Bugging in? Can you heat your home? Do you have a plan?

I have propane camping heaters for my back up.

 

A plan B that could be a plan B or C in a future abode might be worth considering. I have several of these Buddy heaters which were my prior plan C and now are my plan D or can provide portable heat for whatever I may need.

There are several sizes of the Mr Heater Buddy Heaters.

The biggest one, the Big Buddy, can put out 4,000, 9000 or 18,000 BTUs per hour which is pretty good and can be used indoors. Downside is it uses 4 D size batteries to run a fan and is intended to be connected to 20 pound and larger propane tanks.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPL6CNS/?tag=survivalmonke-20

I have and like the Hunter Buddy as heat can be varied between 6-12,000 BTUs and it doesn’t employ a fan, just radiant heat. Sadly it is often priced close to or above the price of the Big Buddy. The thing can flicker and be a little finicky at the low setting if there is any breeze. It is smaller, can hold and run on 1 pound cylinders (nice if you refill your own) but can also use a hose with a 20 pound tank which is how I generally use it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CDJHIYW/?tag=survivalmonke-20

They also make a 4-9,000 BTU model as well which is smaller still and a good bit cheaper. Two or three of these smaller ones can usually heat 3-4 rooms and you have the “1 is none and 2 is 1” thing going for you as well. My suggestion would be consider starting with 2 of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G51BZU/?tag=survivalmonke-20

There is even a real small one, nice for a bath room, that is called the Little Buddy. It is 3800 BTUs and Only uses 1 pound cylinders. Given it isn’t much cheaper than the standard Buddy heater and can’t connect to larger tanks, I suggest passing on it. I got one but only because I found it on sale like half price or something like that.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPL6CNS/?tag=survivalmonke-20

Watch for sales at big box stores like Menards, Rural King, North 40 Outfitters, etc. I got a Hunter Buddy at Menards several years ago for like $65 or so.

While all these heaters are essentially 100% efficient, and considered safe for use indoors, I always have at least 1 and preferably 2 CO detectors operating.

AT

 

I've lived in many older rental units throughout my life. Ive learned it's cheaper to prevent heat loss than generate it.

Worst was an older home in summit county Colorado. Two story. As the heat would rise in the home and escape through the upper crack between doors and windows it would pull in cold air from the lower level. Where I slept.

$50 worth of cheap foam weatherstripping, tubes of caulk, double sided tape and thin plastic work wonders.

Cover windows with plastic. Caulk every crack inside and out as possible. Weather strip jambs.

 

I'm like Hanzo, cooling is more of a problem in my location.... I need a perpetual fan =)

what CO2 detectors are you using @Airtime

 

I'm picking up another wood stove today , this will give me 2 . I only need one , but this one is free , and is smaller than my other one , which will be better for what I need . But the other one will go in the shop if I ever get it finished . I keep propane and kerosene heaters and at least a weeks worth of fuel for these . Don't have electric heat here , that's to easy .

 

Like @Hanzo and @Ganado cooling is my issue. I never thought of it before, as we have only had one power interruption in the 10+ years that we have lived at this same location. That one power outage was a year ago, so my grandson was miserable. It is kind of hard to explain to a infant (he was 1 1/2 yrs at that time) "We know it is hot, try doing X, Y, Z. The power will be on soon" I have not found anything to assist with cooling the apartment other than going the generator and fan route. Only recently was my wife started to agree with some of the issues that I've brought up, so hopefully we have a generator and two big fans before this upcoming summer hits us by April.

 

When camping and or bugging out carbs are important for energy and heat . Having plenty of food for the body to process and energy to do things that need done, and boost morale .
If morale is down it is hard to be inspired to do ay thing that needs done .
People die in stressful situations for the lack of hope, making poor decisions and desperate compromises to their own security.
Having a warm place and being warm inside make a difference .
Especially if you live alone companionship is important.
A medium sized dog can be both a comfort for warmth and for security and companionship .sometimes this takes training and spending a significant time with the animal but it's worth it ,
If I were in Alaska I'd have a malamute or two and supplement their food with a little garlic ,it keeps the parasites at bay; fleas ticks and other internal pests as well. Makes it easier for them to sleep with you .If you are ALPHA .
Some folk do not like that much conductivity but these become fiercely loyal and protective .
My malamute and I were almost inseparable. another one of my rescue dogs, from an abusive owner.
And the first time you hear wolf song next to you is bone chilling. and Lobie was good. I miss that guy.
But if things get desperately cold this is a proven method of survival.
One of the problems with a house is running water, and if things are bad I put a lamp with a 40 watt incandescent bulb in the cupboard with the kitchen/bath room sinks and washing machine , it keeps that plumbing from freezing ,and if worst comes to worst I let water drip at different portions of the house ,
sub zero temperatures though you'd best have heat tape working on those pipes .
I also used a rough service bulb on e portable drop ight mounted securely in the engine compartment of my old 1958 3/4 ton cheve truck . 40 wt oil was hard to turn in freezing weather but the light bulb was enough to keep the cab reasonable . I also covered the cab while not in use, at night while at work in the parking lot and during the day while sleeping , snow was very easily removed with this tarp and starting was a breeze , I closed the tarp in the door jamb on either side of the truck so it could not blow away . No one listened or learned at this doing but I would laugh when leaving while every one else was still scraping the ice off their windows and trying to get their key in the frozen door lock . this tarp served to keep snoopy people from gazing in as they case the parking lot for goodies easily seen in your car.

 

Furnace. Back up genset will power house runs on propane-500 gal tank.
Backup built in the wall "5 brick" propane heaters- dedicated 250 gal tank
Fireplace. A few cords of hardwood split and under cover out back. 20 acres more waiting to be cut.
Kerosun heaters with two sealed drums of fuel.
Plans to expand solar to power entire place.

 

Down here one can take downed deadwood from the National Forest, but it requires a free permit.
Been considering the practicality of installing a wood stove/heater, but neither home of mine is really set up for it.

 

I was weather stripping doors this weekend. The stuff on there was old and the new stuff really keeps the cold out.

@Airtime thank you for the links. Those heaters are not too expensive and I have quite a few 20lbs propane cylinders.

 

Yup...doubled up on attic insulation this past spring. Has made a big difference in a/c, hope to see similar improvements in heating efficiency.
Going from single to double pane windows has easily offset the expenditure there, not to mention improved security.
Earlier I forgot to mention another heat mode...heat pump, which is part of the mini-split system also installed earlier this year.

 

A thing I do is put inside and outside covers on my window-shaker ACs. Keeps the warm air from draining through the AC.

 

My back-up plan

 

Fezzo's any good? Might have to swing by there next Rayne hamfest if they are

 

I'm all electric. I can put a couple of Mr. Buddy heaters in play for a few months.

If it's all over I have a woodstove (with cooktop) that I can put into action and 2 cords of cured fire pit/cooking wood.

I also have an old indoor potbelly charcoal stove I can use if I have to start making charcoal. There's a lot of Willow I can copse into charcoal. I roughly figure I can turn about 5 cords a year to charcoal. There should be enough to keep that going into perpetuity considering a 6 year regrowth rate on the copses.

This is north Texas . I'm secure if the weather cycles get Oklahoma or Kansas cold in the future.

 

One in Scott is up and running next to the Harley place off I-10, Let me know if you come this way!

 

Get a small Inverter genset ,say 1000Watt Honda or Yamaha (propane if your wallet is big enough) Store bottle on Deck & gen in cuboid (no lack of stealing & fuel stays fresh). Make a box to cover the bottle on the deck when in storage & have that box insulated for sound absorption . When IN use the box is over the 1000 Watt genset , box has 4" lift feet & a hole for the exhaust & a vents at four sided top areas. Propane bottle is now out of the box & the genset is under it and real QUITE !!

I have this setup in my YVR pad Concrete Apartment Fortress !!!
Sloth

 

I heat with natural gas, but I also have propane, woodstove and fireplaces for back-up. In a SHTF situation I would set up a tent inside the house and camp in. I would also need to keep a low profile cause heat like lights will attract people.