Flawless and right on time. ThankYOU! I especially liked the idea of doing a trial run of testing yourself and your supplies without the use of heat before it’s show time.
One of the things I realized in one of the power outages that we had is that heating pads run between 20 and 60 watts. Compared to an electric blanket that uses closer to 400 watts and a space heater that can use up to 1500 watts. That is good to know because you can buy a solar generator or a gas or propane generator and those will last longer if you use a heating pad. I have started using heating pads during the winter so that I can keep my house cool. But I never keep my house cool the night of the storms. I turn it up past 70 the night of a big storm. Even up to 72 or 73. It takes all night for the house to cool back down.
When I hear a bad storm is coming, I immediately fill pitchers and buckets with water, wash all dishes, heat hot water for all my thermoses, wash a load of clothes if necessary, charge phones and battery banks, and cook up some hardboiled eggs, a pot of stew etc., gather flashlights and check batteries. All is used even if power is not lost.
Solid advice. Also, once the power does go out, use up all the hot water in the tank before it cools! Take a long hot shower and have the tub stopper to keep the hot water in the tub.. That hot water you used for a shower will sit in the tub and give off a fair amount of heat as it cools.
I keep ten gallons of water in bottles in each bathroom to flush solid waste only, I’ve been collecting empty bleach bottles for years now to store water in
If you are able to cook, be sure to make thick homemade soups. Warming you up from the inside is important, too! Many times I have experienced being "chilled to the bone", and piling on blankets didn't help. I had to get warmth INSIDE me - That's soups, stews, broth, etc. Hot thick oatmeal for breakfast. Hot coffee, tea or cocoa all day. Avoid alcohol.
I and my folks endured a winter power outage in an urban setting. From that: 1. If you have natural gas, check to see if it requires electricity to work. My parents' natural-gas central-heating turned off when the electricity vanished. 2. Wrt heating: my dad hit upon a neat and safe trick. He had an outdoor propane burner, which he used to heat up water in a 10-gallon bucket that he and I brought from the outside porch into the kitchen. That water got the temperature up to ~10C/50F in the kitchen. No risk of dangerous fumes and it provided some heat for hours. (It was also good for making instant coffee, for the first couple of hours.) 3. Check to see if you can drain your water pipes: that's a better solution than running the water. Frozen pipes are an expensive disaster. (Obviously, get all the water you'll need before doing so. This may necessitate filling up a bathtub, which won't crack because any frozen water will expand upwards.) 4. Speaking of bathtubs: if the power comes on & you're afraid it'll go off again, fill up your bathtubs with hot water. As with the bucket mentioned in #2, the hot water will give some heat for hours. I wanted to do this, but the resuscitation didn't last long enough. 5. A radio at moderate volume doesn't take much power. When we went through the outage, the radio stations still operating focused on the story & didn't run any commercials. That helped: they gave a "we're all in this together" vibe. 6. If you live in an urban area, there's a good chance that the local gov. will open up heating centers. That's what my city did. Best to use them as a last resort, but it may be vital to know they're there & where they are. Hope these help.
I'd put that propane burner inside. Blue flame is good. I was raised with propane open flame heaters and propane stove. No central unit. 52 and do not know anyone that died from this. I'm single and heat with abutane bottle oracoleman stove anytime I need it. I put bricks on it or cast iron skillet. Something to radiate heat. Just aflame won't do it. Sometimes put a pan of water to boil so it adds moisture to air. Insulated coveralls are nice too.
@@ridgerunner106 I don't know about you, but my childhood home wasn't nearly as well insulated as the house I live in now. If I use propane inside this insulated house I definitely will be using a CO detector and cracking a window.
Young children, the elderly, and people with medical conditions are much more vulnerable to the cold. It's important that we not let them get too cold or it will be really hard to warm them up again.
Thank you for all your so informative videos. But in this video I have to correct you. You talk about layering clothing and the inner layer can be silk or cotton. In my country Norway, we never use cotton as inner layer during the winter. Cotton soak up your swet and keep it and you get very cold fast. Dangerous. We use wool as inner layer, tight fitting. It will transfer your swet to your next layer of clouthing and keep your skin dry and warm. 🙏💕
Slightly related reminder to check all your fire extinguishers. The other day we needed to use one at the house, and realized one we used five years ago wasn't replaced which left us down two. We picked up three more that night at the hardware store for about sixty dollars, which is cheaper than a house.
also, remember to not only inspect the gauge on the extinguishers but also to turn the extinguishers upside down every 3-4 months to prevent settling/ caking of the powder.
I’m a Texas resident here after the winter storm. I started prepping a few months ago using info from your videos and other channels. The resources I bought really helped me get through and reduced anxiety. Now I’m back to learn how to improve the start I’ve gotten. Thank you
DFW here, what did you get? What have you been stocking up on. First thing I bought was a generator and have been stocking on firewood. Also have a fireplace insert which blows most of the warm air into the living, best investment I’ve ever made. I’m ready for another winter storm and three days without power. Bring it on
In my earlier days living in a trailer I used to burn candles inside of two clay pots to stay warm. It definitely wasn't the equivalent of a fireplace but it makes a huge difference.
I live in North Dakota, so I thought I knew a lot and this video wasn't gonna teach me much. Was I wrong! Overconfidence can kill you, I'm glad you posted this video. Great info.
I live up north in Ontario Canada. Right now its -4 F, about -21C so it's really cold right now. I've been prepping now for about 2 months. I can only do so much since I don't have much money. But what these videos HAVE done is teach me WHERE and WHAT I need to buy to be ready. -- One thing I want to get is one of those camping water purifiers like from KATADYNE. At least in winter up here we have snow, which once melted is a water source. If electricity is down, that's where that water filtration device will come in handy, and will double as a key component in my BUGOUT bag if I had to vacate my apartment. Mike
Yep, newspaper too. My weather insulation on my doors wasn't quite as good as I thought, I tucked folded newspaper into the drafts like a Dickens novel or something. It worked, though. Also used Saran Wrap, bubble wrap, and duct tape to block the massive draft from my poorly installed over-stove microwave.
I have seen people live through 0° winters under a bridge in refrigerator boxes. As long as they stay dry they work great. If you seal them in plastic you can also suffocate. You need a little air hole somewhere.
@@innergoof19 Got a whole shed full plus a covered pile outside that wont fit in the shed right now. If I find myself injured and unable to cut wood then that is what my 2 Son's are for😉
@@roux5044 Maybe I was trying to reply to someone else, but yeah my comment makes no sense. I'm too tired to go back and look at who I was trying to reply to. Sorry man.
Advice from Alaska, good sleeping bags (-35), and a Mr. Heater. • We deal with 40 and 60 below temperatures all the time. I think we have antifreeze running throughout our bodies 😆
I can't even imagine. I've spent time looking at building considerations from Alaska bc I believe we are entering a solar minimum. I learned quite a bit about how crown molding is attached, hairdryers at entrances, and your high-quality windows. You have to be a hardy bunch of people to live there and I respect that.
I survived Dallas freezing temperatures with sleeping in my closet with some candles 🕯... I'm so lucky I was prepared with a big box full of candles and extra food and water bottles 🙏 😇 👌
I'm 100% off the grid. I use a wood burning stove (M1941 military multifuel stove) for heat and cooking during winter months. Solar power for lights and electric. Propane / electric fridges. ( rv pulls) And internal water tank w/RV water pump and rv instant hot water heater that has dc (d size battery igniter) and compost toilet.
Also, if you live in apartment building, be prepared to quickly evacuate the building. If a bunch of the tenets are trying to start fires to keep warm, the risk of a building fire will increase substantially
I was without electricity for 3 days in Houston. We had just bought the house and it is all electric and we had not yet bought a generator. Never expected to experience that kind of cold. Wish I had prepared, but i am prepared for the next one. :-)
October 2021 and the algorithm is heavy with this recommendation even though I watched this video 10 months ago. I'm in Southeast Louisiana and while we usually have mild winters, I can feel it in my bones that this winter will be epic. I pray many will take heed and prepare accordingly.
@@MrJonrocker I only mentioned it, having been poor and cold in new England before. It works! Always assume the fire is going to kill you, and take precautions. Caveat emptor. Good luck :)
If you have a heat source externally that you can't bring in (charcoal grill, gas grill but no heater to use the gas with, or the capability to have a fire outside) consider what value you can get out of them. Can you make hot food that will bring in enough warmth to justify opening the doors? Boiling up a gallon of soup in a dutch oven on a fire built from scrap wood, branches, old furniture, etc might not only let you cook on an outdoor fire for a warm meal, but bring in a huge chunk of hot iron (once you eat out the soup, let the empty iron get super hot and set it on bricks/tiles inside and it will radiate heat for a long time). You can fill it with rocks or sand to get extra heat storage, but make sure there is no biomass in that or else it will smolder and produce CO gas. If you know that things might get bad, set your heat up before the storm and get your heat stored in the floors, walls, etc. Fill up containers, tubs, etc with hot water up to and right after the power goes out. Thermal mass is your friend and that water will be useful for drinking, cooking, and flushing toilets later. Now is the time for disposable plates, etc to keep the dishes to a minimum. Think small and concentrate your family into a single room - small spaces will stay warmer from body heat. Watch little ones closely. They are more prone to overheating, sweating, and then getting chilled.
One basic thing I heard last year when an ice storm was predicted was simply to run your furnace and heat your house into the 70's while you still have power. If you are just at 68 when the power fails you will never get it above that. It will at least delay the need to go to other heating methods and it may be easier to maintain a warmer temperature than to heat air that is already cold. In a shorter outage of several hours to a day or so, this could make a big difference.
I keep place at 74-78F while not at work in the winter (Michigan). I used to live in Florida for a long while and hate being cold. Needless to say, I have a serious stay warm plan with lots of back up to the backups.
@@wmluna381 Laughing. We used to keep the thermostat at 72 before I really insulated the place and got triple pane windows and dealt with drafts and I remember feeling cold at 72. Now, my house is pretty warm at 60. No drafts at all. The windows helped because triple pane you can put your hand on them and they don't get hot or cold. I needed windows. I didn't know it but the windows were gradually falling down and I had a gap at the top and others wouldn't open. Most poor people can't afford new windows but they might be able to afford to do one room.
@@wishingb5859 Good to know about the triple pane windows should I ever be in the market. I like having sunlight come into my rooms and seeing the outdoors as well so I just take the hit on the electric bill for now. 😏 💰 I do have an interior area away from any walls facing the outside where I can readily seal the kitchen, main bath, and main hallway from the rest of the house super easy. I do have a tent and all the extras for using that as an extra microclimate in the dining room right next to the kitchen, but we can all fit/sleep in the hallway area if need be. I have a double layer of bubble wrap and 6 mil plastic sheeting set aside to go over the 3 balcony glass sliders, worst case scenario. I am amazed that you can feel reasonably warm at 60 F degrees though. Maybe there is eventual hope for me...AND my electric bill. 😆
Sounds like a "camp out" until you actually experience it. That stored canned food and water becomes a solid block of ice if you have to live this way for an entire winter. There is no way to do dishes. A large propane tank if lucky enough to have one, costs 25.00 and lasts for only a day heating the one room. Layers of clothes seem like they will do the trick, but I had on 2 pair of pants, 3 shirts, a coat, hat, gloves, thermal socks, and hiking shoes, and I was STILL COLD. It was -25 and we had done many of these things while caring for a hospice family member. We need to think of EXTREME weather and LONG TERM to REALLY be "prepared".
Getting a zero degree down sleeping bag will help. I need to buy a few more. I have one for myself but it would be good to have a couple to share with others if necessary. I still have some cold weather gear from my military days.
You need to install a wood stove. My father in law heats his whole house with a wood stove. A 2 story fairly large house. I'm not even sure he has a way to heat it besides that. He's in upstate New York so it doesn't get much worse in the continental US.
Small heat sources are the unsung heroes of staying comfy. Back when I went on an extended rv trip through the southwest during the winter, I had tall candles in glass jars that were stuck down with museum putty for safety. Burning them during the chilly desert evenings provided light, heat, and cheeriness aplenty in the small area of my RV without using up any battery capacity.
I was 16 and lived in a car through the winters of 77 and 78 in Cincinnati. I had a big wind up alarm clock to wake me up to go to school, and a sleeping bag. I’d wake up in the morning and there’d be a very thick coating of ice on the inside of the windows, but it kind of insulated me. It’s not always comfortable, but it can be done.
I endured the same winter as you and 777 gate thick ice no heat in our house and go over to my grandma's to warm up through the day and sleep with my doberman pinscher at night
I’ve been watching your channel for about 2-3 years now and i just want to say thanks I live in Houston,Tx where we just experienced a winter storm like no other but thanks to your awesome videos I was more prepared than most I applied everything I ever learned and survived so thank you and don’t stop 🙌🏾😭
On my channel, where I ACTUALLY tried the tealight thing, the air became waxy-scented and unbreathable in under 30 minutes. Also it wouldn't even cook an egg in one small pan. Use cooking chafers. They burn clean.
@@jameseverett4976 They're basically aluminum cans full of methanol gel or gelled alcohol or other fuel with a wick on top. It's like a giant liquid candle that puts off 290-420 watts for 2-6 hours. They're used to keep large tins of food warm at catered buffets.
I was stuck in latin america bc the airports were closed. I was so shocked by the situation n i would cry at the photos of ppls homes n dire situations. I remember asking where the heck the govt was with aid in all forms. Im glad you made it. Your state is my cautionary tale n why im buying things as though itll happen here since we know they aren't maintaining our infrastructure. Glad tidings to you and yours. Assalamu alaykum peace be unto you. -Your fam in Oklahoma😊
My sister in TX was lucky: her natural gas free standing heater still worked. I also got her into buying lots of food for emergencies, so she did not go hungry and she still had faucet water because she let it slowly drip.
Yes that yes that would work or couldn't they just take some hot rocks and place them around their kidneys and their feet and one under their neck and bundle up
On of the things that helped me a lot during Snowpocolyps this past February that I found very valuable was a couple of oil lamps. They provide light and a surprising amount of heat too. If you can find a small grill that will fit above it with the glass globe removed and you can also cook or heat water too at the same time. 5 gallons of lamp oil or Kerosene will keep a couple of oil lamps going for days!
My goodness. I remember when I was young in Indiana when we lost power in the winter. My parents would put a mattress on the floor of the kitchen and hang blankets over the doors. Very good advice!!👍
Probably the kitchen was the warmest room. Kids sleeping together would be warmer. Mattress blocks cold air from floor. I don't know, but maybe because it worked & she was a smart woman. God bless.
Correct . I have a little 55lbs pitty . He loves to curl up between me and wife at night. Plus if anyone decides to pay a “unannounced” visit?? They will quickly find my little guy “attached” to their unannounced arm!! Warmth and great protection!!! Win win.
Knowledge is power... Watching your videos reminds me that “I can do this”- this is not rocket science, but to pre think and prepare... everything should go more smoothly ( just like a fire drill) ... Love your videos!!! You must feel pretty good knowing that you are helping your fellow man... God bless you, sir! Blessed be the name of the Lord...
My thoughts exactly Cindy. I always leave comments to him to let him know his efforts are greatly appreciated. And you're right, he actually MAKES it easy by showing how to do it gradually, bit by bit. I've been storing freeze dried food from camping stores about 2 months ago. I ALREADY have enough to keep me eating well for 2 weeks and I'm not stopping there :) OH GEEEZ I almost forgot to add more water to my grocery list for tomorrow :D Mike
@Debbie Voice from Australia Pajamas made from bamboo will help keep you cool. Also we Americans love our air conditioning and ice in our drinks to help keep us cool.
I live in the beachie creek fire zone, as a result our power grid is still damaged. I had over 40 days of no service since last November... I live at a high elevation and get plenty of snow... I've stocked firewood, pellets, propane, gas, generator and have a well , cistern and creek for water with a few hundred gallons of drinking water stored. I ran battery and solar string led string lights in every room along with candles and lanterns. At this point in Oregon grid failure is a normal occurrence. I got this .
Had a man run into a power pole here in Missouri on Thanksgiving Day. Power was out for 4 hours! Half cooked turkey in the oven. I got out my cb player and a old cassette player i had music. Power was back on before dark so no need for flashlights. The rest of the family was bored.
That is the reason I keep magazines, books, playing cards, uno cards, and board games around. In case of a power outage everyone will have something to do. I have sudoku and word search books I picked up at the dollar store. Paint ing supplies and canvas boards. Things kids can make a collage with.
Big Buddy propane heaters are great for a grid down situation. I have two that I've used several times. I use 20 lb.propane grill bottles and a 10 foot hose with a back up bottle for each. This year I invested in a 100 lb bottle and a divider valve to attach both stoves to if need be. Back in the 60's and 70's we used 100 lb. bottles for our kitchen stove. We usually lose power once or twice a year with the longest period being 3 days after an ice storm. I used to use a kerosene stove for Back up, but with them the danger of carbon monoxide is increased. Which is why I switched to the Big Buddy heaters.
Two things I would add: doing some light calisthenics will help everyone stay warm. And if it's not safe to cook inside, you can heat something outdoors on a fire or grill and then bring it into your home for the children and elderly. Like water for a hot water bottle.
If you are building a fire outside, go old school and heat up rocks. they can retain a ton of heat so if you bring them inside they will heat the room for a long time.
@@kertas1991111 Absolutely. Hot water in water bottles or even pots with lids (to cut down on humidity inside) also works. Mass storage of heat, released over time, without harmful CO or CO2. Instead of calisthenics, go find & cut wood for your fire, it will warm you twice.
Look into hay boxes. You can bring soup to boil on heat outside then finish cooking in hay box inside. Newest version would be the Wonder bag. God bless.
You're talking about the ceramic pots with the hole in the bottom, right? That seems like the logical answer, so if I had to think about that, there's guaranteed to be others who wouldn't know.
@@NeverMetTheGuy 👍🏼 My apologizes for failing to explain that in better detail. Set the candle on a surface that can take heat & put a small to medium ceramic or clay pot upside down on top of it. The hole in the bottom will allow O2 in to keep the flame going & the pot will heat up in a few minutes to help amplify the heat. Small tea light candles are the best for this. 3 wick candles also put off quite a bit of heat. I heat the inside of my SUV with 2 - 3 of them set on the floor in front of the drivers seat at lunchtime during the winter so I don’t have to idle. On a 20 degree day I can get the inside temp to about 50 degrees in under 30 minutes.
I only hope and pray some of the folks affected by the recent back to back snow storms and frigid weather hammering the US had an opportunity to watch this and plan well in advance...because as of the time of this writing (2/17/2021) there's a world of hurt and death due to the abnormal wicked weather affecting states across the nation.....Thanks for the heads up and all you do...stay well.
We purchased 100' x 16' greenhouse plastic to go around the upper and lower wrap-around porches to have in case of a long power outage. The idea came about trying to figure out how our 2 African Grey's and cockatoo would be able to get light and warmth during a long winter (EMF) situation. A couple of months ago when the residue of a hurricane came thru our area and the power was out for over a week...we realized that the room where the birds live in the basement would be gloomy...day and night. We were just going to cover an area for them...but, decided it might be an added barrier for the house also. We have conventional heat during normal times/wood heat for emergencies...the wood heater in the basement would keep their area warm enough to survive...but the plastic would make it better so they could get outside during the winter on good days...I hope this works. Or really I hope and pray we never have to give it a try ; ) . We have had them for over 25 years...to do it over...we never would have purchased them...they have had a good life with us...but, not as good as they would have had if they were free. Anyway, they are our babies and we love them and have to think of them too in this crazy mess.
“Big Buddy” propane heaters. They take 2 of the small propane bottles or you can get a hose adapter to use your gas grill cylinder. Big Buddies are on sale for $99 through the end of today at Tractor Supply ($30 off) Kerosene heaters are another idea. CO/smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are a definite.
He didn't mention the fact you just brought up which I agree with, I don't think candles will not cut it when it's -5 and the windchill is -15 or -20. Propane, kerosene, or a woodburner is the only way to survive a long term power outage in a harsh winter with a grid down. FEMA won't be there to save any of us. My friend you have the right idea.
Even the normal "Buddy" that just takes the one camp bottle (and, yes, get a hose for your grill tank and make sure you always have at least one, full spare tank for your grill) will keep the chill off an apartment. It won't make you warm (unless you close it up in a small room like a bathroom), but it will keep you above freezing and go twice as long on the gas. After all, the warmer you get it the less efficient your fuel use is. Each degree up takes about a third more energy than the degree before it. For shorter term, the comfort may be worth it, but if you are looking like you will be going for duration, keep the heat sources low and constant for as long as you can.
@@1erinjames Bought a brass fitting/adapter to re-fill 1 pounders off a larger cylinder. Unlikely I’ll do it often however prefer to have the ability to do such.
@@PaEMT_FF9 You are far better off getting the tube and adapters to run your things off of the grill sized tanks that are meant to be refilled. Cost to result is just so much better. The only benefits to the small bottles is in their size/portability which might matter when you are camping, but they are too heavy for bugging out unless you are still on vehicles (negating their value against the larger ones again). If you have propane for your home already, having a means to use your big tank is also worthwhile - whether that is a stove burner, fireplace insert, or the pipe and fittings to run something like a Buddy or camp stove off of it. Of course, make sure you know how to do it without blowing your house up. Soapy water is your friend.
All good tips. Something else to be aware of, however, is the buildup of CO2 (carbon dioxide) from a number of people huddled together in one or two rooms that are tightly sealed. Add to that the reduction in oxygen, due to breathing, as well as those candles and other burners, and you're setting up a really unhealthy environment. It's crucial to continue to have air exchange. There is a formula for the cubic feet of air exchange per person, per hour, to prevent CO2 toxicity (hypercapnia or hypercarbia).
I live in central Oklahoma and my family always made fun of my blanket collection. That is until the October 2020 Ice Storm and the Deep Freeze of 2021. I was lucky enough to bug out during the worst of the power outages during both, but the rest of the time, I could get the air temp in my blanket fort in the mid 70s with just body heat. One of the saving graces was that my house has a crawlspace foundation. Since the ground didnt freeze, it radiated enough heat to keep the house at a balmy mid 40sF even without a lot of insulation (rental house in a not so great area). Since these experiences, I've gotten a lot more cold weather preps ready for next winter. After experiencing power outages in both summer (tornados) and winter (ice), I prefer winter if I had to choose. There's only so much clothing you can shed without getting arrested! Much love from Oklahoma!
Good video. Solid information. Thank you. If I may add. Number 1 overlooked is no alcohol! It feels like it warms you but it actually lowers your body temperature. An excellent window insulator is bubble wrap. The air bubbles greatly insulate the window areas. Also on exterior door frames. Tape over the window frame, tape the bubble wrap to the tape and the damage to paint is minimized when the crisis is over. Also, put blankets over door frames from room to room and let them hang. They will significantly slow the exchange of hot and cold air. If you have a gas stove, use your stove and/or oven for heating water in large stock pots. The higher humidity helps warm the room also. And the hot water will help heat the room for some time. I have gas but an electric stove. My work around is a tri-fuel generator. Runs on gasoline, propane and natural gas. I start it on gasoline and let it run on the natural gas. Have a transfer switch to run my stove and living room outlets. Use stove as needed and space heater in the living room with all other doors blocked off with blankets. Also make sure your pets are looked after. Dog beds insulate them from the cold floor.
I have wool long johns. I converted them from a lightweight 100% wool sweater. It helped immensely when I lived in a 100 year old mansion with 12’ ceilings. Even with the heat on, I couldn’t get it above 55 degrees.
I have PVC pipes and they don't do well in a freeze. About three years ago, I didn't drip my faucets and didn't run the bathroom heater. BIG mistake as the pipes burst in about a dozen places in the bathroom. I learned the hard way to drip those faucets when it goes below freezing for very long but also check them from time to time, a dripping faucet my stop running as it gets colder. Also, if you live alone but have a dog or cat, you are each others heater under the blankets.
If you are a woman trying to stay warm, it is important to make sure your lower back is covered. Wear an undershirt or camisole and tuck it in. It makes a world of difference in holding in body heat.
I pray after being in snow country for 40 + yrs, I don't have to go back to it, an can retire to a beach, like "KEY WEST" for the winter, thx for the vid.
I learned an awesome trick watching videos and that is to heat water up, put in large coke bottles, then put in or under sleeping bag or blankets for a cozy warm invironment like a heating blanket! Just be careful not to burn yourself on the hot water!
This happened to me when a polar vortex hit... was sorely unprepared! I have now taken steps to keep that from happening again but your video has given me a couple of ideas.
Have two (2) tents. For example have a 2 person tent and place that tent inside a 4-6 person tent. The larger 4-6 person tent provides more insulation around the smaller 2 person tent for sleeping comfort. If you have more than 2 persons, establish a sleep rotation system.
I never hear people talking about this...i have lots of cool stuff to keep us well lit, warm and fed, but I have debilitating ADHD and I'm not very organized. Anything I might need for camping or whatever gets taken out and not always put back in the same spot. It's a REAL HASSLE to try to find your flashlight, find your charger, find a funnel for your lamp, find the cigarette lighter adapter for your 12v batteries, in the dark, when you're cold, you just woke up, etc. (I have my lights and chargers in the same exact place 360 days of the year but the other 5 days i set them somewhere weird) I had to do a lot (in the dark, freezing) to have safe flat surfaces to set hot stuff on for instance. Our place is small and has very little counter space, so we keep stuff like the instant pot or whatever on it. Moving things around, having dog toys on the ground, having wet laundry in the washer, etc., it's all a MUCH BIGGER DEAL when you can't see very well and it's freezing and you're mad lol. I never thought I'd have to worry about needing to call in to work because I didn't have clean clothes because of a power outage. It's a good idea to take care of all that stuff ahead of time if you know there's a storm coming. I do my laundry on the weekend and the outage started just before that. Also, take a shower as late as possible lol I know "keep surfaces clear" sounds obvious to people with more space but it takes a lot of work to find a place for everything in small spaces, and it's not everyone's forte. I didn't grow up having to plan for evacuation or hurricanes, or anything like that, so it never occurred to me that I should do laundry or other chores before it snows. That's not a thing here. We had never even had a power outage more than a few hours long before. They usually only happen from car accidents and occasionally a fallen tree.
I ordered Reflectix a thin insulator for such a situation. Huge roll to encapsulate my main spaces. I always recommend Luci lights for families with young children bc they can't shatter and they won't increase the risk of fires. They last for years and are easily charged from an inside window. They make great stocking stuffers for Christmas. Everyone loves them, even non-preppers.
I set up my place to be self sufficient some years ago. When the power was knocked out two years ago, it didn't effect me at all. It was great, no generators, no cold, no bother. Best investment I ever did. This a great video for those in the average situation.
@@Livetoeat171 Basically, synthetic, or wool if you've got it. You want the moisture away from your skin before it dries or gets cold. You also want multiple thin layers, rather than a single thick one, so you can adjust your insulation if you start sweating.
Mountain N. I would assume non cotton if they say don't use cotton. I have seen 90 below 0 a few times in the Arctic regions. Cotton is the chiller killer. But, I love to wear it in hot weather.
Chemical hand warmers really help in a sleeping bag to keep feet warm. Some of the really do last 8 hours, makes it a much better sleep. If you have a blow up mattress, blow it up with your breath , right before tucking in for the night. The heat from your breath in the mattress will help keep you warm too.
Electric radiator heaters are great if you will have a generator running. Like you said, pick a room, have tarps, plastic, etc. Layer the room so when you have to leave there are sections to reduce heat loss. Lay blankets on the floor to reduce heat loss. Electric hand warmers, even better lighter fluid burning hand warmers last as long as 12hrs. Make a big room small start with plastic or tarps and continue with heavier layers like blankets, beach towels etc as you get to the center. If freezing is a true possibility then every degree of warmth that can be maintained is critical.
One of my preps is a corded phone. Of course it is only useful if you still have a LAN line. Being able to call for help is a priority especially if you are older
I'm so grateful for your channel & the info you share. I live in the suburbs, but the vast majority of your info greatly applies in spite of this. Thanks!
MREs are awesome during power outage as long as you have water on hand: they come with this chemical pouch that will heat your food piping hot when water is added! Also, have all family members sleep in the same room with vulnerable people sandwiched in between or sharing sleeping bags.
@@DW-vi6kg YES! I should have mentioned that! Thank you for picking up on that! Vapors released by activated heater contain hydrogen, a flammable gas. Do not place an open flame in the vapor! Vapors released by activated heater can displace oxygen. Hot water leakage can burn and cause a cold- weather injury. After heating, the heater bag and MRE pouch will be very hot. Use caution when removing MRE pouch from bag. Discard heater and bag after use. Do not drink the water remaining in the bag or use it in food items.
I purchased the 3 wick candles from the dollar store. They can get pretty warm if you seal off the room, plus I just grabbed a Mr. Buddy heater so hopefully we're set.
We live near Chicago. We had so many of these, we never bought a freezer. We have extra blankets, pillows, duct tape, and green plants. Lots of candles, matches, etc. Tina
A hot water bottle to sleep with is wonderful! Normally I use very hot tap water and that is hot enough. The water can be reheated and reused when electricity is out. Use emergency heat source to heat the water. The bottle does not need to be full. I got a bottle for each family member.
if a part of your property has a flat roof like mine....make sure you remove excess snow...snow is heavy and the last thing you need is your flat roof collapsing under the weight.
So very incredibly helpful and thank you. We have, as 2 seniors, been prepping for 2 months. Last winter an ice storm took out power here for 3 days. Ugh. The basement was warmer than the one level upstairs. We had saved toilet water and had gallons of drinking water, since we on a deep Well. Anyway, it was certainly a wake up call. Again, thank you so much.
Thank you very much for sharing. I've listened to your channel for 6 months. I think of prepping as being ' proactive. I am so grateful for my military background.
During the big ice storm in Northeastern US and in Canada in the late 1990’s, we had no power for a long time (a week for us, but several weeks for our Canadian neighbors). Because the temperatures created rain rather than snow, we bought large trash barrels which we placed under the eves of the roof and collected huge amounts of rainwater in the clean barrels for use in washing dishes, flushing toilets, etc. If someone has only old, used, trash barrels, they could put trash bags in them before collecting rainwater. It worked well for us, and we had all the water we needed.
Having a large thermos full of hot water will keep one from having to use fuel to continually heat water. You can use the water for instant coffee, tea, hot cocoa, ramen noodles, dehydrated camping foods etc
@@dthainyes, not as in quantity of persons but as in oneself. I suppose I could have said, "... will keep you from having to use..." and, of course, more thermoses are ok as well. 😉
I used to truck camp in all kinds of weather. I had a 3 in. foam pad with a piece of carpet on it that was amazing. I would sleep in shorts and a tee shirt in a zero degree bag with my jackets and whatever else was loose stacked on top of me. I never got cold. I would keep sweat pants and a hoodie in the bag with me to keep them warm in case I had to get up in the middle of the night and shoes under the side of my bag. If it was super cold I covered the windows with cardboard at night. I hope no one ever dies again because of something like what happened in Texas. I found that as long as I got good sleep at night I could deal better with whatever I had to do during the day. If I were in that situation and had kids I would have my kids in a tent with me in the house "play camping" with them to be sure they would not freeze also. Whatever it takes. We used to loose power a lot in the winter when I was a kid. Every time the weather turned bad my mom would fill the tub so we could flush and a bunch of buckets for drinking water as a preparation for what might happen, because it happened so often. It doesn't hurt to be prepared. We had a wood stove and we cooked on in many times for many years in those bad winters. Bacon and eggs for dinner many times. Snow and ice to wash the pans. It works great when thats all there is.
Freezing is a tragic and unfortunate way to suffer in a winter situation and many people do perish in these situations unfortunately it's such a tragedy what's going on these days all human life is special
I just bought one of the large barrel kerosene heaters, about 23,000 BTU. Man that thing cranks out heat! Just get a couple of those with a bunch of 5 gallon cans of 1K kerosene and you'll be all set. I just ran it in my basement for about an hour, went from being chilly, probably in the 60s to about 80F in just an hour. Be sure to keep some kind of a heat source by your pipes, most water pipes will burst after freezing, I see it all the time in areas with extended power outages.
If you're using an oven or fireplace put smooth rocks in a Dutch oven and warm up the pot. They'll stay warm for hours and once it's cool enough you could even sleep next to it.
My wife and I have a saying. 2 is 1 and 1 is none. The Mr. Buddy heaters are amazing and can easily be converted to run on 5gal tanks. We have a dozen different sources of heat.
It’s 0 degrees in Dallas Texas and the grid has been down the last 24 hours for most of the area. My friends house was 30 degrees inside and she is in her closet in a mountain of blankets when I picked her up. I bought a house two blocks from a small hospital and fire station so I have electricity for now. Watching this just in case.
@@joyaustin6581 I watch the Canadian Prepper and City Prepper channels on RU-vid and I have learned a lot. I feel well prepared for emergency issues. I wish more people would work at preparedness because my house is full of family members & friends that go on expensive vacations, buy expensive clothes but apparently don’t have the ability to cook food without electricity or have firewood and flashlights.
