Winter Power Outage Guide: Staying Warm

The Texas Freeze of 2021 taught us a brutal lesson: modern homes are basically tents once the furnace stops. Without power, a house drops to outside temperatures within 24-48 hours. Hypothermia can kill you in your sleep.

Here is how to survive a week-long blackout in sub-freezing temps.

1. The Micro-Climate Strategy

Do not try to heat the whole house. It is impossible.

• Pick One Room: Choose a small room, preferably south-facing (solar gain) and upstairs (heat rises).
• Isolate It: Hang blankets over the doorways. Stuff towels under the door crack. Cover the windows with blankets or bubble wrap to insulate against the cold glass.
• The Tent Trick: Set up a camping tent inside this room. Sleeping inside a tent traps your body heat in a tiny volume. It can be 20 degrees warmer inside the tent than in the room.

2. Body Heat Management

You are the heater.

• Layers: Wear wool or synthetic base layers (no cotton!). Wear a hat (you lose heat from your head).
• The Mummy Bag: A zero-degree sleeping bag is the single best investment.
• Huddle: Body heat is real. Sleep together in the tent. Dogs are great heaters too.

3. Safe Indoor Heating

Carbon Monoxide (CO) is the silent killer in winter outages.

• Safe:
  • Mr. Heater Buddy: Indoor-safe propane heater. (Still requires a cracked window for oxygen).
  • Electric Blankets: If you have a battery generator, a 50W electric blanket is the most efficient way to stay warm.

• Terracotta Pot Heater: Using tea lights under a clay pot. (Very low heat, but safe).
• Hot Water Bottles: Boil water on your camp stove (outside or ventilated), fill a Nalgene bottle, put it in a sock, and throw it in your sleeping bag. It stays warm for 6 hours.
• Unsafe:
  • Gas oven (CO risk).
  • Charcoal grill (CO risk - Instant Death).
  • Generator in the garage (CO risk).

4. Pipe Protection

If your pipes freeze and burst, your house is ruined.

• Shut It Off: Locate your main water shut-off valve now. If the power goes out and the house drops below 40°F, shut off the main water.
• Drain the Lines: Open all faucets (hot and cold) to drain the water out of the pipes. Flush the toilets to empty the tanks.
• Anti-Freeze: Pour RV Anti-Freeze (Pink stuff) into the P-traps (drains) of sinks and toilets to prevent the water in the trap from freezing and cracking the pipe.

Conclusion

You can survive extreme cold without electricity, but you have to shrink your world. One room, one tent, lots of layers.