How To Stay Warm Without Power

This is a guest post by:

Jeff Larsen is the founder and editor in chief at Elements Survival. In my free time I like to spend time outdoors with my family either Camping, on the trail hiking or working on survival skills in the bush. My kids love getting away from the busy city and spend time outdoors with me and my wife.

For countless people, heating and local utilities go hand in hand. However, people living off the grid have to find ways to stay warm without being connected to the power grid, potentially leading to significant discomfort without proper planning. Furthermore, knowing how to stay warm without electricity or local utilities can keep you safe from freezing during emergency situations.

Here are a few techniques to consider.

Stay in One Room

Instead of trying to keep your entire living space warm, focus on individual rooms. Consider closing the doors to other rooms if your living space has them to keep the heat you generate in one place. Note that this technique is particularly effective with multiple people. We generate heat, and staying in a confined space means the heat we radiate works to keep everyone a bit more warm. Limit your use of other rooms as much as possible as opening the door causes the heat you’ve built up to dissipate.

Layer Clothing

Heat radiates away from us, and clothing helps keep this heat from escaping. If you’re feeling especially cold, consider adding as much clothing as possible to trap this heat. Even if a coat or jacket is designed to handle low temperatures, adding layers underneath it helps it work even more effectively. Simply adding a T-shirt can be the difference between shivering and feeling comfortable.

Huddle Together

Staying warm when the heat drops becomes a bit easier when you feel comfortable staying close to others nearby. Skin-to-skin contact is a common technique used by people who find themselves stuck outdoors in freezing conditions, and it can work for you as well. Sharing a blanket with someone else means the heat you both generate does extra work instead of radiating into your surroundings. In dire situations, huddling together can buy you time.

Invest in a Wood Stove

Having access to a wood stove means you can generate heat whenever you have access to wood. Wood stoves are more powerful than many people imagine, and they can have you feeling toasty with less wood than you might imagine. Make sure to have an ax handy in case you don’t have access to chopped wood nearby. Note, however, that wood stoves can be dangerous. Smoke can fill a confined space quickly, leading to dangerous smoke inhalation, and the exterior of your stove can become dangerously hot as well. Still, the space a wood stove takes up is well worth it to avoid dangerous freezing conditions.

Consider Solar Heating

In the past, solar heating was simply too expensive for most people to justify. Although you can still expect to spend a significant amount of money on solar panels, the investment is one that can pay off significantly over time by giving you power and heating when you truly need it. Note that you’ll also want to invest in batteries to keep you warm when the sun sets, and proper wiring is essential to avoid fires and equipment malfunction. Still, it might be worth investing in the latest in solar technology as it’s significantly cheaper than it was only a few years ago.

Another Use for Duct Tape

If you find yourself facing lower temperatures than you anticipated, consider pulling out a roll of duct tape. Windows inevitably leak over time, and any lost heat leads to increasingly dangerous conditions. Placing duct tape along the edges of your windows can help keep the heat you generate in, and even sealing up your doors may be worthwhile in potentially dangerous situations. Duct tape is cheap, and it’s a survival item you can never have too much of. Note, however, that leaving the middle area of your windows clear helps you take advantage of sunlight, so focus primarily on the edges of your windows during the day.

Invest in Hand Warmers

Chemical hand warmers are a staple of survival kits in cold areas, so make sure to have some on hand. Your hand warmer will only work for a limited period of time, but it helps you avoid frostbite. Also note that hand warmers can work well in your boots as well. When the temperature drops, it’s often our hands and feet that are first to feel uncomfortable as our bodies direct heat to our cores to avoid freezing. Warming your hands and feet is important to help you feel comfortable and alert during extended cold periods.

Invest in a Sleeping Bag

Not all sleeping bags are the same, and having one rated for especially low temperatures can help you make it through particularly cold conditions. Backpackers try to save weight, so they often invest in sleeping bags not rated for the most frigid of conditions. Surviving off the grid is different than preparing for a weekend or week of backpacking, so focus on low temperature performance over other factors.

Consider a Portable Generator

Portable generators have been a mainstay of living off the grid for decades, but many people prefer to avoid them if possible. In locations where the temperature can drop to dangerous levels, however, having a portable generator can be essential. As with wood stoves, portable generators are potentially dangerous, and they’re never safe to use inside your home. However, being able to convert fuel into heat can keep you alive if other methods of staying warm fail.

Drink Warm Beverages

Candles and portable stoves can help generate heat, but one of the best ways to use the heat they generate is to create warm beverages. The hot liquid you drink goes directly toward your body’s core, and it’s more efficient than warming your skin. In addition, a cup of hot cocoa, soup or tea can give you the comfort you need to mentally make it through cold nights without heat from utilities. Furthermore, you’ll need to stay hydrated even when you’re cold, and simply avoiding cold water keeps your core temperature up.

Improvise

Towels aren’t designed to work as blankets, but they can function as such in a cinch. Furthermore, tarps, aluminum foil and other sheets can be great for staying insulated when facing unexpected cold temperature. Surviving off the grid requires facing unexpected situations, and your improvisational skills are of the utmost importance. Make the most of the items you have if the situation seems to be spiraling out of control.

Humans can survive in a wide range of conditions, but, like our ancestors, we often need to rely on tools to survive. Staying warm in cold conditions while off the grid can be tough, but there are techniques we can use to survive and feel comfortable. As with all off-grid activities, however, planning is of the utmost importance, so make sure you’re ready.