Alternative Heating

Choose your favorite flavor of disaster. Earthquake, EMP, blizzard, prolonged unemployment, tornado, grid-down, TEOTWAWKI. Power is down. Furnace won't work. Now imagine that it's the coldest winter in 20 yrs. What are you going to do to keep you and your family warm? Do you want to burn every stick of furniture that you've invested in over the years? Are there even enough trees in Utah to supply everyone's home that is now in the same deep freeze as you? Here are a few ideas that can provide some warmth aside from snuggling the whole family together in one bed.

• Mr. Heater, Big Buddy, Little Buddy: safe for indoor use. Fuel storage issues
• Coleman tent heater: carbon monoxide? Fuel storage issues
• Propane / Kerosene space heaters: carbon monoxide? Fuel storage issues
• Foam clothing: the shelter & bedding that you wear. DIY or purchase.
• Heat only limited living spaces. Close off unnecessary areas. Layer clothing.
• Wood stove / fireplace: it literally takes a woodpile the size of your house (or living space) to heat for one year.
• Pellet stove: fuel pellet storage. Will it run in a power outage?
• Wood Gas / Rocket Stove: requires proper venting
• GeoThermal
• Solar Water Heater: a warm shower or wash water is wonderful.

Considerations:

• Before you go wild, keep in mind that it is easier to hide the fact that you still have food than it is to hide the fact that your have a way to keep your house warm.
• How much fuel can you safely and legally store?  Check local regulations and homeowner insurance policy.
• Can you use it indoors without risk of carbon monoxide poisoning?
• Is it portable in case of evacuation?
• How cold is the worst-case scenario?  How long might the worst-case scenario last?
• How large an area do you really need to heat and for how much of the day?
• What type of shelter are you heating: home, a room, a small space, tent, tarp, trailer, cave?
• Does everyone in your family know how to (safely) operate it?