Emergency Heating

It could be a real challenge to stay warm when the furnace hasn't worked for days and the temperatures are dropping due to winter storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, etc. Does your survival plan include a variety of ways to keep your family warm?

Blankets and Quilts

Have a good supply of blankets, comforters, and quilts on hand. Comforters and quilts are stuffed with batting in layers which increases their warmth capacity. Several layered blankets can have the same effect as a thick quilt or comforter.

Layered Clothing

Several lighter layers of clothing will provide more warmth than one thick layer. Layering everyday clothes will trap body warmth. Thermal underwear is a good thing to start with, or at least a t-shirt. Add sweat pants and a sweatshirt. Top those with a pair of pants and a flannel shirt. Add a sweater or jacket. Fleece is a good choice for layering because it keeps insulating, even if it gets damp. Avoid tight clothing when you're layering - it doesn't leave pockets of air to be trapped for insulation.

• On your feet, start with a thin pair of socks, followed by a thick pair of socks - maybe even two; thermal socks if you have them. Finish up your feet with warm slippers when you're inside and dry boots when you're outside.

• Wear a hat all the time. Hats help trap body heat, which is important since almost 90% of the body's heat is lost through the head. Hats are especially important for toddlers, babies, or someone who is bedridden. Keep their heads covered, particularly at night while sleeping.

• Have several pairs of gloves, some for inside that can stay dry, and a pair for outdoors where they may get wet.

Sleeping Bags

If you are a camping family, you will already have sleeping bags handy. If you are not into camping, buying sleeping bags for each family member is a good idea. Be sure and check the cold-weather rating, taking into consideration the year-around temperatures in your area.

An emergency sleeping bags is an essential outdoor accessory and is very inexpensive. In emergencies, it can be used as an improvised sleeping bag, sleeping bag cover, shelter, solar still or as a signaling device.

Space Blankets

You are probably familiar with the small, compact, metallic emergency blankets, also known as "space blankets". They are readily available in sporting goods stores or wherever emergency supplies are sold.

It seems illogical that something that small and thin could keep a person warm, but they do. NASA designed the technology for use in the space program, and it works by containing almost all of your body heat.

Their drawback is that they don't "feel" like a blanket. You don't get the same physical and emotional comfort wrapping up in foil that you do wrapping up in a regular blanket or quilt. However, because of their small, thin size, they are ideal for emergency situations. Buy plenty of them as they are inexpensive and do tear easily - and pack them into your 72-hour kit.

Live Only in One or Two Rooms

If it's very cold and you're not sure how long you will be without heat from your furnace, cut down on the size of the area you are trying to heat. Pull all your kids, in-laws, dogs, goldfish, sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows into one room. Do your eating, sleeping, worrying, playing, and reading in that room.

Close all the doors to the rooms not being used to conserve heat. Have some or all of these emergency heating methods ready to use at a moment's notice to keep your family warm.

Limit the area to be heated

Select a space on the "warm" side of the house, away from prevailing cold winds. It's best to avoid rooms with large windows or uninsulated walls. Interior rooms, such as inside bathrooms or closets, probably have the lowest heat loss. Your basement may be another great option in cold weather, because of the heat gain from the earth. Isolate the room from the rest of the house by keeping doors closed, hanging bedding, heavy drapes, blankets or towels over entryways or erecting temporary partitions of cardboard or plywood. Hang drapes, bedding, shower curtains, and such other insulating items over doors and windows.

Rice Packs

Two pounds of rice placed in a pillow case and tied, is not only great for aches and pains, but will stay warm for long periods, especially if kept under goose down quilts. Since microwaves differ, start heating - 1st 2 minutes, then 30 second intervals, thereafter, refrain from getting wet (it will burn), and be careful not to burn.

Heated Bricks/Rocks

If you have a gas oven or fireplace, you can heat bricks/rocks up to a high temperature. If you have an electric oven/gas grill and expect a power outage, you can warm the bricks/rocks up. Remove the bricks when they are warm, but still touchable. Bricks hold warmth for a long time, sometimes days. You can wrap these bricks in towels and warm up your bed or place them under your pets pillows/cages.

Propane Heaters

Stay warm indoors or outdoors in a power outage or other emergency with this Mr. Buddy Heater. All you need is propane! It's lightweight, quiet and odor-free and heats about 200 square feet on a high setting (9,000 BTU) or use the low setting (4,000 BTU) for smaller areas. (Certified by CSA International (American Gas Association) for indoor and outdoor use.)

CAUTIONS FOR INDOOR USE

Kerosene heaters

Kerosene heaters like the Indoor Kerosene Radiant Heater (10000 BTU) are more effective in a small space. A 10,000 BTU heater will be more than ample. Some kerosene heaters that are 23,000 BTUs or more are too much heat for one room and some cannot be turned down to a lower heat. Be sure to follow directions for safety if you plan to use this type.

Kerosene heater products need to be used with caution indoors. They are perfectly safe if used in a big open area, like the living room or family room. But when using in a small closed room, it can suck up all the oxygen and carbon monoxide can build up so it's necessary to crack open a window somewhere for ventilation.

A kerosene heater is not meant to heat the whole house and keep it toasty warm. It will adequately warm a smaller area to help keep you warm. It will keep you cozy and comfortable, even though it may be cold in other parts of the house

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves

If you have a wood burning fireplace, it will usually only heat the room where it's located rather than the entire house. The exception might be a large wood stove in a central location.

A traditional fireplace is not really good for keeping you warm — it's more for ambiance. They can suck as much as 300 cubic feet of heated air per minute out of a room and then send it right up the chimney. A fireplace insert with a fan would work better, but then you are faced with the fan not working in a power outage.

A pellet stove, which is very efficient compared to a traditional fireplace, usually requires electricity to run fans, controls, and pellet feeder.

The biggest drawback of a fireplace or pellet stove in a long-term power outage is the fuel it needs. When you run out, better have a backup method of keeping warm.

Generators

If you have a generator, obtain fuel. DO NOT store fuels in heated areas. This is particularly true for highly combustible items such as gasoline and kerosene, or even paper. When in use, generators need to be kept OUTDOORS with cables leading into the house and to the appliances they are powering up. It is deadly to operator generators indoors.

Gas or Charcoal Grills

For cooking your food, a grill is a great option during an electric outage; however, do not ever use a grill indoors unless it is an indoor grill. Carbon Monoxide is a byproduct of burning charcoal - and in an enclosed environment, it is a deadly gas.

Carol Dunn, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator at the Bellevue Fire Department, points out that there are risks associated with using an indoor grill if its fan is no longer functioning. Since Carbon Monoxide is not particularly lighter than air, it won't be pulled out of a vent without a working fan. Sound is a good indicator of whether the fans are working.

Even though gas grills are used roughly 1.5 times as often as charcoal grills, they were involved in five times as many fires (Ref.: National Fire Protection Association - http://www.nfpa.org)

To warm up the house, you can use your outdoor grill to heat bricks or even rocks. These hold heat for quite a while.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The use of gas-powered appliances, such as generators, and charcoal or gas grills, increases the number of carbon monoxide poisoning cases and fatalities due to improper use of this equipment. Carbon monoxide is known as a “silent killer.” It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas and is highly poisonous.

Depending on the level of exposure, carbon monoxide may cause:

Fatigue and weakness

Chest pains for those with heart disease

Shortness of breath upon exertion

Nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion and lack of coordination

Impaired vision

Loss of consciousness and, In severe cases, death

Fumes

Toxic gases present a serious danger when there is insufficient ventilation. For safety, provide cross ventilation by opening a window an inch on each side of a room. Have a carbon monoxide alarm in the room you are heating!