41 replies to this topic

[kappydell]

Although it may seem premature, I am already prepping for winter. The last 50 years have been abnormally warm, so for those under 50 years old the ‘normal’ weather patterns are an enormous shock. Colder, snowier and longer will be the new winter norm in my part of the country, so I am reviewing my preps and cold weather survival techniques. Many are drawn from the historical past and just as relevant today. I’ll tell you what has worked for me, and hopefully you have some new ideas I can try. Let’s brainstorm!

I have discovered that I can allow the kitchen to get as cold as 48 degrees before my pipes start to freeze. The books I have read claim 40 degrees, but my water pipes are not very insulated, and they are on the windy side of the house, so 48 degrees is the limit for me. I have a heat lamp that I leave shining on the pipes under the sink that doubles as a night light (and the cats used to love sitting there during the cold months). Running a trickle of water worked for me to help keep the water in the pipes moving. (I have my own well, so it does not cost me extra water fees, which I am grateful for.) 48 degrees is not a bad temperature for the kitchen. Food keeps longer, and hot food cools down quickly to put into the refrigerator, which does not have to work so hard. Cooking heat is appreciated, so winter for me is a heavy baking season. The living room has the only heat source in the house, a propane space heater. But I keep that turned down too. The heat it gives off naturally goes up the stairs to help heat the bathroom pipes.

Not only does baking warm the house, but hot chow warms the body from the inside out, so my menus include more hot cereals, drinks, and soups. Some call it an old wives tale, but my experience is that it works. The military says so too in their survival manuals, so that’s enough to convince me. Hot soup in the crock pot, or coffee/tea in the thermos make getting up a whole lot easier, and helps me warm up to start the day.

My landlord does put heavy rubber mats around the foundation of the house. I’ve tried plastic over the windows but had trouble due to the wind tearing it. (Yes, even indoors – I have a very drafty house!) In a less-windy location I would expect better success. While the plastic lasted it made an enormous difference. I have had better success with 2 inch styrofoam sheets sold at the local farm store for insulation. I cut them to just fit by friction in the window frames so they make nice night shutters. I like to open them up for sunshine during the daytime on sunny days to take advantage of sun’s heat. This winter I am going to try hanging ‘couche-portiers’ (I think that is what they called them - a blanket or quilt hung in the doorway to restrict heat losses). They were stylish during the WW2 fuel rationing years and I imagine they might come back into style again. I will try them in the bedrooms, and hallways where I do not need much heat, so I can concentrate the heat in areas that have water pipes (bathroom and kitchen). I have heavier winterized curtains but I have to be careful not to overload my curtain rods. If the fleece fabric works well as ‘couche-portiers’ I can see trying it for winter curtains. It looks light enough to work well.

Another old idea that works for me is insulating my sleeping area, so the room can get cooler without bothering me. I have used newspapers under the bottom sheets of the bed (effective, but noisy and the ink rubbed off on the sheets). I had better effect putting old wool blankets under the sheet, and when I put a mylar space blanket under the wool blanket it worked even better to reflect body heat back up. The mylar does not breathe well, so I needed to air out beds daily to keep them from getting damp. (Just throw back the blankets and let the moisture evaporate. Cold air is dryer than warm air so the moisture evaporates quickly. I hate making beds anyway, so now I have an excuse not to.)
In an earlier post on cold weather warmth m0naj0 reported her family used fleece with good results on their beds, folded so they slept inside the fold and it was warm as could be. Maybe fleece could pinch-hit for wool for this use, too. For clothing, I would need to know “Does it breathe and insulate when wet and how does it wear?” It is sure easier to find now, which is ironic in these so-called “green” days, since it is a petroleum product and wool is organic.

Clothing is historically the first defense to being cold. I have adopted many historically tested concepts and keep nicely warm when everyone around me is cold. First off, headgear is critical both inside and outdoors. Look at any movie showing eras without central heat and you will see everyone wearing headgear. In colonial days women wore mob caps and fancier hood like caps. Lappets on the side (flaps hanging down to frame the face) were all the rage and remained stylish for decades. Men wore woolen caps, and stocking caps were popular for indoor wear as well as outdoors. All the way up through Victorian days everybody wore night caps while sleeping, made of fine soft wool. My nightwear for sleeping is a hoodie sweat suit, with the hood up, socks and a pair of thin knit glove and I sleep nice and toasty.

Women and men alike wore soft scarves around their necks and crossed over their chests. The scarves were easily flipped up to cover the head if needed. In some countries they were worn outside the bodice (blouse or shirt) and belted or tucked in at the waist. In other areas they were tucked inside and the blouse or shirt worn over them. Look at the national costumes of many cold countries and you will see traditional headgear and some form of scarf or stole and often a vest worn as well.

Vests allow extra warmth at the torso while giving freedom of movement. (My favorite winter outfit so far has been a vest fashioned from a sweat shirt that fit closely but not tightly. My second favorite was a short-sleeved sweatshirt, again because it was warm but still allowed ease of movement.) Fingerless gloves are not a new invention either. Claudette Colbert wore some in the winter scenes in “Drums Along the Mohawk” right along with her cap, scarf, and vest. (Check it out next time it comes on TV!)

Now to insulate my lower body, I have found that long johns are always effective, as are sweat pants under my trousers. The summer-weight lighter sweat pants make wonderful long-handles, as my dad called them. Layer a pair of tights under them and you can stay warm and toasty outdoors in 20-below weather. (I know, I did it, standing on a boat landing for hours when there were still ice floes out on the lake!!) I looked a bit pudgy, but in the cold parts of this country, the ‘puffy’ look is in style when it gets cold!

Skirts can be amazingly warm and comfy when it is frigid if you insulate under them. Longer skirts are actually warmest, and under them you can hide your tights, sweat pants, and outer wind-resistant trousers (not to mention your defense weapon). Flannel or wool petticoats help retain heat under the skirt too. Wear an apron that is water resistant that you
can whip off and replace when it gets wet, to protect your clothing.

Finish off with several pairs of socks in your boots. I like a cotton layer and a wool layer over that, because wool makes my feet itch. But worn over cotton it is nice and warm and comfy. You will need bigger boots though. Test them to make sure you can wiggle your toes with both layers of socks on. If you can do so, your circulation will be good and you can better avoid frostbite. (Just ask the army ‘bout that.) Of course, you might walk a bit ponderously, but if you slip you have all that extra padding to cushion your fall…..!

Never throw out anything that is made of wool or a mostly wool fabric. (The military has developed other cold weather fabrics but they are still very pricey, made of petroleum products, do not wear very long, and burn very quickly when exposed to flame unless treated. They can’t even be washed without special chemicals to keep them water resistant) Wool is organic, and although a bit heavier than the new fabrics, it still is the gold standard for cold weather fabrics, because it allows moisture to evaporate through it to keep you from getting clammy-cold, insulates even when wet, and is naturally flame retardant, if you work around fire. It even stinks as it smolders as an extra alerting trait (hey, sleepy, you are on fire!). You can wash it by hand in plain old lukewarm soap and water, and it wears many years if cared for. Even old worn out clothes can be taken apart and used to line new vests or jackets, the sleeves and smaller parts cut into warm insoles to line boots and make mittens for your hands, the scraps used to fill quilts for bed covers or to make quilted coat, vest or jacket linings, and when it gets too threadbare to sew with, long wearing braided, hooked or crocheted rugs. Wool can be processed into cloth on the homestead, with hand tools, and is ‘free’ for the shearing. The only thing I can find that the synthetics excel at, is their light weight, and as a substitute for those who are allergic to wool. Otherwise I think wool wins hands down in practicality and price.

Well, that about sums up my personal know how on staying warm in the ‘frozen north’ of the upper Midwest. Hopefully you have learned or have been reminded of some good ideas that can help you stay warm and conserve some fuel (and money). I am always eager to learn more, so if you have anything that worked well for you, please speak up before the snow flies. At the rate we are going, that could be as early as October, and winter is a lot more fun if you are warm!

[snapshotmiki]

Thanks Kappydell! That is a lot of information!

[Mt_Rider]

'Tis that time of year, isn't it? It was a foggy 38 degrees at 7am at my house this morning. Still topped out in the high 70's or even 80 degrees in late afternoon tho. We have vast hi/lo temperature differences. I told DH tonite that I change clothes more than 10 other 'normal' people combined. [..that menopause thing contributes too.... ]

I use bubble wrap on windows that can remain closed up for the winter. Add some thick curtains and it makes up for the single glazing in this rented house. I'm thinking of trying double sided sticky tape for applying it this year. Pull back the curtains and it does admit opaque light.

I really like our pellet stove [would love a wood stove insert instead but...rented house] because I can keep the heat down further in the house. As my internal temperature fluctuates, I merely go sit by the pellet stove and warm up. Otherwise I'd have to remain chilled [which I hate] or turn up the furnace for the whole house. We've gotten used to sleeping in very chilly bedrooms....LOVE the down comforter.

I've collected a number of soft knit longsleeved shirts from Goodwill. I top those [and take it off and on and off and on ] with a down vest. I've decided that is my winter uniform!!!!

I use light weight knit pants[like pj's] covered with heavy-weight sweatpants. I never wear jeans cuz they're worthless for warmth and give my impaired muscles more resistance when I try to move.

As a drastic measure to combat waking up in the night F R E E Z I N G, I keep an electric heating pad on a shelf near the bed. It also works [like last nite at 2:30am ] if one of my muscles acts up and goes into total SPASM. No way to return to sleep til I can get it calmed down. For chills, it usually only takes a few minutes to warm me up again and abandon the heating pad to it's shelf. BTW ---- it's a safety one. You have to be pushing the spring-loaded trigger in order for it to heat up. So it you fall asleep, it SHOULD shut off. [Note: I have an MS-related oddity that locks my muscles in a tight position so I certainly can go to sleep with my grip on the trigger intact. AND I make sure I get the trigger mechanism off the bed, cuz you can roll upon it and it will activate the trigger too. Don't use this with children and use caution with adults!] I swear the cat can hear the trigger and comes running to share the warmth.

Make sure you remove all totally full water bottles from your vehicles and certain food-with-liquid items from your car BOB's. I pour out a good third of water and leave the bottles in the car. The freezing won't burst the plastic bottles [never do this with glass] and I sometimes use the water even in winter.

Ditto what Kappy said about headwear/gloves. When I'm in bed reading, I have a pair of those silvered gloves on. A bit tedious for page-turning but fingers get too chilled otherwise. A stocking cap always is a good warmer.

Kappy, come to my house and warm it with some of your baking! [DH and I are on low carb right now and the thought of baked goods makes my mouth water!]


MtRider [...winter cometh! ]

Edited by Mt_Rider, 10 August 2011 - 11:27 PM.

[Dee]

Great post kappydell. You're right about the mild winters we've had for even just the past 10 years. We're due for some 3 day blizzards and I wouldn't be surprised to see them hit, if not this year in the next few.

I can't think of much to add to your post but living on the prairie like we do here I've found that garbage bags wrapped around your legs will keep the wind out. You can't be out a long time using them because it doesn't breath and you'll sweat but to go out to do chores in -20 weather with gale force winds the plastic is nice.

Also, to covering doorways inside the house I use a quilt but I also buy flannel backed tablecloths to put on one side. The quilt keeps things snuggy and the tablecloth will keep the air from going through. You can buy them for less than $1 in the fall if you keep your eyes open. I buy them every year to use for so many things. They obviously aren't the best quality but the ones I bought last year at clearance for $.69 each made it so I can afford to throw them away when they get too worn out for use.

I don't wear long johns anymore but I do wear my sweats on the outside of my jeans. Now I just slip them on before going outside w/o having to take my jeans off to put them on and then again to get them off. It keeps my jeans clean longer too.

We have 2 large living room windows, each 8' wide by 6' high. A small window in the room too. I made window quilts a few years ago and they are great. I found 2 king quilted bedspreads cheap and cut and hemmed them for the windows. During the day I have them tied back because we can't stand living in a dungeon but come sunset they're untied and cover the windows beautifully until morning.

Our bedroom gets very cold but we have an electric blanket. About an hour before going to bed I turn my side on high and dh's on about 5. By the time we're ready for bed each side is toasty and I turn off the electric blanket. Our body heat keeps us warm all night but it's so nice crawling into the warm bed.

When we buy new leather shoes/boots we spray them with something that keeps out the moisture. Can't think of the name but it works slick. Nothing worse than wet shoes/boots.

When we trapped we always took a baked potato in each pocket. I had read somewhere that it's a great handwarmer and it was. Another thing about the potato if you get stuck out somewhere you had something to eat. We seldom ate ours but they were wrapped in foil so we'd eat them fixed somehow or other when we got home.

I can't think of anything else at the moment and it's late so I'm off to bed.

Edited by Dee, 10 August 2011 - 11:59 PM.
make corrections

[indy gal preps]

I would have a hard time coping with the house that cold. I grew up in West Virginia and back then it was cold from Oct.thru April.My Mother had very heavy drapes that she put over the door ways,so that brought back memories,we would stand over the registers and get warm then run up to our beds,we had no heat upstairs,so you are right about getting in a warm bed. My grandson is getting married next summer and will be moving to Wisconsin.Is the weather really bad up there in the winter?

[Jeepers]

Those are all great tips. I turned off the register vents in the basement. Not sure why they are down there. It's an unfinished dungeon and heating and cooling it is not something I'm going to do. I also got those foam pipe covers to go over the hot and cold water lines. They help keep the pipes from sweating and dripping water on the floor. I bought a hot water heater blanket. I put plastic on my windows every year. I use those clear plastic vent deflectors on my registers to direct the heat into the room instead of up the wall. This year I'm going to insulate my garage door. I'm not sure if any of of this helps but I think it does and that makes me happy.

For me, mittens are warmer than gloves. I live alone so flannel night gowns get worn around here a lot. If it's really really cold I'll wear a pair of "cuddl duds" type of pants underneath.

Every year around Oct. or Nov. Walmart and especially K-Mart sells heated throws. I love them. In the dead of winter I put one between my top sheet and the first blanket. I turn it on and by the time I get out of the shower, the bed is nice and warm. Since it is throw size, it only heats half of the queen size bed. Not long after I get in, I turn it off and it stays warm a long time. I think the heat gets trapped between the sheet/blanket layers. I also use a heating pad. If I just can't get warm and need a quick fix, I'll use one. Mine shuts off automatically after so long, I think an hour, so I'm not worried about falling asleep with it. It's usually on my feet anyway.

My grandmother had a leaky door. Every night she would get a knife and some paper towels and go around the entire door stuffing the paper towels in the cracks. She would use the same ones over and over. We all knew not to go to Granny's house after about 8:00pm in the winter because she would already have the door all sealed up and would have to do it all over again when we left. It took her all of 5 minutes but we didn't want to aggravate. She would open the door and paper towels would fly everywhere.

[Vic303]

Winter?? What's that?? It was 85degF at 06:30 this morning. We are on day 40?? I think of consecutive 100+degree days with zero rain. I've forgotten what rain looks and feels like...

Winter in NTX means you do not have to turn on your A/C. Winter in NTX means you don't HAVE to turn on your heat, either--we did not use heat at all last winter, even during the 19deg high week. The house just never cooled below 55degF.

There are really only two seasons here... Summer, and Not Summer. Summer lasts up to 10 months of the year, and Not Summer lasts 1-4mo depending on the year and solar cycle. Another way to think of the seasons here is as A/C Required, and A/C Optional.

[okiecountrygirl]

Kappy, fleece is very warm. It lets no air in so it might be bad to make you sweat. We don't have cold days like you do but we have some. It washes very well. I have a fleece jacket and I love it. I also have fleece pj's that I can only wear when it's very cold.

[kappydell]

Oh MtRider! What a good use for bubble wrap! I bet it would stay put on my drafty windows better than the other stuff, and hey...it costs little/nothing to try! Thank you! I was also wondering it draining water out of my car BOB would work, nice to see it will. Since I keep cleaning out Goodwill of all their woolens, I have started on sweat shirts. I cut them in front, bind the edges and put in those rivet type snaps for easy on-off (since I am also at the 'power surge' time of life). I also short sleeve them, I get long sleeves too dirty with all my messy projects, even in winter. I end up giving much of my baking away, because I am carb-sensitive (sigh) but I get mobbed when I arrive bearing goodies. My late spouse forbade me to make Danish pastries at all though, it was a weak spot for both of us (real butter, cardamom, and such....oh, my!)
Dee I have several 'old' tablecloths I have been saving for making 'sit upons', waterproof book covers, and such. I never thought of them as a kind of windbreaker for the doorway. That shoe stuff sounds like a silicone type spray that I've seen in the shoe section of Wally-world. My mom swore by 'neats-foot-oil and we applied it spring & autumn. I have a way of making that at home - you use deer hooves (It took me forever to figure out what a 'neat' was...). I did buy an old bed-warmer at the Goodwill store. The check-out girl thought it was very long handled corn popper. My cat never liked the electric heating pad, so I never got an electric blanket. She would, though, stand on my chest and meow loudly until I lifted up the quilt and let her slip in next to my hip.
Jeepers, are those basements vents for heat, or are they air returns? If they are air returns, you need to use care in blocking them, since heat won't circulate well without an air return too. But then again, if there is no heat down there either, what the heck - should make no difference.
Indygal, the thing about Wisconsin is not that it gets cold per se...but the weather fluctuates so much that you never really adapt well. About the time you get used to a minu 40 wind chill, you get a couple plus 40 days. Folks from Alaska say their climate is much better because it just gets cold and stays that way. I carry a jacket in my car until July, and sunblock year around (reflected sun on snow burns too). Its pretty in winter here though, especially after a damp snow storm when they trees look like theyve had white flocking sprayed on them, and everything is sort of hushed. I like to go out and read the tracks in the yard to see what wild life has stopped by. And it tends to be very green and lush like an extended spring til about Aug when it gets rather hot and dry. So even though our seasons are kind of extreme, they are mever boring! If your grandson likes to hunt and/or fish, he will love it here...lots of streams, forests, and game. Many lakes are well stocked, as the native americans run the fish hatcheries and they do a great job. This is a good area for living off the land if you have to, and the dept of natural resources has lots of really neat classes to teach people how to camp, hunt, fish and trap. And Vic...well, my dad loves coming down to Texas around October (the first frosts hit then) and he stays until May. He likes it far better than Fla where my sister lives, or Tenn where my brother is. He loves your dry heat, and he has been absolutely true to his word that he is never going to spend another winter in Wisconsin...ever. Me, I like the weather, even if it is a little wild and wooly. I am hoping for lots of snow this winter, I want to try making a snow dome with the snow blower!

[mamacat]

Kansas can be both ridiculously hot (42 days over 100 here so far) and stupid cold (regular ice storms). Our wind is insane. We often have gusts of 45-60. I've learned that the plastic used to build high tunnels (often called hoop houses) is an excellent weight to hold up against high wind and heat for insulating your windows under either condition.

These have all been great posts!

[kappydell]

Mamacat and Okiecountry, Im not ignoring you...you posted while I was typing in my last comments. Kansas sounds like Wisconsin, maybe a little windier. Im told its because you have a flatter topography. I live in the driftless area, and we have hills that in Tenn they would call mountains.
I suspect it keeps the winds down to 30 mph most times (except for tornadoes). Okie, thank you for the info about fleece - I'll use it for windows and doors then, instead of for clothing. I don't care to be venting my clothing all the time as I "glow" more than many "ladies".

[themartianchick]

There are a lot of good ideas about how to fight the cold here! I keep thinking about the little boy in the movie, A Christmas Story, and how he was unable to put his arms down because he was swaddled in too much winter clothing!

We live in a snowbelt where we get lake effect snow. The good thing about lake effect is that while it is characterized by large fluffy flakes, the temps are usually bit warmer due to the cloudcover that produces the snow. While others have focused on the clothing and home weatherization aspects, my post will focus on snow safety.

A lot of times, people wait until the snow stops before going out to shovel. This is one of the worst things that you can do. Snow is heavy (especially lake effect). If you wait until it has finished snowing, you may find that you have an insurmountable task ahead. This is one of the reasons that so many people have heart attacks when shoveling. Instead, try to shovel, push or sweep the snow out of the way every couple of hours. This lightens the workload considerably.Put salt down on sidewalks and steps prior to snow fall. It helps to melt the snow before it accumulates.

Check to see how much snow is accumulating on flat roofs, like those on porches. Don't go out on the roof! Instead just brush accumulated snow off with a long handled implement like a push broom or a snow/ice rake. This can keep the porches from collapsing. This past winter, my area received 179 inches of snow...Yep, 179 inches! Now, that is a lot of weight to have on a roof. It actually collaped the roof on my parents' barn. Luckily, it was covered by insurance.

Check out your snow removal equipment and your vehicle tires in the fall before the first snow hits. Make sure that everything is in good working order on snowblowers and plows. Inspect the screws that attach everything together on your shovels. (Make sure that you can find your shovels and move them to an easily accessible place.) Buy some salt or ice melt before the snow hits. When the first storm hits, all of the shovels and salt will fly off of the shelves.

If you burn wood in the winter and store it in an outbuilding, also keep some stacked outside of that building, preferably close to the house. In a bad storm, yu may not have easy access to an outbuilding due to accumulated snow or ice. If you heat with propane or heating oil, make sure that you keep you tank topped off. My prepper mom forgot one year and we had a nasty ice storm after a blizzard had blown through. We ended up stuck at home with dwindling fuel. We had to sleep downstairs and shut off most of the heat runs upstairs to conserve fuel. We also used the oven to keep the lower level warm. Although I didn't realize how dire the situation was at the age of 6 or 7, as an adult, I found it to be really scary! I'd never want to have to worry about my family freezing.

Last year, I learned that I am prone to chillblains. In essence, my skin is almost allergic to the cold and forms painful sores on my hands and feet with minimal exposure. For that reason I purchased a case of chemical hand and foot warmers. They are handy to have, even if you don't have chillblains. We keep some in the glove compartment in case of an emergency.

We also keep a shovel & some sand in case we get stuck; a blanket, granola bars, extra magic gloves and a couple of candles in jars. Candles in jars can help to keep you warm if you are ever stranded in your vehicle. You don't want to have to rely on the car's heater for warmth due to the carbon monoxide issues. Snow and ice can clog the exhaust pipe and force deadly fumes into the car.With the candle, you should crack a window a tiny bit for the same reason.

If you are safe where you are, then stay there! Many people try to get home for the sake of getting home. It isn't worth it. Snow and ice are unpredictable. As a kid, I always knew that my parents might not come home in a bad storm. Dad worked in a military facility that had food, nearby restaurants, cots, etc... Mom worked in a hospital with a cafeteria, food service, vending machines, etc... She could stay in a hospital room or in a lobby, if need be.They had an arrangement with my babysitter that would allow me to stay at her house if they were unable to get home in bad weather. It is a bummer when something like that happens, but you only have one life to live.

[gofish]

For Christmas Dh got me slippers that come midway up my legs. Don't know how I lived without them.

We use a kerosene heater. While I'm not all that happy useing it as long as it above 15* it keeps the house comfortable. We put new windows in the house about 4 years ago and that helped a lot in the bedrooms.
I like the idea of a heating pad warming up the bed. As long as I can keep my feet warm I'm good. I would take it out before sleeping. I used to laugh at Mom for waking up with overly hot feet. Now it's not so funny.


# 1 prep is a poster of Hawaii. I get it out about the 1st week of February .

[Mt_Rider]

Stuffing paper in leaky doors...yup! Our old farm house I grew up in had that. We used newspaper sheets accordian-folded the long way...like a paper fan. Then stuff them into the cracks....and try not to open the door. My current old cabin has a leaky front door - the one facing down the valley to the SW. So sometimes with extreme wind blowing in, I hang a sleeping bag over the whole door frame. Makes it hard to get in/out but sheeeesh, that minus zero wind is unbearably. No storm door to help now [the owner's bright idea to replace the old, damaged ones with wooden screen-only doors. ]

I'd forgotten the hot potato trick. I grew up in Iowa and knew of that way back then. But the NEW hand/feet warmers are reusable. [Available thru Emergency Essentials and other places] They have a metal disc that you 'ping' to activate. To "recharge", I think you have to boil them. Then the 'ping' will work again and again.

MtRider [...Brrrrrr.....iffen I wasn't having a hot flash just now, I'd be shivering while reading this! ]

[indy gal preps]

Yesterday I saw a pattern somewhere on the net(10.99) for fleece socks that came up to just below the knee-I think patterns are very expensive,so if you sew at all you could probably draw around your foot and make it as far up the leg as you want-bet these would be very warm,most fleece things are.Maybe keep a pair in your car in case you get stuck somewhere.Fleece seems to always be on sale at the JoAnn fabric stores around here. You could also get the flat elastic for the top to keep them from sliding down.How do I put the bubble wrap on windows? Does it just go on the glass? Do you need to moisten it to get it to stick? We get a lot of wind here and our windows are bad and can't replace them this year as we've had a lot of unexpected expenses.

[Dee]

Another thing I just remembered is using styrofoam meat cartons to block the air from coming through your electrical outlets. Our house is over 125 years old and drafty. I think it was here at Mrs. S. that I read, years ago, that cutting out the styrofoam to fit around your plug in then putting the electrical plate over it will cut down on the cold air coming in. I did it and it really worked. I don't know if new houses are less apt to have that cold air but give it a try this winter and see. Remove the plate and feel the air just blowing into the house.

[AMarthaByHeart]

We are now on our 68th day of over 100 degree weather since middle of May, with no relief in sight. It is easier to cool off than to get warm.
We put a towel on the bottom window sill in the winter and also roll a towel and put it at the bottom of the door. This can easily be moved if needed to make an fast exit. We have a lot of wind in Central West Texas. We also thumb tack around the edge of my thermal curtains to keep the air out. Across the top of window, we also use a large towel. DS used duct tape on the bubble wrap in his travel trailer. He said it made a world of difference.
After baking, we always leave the oven door open.
Wonderful suggestions. Our winters are mild compared to some of yours. The bad thing is that we are not equipped for icy or snowy weather. We did lose power last winter and used some of the great suggestions that were on Mrs. S. At least, I have food preps nearly ready but need to get some wood. Thanks for the reminder of a soon-coming winter, although our first freeze usually doesn't come until late Nov. or early Dec.

[Mt_Rider]

Bubble wrap to windows: I use the clear packing tape. I lay out the bubble wrap and carefully stick tape along the edges. Then I hoist that side up the the windows and stick the other half of the applied tape to the wooden window frame. However, in this rustic cabin, I have rough-sawn wood for framing. If you have NICE window frames...painted, etc,...this would not be a good idea. That's why I'm thinking of double-sided sticky tape. Stick to the bubble wrap and the other side, stick to the window glass. With goo-gone, you can get the sticky residue off in the spring if it leaves some ick. Since the bubble wrap is so light-weight, it doesn't take much but be sure to secure any area that might have a draft leaking thru.

Now you might check to see if you have drafty leaks around the window frame itself. If so, you could get a larger piece of bubble wrap and hang it over the whole frame and all. Not just the glass portion. Cover with curtains, I guess. I just tuck the sides of the bubble wrap in the gap between log wall and the window framing.

Someone mentioned large pieces of insulation styrofoam boards. BTDT Lived in an 'igloo' one winter...decades ago. Gives me the willies to be so closed in without light but we had NO $$$ for excess heating costs that year. However, these boards, properly fitted, can be taken out during the daytime, especially while the sun is on that side of the house.

If you have a very large insulating board, they can be a bit unweildy. So I made a "handle" on one that covered a large window. Poke two small holes thru at a good spot to grab. Thread cord or thick yarn thru both holes, making a loop on the original side. On the other side, either tie the two ends together or....tie a large button or something to keep the cord from pulling back thru.


Y'all that are still planting veggies and suffering thru triple digits.... it's rather inconceivable to me. Early this morning it was 35 degrees here at 9,000'. Aug 15 is the ending of our 'frost-free' time period. After that, all bets are off with tender veggies. {sigh} I wish you could send some of that heat directly to my garden. NOT to my house, mind you! Hang in there. Later, while I've got a 2' blizzard, you'll merely be chilly or wet.

MtRider [...had to turn swamp cooler off today...Brrrr ]

Edited by Mt_Rider, 12 August 2011 - 02:21 PM.

[Jeepers]

I forgot about my arm warmers. I don't like to wear shirts with long sleeves, even though I do in the winter! My arms often get cold if I'm in a regular tee shirt so I bought some arm warmers. They are like a stretchy tube that is a little bigger at the top. They are like leg warmers for the arms.

I suppose you could make them out of mens long tube socks by cutting off the toe. I'm not sure how you'd keep them up at the top. I'm not handy with sewing, except a straight line. A loose rubberband if nothing else. Tube socks might be too tight though.

I imagine you could knit them too. I can knit but haven't tried circular needles.

Here are some similar to what I have. http://www.harrietca...9B-D5748BF0D3A6

[kappydell]

Jeepers - you reminded me of the last time I used some makeshift arm warmers....I put on some sweat pants with my arms thru the legs and the waist going behind my shoulders. I must have looked funny as can be, but my hubby did not laugh (at least where I could hear him), or say how ridiculous I must have looked!It worked wonderfully though.

Edited by kappydell, 13 August 2011 - 03:36 PM.