood firebox insert!

Here is a bit of info about each:

1. (COOKING + CHARGING) The Biolite Stove http://www.biolitestove.com/

What do you need when you are out of power for a week? Water, heat, a way to cook. Then also nice would be a refrigerator, an electrical source and a hot shower.

Biolite makes both the Camp Stove and the Home Stove that solve two problems- cooking and charging small electronics.. Currently only the Camp Stove is available to the general public. The Home Stove (which is the one I can't wait to get!) is still in testing- mostly in 3rd world countries in need I believe- and is not yet able to be purchased. A good friend of mine who is a leader in the green building movement has the Camp Stove and loves it.

Here is a blurb form the company:

Using our patent-pending technology, BioLite has created a low-cost biomass cook stove that, by converting waste heat into electricity, reduces smoke emissions by up to 95% while simultaneously providing users with the capability to charge mobile phones and LED lights.

2. (WATER) The Bison Hand Pump http://www.bisonpumps.com/

I have been thinking about this for the last year. The water problem is usually solved- in our house- by a giant bathtub filled with water before the power goes. This is not a bad answer and a jacuzzi tub of water can last 4 people for a week of cooking, cleaning and toilet flushing. But WOW! wouldn't be great to just be able to pump that water sitting down there in your well??

These guys have made that a possibility. Here is a blurb from the Bison web site:

We want to emphasize that Bison Deep and Shallow Well Hand Pumps can be installed in the same casing as your existing electric submersible or jet pump in nearly any situation. There seems to be some doubtful conversation out there that this cannot be done. Please give us a call and our sales and technical staff will guide you through your specific installation. As the ol' saying goes "Never say never"!

3. (HEAT) The Wittus Phenix Green Wood Insert http://www.wittus.com/

I love this stove. Here we have an alternative source of heat that is perfect for a blackout situation. It uses wood in a super clean way. It pumps out a lot of btu's very efficiently. It can be ducted to serve more remote parts of a house and it can be controlled by a thermostat. It brings in 100% outside make up air AND it looks great. The Fireplace Insert uses natural convection to disperse the heat and does not rely on a fan. Many of the high efficiency stoves that are installed really need the fan to make the heat fill the space. I appreciate this low tech/ super efficient answer to the heating problem. Plus the fact that it is operates with much lower levels of pollutants makes it a truly acceptable answer to the problem. AND since all have a lot of trees and wood around after the last hurricanes, it seems like a no brainer.

From Wittus:

The Phenix Green zero-clearance built-in fireplaces from Bodart & Gonay of Belgium set a new standard for wood burning stoves. Equipped with the latest retractable door technology, it allows the user to enjoy the fire with the door open or closed.

With the door lifted, you enjoy the warmth of a genuine open fire. With the door closed, you get a full view through the panoramic window and with the maximum efficiency range of 76%—82% and exceptional heating power.

Phenix Green are available in four models: the 75, 85, 95, and the 120. The technological advances along with low CO and particulate emissions makes the Phenix Green fireplace an ecologically friendly product.

All models include these special features:

- multi-ducting capability, which enables heat transfer in up to 6 additional rooms

- a linear, seamless steel frame

- an upward lifting/forward tilting door feature that make it easy to clean the glass viewing window

- the outside air system uses 100% direct air intake

- the thermostat keeps the temperature regulated

- choice of Class A or Heatilator chimney system

- an optional fan capability.