Stock Up Saturday~Winter Warmth

I know it's a little late to think about it since we're on the home stretch of winter, finally heading to spring, but there is still some coldness to go through.  When thinking about what I would research and post about this week on the topic of emergency preparedness, I couldn't help thinking I was a little chilly...and thus today's post was born!

It's all fine and dandy if you have food and water in an emergency, but what about if the emergency is because of a nasty winter storm that leaves you without power to your home for days?  Would you be prepared?

Here's a little list of some basic recommendations of things to make sure are around the house:
*extra winter gear i.e. gloves, scarves, coats, hats
*blankets, blankets, blankets...the warmer the better
*matches
*candles
*batteries
*flashlight
*generator (if possible)
*firewood (if you have a fireplace)
*fire extinguisher

As well as preparing warm gear for an emergency, consider how you could insulate your home.  It's worth it, irregardless of whether or not there is an emergency to make sure your home isn't drafty, but an emergency (especially of an unknown duration) might necessitate extra steps.  If it looks like you might be in it for the long haul, close off certain rooms and have everyone congregate into 1 room.  Body heat, sharing blankets, and not having to think about heating extra space will be a huge help.  Stack boxes or find some other way to make a barrier to large windows and drafty areas to provide extra insulation.  Packing up snow around the place from the outside may provide help as well, as snow is a great insulator and keeps out drafts.

Beware of the silent danger: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
While you might be tempted to cook indoors or use alternate heating methods, it can be very dangerous.  Make sure you have carbon monoxide alarms and that they are working properly.  Lighting up more than candles puts you in serious danger.  If you want to use your gas or charcoal grill for cooking or to assist with warmth, it's best to layer up and do it outside.  If you have some bricks around, warm them up while you are cooking your food on the grill and bring the bricks inside, they will emit heat for a long time, sometimes days.  Unless the disaster includes broken gas lines, gas stoves will still work but will need to be manually lit with a match.  The longer the match, the safer, and you'll need to make sure the room is ventilated to prevent gas buildup.

Candles, flashlights, and fire extinguishers-
Candles are a good source of light when the power is out as well as providing heat.  Flashlights and fresh batteries are also obviously important, especially if you don't want to carry a candle around with you.  Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy in case those candles or other heating methods get out of control.  I know it's something I hadn't thought of, but like carbon monoxide, fire can be a real danger.  

Last but not least, always make sure to have a small duffle bag or some other method of preparation in your car, especially for road trips.  Warm blankets and flashlights may be all you can manage, but it's better than nothing.

Here are a couple of sources I used in my research:
http://www.ready.gov/winter-weather
http://www.greenandhealthy.info/emergencyheat.html
And for a couple of options on DIY candle heaters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WeC8yhGfis
http://www.instructables.com/id/Candle-Powered-Pottery-Heater/