Article - Selco: How to Stay Warm During a Long-Term SHTF Situation

[TWP]

Some good advice for those who can take advantage of it.

https://www.theorganicprepper.com/stay-warm-during-a-long-term-shtf-situation/

We live in an apartment with no built-in ability to use wood fired heating.  Some of you may be in a similar situation.  In a serious crunch, assuming that our power and gas are cut off, I do have plans to install a small wood heater (Really small) next to an exterior window space.  Needless to say, that would be contrary to all of the lease agreements, but it depends on the situation...  So, I have plans.

Look at the pictures in this article for some ideas...

[Jerry D Young]

Nice find TWP.

Did up my budget/timetable for obtaining a few things.

1) Duct tape (in quantity) in addition to the Gorilla tape I have
2) A set of craft weaving looms (definitely a sock loom) and plenty of yarn (and figure out where to store it safely)
3) Insulating foam (but probably not the spray cans - sheets and self-adhesive strips)
4) Some stove insulating panels (lower priority)
5) Some fire brick (higher priority) for getting small stoves off less-than-suitable surfaces & making small stoves
6) Additional sheet steel in two or three thicknesses and better sheet metal shears
7) Additional suspension hardware for hanging curtains, blankets, etc. (L-hooks, J-hooks, eye-hooks, suspension cord, threading needles (for pulling cord through sewn-in/safety-pinned rod-pockets), (perhaps some curtain rods - very low priority)
Additional safety pins
9) Additional blanket pins
10) Additional blankets (fleece, wool, inexpensive/on-sale space blankets for reflective liners)

Also need to do the testing I have planned for various small fire fuels beside natural firewoods

Just my opinion.

[TWP]

What I have in mind is a slide-in replacement for the current window screen, made out of either wood or sheet aluminum.  It would have a suitable hole and flashing for a 4-6" stove pipe to exit the building.

Fuel might be anything which burns, but I'm leaning toward charcoal for short term needs.  Charcoal is also a low smoke producing heat source.  Long term, whatever can be scavenged from the neighborhood bushes and trees, assuming they still remain standing.

If you've ever seen a wood stove for boats, that is what I'm designing around.  They are small, not much bigger than the smoke flue, vertical design, with a small cooking surface on the top.

I expect to need a 4 month heating stockpile, not daily, but enough to warm the place on colder winter nights.  The stove would also double as a cooking unit where fixing a late meal would also warm up the bedroom area.

[WolfBrother]

This is one of those areas where you want the most bang (BTU) per cube size.


What will produce the most BTUs?
1 gallon of Coleman fuel
1 gallon of denatured alcohol
1 “gallon” of charcoal
1 “gallon” of dry hardwood
1 “gallon” of coal?


Once you answer that you have the biggest bang per cube unit of storage area.
For an apartment I think you’d want to know that

[TWP]

If we bug-in, the liquid (and gaseous)  fuels are a no-go with the lease...  Which is not to say that we cannot hide some anyway...

Coal, in my experience, makes more visible smoke than charcoal, but it is still an option.

Hardwoods also work, for short term heating (say up to a month).  We are limited in storage space with wood.  Scavenging for wood may work better in our situation.

[ken_]

"If we bug-in, the liquid (and gaseous)  fuels are a no-go with the lease...  Which is not to say that we cannot hide some anyway..."

I'm assuming that means your lease prohibits keeping flammables inside? If that's what it is there may be some ways to get around it without breaking the lease. Maybe a multi-fuel stove that burns gasoline? Wouldn't have to store the gas in your home, just get it out of your vehicle if shtf. Maybe an alcohol fired stove?

[TWP]

ken_; right, we're not "allowed", under the lease, to store flammables in the apt.

Camp stoves are fine and we have some, empty of fuel now.

Camp stoves have a problem with fumes inside an apartment.  Carbon monoxide builds up in a closed room, which is necessary to keep the heat in...  Catch 22...

That's where the stove with chimney works better.

As far as liquid/gas fuels go, I think a cache or two or three would solve this problem in the short term.  Long term, those fuels may not be available and I want to fall back on wood/charcoal burners.

[ken_]

This one looks interesting: http://afmservices.webhost4life.com/trailgear/bushwhacker/Bushwhacker-stove.asp

[TWP]

ken_
That stove looks like something I can assemble from easily found (now) items.

A pint paint can (with rim).
A length of heavy wire mesh ie. hardware cloth. Length to fit within the paint can rim.
Another can to cut a strip to adjust the air holes.

Needed:

Drill, 1/2 inch bit
Sheet metal cutting scissors
Wire cutters for the hardware cloth

I would wrap the strip of metal around the outside of the paint can, to make air intake adjustment easier.

The design could also be sized up to a quart or gallon size paint can, depending on need.

[Jerry D Young]

My best numbers, based on my research (that I finally found), in ascending order of BTUs per gallon.

Fuel   BTU/Gallon
Softwood   10,445
Hardwood   18,800
Charcoal   32,479
Ethanol   76,000
Denatured alcohol   76,000
Anthracite coal   86,900
Propane   92,500
Coleman fuel   115,000
Biodiesel   120,000
Gasoline   125,000
Kerosene   135,000
#2 Fuel   138,500

Just my opinion.

[TWP]

Jerry, now factor in the "ease of replacement" coefficient.

Generally, that coefficient has an inverse relation to the BTU/unit factor.

The more effort needed to replace a unit of fuel, the lower the coefficient.

Softwoods and Hardwoods are essentially self perpetuating (albeit slow growing).  charcoal is the product of those woods.  They are the easiest to replace as they are used.

Going up the BTU/gallon scale. each level requires more effort to replace, whether it be human labor or industrial level systems to extract.

In a PAW (Post Apocalyptic World), the lower BTU/unit fuels will be the more easily replaced and, probably, the lower cost fuel-of-choice.

Therefore (long winded aren't I?) having a stockpile of the higher BTU/unit fuels will work until exhausted, at which point we need to have alternative sources identified and plans made to harvest those sources.

I hope it is obvious to everyone that a multi-fuel plan has more potential for success.  Don't put all your eggs in one basket, as-it-were.

[Jerry D Young]

TWP Quote: Don't put all your eggs in one basket, as-it-were.

Or Snickers bars, either. One of my sources, if I remember correctly, had the energy value (either BTU or joules) of a Snickers bar in their table.

I would much rather eat it to generate body heat than burn it, but it does have a similar, if not better effect.

One of the reasons many of my food lists, especially field and other outdoor and cold weather lists, include the means and supplies to have hot drinks, especially, but also hot foods. These help keep a person warm both by introducing heat into the body, as well as providing fuel for the body to generate heat through digestion.

I consider it mandatory for myself to have a warm drink before I go to bed when out in the field, or as has happened a few times, indoors, but without other heat sources. It makes a huge difference in how warm I stay during the night, but also how well I sleep, in part due to the warmth, but also from the other benefits.

I have debated on including my thoughts on what I am about to bring up. Selco mentioned an aspect of it in his article. And almost all First-aid and outdoor information sources are adamantly opposed to what I am going to suggest. Hopefully my explanation with give enough information for everyone to make their own decision. And this is one case where not only will it be my opinion, I urge everyone to not take the 'not-advice' (actually just information that can be verified, and then decisions based on the individual interpretation of the verified information). I simply like to provide factual information to others in situations where there is often incorrect 'common knowledge' in circulation. (For example, my post about mattress tags.)

So here goes. It is commonly accepted that drinking alcohol when exposed to cold temperatures is not only foolhardy, but highly dangerous. I do not dispute this in any way. I agree with it wholeheartedly. Not only will the alcohol additionally impair an already cold impaired brain, the feeling of warmth alcohol creates by the action of causing blood vessels to increase in size slightly, and move closer to the surface of the skin, can negatively influence people, causing them to do things counter-productive to staying warm, or to no even realize that their body temperature is dropping.

However, it is these same effects that alcohol has on the body, that allows it to be a help when a person can come into a warm area from a cold one, and needs to bring body temperature back up. As long as there is a heat source, a reasonable drink of alcohol can bring blood vessels to the surface of the skin, just as it does when out in the cold, where they radiate heat. But inside, exposed to a heat source, those veins will absorb heat and carry it throughout the body. Wearing some light clothing, staying near (but not too close) to a heat source, and having a drink of alcohol can help raise body temperatures fairly quickly and safely.

The same goes for taking a warm bath after having a drink of alcohol. That warmth will soak into the exposed veins very quickly.

With all that said, do not risk trying it without confirming what I have stated. I believe it all to be correct, but I am not willing to take responsibility for someone's life. Due your own research, and base your decisions on it, not what I have said here.

Just my opinion.

[TWP]

Jerry, I'm also not a doctor, but your reasoning on when and where to use alcohol is, I believe, sound.

One problem is that, having consumed alcohol in a nice warm environment, you don't want the situation to suddenly go "south" and be forced to go back into a colder place, with the alcohol in your bloodstream.

Still, I do see this as a means to increase the speed of recovery from hypothermia.  Perhaps not the best means, but you use what is available at the time.  Like everything, it is a risk.

[WolfBrother]

Coal, in my experience, makes more visible smoke than charcoal, but it is still an option.

Hardwoods also work, for short term heating (say up to a month).

 the "ease of replacement" coefficient.

Generally, that coefficient has an inverse relation to the BTU/unit factor.

A "smell" factor should be there also.  Coal produces a distinct odor.  Depending on the wood the charcoal was made from - it can have a distinct odor.  Hardwoods generally have distinct smoke odors.

I liked the  slide-in replacement for the current window screen, made out of either wood or sheet aluminum.  It would have a suitable hole and flashing for a 4-6" stove pipe to exit the building.
idea.

fumes inside - have you given any thought to adding an outside air supply pipe set up to the window screen set up and running the coleman/propane/whatever stove inside of stove you'd do the charcoal/wood in?

This adds a layer of complexity but would prevent using apt warm air to combust the fire and should decrease fume/smoke infiltration into the apt.

[TWP]

...
fumes inside - have you given any thought to adding an outside air supply pipe set up to the window screen set up and running the coleman/propane/whatever stove inside of stove you'd do the charcoal/wood in?

This adds a layer of complexity but would prevent using apt warm air to combust the fire and should decrease fume/smoke infiltration into the apt.

Smell is definitely a problem if we need to remain "under the radar".  Considering that it would be an extreme situation where we would consider an inside wood stove, I think remaining low profile would make sense too.

If we were at that point, the apartment managers/owners would have bigger concerns than watching this property.  The whole town/state would be a disaster area.

The air intake flue is a very good idea and no more complex than the chimney.  Thanks.