SIGH - Mom's stockpiling food, etc. & meds. Dad's fighting her. Mom would like to do more, but (without dad's cooperation) thinks having a lot of extra blankets will be enough to take care of them if there's a power failure. (They live just outside Cleveland, OH) Sure, she'd like to do more ... but she needs dad's help ... and he refuses.

Same with my sister and 3 kids - lots of blankets. Sister is trying to do as much as she can ... also without cooperation of husband.

Both mom & dad and my sister had wood-burning fireplaces ... but they both converted to gas. Neither of the husbands are willing to go back to "wood-burning".

Any suggestions for what can keep them warm this winter?

Also, what do you all think is a better inexpensive way to go for cooking food? Propane grill or inexpensive charcoal grill. Remember, dad doesn't think this is serious and doesn't want to spend money.

Mom's been buying bottled water when it's been on sale. I told her she needs a large container for water ... for other purposes besides drinking. I think someone posted something about 55 gal containers at Sams. If someone has info on that and costs - it would be appreciated.

I've been stockpiling enough for all of my family up here in Oregon. Have garden, generator, well, septic, etc.

But, don't know if they would actually be willing to come up here. And, even if they were willing - if they decided too late - if they could actually get up here.

But, I keep on spending and doing ... just in case. Safety-net for family. Some think I'm crazy. But, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Helpful suggestions appreciated. Remember, my mom and my sister basically have to "hide" prepations from their husbands. Husbands accept/tolerate additional food purchases when on sale ... but, not much more.

Thanks,

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), June 06, 1999

WHOOPS - forgot to close those italics

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), June 06, 1999.

HOW DO I GET THESE ITALICS OFF??

When I come back onto this thread, to post an answer the italics stays on ... as I'm posting an "answer".

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), June 06, 1999.

Cooking on a charcoal grill has to be done outdoors. Indoors the fumes can and probably will kill you. Some winter days cooking outdoors just isn't practical.

Lots of extra blankets will help. But they won't keep the water pipes from freezing if the power's out on a real cold night. Or for several cold days in a row.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), June 06, 1999.

Tom: Already talked with mom/dad about pipes. Dad says most of the pipes are underground (depth of basement). He's taking "normal" precautions for pipes above ground. Dad's willing to bundle-up and cook outdoors if need be. Fortunately it usually doesn't get as cold in northern Ohio as it does in Minnesota, Nebraska ... Still think their precautions re weather is grossly inadequate.

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), June 06, 1999.

Suggest some extra precautions such as weatherproofing ( like the Scotch/3M stuff ) for the windows, althought leaving some provision for ventilation ( in case they decide to have a kerosene heater or such later on ). Also suggest putting styrofoam around areas of external water spigots/electrical outlets, to help keep heat in.

Sams Club has 55 gallon water barrels for $21.00.

Suggestion: They're probably already doing this, but have them buy canned goods that one may eat with little preparation/requiring little water ( Dinty Moore comes to mind--may not be the best beef stew on Earth, but lasts a LONG time and only needs an opener and possibly a heat source.

-- The_Grinch (jbron@aol.com), June 06, 1999.

Ummmm. I tell my Cleveland friends that they don't understand the concept of winter because where I moved from (Potsdam, NY, right across the border from the perpetual freezer - - -errr Canada) winter started the weekend before Thanksgiving with 6-12 inches of snow which eventually left in April.

Now, Cleveland DOES have some real winters, we just haven't had one in about 5 years. The temp CAN find its way down to several degrees below zero F. And for a couple days at a time.

Please remind them of this.

Chuck, a Night Driver

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), June 07, 1999.

For cooking I suggest a Coleman type stove which runs on fuel (white gas) or propane. I think the gas is cheaper than propane and will be more efficient to use. It is relatively safe to store. Tell the men you are taking an interest in CAMPING!

-- Douglas C. Smith (dsmith1@pacbell.net), June 07, 1999.

Petromax lantern and stove.......can use kerosene, which stores well and is not as flamable as coleman fuel/white gas, and which is fairly cheap.

The lantern puts out a lot of heat......they probably could use it to keep one room at a reasonable temperature. The stove (1 burner)puts out 10,000 BTU. One stove and one lantern would keep things fairly warm (even though a bit of a kero smell.)

-- alt (heating@sources.now), June 07, 1999.

Tell your mom and sister not to even mention preparations or y2k, because all it startes is trouble in a household that is divided on this issue. Unlike a dress that you can sneak into the house this is a little different but yet the same. Find hiding places in the home where the husband seldom goes. Or net work with a friend to store some of the big things that she needs to keep out of sight until the rest of the world wakes up this fall. If the ladys in your life likes to go to the flea market they can purchase kerosene heaters and put them away for now. Not only will they keep you warm you can also cook on top of them.

-- Missy2k (timeisup@Webtv.net), June 07, 1999.

have her buy ski pants for every member of the family, have them larger than usual so you can also wear a lot of sweats underneath. i've seen them advertised in penney's catalog for $60. she should do this on the sly if need be. she can also buy a coleman sleeping bag for every member of the family, at $50 each at walmart. but for the money, you can get more use out of ski pants because you can wear them outside AND also sleep in them if you have to. you can wear them for many years, so a good buy.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), June 07, 1999.

Have them read this ESSAY, or print it out and mail it to them.

Hope it helps.

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), June 07, 1999.

Cheryl...I would suggest to mom and sister that new husbands, or at least getting rid of the current ones, might be the answer. LOL Seriously, all you can do is continue to prepare and hope that something happens before Jan 1st to scare the beejeezus out of the men and knock some sense into their heads. You can bet that if things go tits up, mom and sister will be the blame. Neither will face the fact that they are the blame.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), June 07, 1999.

Cheryl,

I'm in a similar situation. My wife thinks I'm blowing Y2K out of proportion and doesn't think there is need for extra preps. We always have several weeks of canned food, some candle, and lots of blankets in the house. We previously live in Illinois. I've continued to prepare. I have a prioritized list of items needed for prep and I continue to purchase and store in "out of the way" places in the house and garage.

Tell your mom and sister to do the same. If they bring home a little at a time on a regular basis, it's easier to prepare without their spouses noticing.

I would recommend a coleman camping stove for cooking and a Kerosun kerosene heater(s)providing heat and for cooking. I know others have made other suggestions that will work also.

Anyone who plans to use propane, kerosene or white gas (Coleman Fuel) for cooking and heating swhould crack open a window nearby and buy a battery operated carbon-monoxide detector.

Concerning 55 gal barrels for water. I got mine from my local Pepsi bottling plant. After thoroughly rinsing them I poured about a quart of bleach into each and filled the with water and let them sit for about a week. I emptied them and rinsed again.

Also, t helps to know someone else who is preparing. Someone you can ask questions of and to pass suggestions by, etc. I'm fortunate to have such a friend.

-- John (Southeastern@my-deja.com), June 07, 1999.

Cheryl- I believe there are many women out there preparing with minimal or no support from their spouses, which is sad. I happen to be one. We have a water cooler and I have been overordering to build up a stock of 5 gallon water bottles. I have been purchasing can food in bulk "honey, it's cheaper that way". I have also convinced husband it would be fun to try camping this summer. I am almost done with preps and no one seems the wiser! :)

-- Gia (Laureltree7@hotmail.com), June 07, 1999.

My wife found my stash of empty seltzer bottles in my office this past week and asked if it was for Y2K. I never thought I'd say this, but Thank God for 60 Minutes. I am starting with their transcript and we'll go from there.

Because I'm not under a tight budget at this time, I have rented storage space not too far from our house where I have been stocking up for two months now. I still have a long way to go, but at least now I won't have to sneak the empty seltzer bottles up to the 3rd floor.

I have not told her about all of the rest of the preps, but in time they will all have to be repatriated back to the house.

-- nothere nothere (nothere@nothere.com), June 07, 1999.

(1) Don't give up on the spouses. My current wife told me that she didn't want to hear anything more about Y2K some months back. Last friday she led a Y2K preparedness forum for the ladies of our church!

(2) Stealth preparedness works, too. The old "but it's cheaper in bulk, and will save us a lot over the long haul" line is still effective. I also am willing to use some of my discretionary funds for pet projects (jury duty pay, bonus checks, proceeds from the sale of a surfboard, etc.).

(3) Consider threats (other than Y2K) to prepare for...power outages, storms, earthquakes, etc.

(4) An interest in camping is an outstanding idea. Consider planning (and preparing for) a snow camping trip (well, only if you are on the mainland). Fishing, hunting, sailing, and boating also work well as stealth preparation "blinds". If your spouse is interested in one of these, you can support him/her and get what you want. "Gee, Hon, wouldn't it be nice to get a generator for our sailboat? Or Hon, don't you think that a kerosine heater would keep the garage (or shop) warm when you do your woodworking out there in the winter?"

Remember, virtually all Y2K preparations make sense even when it is not Y2K. One needs only to find and clearly annunciate that rationale.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 07, 1999.

Layering clothes with polypropolene against the skin keeps you warm. That's the current trend in outdoor activities in winter. The concept isn't new. It's been around for decades, and works.

Can the fireplace gas burner be removed easily? Find out how, get the tools necessary to do the job, and stash them in a safe place. If the gas goes off, you can remove the burner to make room for a fire made out of newspaper logs. They burn a long time. Kindling, starters, etc., can also be paper if need be. Get a grate if you don't already have one.

Get a hibachi or two to put in the fireplace for cooking. Recall that our forebears designed their wilderness homes around the fireplace, which served as stove, oven, and heater. Remind her to get the chimney cleaned out before, say, November.

-- LP (soldog@hotmail.com), June 09, 1999.