Staying Warm While Sheltering in Place After a Disaster

staying water with an improvised tent

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You have decided or circumstances have dictated that you are going to shelter in place.  The neighborhood in which you live is not ideal.  There are too many unprepared people and the houses or apartments are close together.  You have been living life as a gray man and your neighbors don’t know you are a prepper.

Winter is here and it is getting cold.  Staying warm becomes a problem.   If your house is the only one on the block with heat people will wonder.

Now the method I am going to suggest to keep you warm is not the most comfortable or convenient, but it won’t attract attention.  Go to the smallest room in your home that you can sleep in.  Cover the windows to help contain heat.  Hang a blanket over the door.  This works better than opening and shutting the door.

Now pitch a tent in the middle of the floor.  Put a pad or pile of blankets on the floor of the tent to insulate beneath you.  Place your sleeping bags or other bedding on top of the pad.  Sleeping in the tent should be a lot warmer than in the rest of the house.  If you have a small candle to provide some light and heat in the tent, it will make you a bit more comfortable.  I like the UCO candle for this purpose.  A Review of the UCO Candle Lantern.  The tent and the covers over the window will hide the light from prying eyes.

The more people in a small space the better, shared body heat.  This is not a long-term solution, but will keep you from freezing under most circumstances.

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During the day, try some of the following ideas for staying warm.

  • Open the blinds first thing in the morning to let the sun in.
  • Long underwear helps.
  • Get out of the house during the day.  Don’t just sit in the cold.  It may be warmer outside in the sun.
  • Open the windows if it is warmer outside.
  • A hot water bottle would be nice when climbing into bed at night.
  • Stay active.

In the near future, we will post an article on cooking under similar circumstances.

Howard

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5 thoughts on “Staying Warm While Sheltering in Place After a Disaster”

  1. Don’t forget the amazing effects of drinking a hot beverage. I really don’t care for hot drinks normally, but when camping out, or just when chilled from a day outdoors just drinking a cup of hot tea or even just hot water makes a huge difference!

  2. Good point, I am like you in that I rarely have hot drinks, but under those circumstances they would be a good idea.
    Howard

  3. Candles + Sleeping = Dangerous for obvious reasons. Even if they are in a lantern, sleeping with an object that puts off a flame is just asking for it. (Murphy’s law)

    If you stockpile hand warmers, putting them in your sleeping bag will help. If you were able to burn a fire outside during the day, heating a large rock, or brick to put in your bed also is a good method.

    If for nothing else, having some one, or an animal to sleep next to, is a great way to keep warm during the night.

    Just my 2 cents. 🙂

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