How Do I Keep My Family Warm?

Last winter we had quite a few major wind/snow storms. The winds reached 85 miles per hour one night! It was a bit frightening to sit in a quite home in the middle of the night, hoping a tree wouldn’t crash into our window. In the morning that followed, that major storm was over in our town, but across the state, it was still raging. People were losing power where the wind storms had caused massive rolling blackouts. It got me wondering, how in the world are those people staying warm in the middle of winter with no heat? So I decided to do a little research on my own to protect my family from any such disasters. 

First of all, dress warmly to conserve as much body heat as possible. If it is extremely cold, your bed is a good place to stay. Cover up with as many blankets as possible. Sleep with your family huddled together this way. You can also purchase space blankets that are very inexpensive and lightweight. They are made to keep heat trapped under them, and will help to keep your body temperature at a more normal level. 

There are ways, other than electrical heating units, that can be used to warm your home. Safety is extremely important when trying to use alternative heating methods. You should not burn anything in your home larger than an average candle, unless you have good ventilation to the outside. Possibilities include fireplaces, camp stoves, a wood, gas or oil heater, or a gas run hot water heater. 

The best way to stay warm in your home is to confine the heat source to one room. Make sure it is ventilated properly for the heat source you are using. Choose a room on the side of your house that won’t have a majority of the winds blowing on it, and a room with smaller windows. If you have a basement, the earth may act as insulation in the winter.  Keep the doors to your heated room closed at all possible times. Cover the windows with heavy bedding to prevent drafts. 

If you can’t stay warm in your house by following these suggestions, pack up and go! Find a shelter with a generator that can keep you safe. Don’t forget to take your 72-hour kits with you.

The number 3 is a magic number when it comes to emergency preparedness. You can survive for about 3 hours without shelter, about 3 days without water, and about 3 weeks without food. So, to keep with the magic number, we should try to find 3 ways to deal with each of those situations.

For shelter, there may be circumstances where we can shelter in place and use our home as a shelter. Other times we may be stuck in our cars. Keeping some basic items in our car in case we need to use it as a shelter can be life-saving. Some water pouches, survival food bars, hand warmers, emergency blankets, a Ready candle, and waterproof matches can help us keep warm in a winter storm situation. And what if a major earthquake made sleeping in your home impossible? Consider a backpacker dome tent or even a tube tent plus emergency sleeping bags.

Next is water. You can store a lot of water in your home by using the 30 gallon barrels and then adding the water preserver so you only have to change the water every 5 years instead of every year. You can also think about portable water in case evacuation becomes necessary. The 5 gallon stackable water containers are great for this purpose. And what if you had access to water, but it was contaminated? Think about potable aqua and an MSR miniworks water filter. The miniworks can filter up to 500 gallons of water, so it is a great tool to invest in.

Last is food. Survival food bars are compact enough to store in your car or even in your desk at work. You can store MREs and freeze-dried pouches in your 72-hour kits. And the #10 cans of freeze-dried food are terrific to store in your home for longer term food storage.

Emergencies and disasters don’t always happen how we plan, so by taking steps to resolve these 3 essential issues in at least 3 ways, you can feel secure in your emergency preparations.

I was driving along the interstate with my 3 kids, pregnant with my fourth, and the 2 children of a friend.  We had just spent the day at the zoo and we were all exhausted.  I could hear 3 of the 5 kids drift off to sleep while the 2 older girls talked softly.  I had the radio on, and it was a gorgeous day with the sun warm, but not hot.  The thought suddenly struck me, “What would I do if the Big One hit now?”  What if I was pregnant with 5 kids, alone and a major earthquake hit?”  We were a fairly good distance from home and the thought of walking with all those kids and the meager supplies I had in my car was overwhelming.  I decided then that I needed to keep a fairly well-stocked kit in my car.  And I am not just talking about jumper cables-I am talking about water, food, blankets, flashlights, and a first aid kit.

I can’t tell you how many times I have used my car kit.  Parched kids after soccer practice have greedily scavenged for water bottles, cold kids in the winter have searched for a blanket and even some hand warmers.  I have used my first aid kit too many times to count.  As a stay-at-home mom, I often don’t stay home.  I am in my car shuttling kids to soccer and Girl Scouts, picking up kids for a carpool, running to the grocery store, running to get a costume for a school project, or heading out to take care of some project for work.  It is probably just as likely that I would be in my car when a disaster hit than that I would be in my home.

I keep a duffle bag in the back of my car stocked with bottled water, snacks for my kids, blankets, Shake ready flashlights, a fully stocked first aid kit, and distractions for my kids like card games, bubbles, and a travel game.  This is a kit you could use whether you are stuck in traffic, involved in a car accident, or just going about your everyday routine.  By taking a few minutes to put some basic supplies in your car, you can rest assured that you have essential items when the time comes.