How to Stay Warm During a Power Outage
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When a winter storm knocks out power, staying warm becomes more than a comfort — it’s a matter of safety. Extreme cold weather, wet clothing, and lack of heat can quickly lead to frostbite and hypothermia. The good news is that with a little preparation, you can stay warm during a power outage – and pass the time in relative comfort.
This guide covers how to stay warm during a winter storm, prevent your pipes from freezing, and avoid the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Whether you’re hunkered down at home or helping older adults and neighbors get through extreme cold, it pays to prepare.
Table of contents
Prepare Before the Storm Hits to Stay Warm
A few simple steps before a storm can make a big difference when the temperature drops and the lights go out.
- Fuel up. Make sure your propane tank is full and you have extra firewood stacked and dry. If you own a generator, test it and top off fuel supplies.
- Turn up the heat. If you know a storm is coming, set your thermostat a few degrees higher than normal to build up warm air in your home.
- Check your heating system. Clean filters and test your furnace, heaters, and fireplaces before the storm so everything’s ready to go.
- Gather emergency gear. Keep flashlights with fresh batteries, extra blankets, and a first aid kit in your home.
- Stock water and easy meals. Fill bathtubs and sinks with warm water for washing and flushing toilets. Prepare ready-to-heat foods before the storm so you can save your fuel and body heat later.
See also: Winter Preparedness Checklist for You and Your Home
Step 1: Stop Heat Loss
Before you think about adding heat, focus on keeping the warmth you already have.
- Seal off drafts. Close doors to unused rooms and block drafts under doors with rolled towels. Hang heavy blankets over windows and doors to stop cold air from creeping in.
- Insulate windows. Shut blinds or curtains tightly. For extra protection, tape up bubble wrap or use a 3M window insulation kit.
- Create a “warm room.” Choose one small interior room — preferably away from the wind — and have everyone sleep and live there. Layer rugs, blankets, or even cardboard on the floor to trap body heat.
- Use airlocks. If you need to go outside, enter and exit through a porch or garage to keep cold air blasts out of the main living space.
- Head for the basement. The ground’s insulation often keeps basements warmer than upper floors, especially when outside air dips below zero.
Step 2: Add Safe, Alternate Heating
Once you’ve sealed the drafts, you can focus on safely adding heat back into your home.
Indoor heaters and fireplaces
- Wood burning stoves are one of the best sources of heat during a power outage. Burn in cycles to conserve wood — it’s better to warm up the room well, then let it cool slightly before the next burn.
- Indoor-rated propane space heaters (like Mr. Buddy heaters) are excellent alternate heating sources. Keep extra propane canisters on hand and make sure the unit is clearly labeled for indoor use.
- Fireplaces add both heat and morale. Keep screens in place to avoid sparks and be mindful of proper ventilation.
Use the sun and other safe tricks
- Capture solar heat. On sunny days, open curtains on south-facing windows and let the light in. Place dark blankets or rugs where the sun hits to soak up warmth.
- Hot water for warm air. A full tub of hot water radiates gentle heat into the room — just remember to drain it if the house temperature drops near freezing.
- Heated bricks. Warm firebricks on an outdoor grill, then safely bring them inside to release slow, steady heat.
⚠️ Never use grills, ovens, or unvented heaters indoors. Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen quickly in enclosed spaces. Always use a battery-powered CO detector when running any open-flame device.
I do not recommend the terracotta pot with tealights heater that regularly makes the rounds on social media. They can cause house fires, and don’t work very well.
Step 3: Conserve Heat and Body Energy
When the power’s out, think like a camper — every bit of body heat counts.
- Live in one room. Stay together in your “warm room.” Cover doors with blankets and have everyone sleep in the same area. Shared body heat can raise the temperature several degrees.
- Try “camping inside”. Set up a small tent indoors to trap warm air. Use sleeping bags to hold even more heat, especially with a layer of cardboard or a rug underneath to block cold from the floor.
- Cover Those Heads. Put on a light comfortable hat or other headcover to sleep. (“And ma in her kerchief and I in my cap, had just settled down to a long winter’s nap.”)
- Have something to help pass the time that doesn’t require power. Get a couple of decks of cards and a card game book, or some print books. Board games are great, too.
Dress Right to Stay Warm
Your clothing is your first line of defense against extreme cold.
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- Dress in Layers. Start with a moisture-wicking base layer, add insulating layers like wool or fleece, and top with a wind-blocking shell.
- Protect extremities. Wear gloves under mittens, thick socks, and insulated slippers or boots. Cover your head — you can lose a lot of body temperature through it while sleeping.
- Stay dry. Change out of wet clothing immediately. Damp fabric steals heat fast and increases the risk of frostbite and hypothermia. (More on this in the post, “Emergency Underwear and Socks“.)
- Use hand and foot warmers. Chemical warmers or rechargeable heat packs are great for gloves and boots.
- Choose quality insulation. Look for higher-gram Thinsulate™ or traditional wool and down. For very cold conditions, 600–1,000 gram insulation in boots is ideal.
See “The Ultimate Guide to Practical Cold Weather Clothing” for more information.
Eat and Drink to Stay Warm
Keeping your metabolism up helps maintain body temperature from the inside.
- Eat more calories. Your body burns extra energy just to stay warm. Focus on hearty foods like nuts, jerky, nut butters, and soups.
- Enjoy hot drinks. Herbal teas, cocoa, or broth can warm you while adding hydration.
- Avoid alcohol. It may make you feel warm temporarily, but it actually lowers core body temperature and impairs judgment.
Stay hydrated — dehydration makes it harder for your body to regulate heat. Melt snow if needed, but filter or boil it first.
See also: Emergency Cooking – 10 Ways to Have a Hot Meal When the Power Goes Out
Protect Pipes and Water Supply
When cold air lingers, frozen pipes can become a major problem.
- Let faucets drip slightly to keep water moving and prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks to let warm air circulate around plumbing.
- If you have a well pump, remember it won’t run without power. Keep water stored in tubs, sinks, or portable containers before the storm.
See “Prevent Frozen Pipes – Extreme Cold Weather & Construction Tips“.
Personal Hygiene and Safety
A long winter power outage can make sanitation tricky.
- Use stored water for washing and toilet flushing.
- Follow the “mellow yellow” rule to conserve water.
- If you lose running water entirely, use a lined 5-gallon bucket as a temporary toilet. Add sawdust or shredded paper to absorb waste. See Portable DIY Toilet instructions here for more information.
- Keep baby wipes for sponge baths instead of full washing — staying dry helps you stay warm.
Use the cold to keep food fresh. If it’s warm enough that food will spoil, move food to an unheated garage or outside for natural refrigeration. Statistically, here in Wisconsin, January is the coldest month on average.
When It’s Too Cold to Stay Indoors
If your home becomes dangerously cold, use your vehicle for temporary heat — but never run it in a closed garage. Let it idle outside for short periods, bundle up with blankets, and warm your body before returning inside.
Older adults and small children are especially vulnerable to hypothermia. Check in with neighbors and family members. If indoor temperatures drop near freezing despite all efforts, relocate to a shelter or friend’s house.
Final Thoughts: Stay Safe and Warm
Winter storms can test your resilience, but preparation and calm action make all the difference. Seal out cold air, add safe alternate heating, wear warm clothing, eat well, and stay dry. Keep a carbon monoxide detector nearby, and always err on the side of safety.
With a little foresight — and maybe a tent in the living room — you’ll be ready keep your family safe, warm, and comfortable.
Related Articles
This post was written by August Neverman IV. August has a strong background in emergency preparedness. He served on several emergency preparedness teams during his tenure at Brown County WI Government, the Medical College of Wisconsin, HSHS, a 13-hospital system and emergency response training during his time with the Air Force and Air National Guard. Learn more about August.
Originally posted in 2015, last updated in 2025.
If you know a storm is coming:
*Charge outdoor solar lights to use indoors if power goes out.
*Keep a supply of chemical hand warmers to use on yourself or in your bedding, indoor tent set up and more.
*Invest in a power inverter. It can be used indoors, is quiet, and can be charged by electric, your car or solar panels.
*Boil water and fill all your thermos containers ( prep by filling with hot water while the remaining water is beginning to boil. Dump hot water out and fill with boiling water.) In my experience, my 4 Stanley Thermos containers keeps hot for at least 12 hours, and warm for several hours more. This allows you to make instant coffee, tea, hot chocolate, instant soups, or dehydrated camp meals. If you don’t have thermos, use your crock pot(s) on high (Replenish water as needed) until power goes out.
*Prep easy to eat foods such as sandwiches, cut up veggie sticks, fruit cups/ fruit such as apples, oranges, grapes, yogurt pouches, pre made granola, brownies or cookies. place in a small cooler with some frozen water bottles ( these stay colder longer than any freezer packs.) Lay a towel over top of your filled cooler to keep warm air off the items you’re trying to keep cold.
if you have a grinder pump, it will not work. do not flush or let any water run down the drain unless you want a basement or crawl space full of raw sewage.
my family is pretty well set up for a power failure. first, our community’s wires are underground
so unless a tree falls on the main road, we are usually ok. it’s a mobile home with propane heat and well water. i catch the water that runs while you wait for it to get warm and save it in empty, rinsed kitty litter jugs. i currently have about 100 gallons saved. we have a large supply of non-perishable food. our stove is propane with a pilot light, so we are pretty well set up for a power failure.
I’ve never heard of grinder pumps, but that’s good to note. Sounds like you have a plan for power outages, which is good.
For others unfamiliar with grinder pumps (from Clark Regional Wastewater District):
When a residence is at a lower elevation than the sewer main, it requires the use of a pump to force the wastewater up to the gravity sewer main. A grinder pump works like a garbage disposal – it grinds up wastewater from a home (i.e. toilet, shower, washing machine) and pumps it into the public sewer system.
Thanks for this, found it searching online after the oil company forgot to deliver our oil and we didn’t realize and they made us freeze in 4 degree weather for 8 hours. One other time the electricity went out for days in the winter…. so I’ve decided to become independent of utilitiy companies. I was looking for electric blankets to run off a small generator but every single one sucks, they don’t get hot enough or they burn your house down. My solution is now to use your tent idea with a couple of small space heaters (250w) running off a small 1000w generator, that way we can also charge phones and run an LED lamp from the same generator. Thanks for the idea, I feel safer already and I’m off to buy a tent.
Please be careful with any heat sources inside enclosed areas.
In case this was not mentioned…many rural houses have a septic system. Often forgotten is the fact that most modern systems use mounds with electric pumps. If this is you, be prepared to not use the toilet with a bucket and trash bags etc..
Car camped in early Spring/woke up comfortably in 29F degree weather. I had reflectix on the windows (one window cracked), dog but wasn’t a snuggler, battery operated CO alarm & when I got in, I ran the car/heater for 10-15 minutes & didn’t have to turn it on the rest of the night. I was surprised at how comfortable I was.
My daughter and I just “survived” a furnace shutoff issue for two weeks using two of the ‘My Buddy’ heaters inside. Outside temps were in the 20’s. They were on the 1# propane bottles, as the instructions said that the 20# propane tanks could not be used unless they were outside. We both had several layers of blankets at night; each of us had a wool blanket as well as other material. We slept with wool knit hats on, and of course all of the layers of clothing as well. We did fine. I am glad that I was able to use the heaters in a situation before having to use it in a real severe situation. (The furnace was accidentally shut down and could not be re-started…there were a couple of lights that also did not work and a couple of outlets, but most of the house still had power…interesting situation….I blame the previous owners who moved from L.A. in the 1980’s straight to the “boondocks” of rural Oregon, and did many “improvements” themselves, without knowing ANYthing!)
But a nice introduction to ‘survival’, giving us a bit of experience without the whole “no power at all” issue to deal with.
Thank you for sharing your story. Yours is a perfect example of “every day” emergencies that we try to help people prepare for. The Mr Heater propane heater is excellent for emergencies, camping, warming a garage for a project and many other uses. I am glad your situation turned out ok. I hope repairs allow you to not need your preps again. All the best.
I haven’t read all the comments so if this has already been mentioned forgive me. If you have a tent use it in your livingroom along with anyother camping gear such as sleeping bags. You will stay way warmer than without it.
Yes, that’s correct.It’s included in the section “Conserve Heat by Living in One Room”.
We’ve lived in both extremely cold climates (rural Utah at near 5,000 ft elevation) and extremely hot (SoCal) and some of our preparations for either extremes remain the same: We keep a supply of “painter’s plastic drop cloth” on hand.
It is very thin, and comes in a very small, flat package, easy to store….but when opened, can cover a HUGE area. We’ve taped it over whole outside -facing walls/windows in either extreme hot or cold, while we hunker down in ONE room or one small area of our home through extreme conditions when we’ve lost heat or air-conditioning…..we tape this also over hallway openings, openings without a door that closes, etc….to limit our area that we strive to heat or cool.
For heating, we’ve used candles inside of coffee cans or other conducting containers….if we have electricity, a small heater (ideally, with a thermostat cut off so you can keep it on at night).
For cooling, in our plastic-restricted area, we have a small electric “swamp cooler” that we can wheel around in the room.
In our cold climate, which had only one gravity heating vent in a 2-bedroom upstairs….we routinely slept under an unzipped arctic-rated sleeping bag as our “bedspread.” Sometimes we slept with our insulated boots on, and ran a trickle of water in our tub all winter long to keep our lines from freezing up. We checked out water lines and, in an area in the basement that was beneath the front door…and so, often got hit with a blast of cold air, we wrapped water lines for that 3-foot distance with heat tape.
For either climate, we invested in Levolor window blinds. They keep heat out. They keep cold out. I don’t really love them. They are heavy. They get dirty fast and often. They make me feel like I’m living in a cave most of the time….BUT….they reduce my heating or cooling bills like crazy. In either climate, they pay for themselves in a few months. And, in our cold climate, we took full advantage of our passive solar—routinely opening blinds & drapes on South & West-facing windows throughout the house….Never underestimate the power of the sun, even in passive situations…..
I do NOT run a dehydrator to dry my garden produce at any time of year….I arrange it on a grate and put it in the back window of my car—one I’m not going to drive for a day….and my produce dries perfectly for storage/keeping, without any electricity or oversight. And, if it’s tomatoes and basil…my car smells really good for a long time.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
It would help if more homes were built with some of this in mind. My sister’s home, built 40 some years ago, came with a built in generator that runs the furnace fan, the refrigerator and a few lights. They also have a wood burning fireplace, natural gas cooktop, furnace & hot water tank. Their water is gravity feed. Now this is in W. Washington, so it isn’t that cold, but they do lose power every year, some times for days. Yes, they do have to keep diesel on hand and a time or two they’ve run out before the power was on. As the issues are usually downed trees (along with power & telephone lines. This last time also a cell tower.) or mud slide, they can’t always go get some, either. The entire subdivision was built that way, but I haven’t heard of any others, ever.
Unfortunately (to my mind) many homes emphasize looks and/or low initial costs over functionality and long term operation costs.
Used Little Buddy Heater for 2 1/2 days during ice storm in N.C. Kept three rooms of house warm for three days all with one 20lb tank of propane. No sign of CO. Kept heater in bathroom off of two bedrooms. 65-67inside, below freezing outside. Can also cook inside with Coleman L and another 20lb tank. Propane lights give great light warmth, much safer than kerosene lamps or candles.
Many people use Buddy Heaters safely in RV’s
Thanks for sharing your experience.
It’s true that a catalytic heater doesn’t emit CO (much). but it does emit CO2 and consumes oxygen, which is why they cannot be advertises for indoor use in Canada and the state of MA, and have to be ventilated.
All I have just read is PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS- – –
Who needs PROBLEMS so badly??????? We’re 85 & 70 on a Paradise Island near Brisbane – look it up – where it is seldom cloudy, bananas ripen in mid winter when sun heats the house to 30C = upper summer temp. Food trees grow food all year. No radiators or costly warming needed, only slow ceiling fans for summer – sometimes. Long winter swim OR stuck in the car in remote bush & you won’t freeze to death = very civilised. in Cornwall UK, the big glassed-in veranda heated entire home for hours all day + after sunset. Nobody needs guns. We have about the most self-sufficient solar 12volt home nationally & thrive on 5% pension + all free medicals etc. Far more Civilised- – – In this country You can have everywhere from your freeze or sizzling TROPICS. New Zealand same tho slightly cooler, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, New Caledonia etc = mountain coolness, tho largely tropic.
You do realize this post is about cold weather areas, right, and for those who don’t have big, glassed in verandas?
Perhaps recreational marijuana is legal in your area?
ADAPT, Change, Migrate & no point in suffering needlessly. Nobody mentions putting triple thickness cardboard under carpets, in ceilings + on walls where possible; especially on walls that face outside but behind cupboards, book shelves etc. I found in Cornwall – the warmest county in UK winter – that wellington boots + long socks are perfect for outside. I also sleep with socks on my feet + on hands that go up my arms; never heard of anyone doing that.
Not everyone has the option to move.
While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I can’t agree with your suggestions, unless there were no other alternatives. The layers of cardboard you suggest would be ugly, minimally insulating and and attractant to rodents and insects.
Who said anything about suffering?
There are 7.53 billion people in the world. Are you really suggesting we all “migrate” to a few places on earth that are like where you live? That should be fun. No problems at all.
This is a really good list, Laurie (and August)! We haven’t really had any significant power outages or nasty cold spells since moving, and I can’t help but feel like our luck will run out soon enough. I think I need to spend some time this week getting the last of our winter prep done!
We haven’t had any extended power outages (knock on wood), but it’s better to have the preps and not need them than not have them and need them.
Ty all for these tips! When I was a girl scout and we went camping in the cold months of the year, we used newspaper in our cots( under the matress under sleeping bags) to keep warm. A natural insulator.
Absolutely! Newspaper, evergreen boughs, and leaves are all good insulation (under or around you). When I was in the boy scouts we used leaves as a base, then evergreen boughs as a bedding layer and then the sleeping bag and then leaves and boughs on top of a lean-to. We were warm and dry, the rest of the group was in tents and the driving rain soaked everyone else, but we were good. The rain and wind actually pushed down the boughs and created a barrier because we wove the branches together.
My electric was out for five days due to an ice storm. I took a round cake pan and added unscented tea light candles and lit them. I covered the cake pan with the rack from my toaster oven. I used this to cook on, I boiled water for tea and coffee and used a small skillet, 10”, to fry bacon, sausage and eggs. I put the cake pan on the large burner on my stove when cooking in it. I do not use it for something that needs to cook a long time.
I keep a supply of tea light candles at all time.
I have a 2500sq/ft 2 story house in the country. I cannot afford propane. Even if the I had lost power my propane furnace will NOT turn on, nor my water since my it is driven by a pump! I use a Kerosene Heater that uses K-1 fuel. 1 fill lasts 12 hours. I use electric heaters when I’m asleep, but in the morning the Kerosene Heater takes about 30 minutes to get a +15°F difference. I get it to run the temperature up to 82°F. It will heat the bottom of the 2nd story floor, thus turning it into a radiator all with NO electricity!
Mylar emergency are good to have to wrap up in to hold in body heat.
I keep a box of thermacare back pads around. We lost power for 16 days in NO with hurricane Sandy and those made sleeping much easier.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I wouldn’t have thought of that.
Hi Guys,
We don’t get much snow this side, but plenty power outages and in winter, so I love making use of new innovations, Bio-Oil counter top fire places. You can buy a years supply of Bio-Oil, its fume free and all natural material, it will never smoke or harm by inhillation. They keep a room warm very easily with basically no maintainance, only in recent years the winters have been producing snowed up cars, windscreens and with a country of little knowledge of what to do – you hear sad sad stories of people using boiling water on the car windscreen.. But our “wardrobes” are also ill equipped, so the camping stores are getting plenty visits for their thermal wear range. Winter is approaching and we are all stocking up..last years snow and deaths due to freezing was quite the ugly lessons South Africa learnt.
Thank you for all the input.
Hopefully this year people will be better prepared. Snow and bitter cold is a regular thing for us here in Wisconsin, but areas to the south struggle when they get hit, too.
Marina
Burning any fuel consumes oxygen and results in emissions of combustion byproducts including carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide both of which can kill you if allowed to build up. Just because Bio-Oil is “all natural” does not mean it is fume free or cannot harm you by inhalation. If you are using Ethanol gel fuel, it is cleaner burning than other fuels like kerosene, and in ideal burning conditions produces less CO2 but you still have to provide ventilation especially in smaller rooms.
‘Bio ethanol fireplaces use the oxygen found in the air and for this reason, you should either use it in a sufficiently open space or if using it in a smaller room, always have a door or window to the room slightly ajar (at least 25mm). If you experience any headaches, stuffiness or discomfort whatsoever, then there is not enough air circulation in the room. While bio ethanol is clean burning and the main by-products are heat, water vapour and a small amount of carbon dioxide, incomplete combustion can occur if there is inadequate ventilation, resulting in air pollution.’
https://www.treehugger.com/health/once-again-we-ask-are-ethanol-fireplaces-safe-new-study-says-no.html
‘According to Dr. Michael Wensing, quoted in Science Daily:
These stoves do not feature any guided exhaust system whatsoever, so all combustible products are released directly into the environment.. …On a case-by-case basis, precisely how the course of that incineration runs really depends on the quality of the fuel and other factors – like the type of fuel, or the incineration temperature. As a rule, ethanol does not burn out completely. Rather, the incineration process results in CO2 – along with poisonous gases (like carbon monoxide, a respiratory toxin), organic compounds (like benzene, a carcinogen), and irritant gases (like nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde), as well as ultrafine combustion particles.‘
Well, we just got 15 inches of snow in less than 12 hours here in W Va. Power not a problem yet in this storm, probably worse on the east coast. We finally got a Generac back-up generator 18 months ago, had a little Yamaha before that. Gas stove/furnace/big wood stove.
Using newspapers, wrapping waste up and burning it is a great idea. We have a 300 gallon tank in a sub-basement, not likely to ever freeze, I hope. Don’t intend to drink it, but flushing and washing up with boiled water is the plan.
Nice article. Keep up the good work!
We had about that much the Monday/Tuesday after Christmas, but not much since. The boys and I put up the last section of snow fence in the neighbor’s field that morning, just ahead of the storm. (He has steers in the field a week earlier because the grass was still green.)
It started getting “interesting” around 3pm, but thankfully my husband made it home from work while the road was still passable. It snowed like crazy overnight, but by early morning it let up, and the plows were out early because we haven’t had much snow this winter so they still have plenty of hours and salt left.
The winter of 2013-2014 was another matter entirely. It just snowed and snowed and snowed like I haven’t seen since I was a little girl. I’m glad we haven’t had to deal with that this year.
Stay safe, and thanks for your kind words.
My mother used to cook food on the car engine and tucked near the heater outlet on cold car trips. We used to get stuck in the snowy mountains frequently. Pets are good for warmth too. My Chihuahua has a temp at least 3 degrees over main.
How did she keep the engine fumes out of the food, and what sort of cooking vessels did she use? I’ve heard of people cooking with an engine, but would have no idea how to do it.
My father, a carpenter, would cook roasts in the engine of his truck. He simply wrapped the meat and veggies in aluminum foil (these days I would use heavy duty foil not the cheap bargain foils). The foil would lock in the heat and lock out the smells. They smelled WONDERFUL when we opened them after a hard days work and an hour or so drive home. If it wasn’t a long enough trip he would simply transfer it to the oven when we got home and voila!
Thanks for sharing your dad’s story.
Just found this article, and I am a year late, as it is now February of 2015. Writing from around the Boston area and we are BURIED in snow. Three storms (one was a blizzard) over three weeks has left over 100 inches of snow on the ground. Temperatures have been averaging in single digits – sometimes 0. I would HATE to lose heat/power at a time like this. Makes me think that everyone should have a generator. I know they are expensive, but buying one generator will bring peace of mind. Great, peace of mind. I have a small, electric fireplace stove that heats very well for it’s size. So, even if one must save up to do it, buying a generator and electric fireplace stove is a reasonable purchase. They can found for as low as under $100 each and you never have to suffer like that again. God bless.
We have not yet had to use it during an emergency, but we do have a small generator that’s set up to run home essentials, and I’m glad to have it. I wish we had had one at our last house when we lost power for three days.
Good information especially on the Buddy Heater which i wasn’t familiar with. One thing though… scientists are saying that it’s a myth that we lose most of our heat through our head. That’s probably only valid if you aren’t wearing a hat in the winter lol.
You can make the numbers say anything you like, but keeping your head covered is a known survival technique. Because the brain demands such a large supply of blood, it can’t be allowed to cool like other extremities. Sure, it’s a relatively small body area, so percentage wise if one were to run naked you would lose more hear from the rest of your body overall – but most people don’t run around naked, and do run around with bare heads.
One of the comments on the “No More Cold Feet in Bed” backs this up:
Just a note. The heat loss via the head is not because the head loses more heat but because it is neglected as a source of heat loss. The wear a hat to need works. Years of sleeping in-40 tempatures in tents and snow scrapes in the military has taught me that. Also keep dry and change your under clothing including socks.
If you decide to set up a tent IN the house, I suggest covering it with a quilt. It will make it MUCH warmer inside the tent!
We lose our well water when the power goes off; so I keep gallons of water stored in old milk jugs in and under the house. If we need to flush the toilet, we pour a gal into a large pan or bucket so we can dump a large amount in the toilet at one time. This will flush the toilet. I was really intrigued by your sisters use of newspaper and the stove. Aren’t you sorry you missed out on that!
When my gramma was little she said that bathing consisted of “We washed down as far as possible, up as far as possible and then (little giggle from her here); we washed possible.
Keep up the good work. I enjoy your blogs.
lol – I’ve never heard it referred to as “possible” before. 🙂 Thanks for taking time to share your kind words.
Excellent advice, the “go to the basement” has kept me safe and reasonably warm with a cot down there to sleep off the floor and an extra weight sleeping bag.
Today’s post has a link to your blog, the post unrelated, but I just wanted more people to wander over here for such great articles as this.
Brigid
Hi Brigid! Always nice to “see” you.
For those who don’t know Brigid, she blogs at http://www.mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/
Lots of recipes, guns, musings and good people.
Great tips! Hope though we do not have to use them. But it is better to be prepared. We live up north, so cold and frost is normal, the wood stove runs a lot.
Mr Buddy heaters (SOME units!) ARE safe for indoor use. They have a low O2 shut off…
Thanks, CJ.
Excellent advice, you two! Y’all know a little about cold weather from what I’ve seen on the weather map lately. 😀
Thanks, Todd. I had to laugh this morning watching the news. We’re the only spot in the country still below zero. 😛
Thanks for the fantastic article with the great life saving information! It reminded me of the first Christmas on Whidbey Island after my parents retired and moved there. We were stuck in the new house without furniture ( the moving van was delayed ) and had an amazing adventure as a family. We lived in the living room with a wood stove and hung blankets, sleeping bags and comforters over the windows and the opening to the hallway. Thank goodness for all of the camping vacations because we knew how to survive in style. The new neighbors were shocked when they braved the snow to check on us. They thought the Californians would be frozen and we really surprised them when we invited them in for hot cocoa around a roaring fire. Thanks for bring up such wonderful memories for me!
also a nice tip is to use sheets to keep all air drafts out from the one area and to make tents for futher warmth. we lived off propane and the truck could not reach us for a week in the bad, winter of 1997 here in colorado. we had a gas hearter also. it was cold ! we put all the carpets on the floor to warm them up and made sheet tents. they let the light in so it was’nt dark durning the day. hope everyone gets to read your advise.