How To Keep Your Compost Pile Churning … All Winter Long

Image source; Wikipedia

It can be a struggle to maintain your compost bin or pile over the winter. Whether you’re dealing with severe cold and/or heavy snow in northerly regions, excessive moisture in the Pacific Northwest, or desert conditions in the American Southwest, your compost pile may need a little extra help during the winter months. It’s worth it, though. By the time spring rolls around, you’ll be rich in black gold.

There are two basic composting methods. With any waste material, microorganisms (aerobic bacteria) naturally work on decomposition, and you can speed that process along by doing things like maintaining the correct ratio of green to brown waste and turning the pile regularly. Vermicomposting relies on worms to eat organic matter and then cast (poop) rich soil as a byproduct. If you keep your organic waste on bare ground, your pile likely hosts both vermicomposting and composting processes.

Hot Composting

As bacteria break down waste material, they generate heat. That heat is crucial for the bacteria to keep growing, multiplying, and just generally doing their job. While most people refer to this process simply as “composting,” the more technical term is “thermophilic composting” or, more informally, “hot composting.” And “hot composting” it is: compost piles can reach internal temperatures of 150℉!

Even though compost naturally generates heat, cold weather, of course, brings the temperature of the compost pile down. That affects the ability of the bacteria to do their job, particularly on the outside edges of the pile. If the temperatures dip too far — and especially if the compost isn’t tended to — microbial activity will cease completely. If you’re willing to wait for warmer spring temps for the decomposition to resume, then that’s not a big deal. But if you would prefer to keep generating compost over the winter months, there are a few ways to help your compost’s microorganisms chug along.

If You Build It

Help your compost stay toasty by enclosing it with three walls and a roof. (Leave the south-facing side uncovered, so that it can absorb warmth from the sun.) This can be as easy or as complex as you make it. Stack cinder blocks or nail together scrap lumber for the walls. For the roof, you can just balance a loose piece of lumber on top or throw a tarp over the whole thing. Even easier: Buy a compost tumbler. Enclosing compost not only helps trap its heat, but also to moderate the effects of wind and excessive moisture.

If your region experiences extreme cold, adding insulation is a good idea. Again, this does not have to be done at great cost or effort. Surround your enclosure with straw bales, line the walls with several layers of cardboard, or pile snow, straw, or leaves around it. Don’t forget to insulate the roof, as well.

Go Bigger

The bigger your compost pile is, the more bacteria it will have, and the more heat it will generate. According to the University of Illinois Extension, compost piles that are at least one cubic yard in size will weather Midwestern American winters best.

Fuel Up

Adding new waste material regularly is crucial — but you need to be careful about what kind of material you add and its size.

Maintaining the ideal proportion of green to brown waste (a.k.a. the C:N ratio) is especially important in the winter, when we want our compost piles to work at maximum efficiency. Check this site for detailed information about the C:N ratio to shoot for depending on which brown waste you add.

If you bag leaves in the fall with the intent of adding those to your compost over the winter, bring a bag inside overnight before dumping it in, so that the cold leaves don’t bring down the temperature of the pile.

It’s also a good idea to shred waste before dumping it in. Waste that’s roughly two inches in size will break down more quickly, keeping heat levels consistently high.

Not too Wet, Not too Dry

Ideally, compost should be just lightly moist. If it’s too wet, the bacteria can’t get the oxygen they need to survive. But if it’s too dry, the bacteria can’t do their job, either.

If you live in an area that experiences heavy moisture in the winter, plan your compost enclosure accordingly: a South-facing opening so that the sun can warm and dry the waste; and a roof or other covering to keep moisture out. If your compost pile unexpectedly gets too wet, stirring it up with a pitchfork should help dry things out. Additionally, adding more brown waste will help soak up excess moisture.

If you live in a desert area, keep your compost uncovered. Make a crater (or craters) in the top, to catch all the moisture you can. If worst comes to worst, you can always break out the hose.

Vermicomposting

As might be expected, vermicomposting can be problematic during cold winter months. That said, a simple workaround is to keep your vermicompost bin indoors. If the thought of a bin full of worms under your kitchen sink grosses you out (and I’ll admit I’m in that camp), the bin can be kept in an insulated garage or outbuilding, or elsewhere in your house, such as the basement or laundry room.

Depending on your location, it may be possible to keep your vermicompost box outdoors during the winter. Keep in mind that the worms will die if they get either too cold or too hot. You’ll need to experiment to find a balance of insulating the bin enough to keep it warm, but not so much that the insulation along with the heat from the hot compost process plus any heat from the sun fries your worms.

Do you keep your compost pile active all winter long? If so, share your tips and trick in the comment section below.

6 Secrets To Keeping Chickens Healthy During Winter

Image source: Pixabay.com

Winter is a scary time for new chicken owners. We want our flock to be warm, healthy and happy — which can be challenging with freezing temperatures and snow coating the ground.

Fortunately, once you figure it out, raising chickens in the winter isn’t that hard. Most chickens are hardy and able to handle the cool temperatures. Here are some crucial tips that will make the winter experience better for you and the flock.

1. Don’t add a heater; add insulation

If you are considering a heater for your chicken coop, I caution you to back away. My husband is a firefighter and has responded to dozens of chicken coop fires over the years. It is not safe. All of the bedding is begging to start a fire.

Chickens don’ t need a heater. They huddle together for warmth. Insulation is a better choice, but you need to add that when you build your chicken coop. You also don’t want to seal off the coop entirely. Ventilation will prevent moisture from building up. All of the droppings and no ventilation will lead to ammonia in your coop, and that is a recipe for sickness.

There is a huge difference between ventilation and drafts. You don’t want drafts. Ventilation areas should be above where the chickens roost, ensuring they don’t get cold. Typically, it is the space between the roof and walls, covered with hardware cloth. You don’t want a predator entering!

2. Add entertainment

Winter can be boring for humans and chickens. They need something to do with their time as they hang out in the coop more often. A popular option is hanging a head of cabbage as a play toy. They will peck at the cabbage dangling from the ceiling.

You can even provide a dust bathing area. Put a tub of sand or wood ash mixed with food grade diatomaceous earth. Some people just put it on the ground in the coop and let them scratch it up. Either way, chickens love to bathe and dust themselves! Plus, it helps keep lice and mites away.

3. Provide covered outdoor space

Many chickens prefer not to step in snow. I found that out when only two of my chickens would dare venture outside after a snowstorm. Giving them a covered space outside allows them to venture out, whether they are fans of snow or not.

The solution can be as easy as adding a tarp over part of the run. They just need an area without snow, unless you want to go shovel. But, no one likes to shovel, so just save yourself a backache and create a makeshift roof.

Another solution is to scatter hay and straw on the ground outside to cover the snow. When the temperatures start to increase around the low 30s, chickens may venture out even without snow protection. Under those temperatures, it is hard to convince them.

4. Coat their combs and wattles

Unfortunately, I had no idea that breeds with large combs and wattles are more prone to frostbite. One of our roosters years ago, Sven, loved to stand outside, even in the negative temperatures. I noticed black tips on his comb, and the tips eventually fell off.

Chickens can get frostbite just as easily as we do. To protect their combs and wattles, gently smear some petroleum jelly on them each day when you go to check their food and water. Don’t worry; if your chickens get frostbite as mine did, it typically just affects their appearance.

5. Give appropriate roost space

You might have to adjust your coop design if you find that you don’t have enough roosting space for each chicken. Chickens fluff their feathers and roost together at night. It keeps them warm and snug. Warmer air rises, keeping them comfortable.

Venture outside once all the chickens are roosting to see if everyone has a spot. If someone is on the ground, you need to add more space. That poor chicken on the ground is going to be cold and more vulnerable.

6. Give them greens

In the summer, chickens have access to delicious and healthy greens, especially if they can free range. Winter limits those choices. It is hard for them to forage and find anything substantial. Try to make an effort to give them safe kitchen scraps as often as possible.

Another choice is to learn how to grow fodder yourself inside. Fodder is an excellent supplement for your chickens in the winter months. It will boost the quality of your eggs, as well.

If you live in an area that receives extremely low temperatures regularly, you will want to make sure that you pick cold-hardy chickens. Some breeds handle lower temperatures better. However, with these tips, you can guarantee all of your chickens will be healthy and happy come spring time.

What advice would you add? Share it in the section below:

14 Reasons Wood Stoves Are A Homestead Must-Have

When people conjure up images in their heads of an old-fashioned homestead, a wood-fired cookstove in the kitchen is often part of that mental picture. If you don’t have one of these iconic appliances in your homestead kitchen, here are some good reasons why you might want to consider the expense and hassle of installing one.

1. The most obvious reason is that they are an ideal power-out alternative. If you live off-grid, chances are you already embrace the idea of a wood cookstove and probably use one regularly. But those of us who are normally connected to the commercial electric grid know it is not a foolproof connection. Loss of power, from brief accidental outages to a catastrophic event, can make people wish they had an alternative source for heat and cooking. Occasional spikes in fuel prices can also increase the appeal of simple wood fuel.

2. Wood cookstoves increase self-sufficiency. If you have a wood cookstove and your own woodlot, you can stay warm and eat hot food, no matter what. Even when the price of oil skyrockets or the propane truck cannot fill your tank until next week, you don’t have to worry about the basics. High fuel prices affect the cost of running chainsaws and other wood processing equipment, but you can do it by hand if you have to—unlike other heat and cooking fuels, which you cannot acquire on your own.

3. You can cook and bake with them! We’re talking about wood cookstoves, so you might think that’s obvious—but I get this question a lot: “Can you really cook/ bake on that?” I open the oven door and show them—look, it’s an oven! With racks and everything! “But how do you…?” It does take a learning curve to regulate the heat, for sure. And it’s less precise than turning a knob or setting an electronic panel.

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Even in winter, I do not rely on mine exclusively. But I keep a fire going in it most of the season, and I love being able to just heat up a casserole or roast winter squash—or any number of other uses that don’t require a precise oven temperature—for no more cost than a few extra sticks of wood.

4. Wood is a renewable resource. When fossil fuels are gone, they’re gone for good. When a tree is harvested, new ones grow.

5. Wood cookstoves can save energy by way of zoned heating. In most homes and homesteads, people spend a lot of their time in the kitchen, where a wood cookstove can provide a warm comfortable spot without turning up the thermostat to heat the whole house.

6. Wood cookstoves also can save energy by heating water for free. Some models have a water tank attached to the stove, but it’s easy enough to set a kettle of water on top to heat. Free hot water is great anytime for countless applications around the house and barn, and particularly valuable when no other way to heat water is available.

7. You can use cookstoves for free humidification. Anyone who lives in a cold climate knows that many heat systems dry out the air indoors.  A teakettle kept simmering on the cookstove all day does more than keep water for tea and hot chocolate ready at a moment’s notice—it helps add much-needed humidity to the air.

8. You can hang clothes next to cookstoves for drying. I’ve rigged a homemade rack using a wire hanger and a heavy-duty magnet, which I used to hang wet mittens and hats from the end of my warming oven. I follow safety precautions, of course, and you should, too. When I was a kid growing up off-grid, safety sometimes was foregone in favor of desperation—I remember the smell of singed wool socks someone laid on the surface of the kitchen woodstove in an attempt for a quick dry.

9. Wood cookstoves add home value. Installing a wood cookstove requires money and space. But because they are such a beautiful and valuable addition to a homestead, there’s a good chance you can recoup your investment if you would ever sell the place.

10. Some people say food tastes better when cooked or baked using a wood-fired stove. I don’t know if that’s exactly true, but I do know that nobody ever turns their nose up at the homestyle baked beans and steamed brown bread my cookstove turns out.

11. Wood fires smell great, as long as you burn good clean fires with quality wood. And as long as you like that kind of smell. If you would like something a little less rustic than wood smoke, a little dab of scented oil in a container in the upper warming oven is cheaper and safer than candles. And if you prefer expensive perfume to natural smells, you probably don’t live on a homestead anyway.

12. You can melt butter on them. Okay, don’t laugh, but one of the things I miss the most during summer when I use my modern gas range instead of my wood cookstove is the ability to plop a couple tablespoonfuls of hard butter into a little metal cup and set it in the warming oven to melt. No worries about forgetting it and having it burn, and melting a little extra means I always have it handy for brushing bread or pies. But it’s not just butter. It’s convenient to regulate how fast foods heat up by moving them around on the cooktop—directly over the firebox for the most heat, and on the far back corner for less—and to keep them warm in the upper oven or top shelf.

13. They make natural gathering places. People gravitate towards a wood cookstove. The metal bar across the front of mine makes people want to lean on it, even on a hot summer day when there hasn’t been a fire in it for weeks.

14. Cookstoves are an instant toaster. At least, some are. I frown on the idea of setting food directly on the clean metal surface of my relatively new Amish cookstove, but people with older stoves aren’t always so picky.  A lot of us grew with wood cookstove surfaces that handled toast, wool socks, and whatever else came along without anyone batting an eye.

My wood cookstove plays a central role in the lives of those on my homestead. It is a primary heat source for all but the coldest weather, adds great comfort and convenience, and is one of the smartest and treasured investments ever.

What would you add to our list? Share your thoughts in the section below:

So Cold It Hurts: 6 Cold Weather Injuries and How to Deal with Them

It has been a few weeks since Snowmageddon hit the east coast. The northeast was struck especially hard. We had a “bomb cyclone” snow storm followed by blistering cold from a “polar vortex”. Temperatures were hovering in the single digits. The wind chill brought us well below zero for days. The time was ripe for cold weather injuries.

Plus, there were half-frozen waves flooding downtown Boston and surrounding towns. There was tons of property damage, and people trapped in their vehicles. Luckily, there were no major injuries from the flooding.

Winter brings its own special set of common injuries. Here is what you need to know to recognize, prevent, and treat a serious, cold-related injury.

Cold Weather Injuries

Think of exposure to cold in a similar way as to exposure to the sun. You can only take so much until eventually, the skin will burn (think freezer burn) and blister.

There are a number of common injuries that emergency rooms see each year when the temperature drops. These include:

• Chilblains


• Trench foot


• Frostnip


• Frostbite


• Hypothermia


• Heart attacks

These can be broken down into three types: non-frozen injuries, frozen injuries, and cardiovascular injuries.

Non-Frozen Injuries

Two common cold weather injuries are chilblains and trench foot. Both occur in cold, wet conditions and affect the extremities. Because moisture can wick away heat from the body, you can end up with chilblains or trench foot even in 60°F weather.

Chilblains

You come in from the cold and wet, knowing that you need to warm up. You wrap up in blankets, snuggle up to a wood stove or heater, and you start to feel better. Next thing you know, you have blisters forming on your extremities. This is chilblains.

Chilblains are the result of capillary injury in the toes, feet, earlobes, etc. Signs of this injury normally show up after the affected tissue has been rewarmed, even several hours afterward.

Thankfully, chilblains generally resolves itself at home without further interventions in about two weeks or less. Do not “pop” the blisters. Blisters are like a sterile bandage. As long as it is intact, there is no risk of infection.

Keep an eye on any open blisters and sores that may start to show signs of infection. If you notice signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, or pain, it’s time to see your doctor. In a down-grid situation, you could use herbs with antibiotic properties.

My personal preference is for Oregon grape root powder, echinacea powder, yarrow powder, and marshmallow powder in equal portions mixed with honey to make a paste. This would be applied to the wound, wrapped in gauze, and changed 3-4 times a day.

Trench Foot

Trench foot, as its name implies, affects the foot. While the symptoms are largely similar, trench foot is restricted to the foot, whereas chilblains can appear elsewhere. Trench foot can be more serious than chilblains and can develop into gangrene.

Symptoms, including discoloration (redness, blotchy appearance, paleness, and progressing to blue/black), itchiness, numbness, swelling, and blisters. Sometimes, the blisters can lead to open sores, which could lead to an infection.

Normally, trench foot should be seen by a medical doctor. If, however, this is a true SHTF scenario and there is no higher form of health care available, the buck stops with you. If you find yourself in this situation, keep the following in mind:

• Get the affected foot clean, dry, and warm as soon as possible.


• Rewarming can be done with warm water, preferably from 104°F to 106°F.


• Be careful not to use water that is too hot. The skin’s sensation will be decreased, and the injured person may not be able to tell if the water is too hot or not.


• Make sure to dry thoroughly when removing the foot from the water and keep warm.


• Wrap the feet with breathable gauze to let any foot sweat evaporate.


• Elevate the foot to reduce swelling.


• Apply a  salve made with warming herbs, like ginger and cayenne pepper to the feet to draw more circulation to the affected areas.


• Be aware that the renewed increase of circulation may cause some pain.


• Check the feet frequently for any signs of gangrene.

Frozen Injuries

Tissue freezes from the outside and works deeper into the tissue. There are two stages known as frostnip and frostbite.

Frostnip vs Frostbite

In the initial stage known as frostnip, the outer layers of tissue are frozen, and ill move over the soft, unfrozen tissue underneath.

Frostbite is when the tissue is frozen straight through.

Symptoms will be somewhat similar to chilblains and trench foot. Skin may turn red and blotchy with frostnip, then progressing to pale or grey with a waxy appearance, as well as numbness. If the tissue was completely frozen, the skin may begin to blister and/or turn black 2-4 days after thawing. A person with frostbite will become awkward and clumsy moving a body part with frostnip or frost bite.

Frostnip normally does not require special medical attention. The affected area is treated much the same as trench foot. Frostbite, however, is serious and requires medical treatment.

However, if no help is on the way, you need to know what you can do to minimize damage and risk of gangrene.

• Follow instructions for treating trench foot.


• Do NOT rub the frozen area to warm it up. You could break the body part right off.


• Do not defrost the tissue if there is a chance it could freeze again. The damage will be much worse.


• Be on the lookout for signs of hypothermia and gangrene.


• Consider adding more than only cayenne to help promote circulation. Other options would be a tincture combining cayenne, hawthorn, mistletoe, and ginger.

Hypothermia

While chilblains, trench foot, and frostbite are focused on the extremities, hypothermia is all about the core. Hypothermia is defined as body temperature dropping to 95°F. That’s just 3.6 degrees lower than normal body temperature.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency. It can result in shock, cardiac arrest, and coma, and it doesn’t take long to happen. What complicates matters is that hypothermia victims often do not recognize they are in distress because symptoms come on gradually. Often, children and outdoor enthusiasts may be enjoying themselves too much to notice their distress.

Signs of Hypothermia

Because hypothermia sets in gradually, you must be vigilant whenever you are out in the elements. Signals of hypothermia include:

• Shivering (the body’s attempt to stay warm)


• Lack of coordination


• Slurred speech


• Decreased respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure


• Impaired cognitive abilities


• Paradoxical undressing


• Drowsiness


• Terminal burrowing

Those most at risk are the elderly, children, those with medical conditions that inhibit the body’s ability to regulate temperature (hypothyroidism, diabetes, spinal injuries, burns, Parkinson’s, etc), people with mental illnesses (dementia, Alzheimer’s), as well as those who smoke and consume alcohol frequently.

If you have access to medical care, do not take risks with hypothermia. Get to a hospital.

If the medical system has collapsed, or if hospitals are at surge capacity due to some disaster, and all other forms of higher care are cut off, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Remove yourself or other person inside and away from the cold.


• Do not rub victim vigorously, and doing so could trigger cardiac arrest.


• Remove any wet clothing, and wrap the body with blankets.


• Use dry, radiant heat, such as sitting near a wood stove.


• Do not apply direct heat, as that could also trigger cardiac arrest.


• Use a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel across the back, chest, and groin area only! You must warm the core first, and worry about extremities later. This is important if CPR is needed at any point in your efforts.


• Use skin-to-skin body heat to warm up the core of the body.


• If you are outside with no indoor shelter, do not lay victim on the cold ground. Put a blanket (or two) down first.


• If victim has lost consciousness and has stopped breathing, and if you are trained, begin CPR.


• If the victim is conscious, encourage him or her to drink warming liquid. Warm water is fine, but plain. Herbal tea or chicken stock may help encourage more drinking.

Heart Attacks

Cold weather injuries are not just skin deep, but cardiovascular as well. Every winter, people die of heart attacks while out shoveling snow.

As we saw with hypothermia, cold temperatures will impact blood flow. Cold weather tends to thicken blood while also causing vasoconstriction. These two conditions increases the risk of heart attacks, especially with exertion. This is particularly true for those already at risk of a heart attack.

A heart attack is always a medical emergency. Here are some tips to prevent this from happening:

• Invest in some proper winter gear. You want to make sure you stay warm, but won’t be sweating. However, if you’re going to be shoveling, there’s no way to avoid sweating. For $200, I bought my husband a set of insulated Carhartt bib overalls and jacket. Under that, he wears a wool sweater, wool hat, and wool glove liners under his gloves, and wool socks. Why? Because wool will keep you warm even if it gets wet. He also has a moisture-wicking base layer.


• Either use a smaller shovel to lift smaller loads, or get a snow blower.


• Make sure you stay hydrated. You may not feel thirsty when it’s cold out. But, dehydration will thicken the blood. Avoid bringing a hot thermos of coffee outside with you. Coffee is dehydrating.


• Take frequent breaks. I know, you want to get the job done and get back inside. But, the key is to not overexert yourself.


• Stay fit all year long. This will help make lifting that shovel easier.


• If you have hypertension, get it under control now.

There is a lot of winter left to go. Prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, please stay warm, and dry. I want to see you get through this and every winter safely.

The post So Cold It Hurts: 6 Cold Weather Injuries and How to Deal with Them appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Surprising Kitchen Cures For The Common Cold

When most people catch the common cold, they drive to the local pharmacy and stock up on drugs packed with chemicals.

But an ever-increasing number of Americans are trying all-natural remedies, and as we’ll discover on today’s edition of Off The Grid Radio, a lot of those remedies are already in your kitchen!

Our guest is Laurie Neverman, a seasoned homesteader and author, and the creator of the popular blog Common Sense Home. Laurie has tested numerous home remedies and tells us what actually works.

Laurie also tells us:

• How elderberries can keep you healthy all season.


• Which powerful kitchen ingredients every homesteader should store for winter.


• What she does when she gets a cough, sore throat or congestion.


• How cinnamon and apple cider vinegar can help you get better when you’re sick.

If you’re battling the cold, or you simply want to be prepared for the next illness, then this week’s show is for you!

 

Crazy-But-Smart Ways Our Ancestors Stayed Warm During Winter

For homesteaders, going outside in the cold to care for livestock or bring in firewood is just part of the life. Fortunately, it takes just a few minutes to put on coveralls, gloves, jackets and boots that are well-insulated without being bulky.

But for our ancestors who lived without the convenience of thermal underwear and even heated jackets, staying warm took a bit more effort and a lot more thought. Materials up until the 1970s were primarily naturally sourced (wool and cotton). It wasn’t until 1979 that the 3M company patented Thinsulate as a synthetic fiber insulation that became the inner layer to most commercial winter clothing.

For our ancestors, wool was the best fiber available due to its lower cost, better resistance to moisture and odor protection. Cotton was secondary to wool, because it loses insulation value and adds cold when fully soaked.

Dressing For The INDOORS

Our ancestors’ first rule of dressing for warmth has stayed the same throughout time: dressing in layers. For those in the early 19th Century all the way to the 1950s, this meant layers of linen, cotton, flannel and wool clothing.

For men of the times, even staying indoors usually meant long underwear made of white linen, socks and pants made of wool, and a long-sleeved shirt covered by a vest, sweater or another long-sleeved shirt of linen or flannel. Ladies and girls would wear knit hosiery, bloomers and linen shifts below dresses made of linens, flannels and wools. To add warmth, they could add wool socks or additional slips, and the usage of shawls and wraps was commonplace. Both men and women also wore shoes or house shoes to keep their feet off cold floors and also to prevent wear and tear on their socks and hosiery.

Outdoors: Feathers And Leaves?

Outdoor activities meant even more layers. Thicker socks, long coats, scarves, hats, caps and gloves were all useful in the fight to stay warm. Ladies could also wear hooded capes, wraps, mittens or ear muffs, to keep out the cold. Styles evolved over time, but the best for winter had overlapping flaps that blocked cold air from entering the front of a jacket and made it more difficult for air to navigate between layered clothing. Depending on how extreme the weather was, men would sometimes wear an extra pair of pants over their first pair. Anything to add an extra layer of protection from the elements. Farmers in the upper Midwest and Northeast were also know to stuff feathers, straw or even leaves in their pants and shirts for an extra bit of insulation.

Good footwear was also key to keeping warm when outdoors, and both men and women wore sturdy boots made of leather to keep their feet dry.

Coal When Traveling …

For our ancestors, even a trip into town during winter took careful planning to make sure everyone in the family stayed warm. When travelling by open sleigh, cart, carriage or wagon, not only did the passengers dress for the outdoors, but they would also bring quilts or blankets to tuck themselves in for an extra layer of protection. Families fortunate enough to be able to afford them, also used foot warmers heated with coal to keep feet warm during the cold, as well as umbrellas to protect them from rainy or snowy weather.

Sleeping Comfortably

To sleep comfortably during cold weather, men and women both wore garments made of linen, flannel or cotton. Ladies usually wore night gowns, while men slept in long underwear or night shirts. Both men and women would wear a nightcap to conserve body heat, and possibly woolen socks, too. Extra quilts or blankets would also be layered on the bed to trap body heat.

Depending on the size of the family, members of the family may choose to sleep in the same room or even the same bed. It wasn’t uncommon for the children to share a bed or even for all the children to pile into one bed with their parents during the winter months to help conserve body heat.

In the late 1800s, pajamas became popular for men and boys, although women and girls stuck to the traditional night gown. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that ladies and girls also began to wear them.

Whether on the homestead doing chores or hibernating in the house trying to beat the cold, layering up has been the key to staying comfortable. In the foreseeable future, the same philosophy will most likely ring true regardless of the materials developed.

Do you know of other ways our ancestors stayed warm? Share your knowledge in the section below:

Easy Ways To Maximize The Harvest In Your Unheated Greenhouse

Image source: Pixabay.com

Read part 1 in this series here.

For those of us living in northerly regions, using an unheated greenhouse in the winter may seem far-fetched. And yet, it’s perfectly feasible. Even way up north in hardiness zone 3, a simple greenhouse covered with flimsy plastic sheeting can give you a winter harvest. Greenhouse “glazing” (be it plastic sheeting, or polycarbonate or glass panels) can help replicate the climate 1.5 zones to your south; and further coverings inside the greenhouse (such as floating row covers) can give you the leeway of another 1.5 zones. In this way, a zone 3 winter becomes a zone 6 winter. While zone 6 isn’t exactly tropical, its climate supports the growth of cold-hardy vegetables.

The key here is “cold-hardy.” An unheated greenhouse won’t do for heat- and sun-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, or melons. But with a little thought, planning, and experimentation, you should be able to harvest salad greens, leeks, hardy root vegetables, and cool-weather Chinese greens during the winter months.

Building the Best Greenhouse

The location of your greenhouse and how it’s constructed will have a huge impact on your harvests. Before you start building, consider the following:

• Ideally, a winter greenhouse should be situated against the south-facing wall of a house, garage, or outbuilding (such as a shed or chicken coop). That way, it will be protected from northerly winds while also benefiting from ambient heat.


• If it’s not possible to build your greenhouse against an existing wall, its freestanding north-facing wall should be opaque (ideally painted black) so that it absorbs and retains heat.


• Make sure the location isn’t shaded.


• A foundation laid below the frost line will both protect against frost heave and insulate the soil within it.


• The angle of the roof is crucial to capture the maximum amount of sunlight. Optimal roof angles differ depending on latitude. To figure out the best angle for your location, consult the Cold Climate Greenhouse Resource published by the University of Minnesota.

How Cold is Too Cold?

Depending on your hardiness zone, you may be able to get by solely with passive solar and ambient heating. In colder regions, you may need to supplement some warmth. There are a number of ways that you can generate and/or trap heat without resorting to electricity or fuel.

Especially if you are setting a foundation below the frost line anyway, a sunken greenhouse can provide the warmth plants — especially root vegetables — need. As the Cold Climate Greenhouse Resource explains, soil located 4 feet below the surface stays at a steady 40-50℉ regardless of air temperature.

Alternately, a trench or hole in the center of your greenhouse, filled with manure, will generate heat as the manure breaks down; and as a bonus, you will always have fertilizer easily at hand! Another option is to create heat sinks by filling black 55-gallon drums with water. The barrels absorb heat from the sun during the day and slowly release that heat at night. If you’re up for it, more complicated systems include solar heating and circulating water heated with solar power.

Regardless of how — or even if — you provide supplemental heat to your greenhouse, keep in mind that plants also need sunlight to thrive. During the shortest days of the year, growth will come to a standstill regardless of how warm your greenhouse is.

Choosing the Best Vegetable Varieties

As noted above, it’s essential to focus on cold-hardy vegetables for your unheated winter greenhouse. It may take some experimenting to find which varieties work best in your zone and your greenhouse’s microclimate, but to help you get started, consider these:

• Cold-hardy salad greens, including endive, radicchio, kale, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula, collard, and mustard greens. Plant your greens in succession (perhaps one tray a week) and, when ready for harvest, cut what you need, leaving some green behind. The plants will continue to grow so that you get a second (and possibly third) harvest.


• 
  
• Root vegetables such as parsnips, beets, turnips, and carrots. As an added bonus, to deal with cold temperatures, root vegetables convert their starches to sugars, which act as a sort of natural anti-freeze. The increased sugars mean sweeter-tasting veggies.


• Pak choi, Chinese cabbage, and other similar cool-weather Chinese greens.

Timing your Seedlings

It’s best to start your seeds in late summer or early fall so that your seedlings are well established before extreme cold hits. However, you can sow throughout the winter. If you choose to plant during the coldest months, start your seeds indoors or use a heat mat for seed propagation. Tender seedlings are more sensitive to the cold and need a solid start before they’re left 24/7 in an unheated greenhouse.

Why Bother?

You’re not alone if you’re wondering whether digging a four-foot “basement” for a greenhouse and calculating the optimal roof slant is more work than it’s worth. But, if you’re reading this, it goes without saying that you already know the benefits of gardening, whether in winter or summer: the joy of dirt under your fingernails; putting tasty, nutrient-dense produce on your table; cost-savings compared to purchasing bland supermarket vegetables; and self-sufficiency. Using an unheated greenhouse in the winter brings extra benefits, including the cost-savings over a heated greenhouse, supporting the environment, and the joy of proving those folks wrong, who think it’s impossible to grow fresh vegetables in the depths of winter.

Surviving Winter In Alaska At -50

Living off-grid during winter is never easy, but when you’re in the Alaskan bush and facing temperatures of -50 degrees Fahrenheit, it can get downright dangerous.

That’s the life of Danny Whittle and SueJean Heinz, a married couple who live in Alaska and who have stories of survival many of us only see on television. They are this week’s guests on Off The Grid Radio, as they tell us what it’s like to battle Old Man Winter during a season when they get only about four hours of sunshine.

Danny and SueJean also tell us:

• How they survived when their water pipes froze.


• How they use snow to keep their house warm.


• How they cook when it’s too cold to use propane.


• How they use a pellet stove to complement their wood stove.

Danny and SueJean also share stories of Alaska wildlife, including what they did when a bear showed up on their doorstep one day. Finally, they give advice to anyone who has dreams of moving to Alaska!

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

This article was originally published by Daisy Luther at The Organic Prepper

As America is dealing with a record-breaking cold snap and a weird storm hitting the East Coast, some folks are having to handle the whole thing with the power out also. But we all know that at least this time, our situation is temporary. Most of us have power, and those who don’t will have it restored within a few days. But what if you had to stay warm during a long-term SHTF situation?

After your warm response to Selco’s story about Christmas during the SHTF in Bosnia, I hired him to start writing for us more often. Today, he shares with us what it was like to try and stay warm during an entire year in a war zone without any type of utilities. It’s a lot of information, and we can apply this to our preps.

Selco’s information is incredibly valuable because he has actually been through what we plan for during our preparedness endeavors. He teaches this information in-depth on his website, SHTF School. Let’s get started.

The US is dealing with quite a cold snap right now, and it got me thinking about your SHTF year in Bosnia. First of all, what is the winter like there? How cold does it get and what is the climate?

In a small part of the country close to Adriatic sea it is Mediterranean climate with mild winters and temperatures then goes just below 0 or -5 Celsius (32-23 Fahrenheit) and in other parts of country it is a Continental climate with temperatures during the winter -10 or -18 (14-5 Fahrenheit), with cold waves down to -26 (-15 Fahrenheit) and a lot of snow. 

Very usual are periods of strong cold wind (Bora) that actually can lower your body temperature very fast and complicate things.

 Sounds weird but after experiencing snow and -20 during SHTF and Bora at -2, I had most problems with that wind and -2 Celsius simply because it lowers your body temperature fast and suddenly.

Did you have any public utilities at all during this time?

All public utilities went off in first few weeks one by one. Electricity, water, heating (city central heating service) and phone lines, etc.

Did most people have homes with fireplaces or off-grid heating methods before this time period? Or were the homes modernized to the point that they were not functional?

During the late 70s and early 80s in the region, there was huge effort in modernizing cities heating services (partly because pollution) so majority of city apartment buildings and part of private houses were “connected“ on a public central heating system, either on natural gas or oil fuel (hot water system in radiators, through piping system)

As a result of that, building apartments had no fireplaces, even if they had places for smoke exhaust (vertical flue that provides a path through which smoke from a fire is carried away through the wall or roof of a building- exhaust) they were not in operating condition because nobody needed it for 20 years or so. They were clogged, destroyed, blocked, or similar. 

Because that lot of home fires happened in first period of SHTF in apartment buildings simply because people wanted to install some kind of wood fire stove and send the fumes through an exhaust system that was not in use for decades.

I live in an apartment building now, in a building block of some 800 apartments. Again, the buildings have fireplace exhaust systems, but nobody used it for last 20 years, because the central heating is working perfectly.

So they are clogged, blocked, or destroyed.

Mine is in perfect operating condition and ready all the time because I keep it like that.

In private houses, the situation was bit different. Yes, people rely a lot on heating through eletric heaters but most of the houses still had fire wood stoves of some kind and operating exhaust system partly because tradition but also for heating.

Still, a lot of the homes that even had a fireplace (way and place to start a fire either for heating or cooking or both) they had it in, let’s say, not an economic way. Nobody thought that firewood was gonna be so expensive and hard to get. A lot of people simply had fireplaces as a decoration, not in a way to heat house in most economic way (in terms of used-fuel-heat-given ratio)

How did people stay warm? 

We can say that first step was that people simply “shrunk“ their living space.

For example, if a family of people had a house with six rooms they simply stopped using four rooms, and they lived in two rooms only, because of a simple reason – it was easier to heat two rooms only.

To get wood for heating was a hard process and often dangerous, so how much fuel you spent in your home was a matter of staying alive. 

Old style wood stove with a smoke-exhaust-pipe (that would be put through the hole in the wall to outside- if a chimney-exhaust system was not existing in that room.

Comfort was completely forgotten because of necessity. 

Also people insulate their homes with what they had. A majority of windows were crushed (glass) because of detonations (shelling), so people blocked window openings with what they had.

Blanket, pillows, nylons, and tarps were used for that. Also, duct tape was a very useful item. 

Homes were kinda rearranged in order to make it more energy efficient in very rudimenrtary ways. For example, if a house had smoke exhaust just in the kitchen but that kitchen was not good for having wood stove there, then simply stove was moved from that kitchen into the desired room. A hole was made in that room (for smoke exhaust) and the stove was put there.

You need to understand that homes (houses, apatments) when SHTF were very fast to deteriorate. There was no service to call, remember. Leaks from the roofs, freezing temperatures… all that makes your house quite problematic to live in. We were trying to fix what we could, but insulation was problematic very quickly. A lot of problems could have easily been solved with simple items like insulation foam (in spray containers) for example, but nobody was prepared for SHTF. (Yes, I have it now).

Leaving some room out of use was not only because heating, often some rooms were not used because they were exposed to firing. (Choosing the part of the house that will be not used – or at least not used often – was also based on from what direction you could expect gunfire or shelling.)

Sometimes rooms weren’t used simply because there were not enough people to watch that space for outside threat.

Parts of the house that were too exposed to threat (let’s say close to the street, or rooms with too many windows) were simply blocked or not use. Or in other case if enemy position were from south we simply did not use rooms on that side for sleeping because chance was bigger that side was gonna be hit with grenade or smaller size bullets. And on top of that, we needed to take care about heating not necessary space.

So in short “rearranging” living space was mainly depending on:

1. Immediate threat (physical threat- let’s say someone could enter your home through the room close to the street because you can not watch that room all the time.)


2. Shelling threat – taking into consideration from what direction most of the bigger caliber things are coming


3. Cutting off unnecessary parts of the house to save heating

I can say that living inside a home during winter was subdued completely due to the fact that fuel needed to be saved.

Did people make any types of heaters? Can you please describe them in detail so that we can try to duplicate what you did?

First people remodeled our existing stoves. For example-stove from the picture above was remodeled in a way that the black plate on the top was removed and much thinner material would be put there (any kind of thin metal) so that stove would take much less wood in order plate be red-hot. If you wanted to boil water on it, it was a huge difference whether it takes two pieces of wood or six. 

Also, an internal exhaust pipe (pipe that goes from stove to wall) was something that was quite cool to find somewhere, because if you have it enough you could firstly put stove away from chimney in the wall (in desired room) without need to drill new hole, and secondly, more of that pipe meant more heating surface, because the pipe was radiating heat: more pipe, more heat.

 A lot of the old-style stoves were built for cooking first, heating was a secondary role, so we also changed that in a way that we removed internal plates for example so basically less heat was going through the chimney and more into the stove.

Very soon people started to make their own stoves (in some periods even small stoves were smuggled in and exchanged on the black market).

Very popular was a “drum stove.“ People made it from very thin metal. The point was, it was small, you coud install it close to any opening and it required a very small amount of wood to get it red hot.

 I needed 3-4 small tiles from a wooden floor or one big book to make it very hot (and boil water and cook  something fast.

 A favorite was a “pressure cooker stove“.

A pressure cooker was a “must have“ item in every home prior the war.

For example, if you find yourself in apartment building in the middle of SHTF without heating in winter, you would take pressure cooker (upside down) drill hole for exhaust, use some metal to form an exhaust pipe, then make a hole in wall.

More thin metal bending and you made door and ash-tray.

Most of these homemade stoves made lot of smoke inside the home, they smelled a lot. Luckily, not too many poisonings occurred because insulation of the homes was really bad.

War hand made stoves (the second one on photo is pressure cooker stove) If we had only small made stove we surrounded it with bricks in order to retain heat for more time (in the bricks), and later bricks could be taken in bed.

Today I would not suggest that you make stove from pressure cooker or similar, point is to have stored way somewhere to heat your self with firewood in the most economic way, no matter if you do not need that today because you solve your heating with electricity.

Where did you get fuel for fires?

It was taken care of in layers and depending on the security situation.

For example, if the situation was good, you would go out and chop trees from park or nearest hill with trees. If the situation was bad, then we burned furniture, books, shelves.

By the end of the worst period,  people took down all available trees in town, wooden door and window frames from destroyed and abandoned houses, pieces of furniture, wooden floor tiles, and similar.

Over the time we learned value or caloric value of fuel, so, for example, wooden floor tiles were great (especially if the polish coating was good) because it caught fire easily and burned good with lot of energy. Or I used to know that I could make a quick meal out of  firing old shoes if they were of particular material if i manage to start fire. (Yes, it smelled awful.) 

Finding fuel for fire was an ongoing, time -consuming process, and never-ending.

 It was a mess having a whole bunch of people trying, for example, to take down a big tree, then chop it in small pieces, and then to transport it in some way back to home.

Some of use never used an ax before that.

What about winter clothing? Were you just stuck with what you already had? Did people make their own during this time?

Yes, more or less we were stuck with what we had, and people do not actually realize how much their clothing is based on fact that they are living in a system that takes care of them.

 Again, comfort and how does it look became not important (if did not attract unnecessary attention).

 People again “rearranged“ their stuff in order to make it useful so you could see all kind of weird things like ponchos or vests made from blankets ( simple hole in blanket, and pieces of rope) or nylon in boots, or paper inside jackets and pants, raincoats made from pieces of nylons or pieces of military tents (taken from abandoned barracks), but most important thing was dressing in layers of all kind of different clothes. 

If you had, for example, an old granny in your family who knew to knit (it was kinda tradition here) and if she had enough material it was very precious because you had source for gloves, socks and similar, and also good source for trade.

 We were missing heavy duty items in our clothes, we were ordinary city folks who suddenly were thrown in life with a lot of heavy jobs, so clothes (just like everything else) deteriorated much faster than in normal times.

Did people die or suffer cold-related injuries like frostbite?

Yes,  we were forced to look for resources no matter what kind of weather was outside,

Frostbites happened, but also I strongly believe that something a bit different was much bigger problem.

Usually people in prepping comunnity (and elsewhere too) when it comes to cold weather danger forget it. It is called sometimes urban hypothermia.

In normal times you may see that condition in elderly people who are living alone in poor condition (They do not move too much and their circulation is poor.) 

It is a condition when people are exposed to prolonged cold environments inadequately heated houses, homes in poor condition (wet, damp for example), and when you connect that with possible bad quality food, a lot of stress, you may find yourself in a bad state pretty fast.

 Older people were especially vulnerable to that (particularly if they already had some medical issues). Their immunity systems went down fast and then they got sick.

 It was like we all found ourselves living in 3rd world country conditions. 

Frostbites happened fast, and you could reverse the process if you got help fast. Living in a poor (cold more or less) overall condition was something that we could not help a lot.

Do you have any personal stories from that winter that you could share with us?

Fire is very important to keep yourself warm when SHTF. No matter how well you are prepared with some other way of heating and fuel (gas, diesel…) sooner or later, in prolonged SHTF during the winter you will end up with heating yourself with wood fire. 

It makes a lot of sense to have that means ready today somewhere, no matter how modern your home is.

One thing is for sure, when SHTF all things look twice as hard when you are cold, and usually they are.

In some of the hardest situations when temperatures were around -20 and I had to get done some hard tasks, I used to drink alcohol together with small amounts of sugar because an urban myth was that helps in low temperatures. That was wrong, of course, and  luckily I survived, but the point is to understand what kind of food helps you in cold temperatures and what of that you may have stored.,

For example I would give a lot in that times to have a simple hot chicken soup that maybe costs today around 1 euro and it takes 3 minutes to make it ready. 

I learned in that times that having a small fire in the middle of the night in cold weather not only can keep you warm but also can give you psychological strength to move on, to give you reason to live, or let’s say to make you see the light in what look like desperate situation.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about what must have been a terrible winter? (Did I miss anything important?)

Connected to winter, cold, and fire, people tend to forget that they need to have means to start fire, A LOT of that. 

Simply over the time some everyday things like lighters become rare and pretty expensive to trade, and fire was not something that you kept going all the time (resources again), and quality of wood was often horrible so often we had lot of problems to start a fire. 

Anything that helps with starting a fire makes sense to have in great quantities, things like a lot of lighters, kindling, candles, fuel cubes.

Do you have a plan to stay warm during a long-term scenario?

Reading this, I realized my plan is pretty good for the short term, but definitely wouldn’t be sufficient here in my rental home for a long-term situation. I’ll be adding a few supplies to my list thanks to Selco’s advice.

I noted many of the recommendations he had in this interview:

• Duct tape


• Winter gear that is sturdier than what you need right now


• The ability to knit/crochet sturdy items


• A way to heat with wood, regardless of your current situation (This little stove has fantastic reviews but you will have to have a way to vent and a way to protect your walls and floors so they don’t catch on fire. Stock up on those things as well)


• A way to vent a wood heater (get the right type of stove pipe for your heater, think ahead where you will vent it, and get the proper supplies to seal around the opening and pipe so the heat doesn’t escape.)


• A way to block off part of the house and just keep one area warm


• The ability to use an ax


• Lighters


• Matches


• Firestarters


• Fuel Cubes


• Kindling


• Candles


• Cans of spray foam insulation

Did this give you some food for thought? Will you be adding some supplies or making any changes to your winter plan based on Selco’s interview?

More information about Selco

Selco survived the Balkan war of the 90s in a city under siege, without electricity, running water, or food distribution.

In his online works, he gives an inside view of the reality of survival under the harshest conditions. He reviews what works and what doesn’t, tells you the hard lessons he learned, and shares how he prepares today.

He never stopped learning about survival and preparedness since the war. Regardless what happens, chances are you will never experience extreme situations like Selco did. But you have the chance to learn from him and how he faced death for months.

Real survival is not romantic or idealistic. It is brutal, hard and unfair. Let Selco take you into that world.

Read more of Selco’s articles here: SHTF School

And take advantage of a deep and profound insight into his knowledge and advice by signing up for the outstanding and unrivaled online course. More details here: SHTF School Survival Boot Camp

Please feel free to share any information from this article in part or in full, giving credit to the author and including a link to The Organic Prepper and the following bio.

Daisy Luther is the author of The Pantry Primer: A Prepper’s Guide To Whole Food on a Half Price Budget.  Her website, The Organic Prepper, offers information on healthy prepping, including premium nutritional choices, general wellness and non-tech solutions. You can follow Daisy on Facebook and Twitter, and you can email her at daisy@theorganicprepper.ca

A “Bomb Cyclone” Is Set To Detonate Off The East Coast

This report was originally published by Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge

“This storm developing off the Southeast coast will meet the meteorological criteria of a ‘bomb’ as it rapidly intensifies. The signal for a storm has been evident since last week, but as the track has been fine-tuned, impacts to the I-95 corridor are now expected. Snow, strong winds, and very cold temperatures are expected particularly the further east one heads,” said Ed Vallee, meteorologist at Vallee Weather Consulting LLC.

Winter Storm Grayson, a very large and powerful winter storm, is threatening the East Coast of the United States with heavy snow, intense winds, and record-setting low temperatures. Winter storm watches and warnings have been issued for many coastal regions in north Florida to Maine from Wednesday into late Thursday.

This week’s storm may end up being worse than your average nor’easter, according to Bloomberg. It could produce a “bomb cyclone,” otherwise known as a bombogenesis, a phenomenon that occurs when a system’s central pressure drops steeply – 24 millibars or more – in 24 hours. If current computer models hold, that’ll start to happen somewhere off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and continue as the storm moves north. Hurricane-force wind warnings have been posted off the coast where ships could encounter winds of 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour and waves as high as 26 feet on Thursday.

“The real apex, the peak of the storm, will be Cape Cod to Nova Scotia,” said Gregg Gallina, a forecaster at the U.S. Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Pressure and wind visualization of storm off the coast of New England on Thursday.

This particular storm, which is currently developing off the coast of Florida, will devour enough warm water that it could be considered a winter hurricane by the time it leaves the Mid-Atlantic coast late Wednesday.

All day Thursday meteorologists are going to be glued to the new GOES-East satellite watching a truly amazing extratopical "bomb" cyclone off New England coast. It will be massive — fill up entire Western Atlantic off U.S. East Coast. Pressure as low as Sandy & hurricane winds pic.twitter.com/6M4S3y75wT

— Ryan Maue | weather.us (@RyanMaue) January 2, 2018

The Weather Channel describes how a bombogenesis forms:

To be classified as a weather bomb, or having undergone bombogenesis or “bombing-out”, the central pressure of a low pressure system must drop at least 24 millibars within 24 hours.

Bombogenesis results when there is a large temperature gradient, usually between a cold continental air mass and warm sea-surface temperatures. However, it can also be the product of a cold polar air mass and much warmer air from the south, say, over the Plains states.

Over that temperature contrast, a powerful, intensifying jet-stream disturbance triggers air to rise and kicking off the bombogenesis process.

Frequently, Nor’easters are weather bombs due to cold air surging southward from Canada combined with the warm ocean waters of the Gulf Stream.

“Some computer models are projecting a minimum central air pressure of below 950 millibars at its peak, which would be nearly unheard of for this part of the world outside of a hurricane,” said Mashable’s Andrew Freedman. “For comparison, Hurricane Sandy had a minimum central pressure of about 946 millibars when it made its left hook into New Jersey in 2012.” By Thursday, the European model forecasts the storm to register at 946 millibars off the coast of Long Island, making it a rather intense storm on par with destructive hurricanes.

With the cold air in place ahead of the storm, winter storm watches and warnings have been issued from north Florida to Maine.

On its current track, the storm will scrape the East Coast and dump snow from South Carolina to Maine and into Canada, with Boston and parts of Maine bearing the brunt. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has already declared a state of emergency for 28 counties. The weather stands to wreak havoc on markets for longer, as electricity prices have already surged to the highest level in years and natural gas demand hit a record high.

The Washington Post details the hazardous weather conditions expected to hit the East Coast:

The responsible storm is forecast to begin taking shape off the coast of Florida Wednesday, unloading hazardous snow and ice in highly unusual locations not accustomed to such weather. The National Weather Service has already posted winter storm watches from Lake City, Fla. to Norfolk

It is then expected to rapidly intensify, buffeting the Mid-Atlantic beaches and eastern New England, where winter storm watches have also been issued.

In Charleston, one to three inches of snow and sleet is forecast Wednesday, where the Weather Service warns to “plan on difficult travel conditions.” From Norfolk to the Maryland and Delaware beaches, including much of the southern half of the Delmarva Peninsula, 3 to 6 inches of heavy snow are predicted from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service office serving northeast Florida and southeast Georgia cautions that a nasty mix of light freezing rain, light sleet and light snow is expected to develop Wednesday “with significant icing possible.”

Farther inland in the Mid-Atlantic, near Interstate 95, the storm’s exact track will be highly consequential. Current computer models suggest most, if not all, snowfall will occur east of Washington and Baltimore on Wednesday night into early Thursday. But small shifts to the west could bring some snow to these cities.

To the north, Philadelphia and New York have a better chance for a coating of snow, but — unless the storm edges closer to the coast — the more significant snow should remain to their east from Atlantic City to eastern Long Island, where at least four to six inches could fall late Wednesday to late Thursday.

By the time the storm reaches the ocean waters east of Long Island and eastern New England on Thursday, it will be explosively intensifying. The storm’s central pressure will have fallen 55 millibars in just 24 hours — an astonishing rate of intensification.

In Boston, the Weather Service is predicting not only four to seven inches of snow but also winds strong enough to bring down branches. Throughout eastern Massachusetts and eastern Maine, the combination of wind and snow could create blizzard conditions, especially if the storm wobbles west.

There’s a silver lining: The storm will offer some respite from the bone-rattling cold that triggered wind chill advisories and freeze warnings across the central U.S. and winter storm watches from Massachusetts to Florida on Tuesday.

But the relief will only be temporary as the Arctic chill is set to make a comeback by the end of the week. Temperatures will rise out of the teens and single digits from Philadelphia to Boston before slipping back again by Friday and Saturday.

The Weather Channel outlines the Snow potential:

• The best chance for significant accumulating snow along the U.S. coast is in eastern New England. This snow may be heavy and accompanied by strong winds.


• For now, lighter accumulations are expected from the New York City Tri-state area to the Delmarva Peninsula.


• Again, exact amounts will depend on the track of the low in relation to the East Coast.


• Heavy snow, possibly changing to rain in some locations, is likely in parts of Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland) Thursday into Friday.

According to a StormHamster.com meteorologist tracking the trajectory the storm, here are the two scenarios:

• DE/NJ/NYC


• E-MD/E-PA/SE NY

As a result there is going to be a QPF drop out from around Virginia up towards Connecticut. Of course if we shift further west then we shift everything west but there will still be a dropout in that NW corner if you will. Be it DE/NJ/NYC or be it E-MD/E-PA/SE NY. Regardless of precise location of this storm and it’s heavier precipitation contours there has to be a drop out in north and west sections.

StormHamster.com adds,

This system will become a hurricane force low. It is why you really do not want to see it come west like it has over time. I always felt the chance existed and now unfortunately not only here we are but with the potential to even pull it further west in time. These winds will cause widespread power outages. It has also been a no brainer that Nova Scotia was going to get absolutely smacked by this storm and they are in for it with this one no matter what we get precisely along the eastern US coastline. Unavoidable heavy hit for them.

What happens next could be devastating for the East Coast: “The whole troposphere is coming south and we will not avoid an intense cold snap lasting several days,” said StormHamster.com.

With the potential for power outages and extremely cold weather continuing in the on the East Coast through the weekend. This could be a storm to remember…

Finally, while neither Kim nor Trump has the red button to unleash this particular “bomb”, this is what the “bomb cyclone” will look like at is explodes over the East Coast in the coming days.

“This is only the appetizer – the main meal comes over the weekend,” said Judah Cohen, director of seasonal forecasting for Atmospheric and Environmental Research, a Verisk Analytics Inc. business in Lexington, Massachusetts. “This is about as intense a cold as I can remember.”

Meanwhile, meteorologist Paul Walker at AccuWeather said that the storm will probably cause blizzard conditions in New England and eastern Long Island as high winds accompany the snow. And then it gets worse again: Another round of bitterly cold air is forecast to blast across the U.S. by the middle of next week. The chill could linger through Jan. 16.

Outbreak Alert: Hepatitis A Outbreak In Salt Lake City Expected To Last MONTHS

Salt Lake City, Utah is only one of three major cities in the United States experiencing a Hepatitis A outbreak. And now health officials are warning residents to protect themselves against infection, as the outbreak is expected to last for “months.”

There seems to be no end in sight for the cities grabbling with Hepatitis A outbreaks. Spurred by over-regulation and taxation, homelessness is now the norm in many US cities, Salt Lake City being no different. And Health officials in Utah now believe they could continue to see new cases of Hepatitis A for the next several months.

The first outbreak of Hep A began in back in May in San Diego, but Salt Lake City started to notice serious issues in August. Since then, at least 75 cases have been reported statewide. With at least 3-4 new cases being discovered each week. The normal amount of Hepatitis A cases is around 2-4 per year.

Nicholas Rupp of the Salt Lake County Health Department said one of the main contributors to the outbreak among those experiencing homelessness is a lack of access to hygiene needs. “Places to use the restroom, places to wash their hands, and those things all contribute to the transmission of Hepatitis A,” said Rupp. “Hepatitis A is not killed effectively by alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” said Rupp. “We always say hand sanitizers no matter what you’re trying to accomplish are not a substitute for hand washing.”

Hepatitis A is often spread because of fecal matter getting on someone’s hand. If a person does not wash their hands properly with warm soapy water, they can spread the infection to surfaces they touch. With temperatures dropping outdoor hand washing stations are not an option in Salt Lake City, and although many people often use hand sanitizers, as Rupp noted, it’s not always effective.

Salt Lake County hasn’t had to use bleach washes on the sidewalks just yet though like San Diego did. The 4th Street Clinic has also been suggesting vaccines and improved hand washing to all of their clients. Medical Director Dr. Michele Goldberg said patients are responding well. “Most people are totally for it,” said Dr. Goldberg. “They want to get a vaccine and would rather get a vaccine than be in the hospital.”

The clinic has given out more than 350 vaccines, and the state is helping other organizations distribute more. The reason the outbreak could take months to get under control is the virus’s long incubation period, which is about 28 days. It can take weeks or months to show symptoms and the virus has normally spread to others by then.

Dr. Goldberg knows they have a long way to go to stop the outbreak, but said their staff is going to remain vigilant in getting people the information and help they need. “You don’t lose the steam that you had initially,” said Dr. Goldberg. “Really just every patient that comes in the door, every medical accident says OK have they had their vaccines.”

Tips & Tricks To Protect Livestock During Winter

Taking care of livestock and poultry during warm weather is hard enough, but when frigid weather hits, it can be downright difficult.

Yet if you know what you’re doing, your livestock can survive and even thrive during winter weather.

This week’s guests on Off The Grid Radio — Shawn and Beth Dougherty — take care of cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens and ducks throughout the year on a large farm in Ohio. They tell us the tricks they use to care for their animals when cold weather hits.

Shawn and Beth – the authors of the book, “The Independent Farmstead” (Storey) – also tell us:

• What they feed their animals during winter.


• How they keep the livestock’s water from freezing.


• What they do to protect their animals when temperatures approach 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

Shawn and Beth also tell about the vegetables they grow in the garden during winter – and how they do it.

If you own livestock or poultry, then this week’s show is for you!

Medicinal Herbs You Better Stockpile For Winter

Old Man Winter is still several weeks away, but for smart homesteaders, the preparation already has begun. And that includes prepping for sickness.

This week on Off The Grid Radio we’re joined by Rosemary Gladstar, an author and one of the nation’s foremost experts on medicinal herbs. Rosemary has written 11 books on herbs, including the bestseller, “Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide.”

Rosemary tells us:

• Which herbs every homesteader should stockpile for winter.


• How to make a simple tonic that fights off sickness – if taken daily.


• Which natural remedy she recommends for people who get the common cold.


• Why every homestead should stockpile elderberry.

Rosemary is the founding president of United Plant Savers, and the director of the Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center, the International Herb Symposium and the Women’s Herbal Conference.

If you prefer all-natural remedies, then this is one show you don’t want to miss!

 

10 Essential Homesteading Items You Better Stockpile For Winter

Image source: Pixabay.com

No. 1. Full tank of heating fuel or plenty of wood

Unless you depend on solar or geothermal heat, you need to plan for a full tank of fuel and an alternate heat source. Many homes in the northeast heat with oil or propane gas, and some with electricity. Homes in other areas typically heat with wood stoves, natural gas or electricity. A full tank of heating fuel should carry you over in a storm when trucks might not be able to get to you as easily. If you depend on deliveries or you buy from another source, don’t be caught in a storm with a low fuel tank or too little wood.

No. 2. Alternate heat source

Without a generator, oil or propane furnaces and boilers will not work in the event the electricity goes out. You need a way not only to keep yourself warm but you also need a way to keep any water pipes in the home from freezing.

Get Free Backup Electricity — That Works Even During Blackouts!

In the northeast, many people have oil as our primary heat source and use wood as our alternate heat source. Another alternate heat source is a kerosene-fueled heater, with a container of kerosene (typically blue in color to identify the fuel type). Propane-fueled heaters are also available. Never use a heating source that is meant to be used outdoors in a home. Carbon monoxide fumes are a very real risk and can be easily fatal.

No. 3. Wet-dry vacuum

If the water in a pipe freezes, it expands and splits the pipe or the welds. When the frozen water in a pipe eventually thaws, it drips and then it pours. We came home once to the ceiling pouring water as if it were raining in the house due to a frozen-and-now thawed pipe. It froze not due to a heating issue in the house, but the pipe wasn’t well insulated from the cold, and the outside temperature had dropped to below zero. A wet-dry vac was essential for the cleanup.

Nos. 4-7:  Warm blankets, warm clothes, warm shoes, and hand-warmers.

In cold climates, you need to stockpile a warm blanket and warm clothes at home – and in your vehicle. With heated cars, many of us may not wear shoes and clothes suited for cold weather on quick trips. A blanket, water-resistant walking shoes and/or sturdy boots, mittens, hat, sweatshirt and hand warmers are good items to stash or stockpile in your car. If you get stranded on an errand or stranded at work, you will still have the ability to stay warm and walk home if necessary. Hand warmers are small packets you activate by bending or crushing. Hunters and skiers typically use them in mittens or boots.

Nos. 8-10: Sand, shovels and a way to clear your driveway

In cold climate driving, you need a supply of sand for traction on ice, a snow shovel, and a way to clear your driveway. Self-sufficient drivers in cold climates don’t usually need to call AAA. Winter tires help (not all season, but winter-specific tires). A supply of sand in the garage and the vehicle trunk, and a snow shovel for the car and the garage are necessary items, too.

You’ll also typically need a snow plow or snow blower to clear your driveway. If you don’t have your own plow, line up a plow driver to clear your drive before cold weather hits, and make an arrangement with them to clear your drive during snowstorms.

Finally, Don’t Forget the Obvious

Do you have a way to cook if the power goes out? While it’s not absolutely necessary to be able to heat or cook warm food, it’s nice in cold weather to be able to eat hot foods. Who wouldn’t want some hot cocoa? Plan for an alternate way to cook, whether by a wood stove (you’ll probably need cast iron cookware) or by having an outside grill fueled by wood or propane gas.

Stay warm and stay safe!

What would you add to our list? Share your tips in the section below: