Homeless people survive the winter by burning whatever they can find in a 55 gallon drum. Your best bet is to find you a wood stove of some kind, some metal sheeting to sit it on and some stove pipe with a damper and an elbow and a raincap. If you must, take a window from your home and stand the stove next to it. Get a sheet of plywood or some other material like metal sheeting and cut a hole in it the size of your stove pipe. Nail this to the place where you removed the window. Now go inside and lay the metal sheeting on the floor and set your stove on top and as far away from the wall as possible. Then start adding your stove pipe. Make sure you have enough pipe to go out and then add the elbow to bring it up and then place your raincap on top. Secure the pipe with some metal banding to the wood sheeting or metal sheeting. You may want to go inside and to the wall behind the stove and add some fireproof sheeting just to be on the safe side.
This is for those people who do not have chimneys. My brother-in-law did this in a mobile home he lived in and it heated his home pretty well. He had woods all around him and cut the firewood he needed. Just make sure that everything is safe and secure so as not to start a fire. If anyone has any better suggestions, please let us know. This is all I have. Just make sure you're not somewhere where they want to check building code.
All of these. I'd add a hat, even indoors, even to bed. And double socks. If feet get sweaty, put on new pairs. If your head and feet are warm, you'll feel warmer all over.
Oh take a brisk walk now and then or do some chores. That will get the blood running and warm you up too.
Go to amazon for ideas and if you don't want to buy from them, search other places. Also, if you have an army navy story near by, you might get even better deals on stuff like wool blankets.
Stay warm, fren!! Keep moving, if you have to. Survive and Spring will come again. All the best to you.
OP, other anons have given you good counsel. Please let me add:
A. Obtain a generator (3000 watt or better) that can be fueled with fuel that can be replenished and made readily available. Diesel? Kerosene? Gasoline? Propane?
B. Obtain at least one 50 ft drop cord (14 gauge minimum; 12 gauge even better)
C. Obtain at least 2, 12v car-batteries that can be connected in parallel. Learn now how to connect the batteries in parallel and how to charge the batteries with the generator. Be sure not to OVERCHARGE the batteries. Learn now how to calculate how many watt-hours of power the batteries can supply at 'such-and-such' power demand (or just look it up on the web).
D. Obtain an inverter (change DC into AC voltage), capable of supplying at least 50 watts AC (2000 watts inverters for less than 50 bucks; many of them use 12v DC as an input; check your labels)
E. Obtain mattress warmer to suit your situation (Single? Queen? King? [readily available at most retail outlets; maybe even Pillow Guy] and to fit your favorite mattress. "Heat the bed... not the house" Mattress warmers do not require excessive power but your demand calculations should be rigorous (to help avoid waking up on a cold mattress)
F. Insulate and prepare at least one room for habitation &/or sleeping. You MUST have fresh air in this space. Choose the air inlet/exhaust carefully. Others have given you good guidance for heating.
G. Obtain and learn how to operate a battery powered, mulitband radio or an emergency, hand-charged radio. If you know any ham-operators, re-connect with them now and offer them favors for their communications abilities.
H. Prepare containers of potable water to keep unfrozen in your inhabited space. Round up, clean and fill all the containers you can manage. Prepare to melt snow for drinking. Save your excreted water and use for toilet flushing (just hold your nose and pour it into the toilet bowl. It doesn't have to go into the flush-tank). Obviously, do NOT allow the bathroom fixtures to freeze.
DO NOT run the generator at night or while sleeping. Charge the batteries with the generator during the DAY or, whenever you are NOT sleeping. Hide the generator at night or during sleep periods. Remember that the car-batteries will 'out-gas' some little bit so, they cannot be located too close to a sleeping area. They need ventilation also but DO NOT let the batteries freeze.
Learn now how to connect the mattress warmer to the inverter/battery power-supply. The mattress warmer probably will be AC and your instructions can help you calculate how much wattage will be needed per hour of use (or just look it up on the web). Electric blankets can be helpful but are NOT as useful in deep cold as a mattress warmer. Mattress warmers may become your best friends.
Learn now how to operate a fire extinguisher and keep at least one handy, just in case. Buckets of sand can help if nothing else is available.
ABOVE ALL, remember that God loves you and He is concerned for your well being. ASK HIM for His protection, guidance and presence. It's okay that we are ignorant. However, it is FOOLISH not to ask for wisdom and for connection to others of His Children who may be more knowledgeable than ourselves. Amen.
Dont know about your surroundings but we are in the country and just bought a wood stove. If you cant do the wood stove get a few cans of Karosene and a karosene heater they work great and have the safety so they dont fall over. You should be able to get that at any hardware store.
I live in he bitterly called region in Winter as well. In addition to wood burning stoves there are also corn burning stoves that you can look into if you want for heat.
And other alternative heat sources that you can look at.
I heard castles like the ones in medieval times let the livestock in like the post 4-5 dog night says. The other thing they did was hang huge tapestries on the walls as a form of insulation. Rugs are still cheap so IDK get some I guess before they are gone if you like the suggestion. I know it is weird. Um those curtains Scrooge had same deal apparently. They also had bed warmers which were metal that they would put coal in and it would just sort of radiate heat but it was slightly dangerous as sparks were known to leap out and ignite bed covers... water bottle will work in a pinch if you can still heat the water.
If you lose power and heat, I would suggest you have the following preparations made:
Alternate method of heat production that is not dependant on working utilities.
Sufficient warm clothing or blankets to survive the timespan you are without heat or utilities.
Stored water or access to a reliable reasonably clean water source of sufficient quantity to allow you to filter, purify, drink, and cook throughout the timespan where the power might remain out.
Appropriate tools to allow for cooking food using the least amount off cooking fuel.
For #3 and #4, I would suggest looking into a Kelly Kettle and or a rocket stove which both make excellent use of heat produced by small fires (such as twigs).
I was reading a little info that indicated that Indians use to put rocks into fires and heat the up. I don't know how long rocks retain heat, but seems like one could take the heated rocks and put in sleeping bag, or under covers to help stay warm.
IF you don't have a wood burning stove then choose what is traditionally the warmest /best insulated room. Tack up blankets on the walls. Cover the window with a blanket at night (use commercially available window insulators BEFORE the lights go out). Heavy blankets and/or temp rated sleeping bags. Hand warmers, foot warmers, and body warmers - LOTS of them! Wool cap, socks, and mittens. The clay pot, loaf pan, and tea lights does take the edge off the cold in a small space. Be mindful not bundle up so much that you begin to sweat as you will end up colder. OR move to a warmer climate! Lol
Others have already covered most of my suggestions but I'd like to add:
Buy a case of tea lights. In addition to being a light source, if you're in a small space, you can put one in an empty can and create a makeshift heater.
Also, if you're ever forced to spend the night in your vehicle during freezing temperatures in an emergency situatiom, one tealight burning on the dashboard will generate enough heat to keep you from freezing. Just make sure you've got it seated properly and don't put it anywhere it can fall/be knocked over.
Survivorman has an episode about this. He experiments with various candles and finds that some of them help, some of them don't. I believe it's Norway or Sweden if you're interested in looking it up.
I'd go with fire
I choose this guy as my teammate!
A little primitive but it works.
Put up a tent inside your house if a single room is too big to heat.
This is actually a really good idea I never thought of before. A small tent will get significantly warmer with body heat alone.
fucking genius. no really ... this is.
Wood stove install. I’d do it yesterday.
And screw the EPA rules. Make it work good and hot. But don't burn down your house, you nob.
Insert with blower is the only way to be efficient.. I had a pellet stove for 9 years (great investment) for a small house ! Since been sold (house)
4-5?dog night 🤣
Homeless people survive the winter by burning whatever they can find in a 55 gallon drum. Your best bet is to find you a wood stove of some kind, some metal sheeting to sit it on and some stove pipe with a damper and an elbow and a raincap. If you must, take a window from your home and stand the stove next to it. Get a sheet of plywood or some other material like metal sheeting and cut a hole in it the size of your stove pipe. Nail this to the place where you removed the window. Now go inside and lay the metal sheeting on the floor and set your stove on top and as far away from the wall as possible. Then start adding your stove pipe. Make sure you have enough pipe to go out and then add the elbow to bring it up and then place your raincap on top. Secure the pipe with some metal banding to the wood sheeting or metal sheeting. You may want to go inside and to the wall behind the stove and add some fireproof sheeting just to be on the safe side.
This is for those people who do not have chimneys. My brother-in-law did this in a mobile home he lived in and it heated his home pretty well. He had woods all around him and cut the firewood he needed. Just make sure that everything is safe and secure so as not to start a fire. If anyone has any better suggestions, please let us know. This is all I have. Just make sure you're not somewhere where they want to check building code.
Watch a YouTube video first.
I have a couple of these for emergency indoor heating - sorry for Walmart link but they are WAY cheaper on these than anywhere else Ive seen.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mr-Heater-MH9BX-9000-BTU-Propane-Portable-Buddy-Heater-MH9BX/55234301?
Holy cow, those things have tripled in price! We bought a couple a few years ago and that’s what we paid for both together! They work great!
We use one for camping. Works great!
I bough mine about 4 years ago - think they were around $45 then. The 18000 BTU unit is the better deal if you only need to heat one area.
Everything on you link after the ? Question mark is tracking you can just eliminate it and it will still work.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mr-Heater-MH9BX-9000-BTU-Propane-Portable-Buddy-Heater-MH9BX/55234301?
Well if you do that make sure you have adequate ventilation otherwise he'd die from carbon monoxide poisoning instead of freezing to death.
They are indoor rated - guess you did not read the specs:
No I didn't know they had anything like that it might be something for me to consider
Look into clay pot/candle heaters. In a small space they can make a difference.
https://www.skilledsurvival.com/clay-pot-candle-heater/ At the end of this article he talks about upgrading to sterno and bigger clay pots, too.
A furry dog that likes to cuddle.
Lol……got four of those!
-Stay away from cotton if you're active and outside.
-Wear Layers
-Neoprene or Gortex socks
Just these 3 things will help tons.
My experience? 2 Canadian winters as a bike messenger at -20°c daily average 8-9 Hrs a day 3/4 days a week.
You get used to it after a while
All of these. I'd add a hat, even indoors, even to bed. And double socks. If feet get sweaty, put on new pairs. If your head and feet are warm, you'll feel warmer all over.
Oh take a brisk walk now and then or do some chores. That will get the blood running and warm you up too.
Start splitting wood. Buy mylar l blankets.
Glue mylar to old sat dishes, aim them through your windows and let them heat your house.
If you have cast iron they can focus on that and radiate.
If it gets real bad, set parts of your house on fire to stay warm. That'll work for sure
Drive 800 miles south
Super cheap wool blanket.
$16.29 on amazon prime (yeah, I know, amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/EverOne-Olive-Drab-Retardant-Blanket/dp/B07P1DBLRX/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=outdoor+blankets+for+bitter+cold&qid=1634604861&sr=8-9 Also, disposable thermal blankets
https://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Safe-Emergency-Thermal-Blankets/dp/B08MHGKMBH/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=outdoor%2Bblankets%2Bfor%2Bbitter%2Bcold&qid=1634604861&sr=8-13&th=1
Go to amazon for ideas and if you don't want to buy from them, search other places. Also, if you have an army navy story near by, you might get even better deals on stuff like wool blankets.
Stay warm, fren!! Keep moving, if you have to. Survive and Spring will come again. All the best to you.
OP, other anons have given you good counsel. Please let me add:
A. Obtain a generator (3000 watt or better) that can be fueled with fuel that can be replenished and made readily available. Diesel? Kerosene? Gasoline? Propane?
B. Obtain at least one 50 ft drop cord (14 gauge minimum; 12 gauge even better)
C. Obtain at least 2, 12v car-batteries that can be connected in parallel. Learn now how to connect the batteries in parallel and how to charge the batteries with the generator. Be sure not to OVERCHARGE the batteries. Learn now how to calculate how many watt-hours of power the batteries can supply at 'such-and-such' power demand (or just look it up on the web).
D. Obtain an inverter (change DC into AC voltage), capable of supplying at least 50 watts AC (2000 watts inverters for less than 50 bucks; many of them use 12v DC as an input; check your labels)
E. Obtain mattress warmer to suit your situation (Single? Queen? King? [readily available at most retail outlets; maybe even Pillow Guy] and to fit your favorite mattress. "Heat the bed... not the house" Mattress warmers do not require excessive power but your demand calculations should be rigorous (to help avoid waking up on a cold mattress)
F. Insulate and prepare at least one room for habitation &/or sleeping. You MUST have fresh air in this space. Choose the air inlet/exhaust carefully. Others have given you good guidance for heating.
G. Obtain and learn how to operate a battery powered, mulitband radio or an emergency, hand-charged radio. If you know any ham-operators, re-connect with them now and offer them favors for their communications abilities.
H. Prepare containers of potable water to keep unfrozen in your inhabited space. Round up, clean and fill all the containers you can manage. Prepare to melt snow for drinking. Save your excreted water and use for toilet flushing (just hold your nose and pour it into the toilet bowl. It doesn't have to go into the flush-tank). Obviously, do NOT allow the bathroom fixtures to freeze.
ALWAYS have a massive down jacket and plenty of blankets.
step 1 find big tree
step 2 chop big tree
step 3 build fireplace
step 4 fill fireplace and stack remainder outside
step 5 get comfy with frens and watch the show unfold
Dont know about your surroundings but we are in the country and just bought a wood stove. If you cant do the wood stove get a few cans of Karosene and a karosene heater they work great and have the safety so they dont fall over. You should be able to get that at any hardware store.
I live in he bitterly called region in Winter as well. In addition to wood burning stoves there are also corn burning stoves that you can look into if you want for heat.
And other alternative heat sources that you can look at.
I heard castles like the ones in medieval times let the livestock in like the post 4-5 dog night says. The other thing they did was hang huge tapestries on the walls as a form of insulation. Rugs are still cheap so IDK get some I guess before they are gone if you like the suggestion. I know it is weird. Um those curtains Scrooge had same deal apparently. They also had bed warmers which were metal that they would put coal in and it would just sort of radiate heat but it was slightly dangerous as sparks were known to leap out and ignite bed covers... water bottle will work in a pinch if you can still heat the water.
You forgot "Kill a cow, slit open the guts, and climb inside."
or a dead Tauntaun!
Poly one room of your house…stay in there as much as possible use candles or very small fire pot
Be careful
Leave all water taps open..just slow drip to prevent them from freezing and breaking
Plastic bags for the toilet…throw outside..it’s freezing
Urinate in buckets or saved yogurt containers..again..toss oitside it’s freezing
Have bottled water..lottsa canned food
Pray
Huddle with your spouse?
Or a couple of girl friends!!
dig in.. sub surface temperatures 6-8 feet down should average 55-60 all year round
Swap meet blanket. Those blankets are so warm and thick you can survive a nuclear winter
In Nebraska they have corn burning stoves. If you have access to feed corn then it's a cheap way to stockpile energy
If you lose power and heat, I would suggest you have the following preparations made:
For #3 and #4, I would suggest looking into a Kelly Kettle and or a rocket stove which both make excellent use of heat produced by small fires (such as twigs).
Get in your car and drive SOUTH/SOUTHWEST...
Get a fat girl friend.
Lived my entire life in Florida so I can't help.
I was reading a little info that indicated that Indians use to put rocks into fires and heat the up. I don't know how long rocks retain heat, but seems like one could take the heated rocks and put in sleeping bag, or under covers to help stay warm.
Move South :)
Don't come to most populated areas of Florida. Very little inventory available; $400,000+ for a decent home in a safe neighborhood; few rentals
Same here in Texas.
Potbelly. Also plenty of blankets and some books.
Perhaps you could use a kerosene heater. They are inexpensive. Finding the kerosene fuel is the fun part.
A pellet stove night be the answer if you dont have a chimney.
Make a den using your kitchen table and blankets/tarps/insulation/etc.
IF you don't have a wood burning stove then choose what is traditionally the warmest /best insulated room. Tack up blankets on the walls. Cover the window with a blanket at night (use commercially available window insulators BEFORE the lights go out). Heavy blankets and/or temp rated sleeping bags. Hand warmers, foot warmers, and body warmers - LOTS of them! Wool cap, socks, and mittens. The clay pot, loaf pan, and tea lights does take the edge off the cold in a small space. Be mindful not bundle up so much that you begin to sweat as you will end up colder. OR move to a warmer climate! Lol
Others have already covered most of my suggestions but I'd like to add:
Buy a case of tea lights. In addition to being a light source, if you're in a small space, you can put one in an empty can and create a makeshift heater.
Also, if you're ever forced to spend the night in your vehicle during freezing temperatures in an emergency situatiom, one tealight burning on the dashboard will generate enough heat to keep you from freezing. Just make sure you've got it seated properly and don't put it anywhere it can fall/be knocked over.
Survivorman has an episode about this. He experiments with various candles and finds that some of them help, some of them don't. I believe it's Norway or Sweden if you're interested in looking it up.
I'll have to look into that, thank you.