My wife came up with some good questions...

[Trusty Mutsi]

I was discussing everything I've been learning on the podcast with my wife, and she's very interested. She brought up a few good questions when I talked about the 24-48 hour drill:

1. If something happens during the winter, what are some things you do to stay warm long term (1-2 weeks/ a month)?

2. How do you figure out where to go if you need to leave? Wouldn't it be a different place depending on the situation? And would this be a friend's place, family?

Thanks for any feedback.

[Roknrandy]

I was discussing everything I've been learning on the podcast with my wife, and she's very interested. She brought up a few good questions when I talked about the 24-48 hour drill:

1. If something happens during the winter, what are some things you do to stay warm long term (1-2 weeks/ a month)?

2. How do you figure out where to go if you need to leave? Wouldn't it be a different place depending on the situation? And would this be a friend's place, family?

Thanks for any feedback.

Do you have an alternate heat source? I purchased a portable heater http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_211577_211577 and an adapter to refill the one pound tanks with and I've used it off and on over the last three years with great success.

The second part is as simple as calling a friend or relative and talk to them. Tell them that hurricane Ike got you thinking that if you had to leave for a couple days where would you go? Ask them strait up "Can we come to visit for a few days till (insert disaster) blows over?" and go from there. If you have someone thats says your always welcome make a plan, write it down and keep it updated.

[dreadstalker]

I was discussing everything I've been learning on the podcast with my wife, and she's very interested. She brought up a few good questions when I talked about the 24-48 hour drill:

1. If something happens during the winter, what are some things you do to stay warm long term (1-2 weeks/ a month)?

2. How do you figure out where to go if you need to leave? Wouldn't it be a different place depending on the situation? And would this be a friend's place, family?

Thanks for any feedback.

Alternate heat sources and passive solar during the day.

At night? Those old 4 poster curtained canopy beds wasn't for privacy. With the curtains closed it creates a mini micro climateThe sibereans use a simiilar method by having a curtained off alcove for an inner sanctum.


Yeah you might need alternate BO locations. After all you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket.

[ModernSurvival]

Great questions and good answers so far, those two alone I could do a full show on.  I will try to address them soon.

[Tactical Badger]

The price of fuel oil has driven me to burn wood for heat.  If you can do that, I'd look at installing a wood burner.  It solves a couple of problems you might have during a longterm power/utility outage.  I can cook on top of my woodstove.

The question of "where to go" is much difficult.  You just have to figure out what's best for you.  There's no simple answer to this one.  Hopefully you have family or friends well away from where you are.  Far enough away that they won't be affected by anything regional to you.  Yet, not so far that it's going to be impossible to get there.

If it's something widespread, don't worry about leaving.  You're probably better off riding it out where you have supplies.  My $.02.

[Stein]

Mr. Buddy heaters are a good choice, but they spook me.  I know CSA (canadians) have certified them, but they still would be used with extreme caution in enclosed spaces.

We have a natural gas fireplace we would use.  Natural gas supply is extremely reliable and bulletproof except for earthmoving types of catastrophies.

We also live in the PNW, so a cold night isn't actually that cold.  Sleeping bags and everyone in one room wouldn't be a huge deal.

Other ideas:

Stay in upstairs rooms, heat rises.
Get everyone in a small room to conserve heat.
Staple insulation like blankets over windows, then on ceiling.
Stay hydrated.
Move your water stash into room if you are in very cold climates - it will keep the room warmer and prevent it from freezing.

[Tactical Badger]

You can also sleep in a tent indoors.  That will collect the heat from everyone in the tent.

[Trusty Mutsi]

Wow, these are all great ideas!

I showed my wife the posts, and she agrees!

I need to get her to register. She keeps asking my questions when I tell her what I'm learning, so it'd be great if you could go here too

[Roknrandy]

Heres the adapter for the tanks I was talking about




Propane bottles I got a steal on after Y2K, Homedepot had them on sale for a dollar per 2 pack  I grabbed 10 packs. I've used two of them and keep refilling the same two (probably 4 or 5 times each) and they still hold pressure.

[19kilo]

You can also sleep in a tent indoors.  That will collect the heat from everyone in the tent.

Great idea! 

I was just thinking that closing off unused spaces would help.  But pitching the tent would be great.  Plus the kids would be entertained for a while.

[sundance293]

I lived in an unheated shed for 2 winters while going to college after leaving the Army. I set up a pup tent and slept in a QUALITY sleeping bag. As long as you stay dry staying warm is easy. Small childern may need to sleep with parents, theydon't generate as much heat or rather are affected more severely by extremes.

[millerized1]

The wife and I have 12 cats, heating a room will NOT be a problem. All that 103F on the bed at night keeps me warm in the winter.  We set HVAC for 58 at night, and I'm always sweating.  Summer, with the windows open, not a lot of cats on the bed with all the wildlife outside to watch.

Those aren't pets, they're preps!

[dreadstalker]

Those aren't pets, they're preps!

Do you have them numbered by order of consumption?

[DeltaEchoVictor]

Remember also that during the winter it takes more energy to keep you physically warm.  Anything you work off via physical exertion will need to be replaced & that will require your caloric intake to increase, as compared to what you'd use in the warmer months.  For that reason, winter preps should be made well before cold weather moves in.

Winter is about energy conservation, not energy depletion.  Make smart preps before hand to limit your exposure, so you don't have to move.

[spartan]

1.  We lose power regularly which turns off the blower to our oil furnace.  If we are out of power for more than a day or two, the downstairs gets walled off with blankets and we move into our family room while burning our fireplace like crazy.  Not the most efficient way to do it, but it keeps us warm, we can heat water, and eat.

2.  We have a list of where we will go depending on what event occurs.  We have relatives less than an hour from where we live, friends an hour away, and more family and friends scatters a couple of hours away.  Depending on what happens as long as a disaster doesn't engulf the entire East coast, we have plenty of places to go.

[kaiservontexas]

What about a water bottle? They kind you pour hot water into and then place into bed. That sounds like the type of thing that could be used over and over again no problem. Just boil water before bed, pour, place in bed wrapped up, and sleep.

[archer]

Those aren't pets, they're preps!

Do you have them numbered by order of consumption?

The ones that are the best warmers at night at last on the food ladder.

[ejsandstrom]

For short, short term we have a ton of blankets. Pile 2 adults, a teenager, a cat, between 2 and 5 dogs and a blanket or two and heat is not a real concern. For short term we have a buddy heater. Medium term I have a friend that heats with wood and has 10 acres with lots of dead wood. The pump and blower can run on a small inverter. Burning wood heats you twice. Longer term is a trip to TX and a family with some land and room for a tent until the house can be built a wee bit bigger.

[millerized1]

Not sure if some folks know this, but a lot of 220V blower motors on forced air systems (heat pumps, split systems and the like) can also be run as 110V motors.  My blower motor has been modified to run on 110, just by rewiring the motor. With my smallish generator and a kerosene heater (or the propane fireplace) in the basement, I have heat throughout the entire house when the power goes out.
A small switch on the front of the unit, coupled to a contactor on the inside, switchs the wiring from 220 to 110 (so they don't cross or things get ugly) and she runs.
As always, consult an electrician or a professional when doing electrical modifications.  Failure to do so can be painful, if not deadly. I'm part feline, so I've got more lives than your normal human

NOW, heating the entire house isn't an optimum solution, just a few rooms is all you need when TSHTF.  I'm just used to living in all the rooms until then, and enjoy them all being comfortable.

[surfivor]

 Up here in the northeast you can get a zero degree sleeping bag, I like goose down. Here's just one I found with a quick google search:

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___40068?CS_003=2477120&CS_010=40068

 These are very warm, but the thing is that is a one person bag, however, you can get expander sections that you just zip into the bag to convert just about any bag into a double bag. When you are by yourself, the bag will be warmer without the expander.

 The other thing they have is air mattresses that have some goose down inside of the mattress for extra insulation.

 great for cold weather and winter camping also ... packs down fairly small, though I think it's more ideal down to 15 or 20 degrees, at least for me, I don't like to push it to the limit of the bag rating, you can also wear heavier cloths to bed, I like fleece sweatpants and fleece cloths in general which you can get winter weight fleece too. Fleece is very comfortable, just like you had pajamas on.

[Roknrandy]

Just an update 
I just got my heater out and tossed a bottle of propane in it and apparently it cross threaded  The regulator has to be replaced so I just ordered three an the bottle is shot so no great loss there. Regulator is $3.00 ea so for that price ill keep a couple of replacements. I'm going to check some other items and look at ordering spare parts to keep on hand.

[Crosstimbers]

Tell your wife to check out our new Lady Survival section of the forum. It's not ALL guys & guns!   

Another good board for women preppers is the Mrs. Survival forums. http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

Nancy

[flagtag]

Thanks for the link.  It looks like a very good site. 

[SkipOnStars]

I went on Artic Training in the Army when I was 6 months pregnant!  In the Army they taught us at the NCO Academy:   C-O-L-D that is:  Keep it CLEAN.  Don't OVERDRESS.  Wear it LOOSE & in LAYERS and Keep it DRY.  That is good advise in the field or at home. 

[flagtag]

Great advice. Thanks for sharing.

[surfivor]

Hey, is that easy to do, filling 16 oz propane canisters from a 20 pound tank ? I'll have to look into that, I didn't know you could do that ..

Check out some of these options for space heaters, they are catalytic heaters and can be used in tents, campers, even indoors probably with very little ventilation. You may doubt that, but it's absolutely true, they only can put out maybe 8,000 BTU however.

The only thing is they can gum up and you can't leave a canister plugged into them when turned off, or if they are connected to a tank, the tank pressure has to be turned off when the heater is off. If anyone knows an easy way to ungum these things, let me know as the one I've used for the past few years is gummed up.

http://www.mrheater.com/productdetails_extended.asp?catid=41&id=24

This is a newer one that has a fan that runs on D batteries, the fan should distribute the heated air better, I've though of getting one of these which might be good for camping at campgrounds where this is no electrical plug in. They claim this one can put out 18,000 BTU:

http://www.mrheater.com/productdetails_extended.asp?catid=41&id=116



This is a great little heater, but only puts out 3,000 BTU, you don't have to disconnect the cannister when it is shut off, and it doesn't seem to gum up after a few years of use like the other ones:

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=5038A800&categoryid=3000

I have an older one of these black cat heaters, I've used them in the winter when I go surfing. I park my pop up truck camper at the beach with the top up, then after I get out of the frigid water I go inside the camper, fire up the heater, make some hot tea on the stove, and by then it's plenty warm enough to take my wet suit off.

 They are great for cold weather camping also, but as they are only 3,000 BTU, not really great for winter (up here in New England) except in a pinch.

[dreadstalker]

Hey, is that easy to do, filling 16 oz propane canisters from a 20 pound tank ?

Yeah it is actually pretty easy.

what you need is called a mac coupler. I have even seen them on ebay.

[Serellan]

I was discussing everything I've been learning on the podcast with my wife, and she's very interested. She brought up a few good questions when I talked about the 24-48 hour drill:

1. If something happens during the winter, what are some things you do to stay warm long term (1-2 weeks/ a month)?

Here is my plan for my house.

In my downstairs, I have a family room with a fireplace.  It is an open room, but what I am planning is to hang heavy sheets across the open part of the room, and it's small enough to heat.  I have a generator that I can use to run an electric heater if I need to, but I have enough firewood to keep it warm.  The room also has a window that slides open if I need it too for vetalation.  It also has a couch/futon that I can fold out into a bed.  So if I lose power for a long amount of time I can move the family down there.  I will do my cooking outside on my grill, or in my garage on my coleman stove (have 5 cans of fuel).  I have electric lanterns and candles to move into the room for light, with plenty of batteries.  Also, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT: I have a CO2 detector that takes batteries that I can put in the room.  This is very important if you are closing up a space and heating it.

One good thing about losing power in the cold is I don't need to worry as much about keeping food cold, I will shift things to a cooler and put them outside (or even just roll my fridge outside).  However, if it's not that cold, I will move my frozen items to my chest freezer (which is currently unused) and run it off the generator.

[Roknrandy]

Hey, is that easy to do, filling 16 oz propane canisters from a 20 pound tank ? I'll have to look into that, I didn't know you could do that

It's very simple. Put adapter in tank, screw in 1 pound cylinder (the entire thing must be upside down so the liquid propane can be forced in the cylinder) open valve for one minute then reverse directions

[susan1957]

 I've tried this once when we had an ice storm and it sounds totally crazy but it worked.  I heard this from an old survivalist.  If you sleep in your birthday suit under covers you stay warmer than if you wear your pj's.  It has to do with insulating the cold in instead of letting the heat out.  If you understand it better let me know.