HOW
TO PREVENT HYPOTHERMIA
Get
rest Eat
well Stay
dry Stay
active Avoid
perspiring Avoid
wind Avoid
cold What
is hypothermia?
A
drop of 1° or more in the body's core
temperature.
Stage
1: shivering; difficulty speaking; memory
lapse; become indecisive; can not think
logically
Stage
2: shivering decreases, but muscles become
rigid; thinking impaired; cannot speak; can
still walk; heart beat low
Stage
3: actions become unco-ordinated; person is
lethargic; pulse slows; irrational
Stage
4: uncon-sciousness; core temperature still
drops even if body is warmed; must have medical
aid to recover.
CALCULATE
YOUR FUEL NEEDS
Fuel
needs for a winter's use will depend on the
severity of the cold. To heat half of your 1,000
square ft home (500 sq, ft.), you would use
approximately 1L /0.25 gal. per hour. At that
rate you will need 112 L / 30 gal. of fuel every
5 days.
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CUDDLE
ON THE COUCH, TOES TO THE
FIRE
Normally we
think of heat needs in simple terms. Are we warm
enough? Most people depend on some sort of fuel
to heat their homes during the winter. A
principle of self reliance is to consider what
you would do if that heat source was cut off,
through lack of fuel, machinery breakdown or
even if you are injured and can't do the
maintenance (put wood on the fire).
Heat issues need
to be addressed before an emergency, where
normal heating methods or the means to deliver
heat are at risk. If you plan in advance, you
can avoid the extremes of cold and the property
damage that could result.
Heat
Issues
•
staying warm
•
purifying water (if applicable)
•
cooking food
•
preventing your home's water system from
freezing (and bursting)
•
preventing stored water, food and other
supplies from freezing
Personal
Space Heating
Reduce the need
for personal heat: stock additional warm
clothing, woolly footwear, bulky sweaters and
insulated bedding.
Minimize
The Need For Heat
Preparing to
live without normal sources of heat requires
organized steps that begin with minimizing the
need for heat. Think in terms of heat-wise
choices.
You can minimize
the need for heat, no matter where you live, by
carefully attending to every heat sensitive
detail of your home. Renters and high-rise
dwellers won't be able to modify their homes
much, so they will have to develop more of a
camping lifestyle during any crisis.
Identify
Freeze-sensitive Products
Reduce your
supply of products that could be damaged by
freezing by storing products in alternate forms.
Example: choose dehydrated fruits instead of
canned fruits. Store water in containers that
will allow it to expand without splitting (water
expands 10% when it freezes).
Store everything
that could be damaged by freezing (paints, foods
. . .) in a space with a heater that is
independent of all outside power and fuel. In
the country, a root cellar is ideal; such a room
can be built into most homes.
Determine which
rooms will be heated and block off the rest of
the home. Arrange heat sources for area heating
and for cooking that are independent of outside
power. Use eco-fuels if possible.
Freeze-proofing
Your Home
Analyze all the
water lines and sources of water in your home.
The freeze-proof quick fix, is to put heat tape
on sensitive lines and install a generator to
ensure electrical power. This is good if you'll
still have general home heat and running water
in a power outage. If you won't have water
coming in anyway, the most effective way of
protecting your home from freezing, in a power
failure, is to drain all water from everything -
quickly, before it freezes.
Draining the
water from everything means methodically going
over all your plumbing and installing manual (or
electrical) drains at every low spot in your
pipes. Any place water can accumulate and freeze
is a potential split in the pipe when the heat
comes back on.
Sometimes people
can use an air compressor (alternatively
powered) that allows them to use air pressure to
blow the water out of their lines.
Besides the
water pipes, you'll need to drain the water pump
pressure tank, the water heater, the sinks,
washers and tub traps, toilet bowl and tank (use
a sponge), the dishwasher and clothes
washer.
In any case,
practice and perfect your own water drain
techniques. Make them easy enough for a child to
carry out in the cold. Teach everyone how to
drain water so that whomever is home can do
what's needed.
Another note is
'antifreeze' solutions. These are usually not
drinkable, so it is usually not a good idea to
put them in water lines that you expect to drink
out of. But it is an option that will prevent
water from splitting your pipes.
Non-electric
Heating . . .
A number of
reputable companies make portable space heaters;
catalytic radiant heaters; cook stoves;
barbecues and lanterns that are powered by
alcohol, kerosene, white gas or propane. Look
for units that are designed to used indoors and
do not require electricity to operate (no fans,
electrical thermostats ..).
At -30°C an
average 1,000 square ft. house can be kept warm
with a 60,000 BTU/hr heater rating. (portable
non-electric space heaters are not usually
available in more than 40,000 BTU each.) It is
usually better to use more, smaller capacity
units, than a larger one. It is not advisable to
move units from room to room.
It is also
possible and commonly done, to either convert
the home's heating system to low voltage DC and
provide a battery backup, or to install an
inverter and provide a battery backup. This
allows homes that burn a fuel to maintain their
heating system pumps, fans, thermostats,
automatic disconnects, etc...
Storing
Fuel
Extreme care
needs to be taken in deciding how to store fuel
for heating. For apartment dwellers this will be
a challenge that will have to be discussed with
your landlord. Enlist the advice of your fire
department in determining which fuels are most
appropriate for your situation.
Indoor
Fire Safety
Non-electric
heaters, lighting and cooking devices each have
a flame. Indoor fires require careful fire
prevention practices. Consult your fire
department for guides and follow their
recommendations for evacuation plans.
• Never
leave an open fire unattended (particularly
candles)
• Do
not place hot appliances on or near anything
that can burn
• Make
sure hot appliances will not fall or get
knocked over.
•
Install battery operated carbon monoxide
monitoring devices.
• make
sure you have adequate
ventilation.
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