$185 to provide the basic equipment you need for MOST disasters: $600 for a complete set up

That is such an uninformed opinion. With an expiration date of three weeks or sooner.

I'll take my chances here. Between global warming and a mini ice age I can handle both here. It's just a matter of tooling up.

Edit: A sidearm is a way to fight your way back to a longarm. That is why I got my longarms first. Would be interested in a discussion about which sidearm is best.

Last Edited by Lowkey Cyberpunk on 02/20/2021 01:36 PM

NO . NO . NO!!!

People DIE doing that. They tend to BLOW UP ... KABOOM ... when you do that!!

Kerosene Heaters are built to use Kerosene, gas is way to volatile of a combustible material to run in a Kero Heater!!

NO . NO . NO ... do NOT even think about it!!

There are "Dual Fuel" devices that can safely run on the more volatile petroleum products (my Coleman stove is one ... it will run on "White Gas", which is naptha, or unleaded gasoline) but gasoline is way to volatile for use in a kerosene heater.

NO . NO . NO . NO . NO

Last Edited by Midwest Skeptic on 02/20/2021 01:57 PM

I bought spa tub liners. I got a package of $10 for about $12--much cheaper than BOB bags, plus they fit in the big tub in my master bath.

If you do an advanced search for user name "Lester" you will find any information you are looking for.

NO NO NO!!! IDIOT ALERT!!!

DO NOT EVER DO THIS!!! Using gasoline in a kerosene heater will cause an explosion!!!

That’s simply not true. Kerosene heaters are perfectly safe when used by people of sense. Keep them away from combustible material, shut them off when going to sleep, crack a window when using them, don’t operate them out of their efficiency range (flame too low or too high) and if you’re really nervous about it, get a CO detector. Fires and CO deaths involving kero heaters are almost always caused by failure to follow the simple instructions that accompany them.

Sorry OP, didn’t see your reply before I posted mine.

For those who think Jeff Bezos is rich enough already, you can buy the Sawyer water filter from Bass Pro Shop, Sportsmans Warehouse, et al. Check the Sawyer website.

I have well water so i use one of these Berkey filter systems. Easy to use and works well. Filters last a long time too and take out most impurities, chemicals etc. I'm really happy with it.

Bought mine on sale so look for deals and discounts. Could easily melt snow to use or rain water.

[link to www.berkeyfilters.com (secure)]

And speaking of wells, if you have one, you need a non-electric hand pump for it. My well is 200' deep, so that limits my options, but here are 2 good articles discussion the best 2 products for deep wells, Bison Pumps and Simple Pumps. Neither's cheap, and I'm still saving for one, but I'm getting pretty close to being able to get one.

[link to www.newlifeonahomestead.com (secure)]

[link to www.resilientdesign.org (secure)]

This is really nice. I have a non-electric inline gas water heater for my RV, but you have to have a water tap to use it. This one you can buy a kit and just stick it in a creek or bucket of water and it'll work. This is way better. Nice find AC. Bookmarked it for my new wish list.

Yeah really. Great information, OP! The toilet idea is invaluable. When we were having our rolling blackouts between Sunday night to Thursday morning I had nowhere to go bathroom wise beyond my toilet at home. When the water froze and the water company could no longer do their job due to the rolling black outs I had to make due with what I called "Mount Poo". It was majestic. It was the most horrifyingly godawful stench you could smell without automatically and uncontrollably vomiting.

It was brown, gray, and some other colors too. It was surrounded by a sea of pee. During Monday night into Thursday night it was so very cold that my pee created up to a thick plume of steam against the toilet bowl's interior. Some of my pees were so hot that I not only melted the thin ice sheet that formed on the Sea of Pee, but caused it to lightly steam for more than a minute after I had peed. All hail Mount Poo and the Sea of Pee!

Thanks, great ideas!

Has anyone tested a water-Bob outside of a Bath tub,

Do you think the plastic material would support/contain

a full water supply outside of a bath tub ?

what a coincidence

I'm retired RN and my husband is retired fire. I would also recommend a good medical kit. When the shtf, 911 may not be able to respond and hospitals will be in dire straights as well.

Last Edited by OKayM on 02/20/2021 04:00 PM

Good thread and good advice. Re butane and kerosene cookers... none are completely idiot proof so have a fire extinguisher close by. Put your butane canister with you in your sleeping bag..or stuff it up your jacket.. and it will work in sub freezing temps.

You can get mantle light fittings for the butane canisters and maybe radiant heaters too. A lamp, even a kerosene lamp also produces heat. A coleman lamp puts out a LOT of heat.

Miles Stair...milesstair.com is the go to site for wicks and all things kerosene. Heaps of useful advice on heaters. Even discussion on using diesel in kerosene heaters and lamps. In an emergency.. diesel is a lot more available and cheaper than kerosene. In an emergency you can use gasoline in coleman cookers and lanterns.

Carbon monoxide is an issue with all "burning" things indoors. Be aware of that, and vent.. and or have a detector.
Stay safe..do some reading.. learn the old ways...

Virtually all hospitals in America have been dire straits since shortly after Trump declared a national medical emergency back in March 2020. Not because the COVID-19 Plandemic is real as in a genuine pandemic. But because virtually every hospital in America is operating with skeleton crews and last I knew once they close they close forever. America is out of money.

Thanks OP.
All that stuff is SOP up here in the Great White North.
.
I didn't see anything about light -

Light: Get a Propane or Dual Fuel Coleman Lantern and a couple packs of extra mantles.
These are a lot more useful than flashlights and throw enough light for a single room... and you can read by them which is important since there is little else to do without power. Plus, they provide some heat by themselves.
You still need flashlights, though.
.
In fact, get at least one of each and a bunch of propane cylinders and gallons of Coleman Juice (naphtha) or unleaded gas. I have two of both kinds and lots of mantles and ~20 propane cylinders and ~12 gallons of Coleman Fuel.
I also have a Kerosun 23500 BTU kerosene heater and an extra wick or two as well as 6 gallons of K1 I get at the gas station and sign for the no tax price since it is being used for heating and not a diesel vehicle (kerosene for diesel vehicles is colored pink so inspectors can tell at a glance but it is essentially the same chemical).
.
We lose power a couple times a season and the Kerosun and Coleman Lanterns are the first things to come out and be used.
Did you know you can warm soup and other liquids in a pot on top of a Kerosun?
.
Also get a 3 pack or more of self strike wooden kitchen matches to light the lanterns and Kerosun (which the battery igniter will invariably fail after the 1st season).
.
Do not put gasoline in kerosene devices... you will become a krispy kritter.
You can use a Kerosun at night while you sleep... just read and follow the instructions.
Good advice about cracking a window while running these because of how well sealed modern houses are.
Seal off all the bedrooms and family rooms that you can so you only have to heat the smallest space for the duration.
Seal exterior doors by putting a towel/blanket at the bottom to block the cold air infiltration through the threshold.
.
Have fun.

R.

Propane(Profane, I'm Not a fan) does NOT have problems at 40F. As much as I dislike propane it functions fine to 10F or maybe 0F. Stove guys think of propane as profane. No fun at all.

As for kerosene stoves, every one of the fives stoves mentioned in the post you quoted burns kerosene, white gas, pump gasoline, jet fuel, and the three Dragonfly stoves I have will happily burn Diesel too. They are designed to keep you alive climbing mountains above the treeline(no firewood)in third World countries with shit fuel.

I also have a pair of Swedish Trangia Alcohol stoves.

Great thread with loads of great info.. Thanks everyone

Read the Instructions on everything.

Never Move a Kerosene Heater while it is ON.
Round ones are best, hard to accidentally knock over.
Have at least one Spare Siphon to Fill your Heater from
the K1 - Containers, they do wear out and crack.
Learn how to properly use them, and Never over fill
your heater.
Have a Spare Wick or Two, and Know how to Change them.
Have a Plastic Container to put your Siphon in when you
are done using it to keep any extra drops that come off it from getting places you don't want K-1. Make sure Children know the Siphon like matches and lighters are NOT To be touched.

Get a battery operated Alarm Clock and set it to 2 hours before the Fuel runs out. Allow the Heater to Cool after
shutting it off before re-Fueling.
NEW Wicks should Soak for at least 30 Min after first filling the Fuel tank, to allow them to saturate with fuel, Two hours would be best. If you are sure you got
the wick in place and working correctly, and you fill
the tank all the way up 30 Min. should do in a emergency
situation. The Key to Long wick life is to keep the Wick
Saturated with Fuel, (Keeping enough Fuel in the heater).
and making sure the wick is producing a good clean burn, with the bright flame visible all across the top of the
wick through the glass window.

Well Insulated buildings may need a window cracked just
a small amount to let in Oxygen, If you have a Old house
with lots of leaks and drafts you may not have to
crack a window to let in the outside air, since it is
already getting in. The Flame should burn bright white/Yellow when the heater is on high, This will keep
the Carbon monoxide produced to a minimum.

If you can't keep all your pipes above freezing, learn how to drain your water system for your whole house, and figure out how to safely turn off your Water Heaters before draining them. Have at least two working Carbon Monoxide Detectors and Photo Sensor Smoke Detectors in the room with the Heater's'. and Only allow Adults to use Candles. and have ways of putting out fires in every area where they may be used.

Have at least Two good Fire extinguishers rated for
Wood/Petro Fires if you use K1. Sand and Baking Soda are
also good to have in buckets nearby, Children and Animals should not be allowed to Play in same room as heater.
Same advice if you plan to use Candles. Get some of those
decorative glass/Metal lanterns and take out the LED lights in them, Place a heavy ceramic plate over the hole in the
bottom of the lantern, Put them somewhere nobody will bump
into them, and use Glass Jars like Jam Size to hold each
candle.

Keep Matches and Lighters only where Adults can get to them. And teach your children that Fire that is not contained can Kill, and Destroy Everything.

Tea Light candles are cheap and each one should last 1-2 hours. Get some of those Grill Lighters with the long reach to light the candles, after they are in the Jars.

Sawyer water filters are a micro Mesh, NOT Ceramic.
Ceramic type filters like Doulton and Berkey are good
but you should try to have City water pre bottled before
the Power Goes out since Some Liquid Chemicals if they get
in the water supply may not be removed by any type of
filter.

If you have Children and Animals, LED Flashlights and
Lanterns that Have extremely long life are not too
expensive. Some of them have run times in the 72+ hour
run time range, Get Rechargeable Batteries and at least 2
ways to charge them. (Solar / Crank / TEG / 12V Adapters)

[link to www.youtube.com (secure)]

This guy has a lot of great videos on camping bushcraft. The ones on LIGHT and STOVES.. give a great overview of all the types he uses, and thus is a good primer for anyone who does not know much. ( that describes a lot of people.. and me many years ago).
Visual learning.. easy.

In the USA you have Coleman pressure lanterns,which run on Coleman fuel or unleaded gasoline. Kerosene is called parafin in the UK. There are Coleman lanterns which run on kerosene.. they have a cup for the alcohol to preheat. Not common in USA but common in NZ... second hand. All the old stuff is better made, and cheaper if you can find it at a yard sale etc.

A basic turkey fryer for $50 or less makes a great water heater. Just add water. The bbq size lp tank will boil many pots of water.l

A basic turkey fryer for $50 or less makes a great water heater. Just add water. The bbq size lp tank will boil many pots of water.l

A basic turkey fryer for $50 or less makes a great water heater. Just add water. The bbq size lp tank will boil many pots of water.l

When I see a post like that, I think, "What an ignorant worthless pussy".

Thanks for everybody's contribution. Some really good stuff.

I didn't deal with lighting since I was trying to cover the "survival basics" and figured everybody had some flashlights around and was trying to shoot for a TRUE low cost picture of how to cover the basics of making sure you were safe and warm. LOTS of options out there for heating if you can spend some more money, but if money challenged I still think the kerosene heater is your best option for basic heating


I can't stress strongly enough that WATER is the #1 issue you need to worry about, followed by HEAT if it is a cold weather event you may be dealing with.

The rule of thumb is you need 2 gallons per day per person for just basic water needs ... so if you think your water is going to go off GET THAT BOB BAG FILLED PRONTO!! You and your family WILL need that 100 gallons if your water goes off for any period of time. Save using the water filter system, if you can, until you must use it to keep some water reserve around.

I also want to clarify I was not trying to push anybody to buy from the links I posted. I was just using those links so people could see the pricing I was seeing for each item I was citing ... which also avoids people posting later on this thread saying that I was jimmying the costs of the different items to the low side. Definitely skew your buying of anything you need local if you can.

Lighting ... I have mixed feelings. Coleman lanterns (either White Gas or Propane) or their competitors put out a fair amount of heat and LOTS of light. Being safety conscious I shy away from those personally for inside use unless I really need the heat boost. (I have several single mantle lanterns that screw on to 1# propane bottles as well as a 2 mantle regular White Gas Coleman unit) Instead I personally have gone with battery powered LED devices for inside and just keep a very large stock of batteries around.

One inexpensive LED light that can sit on a table or hang that I have bought several of is linked here. I would prefer that it use AAs, but alas it uses AAA batteries - so keep a bunch of those around.

Keep the great observations coming for as long as this thread lasts ... and everybody stay warm, get warm, and stay safe!!

small inexpensive battery light ($3.50 each):
[link to www.walmart.com (secure)]

Last Edited by Midwest Skeptic on 02/20/2021 06:37 PM