National Preparedness Month Day 9--Alternate Utilities

Today I want you to think about alternate ways to accomplish your everyday activities.  In the event that everything you have always taken for granted is wiped out--things like heating and air conditioning and electricity and running water and a working sewer system--consider how you would do things like staying warm, washing the dishes, and even using the bathroom.  As always when planning, make a triple-redundant plan.  Here are some examples:

• Heating.  When the heat goes out, what do you do?  In my part of the country you throw on an extra layer or grab a blanket and you are good but in places like the northeast, having heat is pretty important.  There are a number of alternate heat sources including having a generator with extra fuel, having a kerosene heater with extra fuel, bundling up with extra clothes/blankets/sleeping bags, as well as using several old fashioned tricks to conserve heat.
• Air conditioning.  For many people, having the air conditioning go out is an inconvenience but if you live in sweltering parts of the country, not having air conditioning can be deadly.  Believe it or not, though, we haven't always have air conditioning yet people still survived by using a number of "old fashioned" methods to keep cool.  Note that in some kinds of disasters, communities set up "cooling shelters" for people to seek relief from the heat.
• Electricity.  I remember one time the electricity went out and the kids had literally no idea what to do.  They kind of sat staring into their no longer functioning electronic devices for a while until they realized board games had been invented for some non-electric fun and entertainment.  Since having instant electricity is so ubiquitous it is pretty shocking when there suddenly isn't any.  Alternatives for when the power goes out may include solar power, a generator and extra fuel, hand powered items like radios and flashlights, using your car battery to charge small items like cell phones, or doing without.  The doing without part is best learned by taking weekend or longer trips into the wilderness and living sans electricity for a while.
• Gas.  Natural gas may power your clothes dryer, your hot water heater, your heating system, and/or your kitchen stove.  How would you do these tasks if there was suddenly no gas service?  For cooking we have a patio grill as well as backpacking stoves and extra fuel.  We could also whip up a bonfire in the backyard although a long term fuel source for this would be a problem.  For drying clothes we have sun and would need to only rig up a clothes line in the back yard.  For hot water heating the old-fashioned stove top/wood stove top method works (but requires a lot of fuel).  For heating, having a wood stove/fire place may be an option as well as having a kerosene heater with extra fuel on standby.
• Water.  When the water stops flowing, what do you do?  We have already covered stockpiling water for drinking and cooking in an emergency but for long-term situations with no water, you will need to use alternate water sources (and purification).  You will need buckets and containers to carry water from the source (lake, stream, public water distribution area), you will need a way to purify the water if needed, as well as a way to sterilize your water containers to prevent contamination (bleach works for this).  Depending on where you live you may also be able to hand-dig a well or catch rainwater for alternative water sources.
• Sewer.  If sewer service suddenly fails, you will have problems.  Depending on the type of sewer system you have, your problems may vary.  Septic systems have their own issues and if you own one, you probably know how to baby it along (fixing them often requires a backhoe and a lot of work and materials).  Municipal sewer failures can run the gamut from back flow to outflow into undesirable areas.  If your sewer system still works, it is only a matter of flushing the toilet which can be accomplished by pouring water down the toilet (reusing grey water for this is a good idea).  If the sewer system is literally broken and can't be used, your options are digging a privy in the backyard or using 5 gallon buckets full of cat litter.
• Garbage removal.  We are pretty spoiled these days with nearly instant garbage removal from our homes.  We can create mountains of trash then once or twice a week it disappears to who knows where.  If garbage removal completely stops, however, it won't take long for people to realize they have a big problem on their hands.  Some alternate options for trash removal include: composting, burning, and burying trash.  Reducing the amount of garbage your create is a good option, as is saving things that may be used later (folks who survived the Depression were experts at this.  I didn't know what it was like to drink from anything but jelly jars and Mason jars until I was an adult!).
• Phone.  I don't know anyone who still has wired phone service in their home, as most people rely on cell service.  In the event that cell service is wiped out, how would you communicate with others?  Possibilities include using a neighbor/neighboring business's landline phone, using a satellite phone (expensive), or using HAM radio.  Note that before phones, people's options were to walk/run/ride to bring a message, writing letters, or, in the not so distant past, we would tack written messages on trees (especially in the mountains when hunting) for people we knew would be passing through the area.
• Internet.  While most people get their internet through their cable provider, if this system is down, what are your alternatives?  You may consider: using the internet on your phone if it is still available, getting satellite internet (an expensive proposition), finding a public wifi hotspot, using DSL, or even using dial-up internet.  For most people in a disaster though, going without internet may be your only option.  Be prepared for this possibility.

How to Stay Warm When the Power Goes Out

It's been a long, cold two weeks for some folks on Long Island.  Besides living in a disaster zone, they haven't had power for two weeks and while it isn't such a big problem when you decide to go without heat for an extended period of time for say, a hunting trip or an extended backpacking trip, when you are forced by circumstance to endure such a hardship, there aren't enough negative adjectives to describe the misery people can feel when it is as cold inside their house as it is outside.  Here's some ways to keep warm when the power goes out:

• Obviously having a wood stove (best) or fireplace (distant second) in your home is your best option.  A wood stove can keep at least one room of your home toasty warm and you can usually cook and heat water on top of it as well.  Having a good supply of firewood is also advisable.
• I keep a kerosene heater with extra kerosene on hand as one of my alternative heat sources.  You will want to make sure the room you use this heater in is ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.  
• If you can heat water (on top of your wood stove, outside on your camp stove, or if you have a gas hot water tank) a hot bath or shower will warm you up in a jiffy.
• Layers of clothing can help to keep you warm.  Yes, you may feel like the Michelin Man but having multiple layers of clothing (instead of one thick layer) will help you retain body heat.
• Add all of the other goodies you would as if you were going skiing: hat, neck warmer, ear muffs, gloves, heavy socks, insulated boots, etc.  Note that sleeping with thick socks and a hat on can keep you warm and toasty at night.
• A generator can be a good option if you have the fuel for it.  I am guessing that fuel became an issue a few days into the event since 1) most people don't think a power outage will last very long, and 2) most people also don't usually store enough fuel to keep their generator running for weeks on end.
• Sometimes one side of the street will have power and the other won't.  In this case a good relationship with your neighbor who has power plus a long extension cord plus a space heater can do wonders.
• Bring on the blankets.  Probably the oldest idea in heating without external assistance is to wrap up in a blanket...or two...or three.  This is an excellent reason to invest in a 0 degree down sleeping bag.
• Sleep together.  Body heat generated by three or four bodies is better than body heat generated by one body.  There's a reason you see five or six people cuddled up together to sleep on the TV show 'Survivor'--it's warmer that way.
• Consider a hot water bottle or hot bricks.  This was common before modern heating was invented.  Heat water and put it in a hot water bottle or heat bricks/stones and wrap them in burlap then hold these items next to you under your blankets (I put them on my feet) and you will become instantly warm.  Note in a survival situation, peeing in a bottle then holding the bottle next to you is a tried and true survival trick--98.6 degrees can be cuddly warm when you are freezing.
• Chemical hand warmers are also nice.  Expensive, but nice.  These little packets generate instant heat but like hot water bottles and hot bricks, you will want to wrap the warmer in cloth and not stick it right next to your skin.
• Go somewhere that there is heat.  One reason the mall and the library and community cold weather shelters fill up on freezing days is that the homeless tend to go where it is warm.  If you live close enough to go to a place that has power and central heating (mall, library, coffee shop, etc) then do so. Even being warm all day can make freezing nights bearable.
• If you have the option (read: money) and the will to leave the area and stay at a hotel until the power comes back on (or even just sending the family while you stay to guard the house) that may be a best option (especially if you have small children or the elderly living in your home).   
• Make one small room of your home the "warm room".  Seal off the doors and windows of this room and live in only this room until the power comes back on.  With everyone in one room covered in warm clothes and blankets the temperature in the room will rise.
• Use candles to light up your warm room as these will also give off heat (be careful--candles are a big fire hazard).
• Work with the sun to heat your home.  Open window blinds in the morning to let the sun in and close the blinds (preferably heavy drapes) when the sun goes down to keep the cold air out.
• Break out the camp stove and keep the family in warm beverages--this can help warm your body from the inside out.
• Eat and drink more than usual since your body will burn more calories when it is cold than when it is at ambient temperatures.  Also, fatty foods are a good thing in this situation.
• Exercise.  Do some jumping jacks or other exercises to generate more body heat. 

And a couple of warnings:  know the symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite.  If someone is suffering from these symptoms, get them medical attention ASAP.  Also, beware the danger of death by carbon monoxide poisoning.  Using combustive appliances indoors (basically anything that generates fire like a camp stove, barbecue grill, etc) can cause carbon monoxide to build up and you will probably pass out and die before you know what hit you as CO is odorless and colorless so use these appliances in a well ventilated area.