Does just the thought of frozen power lines and a winter power outage during extreme cold weather months make you feel chilled to the bones and you start shivering?
When it comes to your ability to do that, camping gear is one of the best choices you can make for your emergency preparation supply.
Camping gear is designed for the elements and can not only keep you warm, but comfortable as well. You don’t have to be outside in order to use these resources.
Tips on how to handle a power outage during frigid winter months
You can pitch a tent in any room in your home.
⇒ By setting up a tent, you’re creating a smaller, enclosed space.
Doing this helps you to have a smaller area to heat. Not only that, but body heat can naturally warm up the space inside the tent.
⇒ To further insulate this area, you can set up a tent within a tent.
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- If you have large tent, set it up first, then set up the smaller tent inside of it. The heat from your body can remain in the space between the two tents, which means you’ll preserve more heat.
- When you put sleeping bags inside the tent, you’ll be even more protected from the cold and have a comfortable place to wait out the power outage.
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⇒ Besides having a tent and sleeping bags to help keep you warm, you’ll also want to have alternative cooking options for when the power goes out.
⇒ Look for appliances that are safe to use indoors.
⇒ If you have a fireplace, you can use it to cook several different types of food. You can also boil water or make hot beverages.
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- You would need a grate or a cooking rack that sits above the flames.
- You can use camping cookpots to cook over an open flame.
- You can also use cast iron frying pans and make everything from eggs to pancakes to meat, vegetables and one dish casserole meals.
- You can also use a Dutch oven with your fireplace. Just like you do with roasting marshmallows, you can also cook over the fire using skewers with a variety of foods.
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⇒ If you don’t have a fireplace, you can use canned cooking fuel or, you can use a camping stove that relies on cooking fuel.
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- Make sure that you choose the models that are safe to use for indoor cooking.
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⇒ Lighting is something else you should have on hand. Otherwise, once it gets dark, you won’t be able to do anything other than go to sleep.
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- You can use flashlights and other battery-powered lights and light bulbs.
- There are also touch lights that are flat and square. You can place these on a surface, sit a water bottle on top of them and create a lot of light.
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⇒ Solar powered lamps are a good idea to have on hand during a power outage.
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- You can also use hurricane lanterns, glow sticks and candles.
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Remember to be careful with open flames, especially if you have pets or young children in the home.
So don’t hesitate to arm yourself with the right tools not only to stay safe and comfortable but also for your peace of mind. Let’s not forget that severe cold weather without heat can endanger lives, if you’re not prepared. And a power outage during the frigid winter months should not be taken lightly.
