Disaster Prep 101 (again)

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Please indulge me folks, I'm near feeling "secure" about my preps; then I am taking a long vacation from the technology that brought me to this place to begin with.

I am very concerned about heating my apartment (12th Floor) this winter...I have a small old son and don't like storing fuel; I do not like kerosene (not good for sinuses plus it smells and the Co2 thing, no good). My alternative goes something like this: propane heater (anyone know about nonvented?) or a SMALL a)cast iron stove (I would prefer if it is "doable" in an apt.) or b)wood stove. My space is limited but I do have a living area big enough to lay down some brick to place a small stove and a ventilation hose of some type. Thanks. Peace.

-- NSmith (nitnat3@aol.com), June 12, 1999

Answers

wood stoves can be problem, gotta watch them sparks.i know that here in so.west every year theres trailer fires from w.stoves.whats wrong with sleeping bags & indoor tent??the kind with a bottom.kinda camping indoors.

-- al-d. (catt@zianet.com), June 12, 1999.

Sterno. Odor-less. You don't have to ventilate them. You can seal yourself into one room and heat only that room. You can also use survial candles -- they're as big around as large coffee cans. I think candles must be ventilated because they burn your oxygen. Lanterns throw out a lot of heat with the light, and you can use lamp oil instead of kerosene.

You're still talking about flames, so be very, very careful. You can get hand-pumped sprayers from garden supply stores. They are typically used to spray insecticide or fertilizer. We plan to use them for plain water fire extinguishers.

-- Helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), June 12, 1999.


Anything that burns in air consumes oxygen. If it didn't it wouldn't be burning. And also releases carbon monoxide (CO) which you can't smell. CO is fatal in sufficient concentration, injurious at lower levels.

Burning enough Sterno to heat even a small room requires just as much ventilation as a kerosene heater would.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), June 12, 1999.


Oops! Tom, sorry. I'm glad you pointed that out before I got somebody killed.

-- Helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), June 12, 1999.

Without knowing your location/climate, answers are a bit wishy-washy. I would strongly encourage you to forget about heating the apt. or a room and just purchase plenty of winter clothing. Remember, most of your heat is lost via your feet and your head. Have helmet liners that everybody can wear to bed as well as sleep socks, extremely thick socks that you wear only to bed. Vitamin B3 is essential to proper thermogenesis (creating body heat), so stock up on vitamins that have a goodly amount of niacin BALANCED with the other B vitamins. Buying a small propane one or two burner stove and making tea or hot cocoa that you put into thermos bottles (get the all stainless steel type, no worries about breaking the glass liner type) for drinking throughout the day and night. Now is a great time to buy that down comforter you've always wanted. Sheets should be insulative like the velor blankets or fuzzy muslin type. A great warmer is to get the extra long pillows and use them as a tent to put your head in, keeps the ears warm and plenty of air.

P.S. CO2 is carbon dioxide = safe. CO is carbon monoxide = toxic.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 12, 1999.



Uh, I could be wrong on this and you need to check to be sure for your own certainty but in most places, a multi-story apartment building without essential utilities is, by legal definition, uninhabitable. Such laws might not be enforced unless the outage lasted more than a day or so.

I'm not a lawyer/apartment manager/insurance executive but I would think shear liability reasons alone would be enough for management to order such a dwelling evacuated until such time as vital services could be restored.

If I were you, I would have at least a couple of alternative contigencies laid out that did not require staying in that apartment.

Don't 'bet the farm' that you will HAVE to leave your apartment but neither should you 'bet the farm' you'll be able to stay. So, if you don't think things will be bad in your location, plan 1 remains 'stay at home'. Plan 2 would be temporary shelter with a friend or relative at an alternative location. Flexibilty is the key.

Also, be prepared to leave in a hurry if need be. See previous threds for suggestions on bug-out bags. Note that this is always a good idea regardless of Y2K - what would you want to take with you should a fire break out? Whatever you need (as opposed to 'want') should always be ready to go so that you can leave in a hurry if need be.

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), June 12, 1999.


plastic,lotsa,plastic, i,ve slept outdoors in maine dead of winter, inside plastic mattress covers, plastic in my boots, news papers under me, i was cozy-rozy.who needs fire? getcha killed.

-- al-d. (catt@zianet.com), June 12, 1999.

Nsmith,

My favorite fuel for heating is wood; I've used it for twenty-four years for space heating and also for hot water (plumbed into the regulare plumbing system) It's great. However, in a 12th story apartment? Doubtful. Better do a lot of homework before trying this. There are more things to learn than I can tell you in a reasonable amount of time. Wood heating is a learned experience. You don't start out an expert, and there are lots of variables. Maybe talk to a woodstove dealer. Or a y2k group where there are experienced country dwellers who are knowledgeable in this.

For emergency, short term heating in your situation, I recommend a ventless propane heater. I've never used one, but I've done some investigation for my parents, two of my kids, their spouses, and my grandkid. None of them live close enogh to me to get down here gracefully, and therefore they need a good backup heat source.

Ventless propane manufacturers claim that their stoves emit nothing but CO2. You need to leave a window open enough to replenish the oxygent they burn. There is an oxygen sensor on these stoves, at least the ones out here on the west coast, but I'd still leave the window open some.

If you are in a twelfth floor apartment, I suspect you would have to purchase wood. Depending on your climate, and the insulation, size, etc. of your apartment, you would need anywhere up to two or three cords of wood per month to stay warm. And that's dry, seasoned wood. Avoid burning unseasoned wood, as it gives off a lot less heat per pound, produces lots of creosote in your flu, and can cause chimney fires, which can ruin your day. And that of everyone else in your apartment building.

By the way, a cord of wood measures 4 foot by 4 foot by eight foot. It will weigh two or three tons. Do you really want to deal with that in an apartment?

-- malcolm drake (jumpoff@echoweb.net), June 12, 1999.


Sleep with your dogs.....we have all heard about a "three dog night".

-- jar jar binks (x@y.com), June 12, 1999.

CO2 may not be toxic, but an unvented stove will produce CO2 and may use up the oxygen supply in a room. Never run unvented stoves indoors.

-- Y (y2k@aol.com), June 13, 1999.


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