How To Survive A Power Blackout

 

Keeping the House Warm Without Power

#1 – Eliminate Heat Loss

• Avoid opening and closing exterior doors. We don’t think about it much when heating is working but a blast of cold can easily drop the temp 5 to 10 degrees with no easy way to get that heat back.  If you need to go outside, go through a porch or garage or other area that can act as an airlock to prevent colder air from entering the home.
• Close all the doors in the house.This keeps unused exterior rooms from cooling your main living/survival area.

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#2 – Safely Add Heat to the House

• Wood stoves– If you have a wood stove, fire it up and keep it burning. If you have a limited amount of wood, burn at regular intervals, letting it get quite cold between burns.
• Use the sun for heat. If it’s a sunny day, open the windows on the sunny side of the house. Place dark blankets on the floor, furniture or bed in direct sun to soak up the sun’s heat. As soon as the sun goes down re-insulate the windows best you can.
• Add extra heat before you lose power– If you have some warning that the power will go out, set the temperature higher in your house.  The warmer it is to start, the longer it will take to cool.

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Conserve Heat by Living in One Room

When faced with an extended power outage, living and sleeping in a single room will help conserve heat.  Select a room away from the prevailing winds.  If you have a room in your house that normally stays warmer than the rest of the house, that’s probably a good choice.  Hang blankets over the door to your “warm” room, and insulate the window with blankets if possible.  Use painters tape, duct tape or other tape to seal the blanket over the window.

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Choose the Right Clothing to Stay Warm

Layer your clothes – include wool and/or Thinsulate if you have it. Loose layers will keep you warmer than tight layers. Wear gloves under mittens to trap more heat around your fingers.  Remember, extremities are in the most danger from intense cold.  If you have no gloves or they aren’t warm enough, wear socks over gloves. Look for a Higher Gram Count– When considering winter clothing, get 100 gram (Grams per square meter of insulation) or higher if possible. Higher gram counts provide more warmth. Traditional wool, down and fur jackets, hats and gloves are also good options.  

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Keeping Warm While You Sleep

A bulk of your heat loss is through your head, so put on a warm 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.”)  Use a sleeping bag if you have it.  Wool is an amazing insulator, so combining a wool blanket a cotton sheet and even a mediocre sleeping bag can give you a very warm bed. If wool makes you itch, layer a wool blanket with a cotton sheet above and below.  Use fur or fleece if you have it.  Both are great insulators and can add some comfort.  Put on warm socks/slippers or even boots.

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Eating and Drinking for Warmth and Safety

Your body will need more calories just to stay warm.  If you are active (which will also help you stay warm), your calorie needs will increase even more.  Eating raises your metabolism, which generates some additional internal heat.  Consider a calorie dense bedtime snack to help get you through the night. Make sure to keep hydrated.  Drink plenty of liquid.  Hot beverages such as tea or hot chocolate can act as hand warmers while you drink and warm you from the inside out.

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Personal Hygiene – When the Potty Won’t Flush and Washing Gets Tricky

We take toilets for granted.  When the power goes out, most of us no longer have running water.  You should have emergency water storage and filtration as part of your basic preparedness supplies.  If you have warning that the power may go out, you can supplement these supplies by filling a bathtub with warm water.  Portable storage containers like the waterBOB attach directly to your faucet and come with a pump to make it easy to get the water out when you need it.  This water can be used for washing, drinking and toilet flushing. When water is scarce, the “mellow yellow” rule should apply.  Don’t flush the toilet unless you *really* need to. Don’t bathe unless absolutely necessary.  Getting wet is a quick way to get really cold.  Keep some baby wipes on hand for water-less cleaning. If you still have running water, protect faucets that are at risk of freezing by turning on a pencil size stream of water.

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Cars, Cards and Food Storage

Your car can be a refuge. If you seriously cold, you can start car up and heat up for a brief period. Bring blankets and other things that will get warmed up and bring them back in the house all toasty. **Remember  – never run the car in an unventilated area.  Carbon monoxide can be deadly. Have something to help pass the time that doesn’t require power.  Get a couple of decks of cards and a card game book. Board games are great, too. Use the cold to keep food fresh.  If the power is out and it’s warm enough inside that food in the refrigerator or freezer will spoil, move food to an unheated porch or garage or outside to take advantage of natural refrigeration.

 

 

Read the Full  Article: Common Sense Homesteading

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