Most homes depend on electricity for warmth but without it there is a danger of hypothermia. When I build debris shelters in the woods one of the main design elements is to limit the area that needs to be heated and to provide insulation from below. One popular suggestion to apply this technique to a home situation is to put a small tent on top of a bed to capture body and breathing heat.

A self standing one or two man tent is a logical choice to mount on top of a bed dependent on the mattress size. In that I did not have one of those types of tents I used my improvised “X frame” poncho tent as a substitute to illustrate this concept. In fact, a suspended rope with a tarp draped over the top could be used instead of a tent or in addition to it.

The whole point of putting a tent on a bed is to capture the limited sources of heat and to insulate yourself from the surrounding lower temperatures. Alternately, a nested double tent could be used in the living room with padding on the floor. Care should be taken to not use flammable or carbon monoxide producing supplemental heat inside these tents but hot water bottles could be brought inside or perhaps your four-legged furry pets.

LIGHT – Most folks keep flashlights for various needs but it’s important to make sure that the batteries are fresh. Most smart phones have a flashlight app that works quite well. I buy prayer candles at a dollar store that provide long term light and a feeling of hope in darkness. You can make slush lamps using small cans with vegetable oil and a wick.

HEAT – The first line of keeping warm is layered clothing and blankets. Conserving body heat is primary. You can make a room heater by placing a roll of toilet paper in a tin can and pouring isopropl alcohol (denatured is better) into the roll and place it on an open oven door to isolate it and light it. A personal heater is quite effective when using a lit tea candle at the bottom of a tin can that is placed between your feet where you are seated and wear a poncho or wrap a blanket around your neck and cover your knees like a tent to capture the heat.

WATER – In an urban setting city water will most likely be available vs. well pumps in rural areas that need electrical power to operate. It’s a good idea to keep bottled water on hand. A house’s plumbing system is actually a reservoir of water and can be accessed at the lowest valve and used sparingly. A water heater is also a reservoir that has a drain valve at it’s base. If you use this source, be sure to turn off your circuit breaker first to avoid burning out your heating elements for when the power is restored. If you have a creek or other natural water source it can be filtered or boiled. Snow can be melted.

FOOD – Food that is stored in a refrigerator or freezer in the short term should have limited access to keep the cold in and heat out. If you have snow you can simply fill a plastic bin or cooler with snow and pack the food items in it. Cold water can also serve the same function. It’s best to keep food stuffs on hand in a pantry that are either canned or dry like beans or noodles.

COOKING – A gas grill is an easy way to cook or boil water. Charcoal grills can be used in the same way. On a smaller scale a chimney charcoal starter can be used with a baking rack to cook on. There are various types of camp stoves from gas canisters to wood gasifiers. A rocket stove can be made from concrete blocks. Then there’s always a classic campfire using grills or pots. It is also possible to make and use an alcohol burner.

COMMUNICATION POWER – Some land-line phone services carry their own independent power but cable service phones do not work when the power goes out. It seems that the majority of phones in use today are cell phones that can access transmission towers that are independently powered or outside of an outage area. However, cell phones run on a battery that eventually will need recharging. They are usually charged using a USB cable that can use various power sources. I recently used my laptop computer to charge our cell phones. A vehicle usually has either built-in USB ports or 12V adapters. A 12V to AC converter can charge laptops or other electronic devices. I have a hand crank charger that works on my phone. A 9V battery can be used in conjunction with a 12V USB adapter by placing the adapter’s tip on the positive terminal and using a paper clip to touch the battery’s negative terminal to the side terminal on the adapter.

These are just some of the things that I have experienced during an occasional Winter power outage but for some folks this is an annual event. I would welcome comments on other tips that can be helpful during their Winter power outage.

I live in the Foothills of North Carolina. In the Winter we tend to get very limited snow that may remain in shaded areas for only a couple of weeks. This year we experienced the largest snowfall in the last fifteen years that I have lived here and it was fourteen inches deep in my region. I have always wanted to make an igloo because it is such an iconic snow shelter and this recent heavier snowfall seemed to present the opportunity that I was waiting for.

 

Traditional igloos require a special kind of snow that is dense and wet enough to stick together that makes strong blocks with which to build. Our snow was “fluffy” but I used a clear plastic drawer as a form that was just large enough to accept my loaded snow shovel. I would fill the form half way and tamp it with my foot, then added more and tamped more until it was full. I could then roll the form over and release a snow block for building.

 

I wanted to sleep over night in the finished igloo so I scribed a circle on the ground with a greater diameter than I am tall. I began to lay the snow blocks around the perimeter of the circle to establish a foundation. I added a second row and began to start a third but the blocks had to be supported.

That triggered my memory of previous research that traditional igloos lay blocks on a continual upward spiral so I changed my approach and started the one-block height incline on the third level. The weather was turning warmer and would sprinkle intermittently so I contacted my oldest son to help expedite the project. As it turned out having two people was very strategic as my son would deliver the snow blocks through the small entry and the wall began to rise.

Inside the igloo I would stand the snow blocks on end like a quarry as quarters were tight and gave easy access to the materials for uninterrupted construction.

I used a pruning saw to trim the snow blocks and the surface upon which they would be laid. the blocks became smaller and more key-stoned as I continued. What amazed me is that when the edges were trimmed to match the next block and they were shoved into place they melded together and held in place without additional support!

Because of the intermittent drizzle I placed a tripod pole inside the igloo that held up a large clear plastic tarp so that I could continue the construction. At the end It had to be removed to add the final blocks on the top. Once it was finished I covered the igloo with the tarp and returned that evening to prepare for the nights lodging.

I had made snow shelters before (see Snow Tunnel and Quinzee) so I was acquainted with how to prepare for sleeping in the snow. The key is to stay dry and insulated. I had to clear the snow debris on the floor from it’s construction then spread out a tarp. On top of that I placed a carpet pad for insulation upon which to sleep. I wore surplus Polar Fleece coveralls with a matching jacket and slept inside a down sleeping bag. I had no problems keeping warm. It is wise to include a large lid container for answering Nature’s call in the night to avoid having to exit the snow shelter.

The ground was hard despite the padding and reminded me why I like hammocks for camping. I kept the tarp on that night as the intermittent rain continued so I had no worry of the shelter melting and any possible leaks by rain. It lasted one week as the weather warmed but I was exhilarated to have accomplished a life’s bucket list item. I had to “make-do” with the type of snow and weather conditions that existed but I still had the thrill of a lifetime.

 

Photo provided by searcher Lucia Gonzalez ©AP

In the process of travel their Jeep had overturned just off a road (see photo) and could not be up-righted nor could they start their engine for warmth. The man who was a mine worker and hunter built a fire beside the vehicle just minutes after the Jeep rolled down the snowy embankment on Sunday and kept the flames going until rescuers found them on Tuesday. They found scrap wood for the fire and burned a spare tire for warmth and to create black smoke for signaling. They also heated rocks for warmth while the group stayed in the upside-down vehicle for shelter. Fortunately they were dressed for cold weather conditions.

I’ve seen hot rocks used to bring a container of water to a boil but I had not thought of rocks as a heating device. In an enclosed area this would exclude the danger of flames and carbon monoxide. Fortunately they had some food and water available.

Although they were located in a patchy cell phone area – rescuers used cell phone signals and footprints to locate the family. Some of the group suffered from slight exposure and dehydration, but none had frostbite.

Under the circumstances I thought that the survival techniques that they employed worked well. A news website article reader, Corey Jordan, offered these suggestions for off-road travel: “1) Never wander far from civilization alone. Always have more than one vehicle. 2) Don’t depend on a cell phone. Have a two-way radio, a CB radio will do. 3) Have an emergency kit aboard. This would include first aid kit, blankets and something to start a fire. Mylar blankets can double as shelter halves. Include anything that you may need in a situation like that which occurred. 4) Have a recovery kit. Recovery straps, come-along (or a high-lift jack). Include a jack board and a compressor (runs on the car battery). If they had a recovery kit, it would have been possible to have righted their Jeep. 5) Food and water for two days. 6) Get some experience driving off road in rugged terrain…”.

I packed up my supplies into several bins and headed to Winston Salem for the video taping. Once I arrived we spent about 3 hours with discussion, set-up, presentations and demonstration that ended up with about 2 minutes in the finished piece. Kudos to photojournalist Chris Petersen for his creative camera work and editing.

My focus was to show folks how to stay warm, have light, and how to cook using various methods without the electrical power in which most folks have become dependent. The segment also included a visit to a local store Great Outdoor Provision Co. showing various equipment and supplies available for a power outage situation.

In the end, we hope that the information provided will help viewers to be better prepared when power outages occur. You can view the teaser “Tonight at 5: When the power goes out” and the full segment “When the power goes out: Survival tips” on the wxii12.com website. Take a peek and perhaps there will be tips that you might want to implement for your own preparedness plan.

It goes without saying that you should always be careful around an open flame, observing precautions to keep flammable objects at a safe distance and the flame source in a stable position. In tight quarters be sure to have adequate ventilation. The following is a set-up that I have used successfully that you may find helpful. The objects needed are a metal coffee can, a tea-candle, matches or a lighter, and a blanket, sheet, poncho or other body cover.

In a sitting position I place a coffee can on the floor between the heels of my feet with the open end up. Then I place a tea-candle inside the can along the bottom edge. This position allows room for my hand to reach in with a match or lighter to light the candle. Once lit, I reposition the candle to the center of the can to provide even heat and a safety zone. Next, I place the blanket around my shoulders and over my lap which forms a tent-like covering. This captures the heat that rises from the candle and holds it around my body. The can enclosure shields both the flame from the wind, and adjacent clothing from the flame.

This heating set-up would be good to store in your vehicle on the occasion that you might get stranded during a Winter storm.

At that time I didn’t carry a lighter with me as I do now, but the thought occurred to me that if I held a flame under the key and heated it up that when I inserted it into the lock the heat would transfer and loosen the parts inside the cylinder. So, I went to the office of the motel where I was staying and asked for some matches. Sure enough, the heated key did the trick. Of course, these days cars can be unlocked via remote, but for older models, that may not be an option.

For cold climate veterans, this may seem trivial, but I would love to hear your comments on other cold weather solutions that you have used.

Many folks who are reading this grew up in snow country and have learned to prepare and adjust to the extreme cold. But there are many more who have not experienced the effects of hypothermia such as violent shaking and reduction of motor functions. This leads me to suggest that it would be beneficial to familiarize yourself with frigid conditions in a safe and controlled environment in order to gain this valuable experience and knowledge. If you don’t live in snow country, try stepping outside some early morning and hose yourself off, clothes and all. See how long it takes to begin shivering and try to perform survival tasks. Wear gloves and see how it effects your dexterity. How well do you function when using a striker bar, or when striking a lighter, or when opening a pocket knife? Perhaps your tool selection might change if you experience difficulty in the process.

Hypothermic conditions are magnified when you are wet and exposed to the elements, so remember to stay dry and insulated. And if you’re starting a fire, build it on a dry surface. It helps to light an intermediate short-term fuel like a candle or a tire inner-tube strip to provide heat while the tinder that surrounds it dries enough to sustain a fire.

Any comments offered from actual experiences are most welcome. They could prove to be invaluable to our readers.