One of the smartest things I've found, to deal with Winter power outages - down comforters

[Siwsan]

My power once was out for a week during brutally cold weather. I had a fire in the fireplace, but that was barely making a dent in the cold. You could see your breath in most of the house. After a couple of days, my brother's power came back on so he brought over his generator. We prioritized using that to run the sump pump, to avoid the basement flooding. For 3 days I had been lugging buckets of water up the stairs, pretty much around the clock. Why so much water was rushing in when it was SO FREAKING COLD is something I will never understand.

But, I digress. Those down comforters kept me sufficiently warm. Well, the comforters and two cats curled up with me.

So, my point is, sometimes it's the simple things that can make such a difference. MAYBE the synthetic ones would work, too, but I have first hand knowledge about the value of the real thing. And, they can be expensive, but if you ever find one on sale, it wouldn't be a waste of money.

[Shermann]

1. The basement situation sounds worse than the heat situation

Have you investigated battery backups or water powered backups?

https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/using-a-water-powered-backup-sump-pump/

[Siwsan]

2. After that nightmare, I did get a battery back up.

But, even if I had one during that outage, I don't think it would have run for 3 days.

I bought a generator that can be plugged into the house, and I can choose what it runs. The sump pump is high on that priority list, as are the refrigerator and freezer, in warm weather. As it was, even having no power for that long I never lost anything from the freezer in the garage, or even from the refrigerator/freezer in the kitchen. That's how cold it was in the house.

[jcgoldie]

3. Ducks got it right

We have ton of muscovy ducks on our small lake. I put an aerator in the bottom that bubbles up bringing a warm current and keeps a hole even in coldest temps like the past week we havent gotten much over 10. Ducks go play in that hole in the ice like its a pool party each day.

A guy came into tractor supply where my wife works wanting a heat mat for his ducks to sit on in his garage when its cold. Shes like “uhm take that money and go next door buy some whiskey for the cold nights... the ducks are made for this!” 🦆😂

[Siwsan]

5. When I was stationed in Iceland we were told Eider ducks are a highly protected species

because of the amazing insulating qualities of their feathers.

I really lucked out with 2 of my comforters. I found them on an extreme markdown at Kohls. I specifically remember one was $17 and the other was close to that price. Previously I had purchased a much more expensive one at Bed Bath & Beyond, using a 20% off coupon, and I thought THAT was a great deal. That one stays on my bed, encased in a nice duvet.

[2naSalit]

4. As a person who has spent...

Much of my life living along the 45th Parallel, I have found that the best items to have are down comforters, down coats and dense-pile sheep fleece lined boots, synthetics just don't cut it as well. I have lived in my car over winter in Montana and I had an arctic down sleeping bag but before I had that, I used my down comforter. They aren't all that expensive, really, and last a long time if you take proper care of them.

The natural elements work best from down filled items to sheep's fleece lined boots, mittens and coats, wool clothing. Cotton can kill you in frigid weather as it retains too much moisture.

And wear a warm hat!! You see on teevee and movies when the scene is in a cold place, there's often a character who in always wearing a beanie cap, it's a good idea to wear one even indoors if it's chilly. You lose most of your body heat from your head, so wearing a hat is important.

[Siwsan]

6. I have two Icelandic wool sweaters, knitted for me by a friend's mother

They are decades old, and still as warming as the day I received them. Also have an Icelandic wool blanket I bought for my dad. Another real bonus when it's cold.

I definitely prefer the natural fibers to ANYTHING synthetic. Cotton in the Summer, and Wool in the Winter.

[2naSalit]

7. That's what I swear by...

I have synthetics for things like skiing but when just trying to stay warm, those are my go to items. A few years back there was a power failure in my area at the time and it lasted all day when the local high temp was -18F. It was interesting.

[Siwsan]

8. -18 is beyond brutal

We had some -20 temps, a few years back. I'd go out at lunch to start my car, just to be sure I would be able to get home, after work.

Funny thing - we never had temperatures anywhere near that when I was in Iceland. We had an unusually snowy Winter, but it really wasn't anything I hadn't lived through in Michigan. It was the wind that was a problem. The wind never seems to stop blowing, in Iceland. There were days they issued weight restrictions - if you weighed less than something like 135 lbs, you weren't allowed outside. And during the Winter, the winds would cause a 'Condition Charlie' where white outs were deadly. You could get lost, just feet from the doorway. We were issued some really nice parkas.

[Sgent]

17. Why for skiing?

I don't ski but I competitively sail (or used to), we would wear expensive but uninsulated foul weather gear as an outer shell, but usually wool or silk as mid and under layers, socks, and gloves.

[2naSalit]

20. I found that silk, and I have a drawer full...

Collected over the years, stays wet and doesn't wick all that well. The high tech fabrics I had access to were warmer after I start to sweat buckets by the time I'm at the second kilometer on a 15K outing. I won't ski for pleasure below +18F but still, it made a difference for me so I made sure I had a couple sets for ski gear. Mostly I wear silk or Merino wool/silk blends for around the house or under outer layers when making an expedition outside when it's real cold like -10F or colder. My ultimate is an Arctic Cat one piece snowmobile suit. You can wear you jammies in that at -50F and still work up a sweat just walking around.

I have to say, after living in the mountains for all those years, more than half of my entire wardrobe is winter wear since winter was a six month event in a usual year. I still have something like five down coats in a variety of weights.

[Sgent]

21. Thanks

I've never used silk, just Merino Wool or smart wool. Also slightly different situations -- since winter racing involves a lot of sitting on the high side of the boat, getting 33 degree water crashing over you, in 20-35 degree temps and 15-20+ wind. If it was truly cold the water would be frozen .

I've never been uncomfortable in wool assuming I have a good outer layer which prevents water intrusion + allows sweat to escape, so never tried the synthetics. I do know that synthetics start to SMELL long before wool though.

[2naSalit]

22. Yeah...

I wouldn't recommend the synthetics for long term wear in that sort of situation. They wouldn't work in that setting except as the most base layer and even then, I'd go with the silk and wool in that situation.

Synthetics do smell almost before I get back from the skiing. I always just go home and peel that stuff off and throw it in the wash right away, get in a nice hot shower. Then it's snugly silk and wool and a bowl of soup.

If I were out on a boat, as you describe, I would prefer the wool since it keeps you warm even when wet and that would be the difference.

[central scrutinizer]

11. I bought my daughter a hand knitted sweater

When I was in Iceland.

https://alafoss.is/

She says it’s rarely cold enough in Portland (OR) to wear it. I bought her husband a woolen hat there. Same story - he rarely wears it, it’s too warm.

[Siwsan]

12. I have one pull over and one button up sweater

I used to wear on when I went cross country skiing. I didn't need a jacket, too, that's for sure. I WISH I have thought to buy a hat and mittens, too. If I fulfill my wish of going back, again, those are definitely on my 'must buy' list. Or, of course, I could just order them, on line, but I really want to go back.

[hlthe2b]

9. Hah! Yup. I've got a European Down Comforter SOOO warm I've only used it twice--both during

power outages. I'm so glad I have it, but even in Colorado (and with my keeping the house rather cold in the winter time to keep gas bills down), it is just too warm. Even with our current spell of ultra sub-zero temps and wind chills minus 35F, we have thus far been lucky enough not to lose power. A big knock on wood, but I've got it in the hall closet, just in case. Typically my very warm, cold-loving doggy girl keeps me warm.

[intheflow]

10. I bought a down comforter when I was facing homelessness one winter.

It was ridiculously expensive for me at the time, but I figured if I had to sleep in my car, it would keep me alive (cuddled up with my doggo). I ended up finding housing, but I still have the down comforter and I don't regret buying it for a minute!

[garagedoor]

13. Synthetic Fibered Comforters Are

A superb choice if you don’t have the money for down. I have both. I purchased a synthetic fibered comforter last January while I was caring for my grandmother at her home in another state. Her quilts didn’t quite do the job for me and I didn’t want to buy yet another down comforter since I had two at my home. So, I got an Amazon comforter for $22.00. I read all of the negative reviews and this one, the cheapest, garnered a major complaint about it being much too hot. It was the best purchase in the entire year. Yes, it is extremely hot so I simply wear minimal clothing at night. Also, it is easy to wash.

Just an alternative for those with limited means. Read the reviews, however.

[csziggy]

15. Synthetic is also good if down comforters make you wheeze

When I was a kid, some of our Northern relatives gifted us with down comforters. Although we lived in Central Florida, our old house had no insulation at all. In the winter the kerosene floor heater in the hall was the only heat and to save money, we'd close off the bedrooms and other rooms we didn't use much - living room, dining room, and Dad's office which he used everyday but he'd just bundle up to work in there.

With the down comforters we were nice and warm at night, but both my older sister and I would wheeze all night. Years later when I was living on my own I bought a polyfill comforter and no wheezing. I still use polyfill comforters and, bonus, the cats love the way they just sink right into the fluffiness and love cuddling up with me and my husband at night.

We only used the down comforters a few nights a year - it just didn't get cold enough most of the time to use them. I think that saved my sister and me. Instead we had the home made quilts from Mom's side of the family.

[FakeNoose]

14. Yes! I've had a German-made down featherbed (comforter) for over 30 years

They are amazing and awesome! I'll never regret buying it. In the summer months I sleep on top of it, in winter I'm underneath it.

[littlemissmartypants]

16. One of my most prized possessions is a full length, down filled robe. ❤ nt

[MOMFUDSKI]

18. I want that robe!

We have had a down comforter for years and years now. We go to a lot of estate sales and have been able to upgrade to goose-down at both of our houses. We have given away at least 3 now to family/friends as we upgraded. They are totally washable/dryable and there is nothing better.

[littlemissmartypants]

19. I just looked at the website and they're sold out.

https://warmthingsonline.com/products/robe

Here's the link if you want to get on the waiting list.

❤ lmsp