Survivalist Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Forums

What are some apartment heating ideas when the power goes out?

Jump to Latest
41 - 59 of 59 Posts
#41 ·
Olde School types taught clothes are for warmth. Fire is for cooking, light and
comfort.

Well, you get the idea. I can be a few feet from my fire and be cold.
Miles from it and warm as toast in my wool camping clothes. :)
 
#43 ·
tooltime said:
Do you know how much they are off hand 36 x 72 or so
Click to expand...
I do not. I just checked their website, and you are not able to get a quote or order blinds direct from them anymore... you have to have a designer come to your house and give you a quote. Yeah freaking right. I know for a fact the designers will try to sell you more expensive products that you don't need. They are on commission. They will also try to sell you installation for $15+ per shade, and any monkey with a screwdriver can install the damn things.

It is too bad too since the 3 Day products are good quality.
 
#45 ·
Foam insulation.

A couple of years ago I realized that my furnace and vent system was adequate to heat the house, but just not my one bedroom that I keep the door closed on. The room has a vent but I have to keep the door closed to keep cats out and during coldest weather not enough heat could come in.

I found some 1" thick foam insulation sheets like are commonly nailed under wall board. These I cut to be a force fit on the outside windows. I have iron bars on the windows that swing open and the insulation fits exactly behind the bars. This has made a huge difference in comfort during the coldest weather. They are extremely easy to put on and remove as the weather changes. The only drawback is that I have to use lights during the day if working in there.

No more drafts and much less noise.

Since then I have found some heavier, denser, 1 1/2" foam type material that I have cut to fit and will be trying.

Insulating the windows makes a huge difference.
 
#47 ·
I have a King-sized down comforter that will make you sweat even if you are sleeping outside in the wintertime! Got it while in Europe, the Germans are a good source for these, when I was stationed there back in '57 to '59, you didn't need heat at night, just a down comforter! And, I can remember kicking the comforter off to cool down some before going back to sleep! As was previously stated, fire is for cooking and light.
 
Save
Reply Quote Like Like
#48 ·
Try a biolight and dryer exhaust tube.

I did this once in a high rise apartment complex. This little hiking stove can run for hours by feeding it small sticks and it burns pretty clean. Position the aluminum tube above the flame and run it so it hangs discreetly out of a window.
Youre able to keep a large area very warm and cook. Also it charges devices via USB. The stove is very small and the tube packs down to nothing.

http://biolitestove.com/products/campstove/?gclid=CjwKEAjw77OhBRCJ7Onfp_HNtwYSJACZqHAWAv1hdJDj8OvYWVu3hui_lkWB5JDYn6y9LV97pibNpRoCM9Tw_wcB
 
#49 ·
Hatchet_11 said:
I did this once in a high rise apartment complex. This little hiking stove can run for hours by feeding it small sticks and it burns pretty clean. Position the aluminum tube above the flame and run it so it hangs discreetly out of a window.
Youre able to keep a large area very warm and cook. Also it charges devices via USB. The stove is very small and the tube packs down to nothing.

http://biolitestove.com/products/campstove/?gclid=CjwKEAjw77OhBRCJ7Onfp_HNtwYSJACZqHAWAv1hdJDj8OvYWVu3hui_lkWB5JDYn6y9LV97pibNpRoCM9Tw_wcB
Click to expand...
I don't understand what you are running out the window. Also, how do you close the window enough to prevent cold air from coming in?
 
#50 ·
Bubble wrap (like the packing material that comes in your UPS shipments) is useful for insulating windows. If you get some big pieces in a shipment, save it and stick it in a closet. When you have to use it, wet the window slightly with a mist from a spray bottle. It will stick in place. It still lets in light, but it does have the downside of blocking your view.
 
#52 ·
Loads of good ideas for insulation etc.
It's been said, but;

Carbon Monoxide alarm!
- essential if you are burning stuff indoors, if it goes off, get out of the room immediately!
Being sensible and maintaining some ventilation should render it useless, but if you've got it wrong, you'll fall into a coma and die.

Be Fire aware!
- prevention is better than cure, keep away flammable items and have an appropriate extinguisher to hand, co2 is a great multiuse, but not in an enclosed space! You will fall into a coma and die...
 
#53 ·
Your profile only states you live in the United States. IMO, you need to consider how cold your winters get. Here in KS, I have a generator that I can hook up and run a radiator heater, or I also have a kerosene heater available as well. IMO, a Coleman Stove is likely to be your best choice in an apt. If you run a flame, I always keep a pot of water on the boil. It keeps the air from getting too dry and also radiates heat.
 
#54 ·
Hang blankets/sheets/whatever to block off hallways or doorways for one room. You'd be surprised how well that helps.

Two winters ago before we had a wood stove, we had a terrible winter with a few bad storms. We lost power for 3 days and it was very cold out. Luckily we had generators to keep the fridge going.

Anyway - we blocked off the doorways and all stayed in our living room. Blocked off the windows as well. Lit some candles in the middle and a fire in the fireplace made of scrap wood and sticks I managed to dig up from under 18" of snow.

Kept us warm enough until the power came on.
 
#56 ·
During the fall I use candles to off set the temps . The burn all night and are not very expensive .
My house is old so it leaks a lot .
How
\\ever if I lived in a newer place I would at least have a window open a fraction for air.
Bees Wax is superior in burning quality and a minimum in soot.
Ideally one should learn to make their own candles.
Kerosene lamps put out a lot of heat as well but they are a bit more sooty.
IF you have a south facing window, you can make a solar heater using ABS pipe as a curtain in the window, from an inch off the floor to the top of the window.
By convection it will draw heat up in the sun and draw the cold air from the floor and through the pipe and on up into the room.
 
#57 ·
An apartment is tough because storage space is at a premium. I own several kerosene heaters that I've bought cheap at yard sales and junk auctions over the last 20 years and I keep several 5 gallon cans of kerosene on hand. We've used them a few times every winter. Until very recently, we used to lose power for a day or longer several times a year. The electric utility finished a big project 2 years ago and our electric has been much more reliable since then but we had 15+ years to test our no-power preps on a regular basis.

One trick: start kerosene heaters outside and let them get hot before bringing them in. They stink for the first 5 minutes but once they get going, they're odorless.

Image
Image
Image
 
#58 ·
maintenanceguy said:
An apartment is tough because storage space is at a premium. I own several kerosene heaters that I've bought cheap at yard sales and junk auctions over the last 20 years and I keep several 5 gallon cans of kerosene on hand. We've used them a few times every winter. Until very recently, we used to lose power for a day or longer several times a year. The electric utility finished a big project 2 years ago and our electric has been much more reliable since then but we had 15+ years to test our no-power preps on a regular basis.

One trick: start kerosene heaters outside and let them get hot before bringing them in. They stink for the first 5 minutes but once they get going, they're odorless.

Image
Image
Image
Click to expand...
Some years ago online i saw a pic. A guy made a cart for his kerosene heater and moved it outside/inside
 
#59 ·
Get a radiant kerosene heater. Japanese have been using them in small apartments forever. A small amount of kerosene will keep you warm for a long time. Its safer and much more efficient than using small butane gas tubes. Very reliable, just a burning wick and silent. Do get a CO detector though, just to play it safe.
FerFAL
 
41 - 59 of 59 Posts
About this Discussion
58 Replies
47 Participants
Last post:
FerFAL
Survivalist Forum
posts
12M
members
169K
Since
2007
A forum community dedicated to survivalists and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about collections, gear, DIY projects, hobbies, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Off Topic Lounge Disaster Preparedness General Discussion Firearms General Discussion New Member Introductions Financial Forum