Category: Warmth / Shelter / Cooling
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Vortex Masonry Stove
Who doesn’t love DIY builds like this? I sure do! And, although I know there are dozens of makeshift stoves out there, many of which are made from masonry bricks, this one caught my eye because of the unique design. If you’re up for a new challenge this winter, consider building your own vortex stove.…
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How to Shelter Against a Category 5 Blizzard
The fear of climate change is often focused solely on heat waves and hurricanes, but those aren’t the only weather events impacted by a looming climate crisis. Research is showing that while the Arctic is getting warmer, we’re going to experience colder and colder winters. Polar vortices and massive blizzards are going to put our…
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A Comprehensive Guide to Collecting Wood
The average modern homeowner has a few choices when it comes to heating and cooling their home. You’ve got central heat and air that runs primarily on electricity. You’ve got furnaces that can burn fuel oil, natural gas, propane, or pellets. There are even old-school properties that may still use wood-fired stoves to heat the…
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10 Ways to Stay Warm During a Power Outage
Yes, winter really is coming, and sooner than you think. Given that utility prices are rising, especially natural gas, it might get more difficult to keep warm this coming winter if you’re not thinking ahead. With that in mind, consider the following ten tips in the video below. And, while it was intended for the…
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DIY Ice Maker for SHTF
We all know how important it is to keep food cold or frozen, but have you considered how important ice is for survival? Sure, ice cubes help keep things cool, too, but there’s just something about being able to keep drinks cool during sweltering summer heat, particularly if you don’t have working air conditioning, which…
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How to Make a Super Cooler (Keeps Frozen for 10+ Days)
Are you tired of having to drain the water from your cooler each morning because the ice melted? Maybe you want to buy a Yeti cooler, but they simply cost too much to justify for occasional use? And what if you need extended cooling, enough to last for more than a week without concern? Then…
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Rocket Mass Heater for Cooling?
After the heat wave we’ve been experiencing the past few weeks, I’ll do almost anything to get even a bit cooler during the hottest part of the day, and a rocket mass heater may be just the thing I didn’t realize I needed. During our last few days in the Pacific Northwest, for example, it…
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Common Misconceptions About Heating and Cooling Your Homestead
Deciding to live off-the-grid means you begin sustaining your life without all of the modern technologies. You find ways to source your own water. You plant gardens and harvest fruit from trees. You begin to source your energy from more renewable sources than those that deplete the earth. Plus, you likely have a few animals…
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Mr. Heater Buddy vs Buddy Flex
I have the older style Mr. Heater and for emergency use it works relatively well if only it didn’t use propane so fast. Apparently, the upgraded Mr. Heater Flex has a few features that would be of interest to most people for only a bit more cost, including higher BTU output, omni-directional heat, a windscreen…