Emergency Heating Guide

Extreme cold can kill quickly, so you must plan for emergency heating in a disaster survival situation. Beginning with your own body, life-saving heat can be provided in a number of ways. If you bug in or can make it to a planned and stocked emergency shelter, a long-term supply of wood can provide all of the heat you and your family will ever need.

Your clothing and sleeping bag can also be excellent sources of trapping body heat, if you know what features to look for. If your situation allows, electric and gas powered heaters and stoves make riding out a disaster relatively comfortable, while reusable hand warmers and heat packs are inexpensive and portable ways to warm up in a hurry.  There are a number of heat related emergency survival supplies that can get you through even the most uncomfortable disaster situation.

Heaters and Stoves

If you have a generator or other access to electricity, space heaters can deliver all the heat you and your family need. Kerosene heaters are often used as survival tools. If you are stuck without shelter, your emergency stove can also deliver heat to a small area. These larger options may only be applicable if you have shelter. But small and portable propane and butane powered heaters can give off a surprising amount of heat.

Shelter

Your survival shelter is not the first thing you think of when you consider your emergency heating options. But when you are protected from the elements, your body heat and that generated by any survival heating products is contained more effectively in some type of shelter than in the wide-open outdoors. Shelter is one of the 4 survival essentials (along with water, food and fire), and is where your emergency heating efforts begin.

Wood

Survival is often times about the basics. If you plan and prepare a bug out location ahead of time, or create a permanent disaster shelter, stock it with wood. Wood can also be used to create shelter and furniture, and is an excellent source of emergency heat and light when burned.

Your Sleeping Bag

As a long as you research and choose the correct sleeping bag, it can be an excellent source of heat. Some synthetic sleeping bags are designed to keep you safe and cozy in even the most dramatic cold-weather scenarios. Heat retention and weight are just 2 important factors to consider. You just need to know what to look for, so we will guide you through the sleeping bag selection process.

Clothing

This is your first level of defense against cold-weather. Don’t take clothing lightly when regarding it as a possible emergency heating source. Remember, you will most likely have a very minimal amount of clothing in your bug out bag or shelter, due to lack of storage space. Do you know what fabrics retain your body heat the best? And did you realize that there is electrically heated clothing available for instant warmth at the flip of a switch? There are a lot of clothing options you should consider when planning for heating provision.

Emergency Fire Starter

This versatile piece of survival equipment shows up once again on our website. Fire can provide heat, helps you fix a hot meal, is excellent for warding off animal predators and can be used for lighting as well. Emergency fire starters are small and inexpensive providers of heat and other survival necessities.

Reusable Hand Warmers & Heat Packs

Some reusable hand warmers provide heat the same way that light sticks provide illumination. When they are shaken or snapped, a chemical process begins that gives off warmth. You pop them in your pockets or hold them in your hands, they are reusable, and available in a wide variety of sizes and models.

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