Quick tips to stay warm if the power goes out in the winter

During the cold weather months we should take additional steps to be prepared for power outages. There may be a time when the power goes out and you go days with out support. Don’t be that parent caught up bringing your family to a shelter (or hospital from a cold weather related injury) because you didn’t think ahead. But if you have slacked in this department fear not, as here are some pointers to keep your miserable experience as comfortable as possible.

1. Move everyone into one room

If heating the entire house sounds challenging during a power outage that’s because it is. Don’t try it now. Worry about one room. Pick a room that gets the most sunlight so long as it is a room that can accommodate your families needs and or size restrictions. Wad up every possible leak where heat can escape the room. Windowsills, vents, door frames and even receptacles can let out cold air in and your warm air out. Use rags, blankets or towels to seal these gaps. After doing so, everyone’s body heat should bring the temperature of the room up some.

2. Put on a winter hat

Obviously dressing up as warm as you need dependent on the room temperature should come to mind, but this hold especially true with winter hats. Our extremities lose heat the fastest and our noggins lose the most. Even in doors it would be wise to wear a hat if the temperature warrants one.

3. Yank the carpet, mats and throw rugs

With out destroying your home, take any loose mats and rugs laying around and lay them on the floor of the room of your choice. This gives an extra layer of insulation between your family and the cold floor, to better stop the escaping heat.

4. Shower curtains (preferably clear)

Assuming you do not have plastic sheeting or a sealer meant purposely for your windows already, strip the shower curtain from the bathroom and tape it to the wall around the window. As an added bonus the more transparent the shower curtain the more light can come through, bringing in additional sum of warmth.

5. Pitch a tent

A commonly overlooked and excellent idea is to pitch a tent, preferably in the room you have sealed off of size permits The heat trapped in the smaller tent would be even greater and should keep small children more comfortably physically and possibly mentally as well.

6. Pig out before going to bed

Eating before you go to sleep will generate slightly more body heat as your body is digesting that food overnight while you sleep.

There are a lot of ways to keep warm, these were just a few that come to mind. Do you have any other thoughts? Comments? Tips to share? let us know in the comments we would love to hear them.