While the clay pot heater may sound a little far-fetched, I can tell you that this little heater will work in a grid down situation. Remember 'grid down' means you have no electricity and no space heaters can be plugged in, unless of course you have a generator.
I used 91% isopropyl alcohol, but you can use denatured alcohol as it is a clean-burn indoors. The purer the alcohol, the purer the burn. This is a nifty hand-warmer. The clay pot will get hot in under a minute using some sort of alcohol. Small tea Light candles I find to be a waste of time and money, even if they are cheap. This little heater will not heat a large room, although it will bring heat to a small room and will definitely take the edge off. Let's say you chose to sleep in the bathroom on a cot and put this on the sink or in the tub. I've done that in a pinch.
DO NOT burn this inside a tent in the home, a childs room, or in any room where you cannot safely burn. USE YOUR BRAINS. I have also put this clay pot heater on the stove in a cast iron skillet. If you have a small kitchen, then put this clay pot heater on the stove and sleep in the kitchen.
Blankets or curtains in the doorway to seal off the rest of the house to the kitchen will help conserve the heat. Practice this before a grid down situation. There are plenty of YouTube videos to give you some ideas, but its pretty much all the same, the pot needs to be raised by bricks or something solid and heat resistant in order to have air feed the fire. More pics below . . .
CLAY POT HEATER
CLAY POT HEATER
Space blankets, aka, Mylar Blankets keep your body warm by reducing heat loss. These blankets can reduce up to 90% of heat transfer from the body. They are insanely cheap, so having a stack on hand for the family is a must.
THERMAL MYLAR BLANKETS
Foil insulation can be used as a blanket, to line an entire room, to cover a window, glass in the door, line the refrigerator and/or freezer, or used to lay over the food in the freezer to conserve energy and loss of cold.
FOIL INSULATION
Get your blanket situation ready to go. Be ready! Stacks of several blankets in each bedroom and in the living room if you need to curtain off just the living room with the fireplace.
BLANKETS
Bonfires are always a great way to warm-up, even if it is outside. Hunters do it all the time, sleeping out in the cold in tents, blinds or campers. Get your wood ready!
BONFIRE
A fireplace works best if the grid is down. Stack enough firewood to burn if the grid down lasts from days to weeks. Space heaters won't work if there is no electricity.
FIREPLACE
Theater grade blackout curtains are the best! They are heavy and block cold drafts from seeping in. We have these and they really do change the temperature of the room. Ceiling to Floor!
THEATER GRADE BLACKOUT CURTAINS
You can use door draft stoppers, rolled-up towels, rolled-up blankets, cushions, bolsters, pillows, old clothes, a couple pairs of jeans laid across the bottom of the door, etc.
DOOR DRAFT STOPPERS
Cut bubble wrap to fit window. Spray water on window. Bubble side faces window. Apply while wet. If it separates from the window, add a little glycerin to the water.
BUBBLE WRAP WINDOWS
Seems logical, having enough firewood, but do you? Have enough firewood? My Scorpion King begins chopping firewood in the Summer. If buy firewood, do not wait until the last minute.
FIREWOOD
Hot drinks, including teas, coffees, cocoa and toddies will warm the blood and soothe the soul. In a grid shutdown, how you are going to create heat to make these drinks?
HOT DRINKS - HOT TODDIES
Perhaps you already made some frozen soups and they are in the freezer but the grid shut down and now you don't want to risk opening the freezer and letting cold air out. Canned soups are perfect. Also, consider how you will heat the soup in a grid down situation.
SOUPS
When it is cold, I can't have enough socks on. I wear big thick hiking socks that I purchased from REI. Do not discount the value of warm feet in a grid down situation. You must act fast when the going gets tough. Keep your head and feet warm.
SOCKS
There is nothing like layering when its cold outside. A sweatshirt or hoodie over a couple of long-sleeved shirts will certainly help. Long-term grid down may require more layering or even wearing a coat indoors. Be prepared and have a ready wardrobe.
SWEATSHIRTS
We have all built a tent inside the home, as a kid, with our kids or grandkids. Put your tents inside the home in a closet before winter, so you can put them up quickly without scrambling in the garage in the cold. You can also use chairs, tables, couches to make creative fun tents.
TENT IN THE HOUSE
You just can't have enough sweaters in a grid down situation, big and long are the best that will cover the booty. You can even wrap a sweater around your waste to keep your booty warm.
SWEATERS
Never underestimate the warmth of a great slipper. Cute slippers are nice but if they don't keep your feet warm they are junk and a waste of hard-earned money. Warm socks, warm slippers, make happy adventures.
**This web site's goal is to provide you with information that may be useful in attaining optimal health. Nothing in it is meant as a prescription or as medical advice. You should check with your physician before implementing any changes in your exercise or lifestyle habits, especially if you have physical problems or are taking medications of any kind.
