Outdoor Guide
Page 6
November-December 2021
Prepper’s Guide
Get ready for winter sheltering
By DAVID HOSKING Winter is just around the corner, and most of us prepare for the season by purchasing a jug or two of windshield washer fluid, a bag or two of road salt and maybe a small stack of fireplace wood for those cozy stay-at-home evenings during a snowfall. We all joke about the stampede of customers who rush to the grocery store to stock up on bread and milk after the weatherman predicts a few inches of snow. No one really worries much about these snowstorms here in Missouri since the snow will usually melt in a few days. No big deal. However, in December of 2006, an ice storm knocked
down trees and power lines throughout the St. Louis area, causing one of the longest power outages that left over 500,000 households and businesses in the dark and cold for days. Similarly, in January of 2007, subfreezing temperatures along with an accumulation of freezing rain caused widespread power outages for more than 100,000 homes and businesses. My elderly in-laws in St. Louis endured five days without heat and lights. To keep warm, they closed off their living room from the rest of the house and were able to stay somewhat warm by means of a gas fireplace. NOW THAT WAS A STORM! The worst ice storm and
OUTDOOR
power outage that I recall occurred in Quebec in January of 1998. The storm lasted five days and coated power lines and trees with five inches of ice. Countless power transmission towers and utility poles collapsed throughout the province, cutting electricity for weeks to almost 5 million people. Imagine a Canadian winter with minus 30-degree temperatures, without electricity or heat. My father was prepared, however. His old house had oil heating, but there was no electricity for the burner and the circulating blower. Thinking well ahead, he had installed a small wood stove in his basement and a stash of firewood in his shed in anticipation of just such an occasion. The rising heat
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November-December, 2021
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The Quebec ice storm in 1998 lasted five days and coated the town with five inches of ice, cutting electricity to almost 5 million people. – CTV News photo
from the stove was able to keep the house sufficiently warm and prevented the water pipes from freezing. So a long-lasting ice storm can be a big deal here in Missouri, too. Previous articles written for Outdoor Guide Magazine discussed the wisdom of stockpiling food, water, a water filtration kit, batteries, lanterns and fuel, and essentials like medicine, enough to last several weeks. But what should you do for emergency heating during a cold winter? A bug-out location away from your home, say, with family or friends is a good idea but, as in the massive Quebec ice storm, road travel was impossible for weeks. SHELTERING IN PLACE Therefore, the options are to shelter in place or else relocate to an emergency shelter operated by the Red Cross, for example. Sheltering in place requires advance planning and preparations. Whole-house generators will enable you to operate your furnace and provide lighting, but they typically cost about $12,000, and few can afford the cost. Thus, most of us will have to find a way to keep warm and prevent water pipes from freezing during a prolonged outage. If the outage duration and freezing temperatures are
expected to last a long time, you should turn off your main water supply and then drain the pipes throughout the house. Be sure to fill up as many jugs as possible for drinking water and flushing toilets. If shutting off the water is not practical, you should open up each faucet to allow a trickle of water to drain into the sink. Running water doesn’t easily freeze. Consider partitioning your house so you live in only one or two rooms. Cover doorways and windows with blankets so you’re only heating a small area. You can even pitch a camping tent inside your room for a much smaller space to heat. USING HEATERS • Propane heaters – Well before the storms arrive, and before there is panic buying at the big box stores, you should purchase a couple of Buddy Heaters and lots of propane bottles. Buddy Heaters and other similar propane heaters are safe and designed for indoor use, although they still require a source of fresh air for proper ventilation. • Catalytic heaters – Catalytic heaters that burn white gas or kerosene are very effective but they also require good ventilation; they consume oxygen in a closed room and may cause asphyxiation. • Coleman stoves – Cole-
man stoves are great for cooking, but it’s dangerous to use them inside the house due to a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. • Barbecue grills – Cooking food on your grills is also effective, but you should use them outdoors because of the same risks. The Quebec ice storm was blamed for the deaths of 35 people, mainly from carbon monoxide poisoning or asphyxiation. WHAT TO WEAR? Be sure to wear layers of clothing to stay warm. Fleece is a modern wonder for retaining body heat and wicking away moisture. I spent a lot of my surveying career working in northern Canada and Alaska, where I learned a few good tricks for keeping warm. There is a common saying in the north that “Cotton Kills” which means that cotton clothing such as jeans is the worst for retaining heat, especially if they are even slightly damp. Wool socks are the best for keeping your feet warm. A good sleeping bag is essential, but they can be quite expensive, so a less costly arrangement is to double up two cheap sleeping bags. Stay safe and warm! Prepper’s Guide author David Hosking can be contacted at gamekeeper01@ gmail.com.
