Staying warm during a freeze

Trying to get in touch with family and friends in Oklahoma this last week got me thinking about making sure that, if nasty weather hits my house, I’m prepared.

The biggest issue seems to be keeping warm. Much of Oklahoma was without power for days — and in a lot of cases, power equals heat. Now, I’ve got a fireplace to fall back on, but I don’t have any wood for it. If a blizzard happened overnight, that fireplace wouldn’t do me much good, unless I’m prepared to start tossing my furniture into it. Lots of houses and apartments don’t even have fireplaces, either.

I’ve added a bundle of firewood to my shopping list, but what other options are out there?

Bundle up. I’d say, the more sweaters, the better, but you don’t want so many layers that you can’t move.
Keep moving. If you are up and moving, you’ll stay a lot warmer than if you’re huddling in the corner.
Cuddle with someone. It doesn’t much matter if it’s your spouse or your pet dog — sharing that body heat can keep both of you just a bit warmer.

It can be pretty hard to stay warm without a heat source, though. If you’re without power, you may have to get pretty creative to get some heat into your home. It will come down to what you have on hand, and what you need to heat — that camping gear you haven’t used since college may come in handy, or you may come up with a brilliant solution involving your grill. Just remember that, if you light a fire, ventilate! Smoke that goes nowhere can damage your home, as well as your body.

by Thursday Bram

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