# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > General Homesteading >  Camping out in the house

## kyratshooter

During this cold snap I have come to realize that I am effectively camping out inside the house.

I am forced to monitor the heat like I would tend a campfire, close off parts of the structure as if they were separate tents on a campsite and check for signs that things are freezing up every time I get out of my chair.

I am waking to a uniform temp of 50degrees each morning and warm up time has extended to a couple of hours before the magic 68 degree mark is reached.  72 is a dream of pre-iceage eras and summers that may never return.

Indoor wear is now thermals or flannel lined pants, a thick wool sweater, same for the socks and I am sitting here wearing a watch-cap at the computer to keep my bald head warm.  My glasses fogged up when I put them on this morning!

I also have camping gear scattered around in case of an electrical outage, which normally comes sooner or latter during these events due to stress on the grid.  The propane heaters are sitting at the ready and the Coleman lanterns are all fueled up and have a book of matches taped to each one.

My only regret is that I did not dig deep enough into the camping trailer at the close of the summer and retrieve my down comforter from the camp bedding.  I could sure use that feather bed and down cover right now! :Scooter:

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## hunter63

Working on residential heating.....came across many "campsites" with people trying to stay warm without heat.
The gas oven seemed to be the most popular method, second was fireplaces ..(many fireplaces had not been serviced) ...
I am surprised there aren't more casualties.......

Anyway
We had a power outage in town yesterday for several hours, down town area.....
We were not affected.

But brought to mind that camping survival gear is in the trailer and garage......several propane stoves, heaters and lanterns.
These normally are all stored in the basement.....but had been "deployed"...

The thought was, well, I can just go out a get them and fire up the genset...
But the garage door is electric....and the snowblower is blocking the service door....LOL

I need to rethink and revise the thinking and deployment.

But did give some serious thought about "camping"....like our "modern camping group" used to do in the winters..... get together and rent hotel rooms, in a hotel with pool and whirlpool.

Got so big that they gave use a banquet room next to the bar....to put the electric fireplace and lawn chairs.

I need to do some research on the whirlpool locations....
Stay warm.

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## kyratshooter

Even threatening to move south would be no good!

http://time.com/5086687/florida-snow...storm-grayson/

I had family in Gainesville and back in the 1960s they came up to KY for Christmas.  Big snow storm hit and dumped a foot on the ground.  It was the first time any of my cousins had ever seen snow and not a single person in the family owned a real winter coat.

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## Rick

I had a masonry fireplace in the family room and removed it a few years ago. That thing was about the most inefficient piece of rock ever developed. In its place I have a ventless propane fireplace that will run you out in about 5 minutes flat if you try to run it on high. I have two 30 gallon propane tanks feeding it and two 40 gallon tanks in reserve if I need them and another five 20 gallon tanks if I get desperate. I have the Genny in the garage and a propane trash can heater in the attic should the power grid decide to go south for the winter. I plan to stay warm no matter what! I have gotten to the age that anything below 75 is on the frigid side of life.

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## kyratshooter

One of the things I have noted this year is that the wind has been from every direction on the compass.  Most of our cold weather here is relatively still but this winter has been windy.

Right now the wind is whipping the trees around I can tell by feeling the walls of the house which direction the wind is coming from.

Right now it is coming straight out of the northwest from the direction of Alaska.

This is probably Onetimestar's fault!

She's is probably up there in Alaska snickering and laughing at us old geezer wimps!

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## JohnLeePettimore

Forgive my ignorance, but why do you let it get to 50 overnight?

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## crashdive123

Been busy with work - trying to get all of my renewals done early so I can enjoy some camping.  On Tuesday most of my customers thought I was crazy ---- not sure if they bought the "you and your peace of mind are more important than my comfort on a day like today" line.  In the upper 20's and raining the entire time I was working.  I had a blast.......just didn't let on to my customers that I was having fun.

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## Manwithnoname

I cannot speak for kyrs but if his situation is anything like mine I can give you a perspective answer. A couple of days ago here the high got above freezing for the first time in a week. I live in a 30yr old Winnebago, before they started insulating rv's. My main heat comes from a 110v radiator style and IR style space heaters which down to in the 20's serve me well. For supplemental I use a Mr. Heater portable propane which will boost me to 68-70 when it's 0 outside. This is only after I've used the blue foam insulation to cover my windows, roof vents, etc and regular roll insulation in service/access areas.  Fortunately for me, I can't sleep if it much above 50's.  If it's single digits to zero with my electric heaters going I can maintain 50ish and I sleep like a baby.  I have a memory foam mattress a flannel sheets, fleece blanket and a opened up sleeping bag as a.comforter for covers.  Now, I do have an Australian Shepherd and a lab pup that help out with additional heat but it's common to get up the dog water bowl being a bit frosty. I guess the point I'm trying to make is it's all a matter of perspective of what we want vs what we have and what we have to work with.  I would never trade my life for a cookie cutter, furnace heated, city water home in the city. Then again a lot of you probably think me certifiable after what I've just disclosed.. KYRS my friend, I know youre a decade older than me at least but don't give up my friend, I truly don't believe you would ever be happy with the alternative style of living to gain that cozy warm feeling.  Get a.good dog to keep you warm  :Smile:

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

For a lot of years we lived where heat was whatever I cut.  Propane was too expensive to burn for heat.  I remember when we got our first AC window unit.  But, some women are never satisfied.  Next she wanted running water all the time and we won't even talk toilets.  The lights and phone would go out when it rained or when it was hot or cold.  The 100 year old farmhouse we lived in had "0" insulation so any heat or cold was very temporary.  But, those old houses were built to catch prevailing winds in the summer and block out the wind in winter.  I miss sleeping with nothing but country sounds and a cool breeze blowing the upstairs curtains.  

But, those days are gone.  I enjoy the comforts of city living now and I can go get a taste of the country any time I like.

Alan

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## hunter63

"The Place " has wood heat....w/ electric baseboards....but below -0 with everything is full out boogi we still camp but the wood stove.
And the electric bill is way up there.

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## Manwithnoname

I do have to say I'm a full on proponent of wood stove heat! What I will add, however, 3-4 weeks ago, I was woke up by a neighbor down the hill from me. Unknown for sure what happned but his place was an inferno, his hands were burnt to red meat, his face and hair were burnt. He was taken out of my place straight to the ambulance, then straight to the life flight when it landed. He just regained consciousness 3-4 days ago.  Wood heat is the bomb but please take all necessary precautions to make its safe!!!

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## Graf

Where I live we lose power a lot, wood fireplace serviced, plenty of wood. Generator fresh fuel and tested.  And oil change. Plenty of provisions and black out gear, bring it on!

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## kyratshooter

> Forgive my ignorance, but why do you let it get to 50 overnight?


It is a safety concern.  

Plus I do not want to pay to heat rooms I am not using for large periods of time.  Fact is I would probably have a stroke just looking at the electric bull if I tried to keep this place at 70 degrees 24/7.

My main heat source is several large space heaters placed through the house.  I do not want to leave these heaters on "high" while I sleep.  When I wired this place I installed separate circuits for these heaters, so they should be safe, but I do not want to take more chances than necessary.

While I am awake I can monitor them and insure that the current is not heating the wires and causing an overload that might end in a fire, but I can not sleep knowing they are going full blast at 1500 watts per unit.

I put part of them on low and turn others completely off with the intent of keeping the house above freezing to protect the pipes.  In normal circumstances this action will keep the house around 60 degrees.  Waking to find the house at that temp I do not find disturbing.  It is also a testament to the insulation capabilities I built into this place that I can leave an area with practically zero heat and maintain that temp through the night.   

During these abnormal times the same conditions can not maintain better than 50 degrees.

In my bedroom I keep things at a uniform cool temp just so I can sleep comfortably.

During the day I keep about half the house closed off and unheated.  Since I do not do anything but pass through the two bedrooms during the 16 hours I am awake there is no reason to pay to heat them.  During the day time I just heat the kitchen, living room and bath.  

Same setup with the AC during summer.  We have hot days but the nights are usually comfortable so I AC the living area and use fans in the bedroom.

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## edr730

I've been burning about a face cord a week in this weather. The living room area falls to 55 each night and I feed the stove 2-3 times a night. It takes an hour or two each morning to heat things up good.
 I came home from work one day and the house was colder than it should have been. My wife had filled the firewood rack with green oak that I had been splitting and she was burning it. Some wood burns good green, but most you can't.  I took the wood sled out and filled it with dry ash and maple and we mixed up the oak with that. About half that green oak I stood upright about a foot from the wood stove. When it got hot enough I skinned off the bark which would have been impossible without heating it. Most of the water is in the bark and the first half inch on the outside but they still aren't seasoned.  I tossed the pieces that were the full 16 inches long into the kindling pile and burned the short ones. I don't think I'll be using that kindling till spring since during the winter the fire never gets a chance to go out.

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## randyt

The other morning a clinic called, their heat had dropped to 58 degrees. So I left town and it was 7 below on the credit union digital thermometer. I arrived at the clinic and their boilers were down. I got them back up. But but what really impressed me was air to air mini split heat pump I had installed in the attached pharmacy last summer. At seven below it was a toasty 70 degrees in there. A big pharmacy too, probably equal to four decent size bedrooms. Technology sure has come a long ways. I remember when temps would drop to 25 degrees and heat pumps would quit working, not anymore.

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## hunter63

> The other morning a clinic called, their heat had dropped to 58 degrees. So I left town and it was 7 below on the credit union digital thermometer. I arrived at the clinic and their boilers were down. I got them back up. But but what really impressed me was air to air mini split heat pump I had installed in the attached pharmacy last summer. At seven below it was a toasty 70 degrees in there. A big pharmacy too, probably equal to four decent size bedrooms. Technology sure has come a long ways. I remember when temps would drop to 25 degrees and heat pumps would quit working, not anymore.


I was lookng at those for "The Place"...more for the A/C...
Pretty neat units....

Put one in a vault, in a bank....poor monet sorter girl was cooking in the simmer...freezing in the winter....that was interesting.

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## Grandma Angel

You all seem to have good solutions to the heating problems, though I didn't see any references to that old "go to" - sipping a hot toddy. You'll hate me for saying so, but we live in Florida and are whining about the cold. My son says it's because we don't have any brown fat, sort of like a couple of bears that didn't catch any salmon. We haven't been able to get the roof or chimney fixed since Irma, so no fire in the fireplace which is what we usually heat with in winter. Our ac costs 4 times as much to heat as cool, so we avoid it. I'm sure you heard iguanas are freezing here and falling out of the trees. They say just pull them into the sunshine and try not to get bit. Thank God for small blessings - you aren't dodging falling frozen reptiles! Seriously, I hope it warms for you soon, things sounds awful.

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## kyratshooter

One thing that has happened to me is that I have discovered all the weak spots in the work I have done over the summer.

Threshold seal I forgot to install, AC unit that did not seal properly when I winterized it, places that never gave me any problems before leaking air like crazy in this constant wind chill.

I figure that all the things I have sealed up during this event have equaled having a window thrown wide open at -10.

I now have some of the windows double plastic sealed and two of the doors I seldom use completely sealed and taped off.  The only window I can see through is at the end of the house where the exercise bike stands.  I have to be able to see outside for my daily bike ride.

It has warmed to 36 outside temp here.  The first time it has been above freezing outside since Christmas Eve.  14 days below freezing.  

I have all the heat turned off except for one small space heater that is on low and the inside temp is 73. 

The rest of the winter should be a snap.

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## randyt

it's been so cold around here I seen some politicians with their hands in their own pockets, hard to believe but true.

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## Phaedrus

> it's been so cold around here I seen some politicians with their hands in their own pockets, hard to believe but true.


Hahahaha!  That made my day! :Banana:

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## 1stimestar

> I'm sure you heard iguanas are freezing here and falling out of the trees. They say just pull them into the sunshine and try not to get bit. Thank God for small blessings - you aren't dodging falling frozen reptiles! Seriously, I hope it warms for you soon, things sounds awful.



Hahha well there IS that blessing!





> One of the things I have noted this year is that the wind has been from every direction on the compass.  Most of our cold weather here is relatively still but this winter has been windy.
> 
> Right now the wind is whipping the trees around I can tell by feeling the walls of the house which direction the wind is coming from.
> 
> Right now it is coming straight out of the northwest from the direction of Alaska.
> 
> This is probably Onetimestar's fault!
> 
> She's is probably up there in Alaska snickering and laughing at us old geezer wimps!



Nah, I don't snicker at people being cold.  I've been cold.  It's miserable.  I think you got some of our weather.  We have been having an amazingly warm winter.  It's only gotten to -20 a few times and we have had NO -30 or -40 at all!  I'm still burning a ton of pellets a month at about $350. but only about 20 gallons of heating fuel a month ($50).  

Try hanging some blankets over your windows and doors.  The extra insulation helps, especially if you are having wind.

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