HOW WOULD YOU DO IN AN ICE STORM?

The Hill Spirit believes that those who are prepared need not fear and so during this cold snap I though you may want to listen to how to prepare for winter weather.  Jack Spirko has lots of good tips on being able to take of yourself when life is less than perfect.

Thoughts from Jack:
Despite the dire warnings about global warming from many the current belief now seems to be a century of cooling may be on the way.  In fact while we were told there would be no ice sheets in the arctic by 2013 the latest reports on the artic ice sheet is that there is.. “An unbroken ice sheet more than half the size of Europe already stretches from the Canadian islands to Russia’s northern shores” Source Link


What I actually want to talk about today is simply dealing with the cold, because this winter folks, is going to be one of the coldest you have seen in a long time.  I think most people in northern climates will experience a very cold winter but they will do okay.  If you are used to lows in the teens and end up with lows in the single digits you aren’t happy about it, but you are prepared.  If however you live where frosts are generally mild and you typically only dip into the 20s a few times a year, this winter could be a game changer.  Spoiled southern gardeners may find themselves planting a month to 6 weeks later this spring, or perhaps needing to create cloches and low tunnels like their norther brethren have been doing all along.
All of this has made me reevaluate my cold weather planning and may be you should too.  

Join me today as I take a hard look at what I now consider to be a big hole in my own preps, dealing with cold weather.  We are not unprepared, but we are Dallas Texas prepared and it seems like it might be a better idea to get say Tennessee prepared, and you guys in Tennessee, you may want to check out what the guys up in Chicago and Boston do, yea I am serious.  Better to be over prepared then under prepared.  After this recent ice storm I feel quite under-prepared.

Join Me Today as I Discuss…

• Some of the many reasons ice is worse than snow
• Why we almost always get ice, sleet or very heavy wet snow in the south
• The reality of government being unprepared and what it means for other things
• Vehicle mobility, why staying home isn’t always an option
  • Tire chains might save your life
  • Keep warm extra clothing in your vehicle
  • Stay home unless you have no choice
• Physical safety, preventing injury is critical
  • Sand is cheap and effective
  • Yep I ordered some ice cleats
  • Think before you act, it isn’t just old people that fall and get hurt
• Alternative heating for the home
  • Propane Heaters
  • Wood stoves
  • Fireplaces
  • Kerosene
  • Candles (yep)
• Protecting your plumbing
  • Wrapping fixtures
  • Heat tape
  • Pools
  • Water for livestock
• Clothing
  • Good boots are priceless
  • Layers work
  • Thermal underwear are awesome
  • Gloves are as priceless as boots
  • Keep your head warm and covered
• Gardening
  • We should all have a green house
  • Consider an insulated green house
  • Think about cloches and row covers
  • Focus on tougher perennials and move toward permaculture
• It isn’t all bad
  • It is easier to heat with wood then to cool with solar
  • The cold can be fun if you are prepared
  • Likely it will have a huge impact on many pest insects
  • Colder winters likely mean more pleasant falls and springs

 

 Link to Podcast:
HOW TO BE PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER