Caught in the Heat Wave, Then your power goes Out. Are you Prepared? ?

[NowVoyager]

Originally Posted by Feather

We want to get a generator but just can't afford it right now. We have nothing in the basement to sit on or lay on the sleep. That's why I was wondering how I could sleep there. I can't sleep on the floor or I'm stuck there until theres a couple of strong people to pull me up off the floor. I would love to get a couple of cots to put down there.

If possible one option depending on budget realities might be an inflatable mattress. THey're actually rather comfy, durable and when not in use, easy to store away.

Up north our basement wasn't 'finished off' Not too unusual in a 120 year old house, but we used it for storage, had a clothes line for drying clothes in the winter and was great to escape to when a twister was in the area. In the winter it was warm and dry and in the summer, cool, but a bit humid. Still better than the upstairs.

[Mousehound]

A hammock or lawn chair will do in a pinch too.

[MaxTheKnife]

If you have no other options for staying cool during the heat of the day, get a bucket of water, a bed sheet and a lawn chair and then get nekkid. Dip the sheet in the bucket of water and wrap it around yourself and have a seat in the shade. When the sheet starts drying out dip it again. Repeat till the sun goes down or gets bearable. It may not be as good as air conditioning, but it will work to keep you from stroking out from the heat.

[Feather]

I'll look into the inflatable bed. I think they even come big enough for both of us at once. Plus the way they are now, the blow up beds are taller and I might be able to get out of it with no help besides DH.

[Samen]

Feather try to get something like pallets and some plywood to rice it up

[lilly]

Yesterday evening I got out a chilled cold heavy bottle of sparkling cider to drink, after midnight and I found it very pleasant to cool off my arms by rolling it over my skin my face, neck... Cooled me down. Have another bottle in the fridge for tonight.

I would have loved to go out in a bathing suit to enjoy the rain, but the neighbors would think I was going ga ga. A no no at 3 a.m.. or even in the daytime. too bad I have neighbors closeby in that respect. I don't think an adult in this society can enjoy the rain as kids did when I was growing up in the day or the nite or early a.m. in the middle of a heat wave. When I think how we used to paddle away in the gushing gutters or prance around in the garden.

Different times. Now they don't want you to hang up clothes to dry out of doors. STUPID.

While we didn't have a thunder storm, it did rain in the early a.m. just a bit and cooled off the house. I found that I pulled a silk and velvet coverlet over me as I was just a trifle cold. Got it at the fairgrounds for six bucks. Nordstroms, Italian silk on one side and soft velour velvet on the other, lovely on the skin for the early morning chill at 4a.m...

[drummagick]

Originally Posted by rb.

For those with batteries or generators, I wonder if those new Dyson bladeless fans use less electricity than a regular fan?
.

I don't know but those things are pretty nifty! I have no idea how they work and don't see how you can get that much airflow without blades!

[flourbug]

lilly, if I feel like dancing in the rain when I am 76, I am going to dance in the rain. Naked. I'll just tell them a bee went down my dress.

[lilly]

I think I am going to fill these heavy glass bottles half full will water and freeze them. Use it when the heat feels really unbearable. When we were kids, we would sleep on a cool linoleum floor during heat waves, which I wouldn't do now.

LOL. no linoleum. I do think you get accustomed to the heat, and adjust your activity level down to zero. I sat in a cool leather armchair and did nothing at all during the late afternoon and early evening. I read as I don't have T.V. (which I don't miss). About the only thing I did was snap back the overgrown Adromeda bushes, water the ferns and sort through old candid shots to give to the people pictured. I had started to walk to the church, but headed back as there was no breeze, and I'm sure the church would have been stifling. While I'm not religious or a church goer I attend a few Sunday services as a time to meditate on life in general.

Definatly the chilled bottles are good to cool down during the day as well as the nite.

[Samen]

Originally Posted by lilly

I think I am going to fill these heavy glass bottles half full will water and freeze them.

I would advice against it.
Im not saying expansion is going to necessarily break the bottles but thermal shock could and you don't want one of them breaking that way as you usually get a really long and sharp edge when they (crack) break that way, you could really cut your self bad and deep sleeping or just laying down with one of them.

[lilly]

Thanks, a timely warning.

I hadn't intended to fill them, just enough to keep them cold. But I'll stick to the fridge cooling items.

Do have those cold packs with gel in them, and cold beads, will use them instead, its what they are designed for using. Only for limited periods of time. When I got overheated during the day when I was younger, cold water on the wrists or back of the neck always worked or cooling the feet in cold water bath. This does cool you down considerably, and I've used these methods in the past with good results during a heat wave. I also use a fan which is good.

Looks like our heat spell is going to keep up all week. Though not as bad as we thought.

[LvDemWings]

I have several of these and they are very comfy to sleep on if you put a quilt or sleeping bag down first. My lounge chair was more comfortable than the camp cot.

[Coyote]

Feather, if you really wanted or needed to sleep there you'd find a way. Cushions off the couch, air mattress, the mattress off your bed, etc.

I agree that the elderly and sick do succumb to high heat as they do to very cold temps. You might be able to deal with 100*F heat if you can find some shade and a lake or river but 0*F cold will kill you quick if you can't find a heat source.

I know 100*F does a number on me as does 0*F and I'm not really all that old.

I remember a woman from Ireland telling me it never really gets lower than 35*F or higher than 75*F where she lives. It sounded like heaven to me. Then I remembered that girls don't really start taking off their clothes until it hits 85* and well, Ireland might not be heaven but I'd be willing to give it a try for a while.

[Feather]

Feather try to get something like pallets and some plywood to rice it up

I have several of these and they are very comfy to sleep on if you put a quilt or sleeping bag down first. My lounge chair was more comfortable than the camp cot.

The pallet idea would work. I could get DH to fasten them together and then put a futon matteress on it. I bet one of the neighbor boys would help get it in the basement.

The lounger is a good idea but I can't get up off of one. It's to close to the floor.

Feather, if you really wanted or needed to sleep there you'd find a way. Cushions off the couch, air mattress, the mattress off your bed, etc.

A few of the neighbor guys could help take a matteress down there. I can fall asleep in a chair but it is so painful the next day.

[lilly]

I think I have a massager in a soft pallet, will have to check it out for comfort for it as I'll be sleeping on the floor in the den. Leather armchair not that comfortable, though I could use a leather recliner in the library. Used some cushions from an armchair but felt uncomfortable, so when It cooled down in the early a.m. went upstairs to sleep on a sheepskin. If it is in the hundreds will use wet toweling which does cool one down considerably and washing my hair in rain water Saturday nite. So far 11 days and tomorrow will be the worst. Heat will break on Sunday Evening, then down to the eighties which should feel heavenly

Used to go down to the Casinos for free rooms, and chits, only pay the state tax. Use their pool, have a massage, watch their fireworks, gamble endlessly, and eat great food. LOL had a great time for years that way, but my gambling days, just like my extensive traveling days are in the past. Now it I am a home body. I must say I did enjoy myself. Have to make a few bucks, get a reliable car and once I have regained my slim shape and energy start all over again. With money you can always beat the heat and go somewhere cool, like the Antarctic with the Emporer penguins.

Life is good.

[rb.]

Originally Posted by drummagick

I don't know but those things are pretty nifty! I have no idea how they work and don't see how you can get that much airflow without blades!

I don't know how it works, either, but saw some working on display in Future Shop (our Best Buy). Let me tell you, they push some air! Very expensive, though.

[Sarrah]

I have bought a couple of those single air mattress from Amazon and they have a base and a built in blower upper. Pump that is the name.
Anyway I got it for $38 so you get free shipping over $25. That was awhile back but have a look. They are not as high as a regular bed but close. That way each each person can have their own space. I find a foam pad makes it was comfy or a folded blanket does as well. There are ridges and my body wants to go up and down with the roll of the ridges. Not pleasant. Excellent sleep though after that small adjustment of a blanket or mattress pad. They may be available locally for similar or even cheaper prices. Good luck with your sleeping. It is really miserable being tired in the heat. Stay healthy.

[lilly]

My mat with the heating units is Homedic. Very comfortable once I turned it over for the fatter polyeurithane padding. Towards dawn I am so cool downstairs, (even wear sneaker socks for warmth) that I move back upstairs for a bit of warmth for a few early morning hours. I didn't realize how cool the trees keep the house, at least downstairs. Very comfortable indoors, though not air conditioned type of comfort in the libraries in our towns which is what we expect now a days. Now that the days temps are in the 80's even walking is pleasurable, at least in the A.M. and around dusk.

Wishing for rain as it is definatly a drought.

[DBA]

No worry's where I live. I used the A/C in the truck today, not sure if I used it last year.

[spinnerholic]

I think we tend to forget just how much we humans have changed the environment, especially in big cities. When I was a kid in Dallas, we slept quite well with a big attic fan that pulled air in from windows, over us and out the attic. Now, with the way Dallas has population explosion and all the highways, tollways, over passes and other huge masses of concrete, it's turned into one big heat sink. Often in the worst of summer the temp never goes below 90 even at night. All day all those paved roads and parking lots, not to mention buildings soak up all that heat then give it off at night. True misery, for all living creatures.

We were out of power here for just under 2 days and found to our delight that all the work and expense of extra insulation we put into this house had a benefit we hadn't thought about. We opened up windows at night to cool the house, closed up during the day and by the time we were getting uncomfortable the sun was going down.

Something else that will help cool an under insulated house, or mobile home, is to hose down the roof. At first you can see the steam coming off, then the water cools the roof and the inside temp drops.

Next major project is getting our well solar powered. Thankfully, we had water stored and could flush the toilet as needed.

Civilization is built on running water!!!!

[Feather]

You hit the nail on the head Spinner. The reason DH's family didn't seem to need AC when he was growing up? They lived on a farm, there was no concrete near them, just grass and a bit of gravel. They also had loads of trees around them. It was even cooler in town back when I was a kid, we hadn't grown as big as we are now and the wind helped cool it down so much at night.

[Oric]

Get yourself a hamster powered fan

[Feather]

Originally Posted by Oric

Get yourself a hamster powered fan

And the cat can get it going

[Mama Alanna]

Originally Posted by Feather

You hit the nail on the head Spinner. The reason DH's family didn't seem to need AC when he was growing up? They lived on a farm, there was no concrete near them, just grass and a bit of gravel. They also had loads of trees around them. It was even cooler in town back when I was a kid, we hadn't grown as big as we are now and the wind helped cool it down so much at night.

Our own thermometer/weather station gadget routinely shows several degrees cooler than the one at the airport. The house is surrounded by mature oaks, and as long as the nights are cooler than the daytime temps, we do OK without AC. A couple of times last week, when night temps were in the high 80s, was the only time I wished for central air. DH has a window AC in his bedroom, so I bit the bullet and slept in there. He didn't snore too bad, for once!