One of the best parts about modern conveniences is that we have the luxury of controlling the temperatures where we live! I’m talking thermostats and air conditioning. If you have ever lived on the top floor of an apartment building in the summer or the bottom floor of anywhere in the winter, then you know how tough it can be to regulate the temperature within your home to a manageable, comfortable level.
Unfortunately, we can’t always have that luxury. Natural disasters can come out of seemingly nowhere and relieve us of our modern conveniences, such as our ability to control the temperature inside our own home. Winter storms, earthquakes, and many other events could knock out the power, and next thing you know, you’re freezing in your own home.
It’s important to stay warm during disasters and emergencies. Not only would it be unpleasant otherwise, but you could also face some serious health issues. During emergencies, use your resources to make sure your temperature is properly regulated.
[caption id="attachment_11475" align="alignright" width="300"]
Portable propane heaters like this Big Buddy can keep you very warm during a winter power outage.[/caption]
Being prepared for these circumstances can make a huge difference in how these disasters effect your family. For instance, having winter-specific sleeping bags to sleep in can keep you from a long night of shivering. But winter days can also be colder than you would like. What then? Going about your day wrapped up in a sleeping bag would be less than productive. Generators can be useful tools to plug your space heater into, allowing you to shed the blankets and get on with your day.
So before that next winter storm or other disaster comes your way, make a plan for how you'll have temperature control around you and your family during an emergency.
5 comments
Barbara
This is an old post, should anyone read as I did this may be of interest. We live in an area with a well & septic systems. Before we got our generator, if the bad weather looked like it was closing in, I would have our kids fill 5 gal buckets in order to flush our toilet. Just pour into the toilet bowl and it will flush on its own. No pump needed.
Henard
If need be, I would think that one could build a fire outside and fill a large pot of water and heat it till it was hot and fill several 1 gallon and 1/2 gallon milk jugs or other screw type plastic, metal, or even glass containers with the hot water and use it to heat a small space. Once the water cooled down pour it back in and heat it back up. Just be careful not to burn yourself or break the glass.
You could also heat a brick that has been in a dry location and wrap it in cloth for heat. You may be able to use piece of metal and put it in a metal bucket to give off heat. Just be careful since a piece of metal could get over 1000 degrees. Be careful about using rocks or bricks exposed to the elements since they could explode due to water turning to steam that is trapped in the material.
Mary
I live in the northern midwest. The home I live in has hot water baseboard heat and the furnace is a natural gas boiler type. We would be in deep doodoo if we lost power. I do not have a fireplace. I have considered the heaters that run on kerosene but I get wicked headaches from petroleum based fuels if there is any outgassing from the heat burner. So, my solution is this…..I have a big stash of heavy weight polar plus clothing, some of it from North Face and that is 300 weight….like expedition weight. I also have lightweight fleece. I have many wool items from Europe, as well as Woolwich and Pendleton. I also have a very nice and warm 2 piece military surplus suit….think snowmobile top and pants. I have very warm and comfy suede boots with fleece lining and many pair of merino woo; socks, mittens, hats, and scarves, as well as face covers.
My plan is to do what people did in the past and that is to heat the body itself with very warm clothing. Everyone should own several full outfits of very warm clothing AND have a waterproof outer garment to wear over the warm clothing just in case you are stuck out in the elements. I also have many hand, foot and body warmer patches.
Linda Sand
We have friends with a septic system—but, when the power went out, so did the pump. You might want to look into that.
Jackson
Our home is on a septic system so we do not have to worry about the sewer system failing and/or depend on it. We do have a fireplace in our home. We keep a good supply of firewood available if needed in an emergency. Plus we are always enlarging that supply. Although we need to change our fireplace over to a wood burning stove. We live on the gulf coast so winters are very mild. We do keep also spare propane cyclinders for our emergency stove. Now we need to get an emergency propane portable heater.