Posted on 11/01/2012 3:33:35 PM PDT by BobL
Hi fellow FReepers,
Since we have some really good people on this site when it comes to survival techniques, I'm wondering if people have suggestions as to the best method to keep warm in the aftermath of an event like Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast (where temperatures will be in the 30s in the next day or so). While we all talk about having 20 acres and multiple pillboxes for when it happens, I suspect that most people, like myself, live in relatively modest houses, in communities where people are packed together relatively densely. In other words most of us likely live on 1/4 to 1/2 of an acre. Lots of us probably don't have fireplaces, or have the lousy pre-fab ones that can barely fit a log.
So here's the scenario, and assume this is well before the hurricane has hit...so there's plenty of time to buy supplies and equipment:
1) Your house doesn't have a fireplace (it may or may not have natural gas service - I'd like to explore both scenarios). 2) You will not have electricity for a month after the storm, and it's winter. 3) You can store up to 50 gallons of fuel (any fuel), although an outdoor propane tank would get you into trouble with the town. 4) You can have firewood, but again, no fireplace. So you need some other way to burn it.
So the question is what would be the most practical way to prepare for this. I live in Houston and don't worry much about keeping warm (although it can get quite cold here in winter). I have lots of flashlights, batteries, gasoline/propane-powered lanterns, gasoline/propane powered stoves, even a portable propane-powered water heater (works great), along with electric and natural gas water heaters. I also have the ability to collect and purify rain water.
What I don't have is a way to keep warm if the temperature dropped to 10 degrees here (which it won't, but which it does in the Northeast).
So, any ideas? I would want the system used to keep warm to be the following: 1) Non-intrusive. In other words, not immediately noticeable if it's not in use. So something that can be deployed reasonably easy. 2) If combustion is used (as likely the case), then a way to safely vent combustion gasses, while keeping as much heat as possible indoors
Any suggestions are welcome, and thanks all!
Kerosene heater or wood stove. If you don’t want to put off smoke - kerosene heater.
Move to a single room, use sleeping bags and bundle up. My preferred method of heating and cooling is my portable Weber grill adapted to use 5 gallon propane bottles. CO detector and/or ventilation required.
If you have running water and a gas hot water heater, you can fill the master bed room bath tub with hot water for heat. I used that trick once in a cheap motel with no heat in freezing weather.
A Coleman stove also works if you have adequate ventilation as does a sun filled room during the day.
We'll see if Obama is still "looking presidential" as the poop starts to hit the fan in hurricane stricken areas.
It was easy for Obama to act like the all-powerful Oz in the immediate aftermath of the disaster (or should I say like Glinda the good witch, all sparkly and waving a magic wand?
But tempers are getting frayed as people wait ... and wait ... and wait .... for food, water, gasoline, and above all, power.
I predict that by this weekend, the images of continued misery and suffering will give pause to those Dem partisans who were gleeful over Hurricane Sandy's presenting Obama with an opportunity to "look presidential."
Love my wood burning stove.
I do a lot of things similar to you. Primarily live in one large bedroom through the winter months. Heat from the TV, stereo, and computer throw a fair amount of heat in here. One thing I DON'T do anymore though, is rely solely on comforters to keep me warm at night. Just seemed to take too much of my body heat to heat things up enough for comfort. An electric blanket only uses 100 watts per hour at its HIGHEST setting. I find that if I turn the electric blanket on a medium setting for fifteen minutes when I'm getting ready for bed, it heats everything in the bed up. Then I can turn the blanket down to its lowest setting and still stay comfy warm all night with just summer pajamas on. I'll bet I use less than a nickel's worth of electricity per night operating the electric blanket. The comfort is worth more to me than the candy bar I could buy with the money I spend per month running the blanket.
I lost power for a week in our last ice storm. I had a nice kerosene heater (cost 79.00) I had kerosene stored in the approved blue container (kerosene can be pumped from certain gas stations) I keep enough to warm my house for a month. Very easy to do!
That’s a terrible post.
LOL!
Get a good sleeping bag rated for sleeping in the cold.
Make sure you have a good winter coat, hat, and gloves.
We have a fireplace we have never used. We need to get it thoroughly inspected. Can a wood burning stove be put into a fireplace?
In the shotgun shack, with one bedroom, no television, no stereo, etc... the kitchen is the largest room, with room for a #2 tub for bathing during the winter months. It's the room easiest to keep warm, since I have to cook anyway, etc....
I haven't had running hot water in over 5 years, what with the mountain man thing and the water heater being out when I got back from the mountain. As I said. I live in a rather rustic manner. I'm used to it. Got running water and a flush toilet, though. That's really nice to have on cold, windy nights.
/johnny
From a NJ suburbanite here, we installed a vent free natural gas stove a few years ago, great for heat. Not in a flood area, so natural gas supply has never been an issue. Also bought 7500 watt portable generator this week, just didn’t anticipate gas availability. We will keep at least 25 gallons on hand at all times now, figure I can keep it fresh by using and replenishing doing yard work.
That's what I did. I had my behind in the wind during Irene (6 days without juice, no generator).
Got a diesel generator and a full 55 gal. drum of fuel but we didn't lose power during Sandy.
Made a rocket stove out of a 20mm ammo can (Thanks, Kartographer!)
Tonight I demonstrated the rocket stove to the little woman and she was duly impressed when it boiled 2 gallons of water in about 5 minutes with a handful of wood.
“Have you considered cuddling up with the Texans’ cheerleaders? It can’t hurt to ask.”
Unfortunately they’re just interested in high school boys.
How many watts does it use in 5 minutes? Just pulling your chain. Watts doesn't have a time component.
I agree that an electric blanket is both effective and efficient (if you have transmission power or generator/inverter). Besides the AC ones, we have a 12 volt blanket which is more efficient yet (compared to running on fuel-produced power). It runs directly off the solar battery bank or off a single car battery. Many nights you don't have to heat anything but your bed unless you have pets, pipes, or something else cold-sensitive to worry about.
Am I the only person here who couldn't begin to afford that?
“They sell special mesh/grid “baskets” to put in your fireplace for burning pellets. Pellets are approx 50% more expensive than cord wood, but easier to store, transport, and handle. They should burn cleaner, and leave less ash than cord wood.”
Understand, thanks much.
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