way back in time [what we are heading for] the farmers would have livestock in the basement for heating the farm house… it wasn’t super warm but it kept every one from freezing to death
3 Likes
Yupper… Three dog night. 
2 Likes
You can burn almost any oil in the lamps, vegetable, olive, sunflower, you name it. You can also buy the oil lamps with a platform on top to hold a small pot or pan and cook with it. 
I found a Dietz Lantern at Goodwill, that’s how I got into them. 
A Guide On The Best Dietz Oil Lanterns & Kerosene Lamps 2024 (oillampman.com)
How to Pick the Dietz Kerosene Lantern?
4 Likes
4 0r 5 days a week, take the kids to Mac Donald’s and super-size all their meals. Also, lots of ice cream and cake. Finally, lots of TV and Video games. As little physical activity as possible…
3 Likes
We are so bad. 
2 Likes
What can I tell you. It takes years of dedicated, deviant Wargaming to get to this point.
4 Likes
geo thermal in my home works great just need power to run the pump.
2 Likes
Therein lies the rub.
If any nukes are part of the SHTF, likely that the particulates in the atmosphere would severely limit solar efficiency. But that would be low on the list of concerns.
1 Like
I don’t think we have to worry about nukes. The enemy is within our borders.
2 Likes
True. But, unlike the Sheeple, the attackers are “sacrificial lambs”. (Expendable.)
Proven to be a steady source of hot air!
Sorry, but it was the very first thing that came to mind! LMAO
3 Likes
Have you ever lite a chip on fire? I have used them for fire starter when I was out camping in the rain. They really burn good! Try it sometime.
4 Likes
Regardless of what type of emergency heating system you have it is a good idea to have a sleeping bag rated for the coldest weather you might get. That way if your heater breaks down or you run out of fuel you are still going to be OK. I have slept out in -20F and was toasty warm inside my winter sleeping bag. I was on a camping trip in North Carolina one year when an unexpected cold snap came in bringing the temps down to 0F. My +20* sleeping bag kept me alive but it was a very long, cold and shivery night. In both cases the hardest part was getting out of the sleeping bag in the morning. Takes some time to hike or work hard enough to get the body warmed back up. Fatty foods make a good cold weather fuel source for the body.
You would need a very large solar system and huge battery setup for electric heat. And even then you would probably have to hope you don’t get one of those big storms where you don’t see the sun for several days. Maybe a fairly good sized solar and battery system could work to run the air pumps on a geothermal system. But unless you live over some type of active geothermal feature like an underground hot spring you are only going to get 50ish degree air coming out of the system so you are not going to be toasty warm on cold winter nights or days. But it would be better than no heat at all. But probably very expensive even just to heat one small room.
Ideally that one room would be separately insulated. Otherwise the cold air is just going to keep seeping in through the walls. Body heat alone can warm up a small well insulated space. Which is why sleeping bags work so well. Digging into a snow bank to make a little snow cave has kept many people alive in harsh winter conditions. Add in a candle or two to add a little extra heat and you might almost feel comfortable provided you are in proper winter clothing and have enough food to keep you body running.
5 Likes
Geothermal?
What is it,… 5 feet underground is a constant 55f*? Yeah that’s cold,… but it’s survivable with just a little insulation.
Okay, this is not applicable to all topography,….
But here in the southwest (ish) it’s viable for warmth in winter as well as shelter from the heat in summer!
Sorry @Don102 your gonna have to find a lava tube! 
2 Likes
Not me Bruh, I have a Hot Spring near by and when I get in it I fart a lot (Makes the area Scented! ARGH! Aroma Therapy! Especially after Fettucine Alfredo and Garlic bread! Delish!
2 Likes
And I thought the sulfur springs by glenwood canyon smelled bad! 
2 Likes
A natural gas well on your property can be a big help. I know several folks around here who have gas wells that aren’t worth commercial development, but the gas keeps one farm’s house, barns, and shop toasty warm, the kitchen fired up, and the water hot. The others just pipe it into the house for regular domestic use, as well as firing emergency generators.
In a true SHTF situation, the last thing I’d use my alternate power source for is lighting. Can you say “beacon for all to see”? Like moths to a flame…
5 Likes
“I AM the Natural gas well!”
A note to your correct Lights WILL BRING trouble. If you NEED to have light @ night invest NOW in good BLACKOUT Curtains. I did and they are worth their weight in gold. (can’t see a thing from outside.
2 Likes
Talk about telegraphing your setup to everyone else. Even 2 or 3 panels would tell everyone in the neighborhood where the party is.
Sleeping bags ARE a key piece of kit. Looking for some right now. I have a nice goose down mummy bag but looking for something less constricting for my wife, who spins like a rotissarie. Also considering some portable cots.
4 Likes