I'm in the middle of a snow storm now. I have several cans of food saved up. I got some candles and a lighter and a flash light. I got to leave work early. My tires were covered in ice. Thought I would post on the topic on how to survive in winter as an orphan.
1. Store up extra cans of food before winter. I buy some extra cans and stuff them in the back of the cabinet and let them pile up over a few months. This way incase there is a storm and I can't go get food I will have food already. Also the stores were so busy before the storm and fights broke out. I was already prepared.
2. Collect some candles and a few lighters. They provide light and warmth. If you lose power you will have light and some warmth.
3. Make sure you have a flash light. I have a small crappy one. I figure candles will be enough. I will invest in a nice flashlight one day. Maybe the kind that don't need batteries and you just shake it to make it work.
4. Warm clothes and blankets. You will need to stay warm. If you lose power you may not be able to go to a shelter because of ice. So layer up and stay warm.
5. Get batteries to that radio. You will need to find out where nearby shelters are incase you lose power.
6. Charge up your phone. You my need to call in your are stuck with out food etc.
7. Keep that laptop battery fully charged. You can check the weather online and find local shelters.
8. Spare ice. I keep a bowl of frozen water in my freezer incase the pipes break and I have no water. This happened in the summertime. The water was shut off and I wanted some tea. So I melted some ice cubes and made some tea.
9. Keep your faucets dripping. All faucets, even the bath tub. A thin stream of water falling from your faucet will keep your pipes from freezing and breaking in below freezing temperatures. Below freezing is 32F degrees, Just so you know. And of course it is also 0C.
10. Keep that gas tank full. This keeps your tank from getting moisture in it and freezing. Also you may have to drive to get food or something. So keep your gas tank at least half way full all through winter.
11. I keep my windows covers with blankets to keep warm air in and cold air out.
12. When you are driving and you start to slide on ice or snow, pump your breaks. Not all cars have anti-lock breaks. My other cars did. My current car doesn't and I hate it.
13. Keep your car doors locked and don't leave anything valuable inside your car. There are many car thefts in the winter time. Keep you car clean and empty. So when burglars look inside they have no reason to break into your car.
14. Keep an ice scrapper in your car. You need to scrap that ice off your windshield before driving. Make sure to have your defroster on while your scrap that ice off and don't lock yourself out of your car.
15. Keep some extra blankets and flash light and canned food and can opener in the trunk of your car incase you get stranded somewhere. Very rare in the city but if you are out in the country this could save your life.
16. Also have a cell phone charger for you car. Yes, there are cell phone chargers that you can attached to your car cigarette lighter and it will charge your phone incase you break down and need to call for help. I once had one but I never used it.
17. Remember to call 911 for emergencies. I know that seems obvious but you would be surprises at what guardians never teach their kids.
18. NEVER pour hot water on ice. Never pour hot water on a frozen car windshield. It will crack. Scrapping is the best you can do.
I can't think of anything else. Stay warm. Summer is easier. Winter can be so dangerous. I hope I covered the most important stuff. Wow, the lights just flickered. Ice covers the power lines and car break them also cars can slide off the road and hit utility poles and thats how the power goes out usually. Its kinda scary. Some people are out of power for days. Oh shit. The lights are flickering again. AHHHH! No! I'm an orphan. I have no where to go and no one to take care of me. Don't let the power go out! This is Deathany reminding you that it sure sucks to be an orphan. Bye!
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As an orphan from one of the colder areas of the country, I am happy to share a few more winter survival tips.
1. Nutrition bars are another good emergency food item to keep in your car/house. They are high in protein and keep fairly well. I also always have some bottled water or some of those refillable water jugs you can fill at the grocery store on hand. Sometimes water will not be available for a while.
2. Next time you see a place giving away matches, grab some. They can be a nice souvenir and are good to keep with candles in your car/house.
3. If you have extra funds those power sources that you can pre-charge are great. We got one as a gift, you can power a laptop/TV etc off it and it serves as a radio/clock etc. Remember to keep it charged.
4. Having a charged phone is vital, as if you have DSL and the electricity goes out you can't access the Internet even with a charged laptop. Even if you don't want to pay for an internet/data plan on your phone make sure you have the option to access the Internet if you really need to.
5. The car charger is a great idea, as you can also use this at home by going out to your car and charging your phone if you really need too.
6. Know your neighbors and their phone numbers...it is comforting to know you have someone around if you get lonely ,scared or end up hurt and need help.
7. If your electricity goes off, only open your refrigerator/freezer if you absolutely have to, as this will keep things cold/frozen longer. This will prevent/limit food loss.
8. Even if you don't want to pay to have internet access on your phone have it as an option so you can access the internet.
9. Have emergency numbers pre-programmed into your phone. Also, program the emergency outage number for your local electric company and/or gas company into your phone. They often provide pre-recorded updates on when power is expected to return or allow you to talk with a representative to get an idea of when power will return. It also helps to call because they log the number of callers in an area and this information (along with other factors) is used to determine where to deploy resources in a power outage.
10. Program the 24/7 number for your insurance company in your phone...they can help you arrange a tow service.
11. It is almost always a bad idea to leave your car and walk for help when you are stranded--even in a city. We had someone die last year when they got out of their car only a block away from a gas station. In very bad winter weather you can easily get hurt (slip and break a bone) or become immobilized (significant snow) or become confused (snow creates a whiteout) and people may not get to you before you freeze to death.
12. Along with blankets, keep an extra pair of thick socks, winter boots, warm hat, gloves and big scarf in your car. Also, have a red scarf or long item you can tie on your car antenna or roof area so someone can more easily spot your car.
13. If your car slides off the road and ends up stuck the snow turn off the car ASAP. You want to make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked by snow, etc before you turn your car on again. If the pipe is blocked, it will fill your car with carbon monoxide and you and others in your car could die.
14. Many people in snowy regions keep a small shovel and sand/kitty litter (creates traction) in their car.
15. Keep a book or several magazines you have wanted to read in your car or home. People tend to stress out when they are stranded in bad weather. Having something you can do to pass the time will help reduce that stress.
16. Don't forget your pets. Make sure you always have extra food for your pets. Also, make sure to bundle up your pets if they have to go outside (e.g., dogs). Limit the time your pet spends outside & closely supervise them in extreme weather (hot or cold). Pets can get stuck in snow, have their paws freeze to the sidewalk/grass or get dehydrated easily.
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