Agree with all listed.
For Believers, don't forget to put a Bible in your go bag or extras to share.
Suggest Iosat tablets in case of nuclear event. Used to be very inexpensive when I got them.,, I may need to get newer ones...I see they have expiration dates!
Oil lamps with a wick are better quality light than candles and would last longer and be lower fire danger. Not expensive, and some oil is odor free.
a battery or crank winding or solar radio that can pick up shortwave to be able to keep an ear out for the news.
Bleach tablets keep longer than liquid bleach, and store in smaller container.
Water filter can be a big Berkey or a very small UV light wand for examples. Keep paper coffee filters with it if you have to strain out visible dirt first.
Also cash, trash bags, dog food, can opener and if power goes out fill the tubs. Drain the pipes if it’s freezing and don’t forget the water heater and toilet tanks have water.
what, no cat food??? or litter or gerbil food or hamsters.....yes, if this goes on for a long time they may not make it, but perhaps we can at least be prepared for a time!
probably should say manual can opener....
Trash bags are a good thought,
and if the power is out and toilets can't flush, one can line the toilet with a large plastic bag, and put kitty litter in it for a short term substitution in urban areas where you can't bury outside.
Layers are key. Wear two pairs of socks. Best to have a thin sock under a thick warm sock. And wear a hat, even inside, even to bed.
Oh, if your feet get sweaty and make your socks damp, put on new socks. You want your feet as warm and dry as possible. I carry extra pairs of socks in my car, backpack, etc.
Oh, I layer to trap heat between the layers. So I layer merino wool, but maybe I don't have to. I can feel the layer of warmth when I pull on that second layer, like a little heater. It's often cold in my house, as low as 40 at night, 55 during the day, so maybe it's only the extreme cases.
Keeping pipes from freezing in frozen weather especially when power is out:
Remove all hoses and adapters from outdoor faucets. Cover the faucets with styrofoam cover (hardware stores sell these) or wrapped tightly with rags or towels.
Know where the water hookup is into the house. Make sure any exposed pipe is wrapped with insulation, especially if it's inside a cold garage or outside. Know how to turn the water off.
Inside, open all the cupboards under sinks. You want to expose the pipes to the room temperature.
Find the faucet farthest away from where it comes into the house. When temp is 32 or below, or forecast to be under 32 at night, drip the water thru the faucet. Drip water that is half cold, half hot so that both sides of the plumbing is used. If the forecast is 20 or below, you can go beyond the drip and have a small stream (pencil lead-sized) running. If the sound of drips drive you crazy, tie a string or piece of yarn at the end of the faucet and guide the water down into the sink. The water will follow the string quietly down into the sink.
If you can't drip water (water source is out), consider turning off the water at the hookup. Then open all the faucets and run as much standing water out of the pipes as possible.
If water is left to sit in pipes and it freezes, the ice will expand inside and can crack the pipe. That's why you want to drip the faucet, to keep the water moving so it won't freeze. If you can't do that, you want to remove as much pressure from inside the pipes as possible. Turning the water off at it's source and keeping the faucets open removes that pressure.
If your pipes do freeze, you don't get damage right away. It's when the ice inside the pipe thaws that you have water spraying out of the crack(s) under pressure. This water can then ruin drywall, siding, flooring, cause all types of damage. If you suspect frozen pipes or see water damage, turn the source of the water off asap. Sometimes the frozen section will thaw without damage when temps rise, make sure to keep all the faucet taps open to remove the pressure on the pipes.
Last year I saw youtube videos of water damage in Texas during their freak weather. One had a women in her kitchen in shock as the floor above her collapsed with water rushing down. Another, a church sanctuary was ruined from water damage. If they had just had the water dripping or if it was frozen, had they known to turn the water off at the source, they wouldn't have had that damage.
I live in a cabin in the mountains and had to learn the hard way to deal with frozen pipes. It can be scary but there are steps that help.
Anyone here please comment. I live in an apartment. I do not have a fireplace. I bought a buddy heater that runs off of propane that can be used for indoors. I figure I don't have to heat the entire apartment just one room. I don't have the money for a generator, living in an apartment not sure how that would work. I did buy an electric cooler that can probably recharge on my small solar generator. Any thoughts about apartment living?
There is a video on line of a block heater that uses veggie cans and alcohol. Just type in emergency cinderblock heater and I'm sure you can find it. The ROCKET HEATER is for outdoors, the one you want is for inside. My husband and I just bought 13 bricks and a bunch of alcohol. Just make sure you have something safe to build it on. We are going to use a metal dinner tray for ours. Good luck and God bless.
You're welcome. I came upon it by accident. I think the Lord put it there for me to find. Share with others once you find it. There may be others who have no source of emergency heat like I did. God bless you again friend.
You're welcome. It is the only video on there like it. The man actually takes a room thermometer and measures the heat from the bricks/block. It read something like 465 degrees at the top of the blocks. He showed it in 2 different rooms of his house. Good luck. I haven't put mine together yet, but I know here before long, DARK WINTER is going to hit and then I'll need it. God bless.
Really that is all they cost? Don't they run on gas? I have a little solar generator it was $500. Its only good for charging phones and laptops small stuff like that. I don't know what I was thinking. I bought a little one burner camping stove that runs on butane. I have gone 3 days without power during an ice storm and It was very cold. I stuck it out at home with my two cays and dog. I survived bundled up with a flashlight and bundled in blankets. This is a different situation though. Than you for the input, very much appreciated.
I don't have my dog anymore but that is a great idea. I will see how the cats feel about that, lol. They do not go outdoors so they are use to the luxuries of the indoors.
peel of 3 lemons and 3 grapefruit (or less if that's all you have)
boil peel 3 hours, covered
let sit 3 hours
put in a bottle or pitcher and keep in the fridge, drink a little everyday
HALLO ~ Threads like these are Great, BUT there's a HUGE difference between 20 - 60 year old MEN knowing where to get "generator + portable solar charger + Emergency hand-crank radio + Stock up on firewood now + a fallback/rendezvous location picked out just in case you and your family need to get the hell outta dodge + Have a go bag ready. + GUNS+AMMO."
and
disabled Elderly woman. - Instead of further neglect, You MEN should be writing about that... PLEASE....
we’d have to go outside and light our barbque pit to cook…we got lots of wood.
For indoors
Get some heavy POLY..and seal off doors, windows.
But you need to poly one room where you sleep and probably spend most of your time. If you have a tent..set it up in your poly closed off room and sleep in there.
Candles, canned food, lots bottled water
I dunno..it gets damn cold wheeler I live -30 not uncommon in winter, not gonna be pretty
Agree with all listed. For Believers, don't forget to put a Bible in your go bag or extras to share.
Suggest Iosat tablets in case of nuclear event. Used to be very inexpensive when I got them.,, I may need to get newer ones...I see they have expiration dates!
Oil lamps with a wick are better quality light than candles and would last longer and be lower fire danger. Not expensive, and some oil is odor free.
a battery or crank winding or solar radio that can pick up shortwave to be able to keep an ear out for the news.
Bleach tablets keep longer than liquid bleach, and store in smaller container.
Water filter can be a big Berkey or a very small UV light wand for examples. Keep paper coffee filters with it if you have to strain out visible dirt first.
Also cash, trash bags, dog food, can opener and if power goes out fill the tubs. Drain the pipes if it’s freezing and don’t forget the water heater and toilet tanks have water.
what, no cat food??? or litter or gerbil food or hamsters.....yes, if this goes on for a long time they may not make it, but perhaps we can at least be prepared for a time! probably should say manual can opener.... Trash bags are a good thought,
and if the power is out and toilets can't flush, one can line the toilet with a large plastic bag, and put kitty litter in it for a short term substitution in urban areas where you can't bury outside.
Sorry. Forgot about the kitties. Save the rodents for last resort food. ;)
Crisco also makes excellent candles on the cheap and they last a while. Check screwtube for some clips.
Even cheaper I use cooked meat fats, strain well, scent excellent candles. I call them meat candles.
Layers are key. Wear two pairs of socks. Best to have a thin sock under a thick warm sock. And wear a hat, even inside, even to bed.
Oh, if your feet get sweaty and make your socks damp, put on new socks. You want your feet as warm and dry as possible. I carry extra pairs of socks in my car, backpack, etc.
Oh, I layer to trap heat between the layers. So I layer merino wool, but maybe I don't have to. I can feel the layer of warmth when I pull on that second layer, like a little heater. It's often cold in my house, as low as 40 at night, 55 during the day, so maybe it's only the extreme cases.
Yes, wool is the safe choice for camping, hiking. Such a miracle fiber.
Keeping pipes from freezing in frozen weather especially when power is out:
Remove all hoses and adapters from outdoor faucets. Cover the faucets with styrofoam cover (hardware stores sell these) or wrapped tightly with rags or towels.
Know where the water hookup is into the house. Make sure any exposed pipe is wrapped with insulation, especially if it's inside a cold garage or outside. Know how to turn the water off.
Inside, open all the cupboards under sinks. You want to expose the pipes to the room temperature.
Find the faucet farthest away from where it comes into the house. When temp is 32 or below, or forecast to be under 32 at night, drip the water thru the faucet. Drip water that is half cold, half hot so that both sides of the plumbing is used. If the forecast is 20 or below, you can go beyond the drip and have a small stream (pencil lead-sized) running. If the sound of drips drive you crazy, tie a string or piece of yarn at the end of the faucet and guide the water down into the sink. The water will follow the string quietly down into the sink. If you can't drip water (water source is out), consider turning off the water at the hookup. Then open all the faucets and run as much standing water out of the pipes as possible.
If water is left to sit in pipes and it freezes, the ice will expand inside and can crack the pipe. That's why you want to drip the faucet, to keep the water moving so it won't freeze. If you can't do that, you want to remove as much pressure from inside the pipes as possible. Turning the water off at it's source and keeping the faucets open removes that pressure.
If your pipes do freeze, you don't get damage right away. It's when the ice inside the pipe thaws that you have water spraying out of the crack(s) under pressure. This water can then ruin drywall, siding, flooring, cause all types of damage. If you suspect frozen pipes or see water damage, turn the source of the water off asap. Sometimes the frozen section will thaw without damage when temps rise, make sure to keep all the faucet taps open to remove the pressure on the pipes.
Last year I saw youtube videos of water damage in Texas during their freak weather. One had a women in her kitchen in shock as the floor above her collapsed with water rushing down. Another, a church sanctuary was ruined from water damage. If they had just had the water dripping or if it was frozen, had they known to turn the water off at the source, they wouldn't have had that damage.
I live in a cabin in the mountains and had to learn the hard way to deal with frozen pipes. It can be scary but there are steps that help.
Anyone here please comment. I live in an apartment. I do not have a fireplace. I bought a buddy heater that runs off of propane that can be used for indoors. I figure I don't have to heat the entire apartment just one room. I don't have the money for a generator, living in an apartment not sure how that would work. I did buy an electric cooler that can probably recharge on my small solar generator. Any thoughts about apartment living?
There is a video on line of a block heater that uses veggie cans and alcohol. Just type in emergency cinderblock heater and I'm sure you can find it. The ROCKET HEATER is for outdoors, the one you want is for inside. My husband and I just bought 13 bricks and a bunch of alcohol. Just make sure you have something safe to build it on. We are going to use a metal dinner tray for ours. Good luck and God bless.
Thank you. I will look that up. Best of luck to you and god bless.
You're welcome. I came upon it by accident. I think the Lord put it there for me to find. Share with others once you find it. There may be others who have no source of emergency heat like I did. God bless you again friend.
You're welcome. It is the only video on there like it. The man actually takes a room thermometer and measures the heat from the bricks/block. It read something like 465 degrees at the top of the blocks. He showed it in 2 different rooms of his house. Good luck. I haven't put mine together yet, but I know here before long, DARK WINTER is going to hit and then I'll need it. God bless.
Really that is all they cost? Don't they run on gas? I have a little solar generator it was $500. Its only good for charging phones and laptops small stuff like that. I don't know what I was thinking. I bought a little one burner camping stove that runs on butane. I have gone 3 days without power during an ice storm and It was very cold. I stuck it out at home with my two cays and dog. I survived bundled up with a flashlight and bundled in blankets. This is a different situation though. Than you for the input, very much appreciated.
I don't have my dog anymore but that is a great idea. I will see how the cats feel about that, lol. They do not go outdoors so they are use to the luxuries of the indoors.
3 is the key:
peel of 3 lemons and 3 grapefruit (or less if that's all you have) boil peel 3 hours, covered let sit 3 hours put in a bottle or pitcher and keep in the fridge, drink a little everyday
Battery powered co2 detectors if yours is hardwired.
Great thread! Thanks for posting!
HALLO ~ Threads like these are Great, BUT there's a HUGE difference between 20 - 60 year old MEN knowing where to get "generator + portable solar charger + Emergency hand-crank radio + Stock up on firewood now + a fallback/rendezvous location picked out just in case you and your family need to get the hell outta dodge + Have a go bag ready. + GUNS+AMMO."
and
disabled Elderly woman. - Instead of further neglect, You MEN should be writing about that... PLEASE....
we’d have to go outside and light our barbque pit to cook…we got lots of wood.
For indoors
Get some heavy POLY..and seal off doors, windows.
But you need to poly one room where you sleep and probably spend most of your time. If you have a tent..set it up in your poly closed off room and sleep in there.
Candles, canned food, lots bottled water
I dunno..it gets damn cold wheeler I live -30 not uncommon in winter, not gonna be pretty
Gas powered generators do nothing when you need electric at the pumps to get refilled.
Unless you stockpile gas your just delaying the inevitable