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Warmth and Shelter
Stay warm and dry
Cold kills faster than hunger. Keep the layers to stay warm without central heat, the means to seal a room, and a safe way to add heat.
Start with the full guide
Field guideStockpile Essentials Field GuideThe master checklist: 239 items across 16 categories, the shelf life class of each, and the 20 multi-use items that cover the most jobs. 39 pages.Open the field guide 
Field guideWalk-Around Preparedness AuditA walk through your home and land that scores 15 systems from 1 to 5 across 200 checkpoints. The lowest score is where to work next. 33 pages.Open the field guide Master guideStaying Warm and Sheltered When the Heat Goes OutWhat to do when the furnace or the grid is down: close off one room, layer, add safe backup heat, avoid carbon monoxide, protect pipes and roof, and handle a heat wave.Open the full page Shrink the space, then heat it
Do not try to heat the whole house. Close off one south-facing room, hang blankets over doors and windows, and heat only that space. Keep any combustion outside.
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Supplies 1
Skills 1
Guides 3
Guide
Staying Warm and Sheltered When the Heat Goes Out
Heat one room, not the house: close off a small, well-insulated room, put everyone in it, and add heat only from a heater labeled for indoors, run with the ventilation its label calls for and a battery CO alarm next to it.
Guide
Staying warm with limited gear (mild or warm climates)
Manage heat loss first: block wind and insulate underneath you before adding layers
Guide
Wood stove installation through a ceiling and roof (DIY)
Took less than 10 hours at a total cost of $2,682, using 6" DuraVent pipe
Spare parts lists 2
Parts list
Spare parts: Fire, Smoke & Safety
Candles, wood heat, and fuel all raise fire risk exactly when the fire department is far away or not coming. Keep detection and a way to put it out.
Parts list
Spare parts: Heating, Cooling & HVAC
Heating and cooling almost always fail at a handful of cheap parts, not the whole unit. Stock the wear parts for how you heat and cool, for a furnace, central AC, or a wood stove.
Nothing matches those filters. Clear one and try again.
The checklist
Tick what you already have. Checks are saved on this device.
Warmth and Shelter Stay warm and dry without the furnace
Stay warm
Shelter & seal
Heat safely
Audit questions
From the walk-around audit. Honest answers show the gaps.
- What is your main heat source?
- Does it rely on electricity?
- Does it rely on natural gas or propane?
- Do you have a non-electric heat source?
- Is it safe for indoor use?
- Can it heat at least one enclosed room?
Common mistake
Trying to heat the whole house, or burning fuel indoors.
Skills to learn
shrink and seal a room · layer for cold · run a heater safely