How to keep warm during a power outage:
Featuring Answers From Our Facebook Page Fans !!!
Since the season is upon us we want to focus on how to keep yourself and your family warm in the event that you would lose power whether it is out a few hours or a few days. One of the best ways to gather ideas and opinion was by using our FB page to let our readers answer how they would cope !
We would like to share some the answers we received:
Tabitha Wallen: Suggested using a gas heater
Marilyn Matthews: Marilyn had many good suggestions, “I can heat for about a month with Mr. Buddy, after that, well I need a better answer if we are excluding the fireplace. The candle thing works but I had a fire start from my burning several tea lights on top of a metal tray that a few years ago when power was out for a week or more. Here is what happened so no one else will repeat my mistake. I set a stainless steel tray filled with maybe a dozen tea lights on top of it. I set it on a coffee table. The heat of the multiple fires melted the soft metal on the tea lights and the single flames merged into larger ones. the heat from the larger flames set my table on fire as it was a lacquer table. Luckily, I caught it in time but it was scary as there was no way I was going to be able to get help” and “There are the little biomass stoves but I am not sure I would use them indoors due to the carbon monoxide issue. But you could heat water, soup, etc. or cook simple meals on them if you stove is electric. I guess I could go to my car occasionally and heat it up but that seems to be a poor use of fuel unless you could be recharging something else at the same time. However, you could put something in the back window of the car that would retain heat if it is very sunny and take advantage of the solar warmth. If nothing else I would heat some clothes like socks and gloves that way. I have an electric towel heater but it would be useless in a loss of electrical power. A small solar unit would run a crock pot and that could be filled with what we call Hillbilly hot pads which could easily be replicated with a tube sock filled with rice. That would give some comfort” and “pitching a tent inside to conserve and build up body heat, raising sleeping areas off the floor and putting layers of anything that will insulate between you and the floor, blankets over the doors and windows, those little body heaters for use on hands and feet also applied to the pulse points like under the arm and in the groin, plastic over the windows (kits or otherwise), properly layered clothes, sleeping together with dogs and cats, lots of down comforters and blankets or sleeping bags, hats and gloves worn inside, consume more calories to compensate, use a solar cooker to make soups and hot water and drinks, those Mylar blankets which can also be used to line boots and as layers between your layers of clothing, stuffing your clothes with crumpled newspaper or other filler, using a small solar unit to run a crockpot or other small appliance.” also “use heated rocks”.
Donna Robinson: Suggested trying the tea light & flowerpot trick, but in more pro-longed conditions suggested making candles from Crisco shortening. Donna Provided us this link to learn about making the tea light warmers: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2492549/Video-reveals-heat-home-using-just-TEALIGHTS-FLOWERPOTS--costs-just-8p-day.html
Sandra Chambers: Propane Heaters on the Porch, block off rooms, use a BBQ grill to get coals going good and transfer into a cast iron dutch oven, the heat will radiate off of it and heat the room.
Kelly Smith: Cautioned “hot rocks are a good option, however, make sure before heating rocks that they are DRY! wet rocks can explode when you heat them”
Leslie Jung Bradley: “I would pick the smallest room with a southward facing window and isolate everyone in this room. Keep the curtains open in the day to maximize the sun's warmth. Build a fire outdoors and heat stones to bring in at night. If I owned a teepee I would simply put it up and move in it outside. No problem staying warm with a fire in there. The Indians knew what they were doing.”
Rose of Sharon Homestead: “Solar would be the only long-term thing you could do. The candle under pots are nice and the brasero thing but no way if you live in the north is that going to do. I prob would tarp my whole house and bring in the farm animals, they keep me much warmer lol.”
Sofia Pastoriza: “try a spanish "brasero" or similar under-the-table contraption. You should be able to sleep around the table somehow. Also, pick a room to spend most of your time in and cover doors and windows with blankets to help preserve heat.” Here is the link she provided to explain about the brasero: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasero_(heater)
Evelyn Landeau: Suggested using a generator
Debra Cole: “Layers of clothing works well!!!, then if up in snow country, snow caves with a couple of people will stay fairly warm”
Stan N Becky King: Said they would go into their trailer and dry camp as long as possible, and use a generator.
Vertical Eco Garden, LLC: “If Expensive wind and solar are not an option, Dress warm including wearing a hat. It will keep your limbs warm. Put plastic on all the windows and something flat black and metal in the south facing windows sitting in a container holding water to store the heat. Good seals on all doors frames and lay a rug at the base. With caution, use candle heaters at night but not while sleeping.”
Hope Farms: Mentioned that “it all depends on where you live”
JuaNita Roberts Crapps: “Hand warmers, army blankets to bundle up with”, she also mentioned she has a gas stove she has used for this purpose and “kept a pot of water boiling”, she also suggests getting a generator.
Beshbiwoie Bii Nalii: Suggests “Solar Heating”
Do You Have Ideas of How to Stay Warm During a Power Outage Not Mentioned Here? Please Share Them With Us, Your Ideas Could Save a Life!
No comments:
Post a Comment