Quilts

When I hear the word quilt, my mind pictures elaborately stitched creations like those made by the Amish. My wife & I love quilts and occasionally frequent quilt shows and exhibitions to see new patterns and cleverness of design. But I was reminded by a post at SurvivalBlog.com of the humble origins and true nature of quilts. My mental image of quilts was equivalent to thinking of hybridized orchids as the only "true" flowers or a gourmet meal as "food".

Quilts were meant to be practical. I have two "camping quilts" that my grandmother made that we still use in the winter. They are made with a simple design of large squares of old scraps. As the fabric gets old and brittle we've replaced some of the squares. In centuries past, quilts were highly valued, often being listed in the inventory of homes for inheritance settlements. 

A quilt is not the fabric design but the construction method of building a blanket sandwich with two outer sheets and an warm insulating center . "Quilting" is the stitching that keeps the insulation in place so it does not bunch up or slide to one end of the quilt. There are "whole-cloth" quilts with no cut pieces at all, just two white sheets and bunting in the middle and yet these can be amazingly beautiful with elaborate stitching patterns used to sew the layers together.

The elaborate stitching patterns are optional. My wife made a denim quilt a few years ago; she bought old jeans at tag sales, removed the seam stitching, ironed them flat, cut squares, and connected the squares on a sewing machine.  For the final "quilting" step we used a thick needle and yarn to tie the layers together with a knot every 6 inches or so apart.

I also learned from the SurvivalBlog.com post that denim is not the best choice for a quilt. It's heavy. (I'll say, you can feel the quilt pressing down as you sleep).

"when you want to stay warm, heavy is not what you want.  To properly insulate yourself from the cold, you need trapped air, and if the top layer of the quilt is of a heavy fabric, it squishes down the insulation and just doesn't keep you as warm."

Winter Watch or Warning? What's the Difference?

“The snow was endless, a heavy blanket on the outdoors; it had a way about it. A beauty. But I knew that, like many things, beauty could be deceiving.”
― Cambria Hebert, Whiteout

I can never keep the weather warning terms straight. Which is worse, a watch or a warning? Here's what you need to know, listed in order of increasing severity:

• Winter weather advisory: expect winter weather conditions to cause inconvenience and hazards.
• Frost/freeze warning: expect below-freezing temperatures.
• Winter storm watch: be alert; a storm is likely.
• Winter storm warning: take action; the storm is in or entering the area.
• Blizzard warning: seek refuge immediately! Snow and strong winds, near-zero visibility, deep snow drifts, and life-threatening wind chill.

Bottom Line

The CDC has put together some excellent booklets for winter preparedness.

See Winterindoor safety: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/duringstorm/indoorsafety.asp
And Winter Checklist: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/beforestorm/supplylists.asp

How long does it take to get Frostbite?

How long does it take to get frostbite? Sounds like an easy question but I find many different answers on the Internet (including one tough old New Englander who answers, "never", with proper clothing). Part of the confusion lies in the definition of "Wind Chill". See http://perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com/2010/01/wind-chill.html for details. There have been two changes.

1st:  In Nov. 2001 the wind chill values were changed based upon a new equations, see http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/?n=windchill. Whereas 15°F used to be extreme cold in 20mph wind, now it's "safe" at all wind speeds and never drops below -11 wind chill.

2nd: Some revised charts appear to use the new wind chill values but kept the color bands the same for exposure times. See this NOAA chart from 2010 which still has 15°F freezing within 5 minutes with strong wind. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//global/chill.htm

A new NOAA chart from 2011 (pictured above) updates the color zones. http://antarcticfudgesicles.wordpress.com/afsa-student-page/how-long-does-it-take-to-get-frostbite/ The exposure time colors don't exactly match the wind chill numbers anymore (for instance -40 wind chill is in two different color zones).
Wind chill of -20°F to -35°F (approx) Frostbite in 30 minutes for exposed face, at night.
Wind chill of -35°F to -50°F (approx) Frostbite in 10 minutes.

There used to be a -30-30-30 rule that -30°F with a 30 mph wind could freeze skin solid in 30 seconds. Under the new chart it's -30 & 30mph & 5 minutes for frostbite.

Bottom Line
So what happened to the NOAA charts? During the fall of 2000, the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM) organized a joint U.S.–Canadian government-sponsored action group to develop, test and implement a new Wind Chill Temperature Index. Human trials were done in Toronto, Canada with 12 volunteers in chilled wind tunnels with thermal transducers stuck to their face while walking on a 3mph treadmill. Brrrrr.

So the new chart is based on solid human evidence of facial skin instead of mathematical modes and time to freeze bottles of water.  See http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/images/wind-chill-brochure.pdf for more information.

How do I check my Tire Tread for Wear?

“The best way to keep children at home is to make the home a pleasant atmosphere and let the air out of the tires.”
- Dorothy Parker

During the winter it's especially important that your car's tires have a good grip on the road. I've already experienced black ice and curves slick with pouring rain this season. Are my tires in good shape? How can I tell?

 Coin Test

Use the coins in your pocket for a quick tread check.

• Place a penny upside down in a tire groove with Lincoln facing you. If the tread reaches the top of Lincoln's head then you have 2/32" or more of tread.
• Turn the penny around and upside down again. If the tread reaches the top of the Lincoln Memorial, then you have 6/32" of tread.

If you are between 2/32 and 6/32 inches, try this test...

• Place a quarter upside down with Washington facing you. If the tread reaches the top of Washington's head then you have 4/32" or more of tread.

Be sure to check both inner, outer and middle grooves of each tire, because tires can wear differently on each side, due to improper wheel alignment or low inflation.

Wear Bar Test

Tires sold in North America are required to have "wear bars" which run across the tire from the outside shoulder to the inside. When the tread is worn down to the "wear bar" then it's time to get new tires.

Bottom Line

New tires typically begin with 8/32 to 12/32 of tread depth (deeper for snow tires).

According to most states' laws, tires are legally worn out when they have worn down to 2/32" of remaining tread depth (i.e. top of Lincoln's head).

If wet roads are a problem, consider replacing your tires with 4/32" of remaining tread depth (i.e. top of Washington's head). New tires aren't cheap but cost less than an accident.

If snow is a problem, put on new tires or snow tires when the tread depth falls before 6/32". But don't toss the old tires away. You could put the old tires back on in the spring and wear them down to 4/32 or more when the snow is gone.

Tip

To prolong the life of your tires' tread, make sure your tires are properly inflated at all times. Over or under-inflated tires can put extra wear on the rubber, decreasing your car's fuel efficiency and even making it more hazardous to drive during bad weather. Consult your car's instruction manual or driver-side door panel for advice on the right air-pressure levels for your tires 

Treating Frostbite

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
-White Christmas by Irving Berlin

While we may have wished for a White Christmas, too much exposure to cold and snow can be dangerous. Your body is 60% water and the water in your skin can freeze to ice. This is called frostbite.

Think about water in a ice cube tray. When it freezes, the ice cubes are larger than the water poured in. (The expansion of ice is why ice floats in water.) When ice crystals form in skin or muscle cells the ice expansion and sharp icy prongs bursts the cells and kills them. If the damage is small, it may be painful, but recoverable. However extensive freezing and cell death may result in gangrene and the loss of fingers, toes, ears, nose, etc.

Frostbite usually develops below -12°C (10°F), but may occur at a temperatures near freezing (0°C/32°F) when high winds and/or dampness chills the body faster than your blood can keep it warm. Hands, feet, noses, and ears are the most likely body parts to be affected.

Avoid frostbite by staying out of extreme cold. If you must go out (or become lost, stranded in extreme cold) cover all extremities - winter boots for the feet, gloves for the hands, a hat or earmuffs for the the ears and a mask or scarf for the face. Mittens are more effective than gloves for warming your hands since the fingers can share body heat instead of isolated on their own. Avoid caffeinated beverages (like coffee) as they constrict blood vessels and prevent warming of your extremities. Alcohol should also be avoided since it reduces shivering, which is one way of keeping warm. Cigarette smokers may be at higer risk with reduced blood flow to hands and feet.

Wiggle your fingers and toes frequently to increase blood flow to these areas. Keep your feet and hands dry. If you begin to loose feeling in your fingers and toes, or they begin to tingle, or feel painful, go inside and warm up.

Signs and symptoms of frostbite include:

• A "pins and needles" sensation, followed by numbness
• Hard, pale, cold skin

Different Degrees of Frostbite

• First degree: ice crystals forming on top of your skin
• Second degree: your skin begins to feel warm, even though it is not yet defrosted.
• Third degree: your skin turns red, pale, or white.
• Fourth degree: pain lasts for more than a few hours, and you may see dark blue or black areas under the skin. See a doctor immediately if these symptoms arise. Gangrene is a real threat.

Bottom Line

If your skin is blue or gray, very swollen, blistered, or feels hard and numb even under the surface, go to a hospital immediately.  Otherwise get indoors or to a warm shelter ASAP. Take off any constricting jewelry (flesh may expand and rings are sometimes cut off a swollen finger). Take off wet clothing. Never rub or massage frostbitten skin, but do use your armpits or the body heat of a warm companion.

If possible, immerse the affected area of your body in warm -- NOT HOT -- water, or apply warm cloths to affected areas of your ears, nose, or cheeks for 20-30 minutes. Try to move the area of your body that is affected as little as possible to decrease doing additional damage.

You should not use hot water or a heating pad, heat lamp, hair dryer, or the heat from a stove, fireplace, or radiator to warm yourself. This because your frostbitten area may be numb and you won't be able to feel if you're overdoing the heat and burning yourself.

As you warm up your frostbitten skin will become red and swollen, and you'll feel like it's on fire. You may develop blisters. Don't break the blisters. It could cause scarring.

Is your car ready for Winter?

I had to stop driving my car for a while...
the tires got dizzy.
- Steven Wright

Winter is a bad time for cars. Once I skidded into snow on the shoulder of a road and could not get my car free. A policeman stopped to watch but said he was not allowed to help push the car. (He could call a tow truck for me if I wanted.) Fortunately I was across the street from a Fire department and the firemen were willing to push the car free.

If I were not so lucky that day, I could have been stuck in my car for hours. Perhaps I was just driving to the corner grocery and didn't bother to wear a coat for so short a trip. It happens and that's a very cold mistake to make. Recently a trained professional in Alaska nearly died from exposure in his car. He drove off in a huff to escape wife/in-laws for a bit; he did not wear a coat or pack any supplies. His car slid off the road some 30 miles north of town and it was 3 days before he was found. He survied on frozen beer and ran the car just an hour or so a day to keep from freezing but not run out of gas.

In case you are stranded, keep a kit of emergency supplies in your car. This kit should include:

• Jumper cables
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• First aid kit and necessary medications in case you are away from home for a prolonged time
• Food items containing protein such as nuts and energy bars; canned fruit and a portable can opener
• Water for each person and pet in your car
• AM/FM radio to listen to traffic reports and emergency messages
• Cat litter or sand for better tire traction
• Shovel
• Ice scraper
• Warm clothes, gloves, hat, sturdy boots, jacket and an extra change of clothes
• Blankets or sleeping bags

Also consider:

• A fully-charged cell phone and phone charger
• Flares or reflective triangle
• Baby formula and diapers if you have a small child

Bottom Line

Be prepared for an emergency by keeping your gas tank full and if you find yourself stranded, be safe and stay in your car, put on your flashers, call for help and wait until it arrives.

Boxing Day Blizzard

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
- lyrics to Let it Snow

In New York City, there has been a lot of buzz over the Boxing Day Blizzard that dumped two feet of snow on NYC and 3 feet in New Jersey (we got 10 inches in northern Westchester). Some residential roads were not plowed for three days and residents are angry. Ambulances became stuck and could not reach those who needed rescue. 911 was backed up to over a 1000 calls and had to triage by treating the most serious first and letting others wait. One woman with a broken ankle had to wait 30 hours for an EMT. Was it a work slowdown as some claim or ineptitude or just too much snow for the size of the work force? (this was the 6th largest snow storm in NYC history). The question is being investigated.

Even under the best of conditions, snow removal takes time. There are primary roads that get plowed first and often. Then secondary residential roads through neighbourhoods and finally tertiary roads like courts, dead ends, alleys, etc. The road our driveway connects to is tertiary - we know it will be plowed last.

The BermanPost.com says this about the event...

The recent blizzard has shown once again the importance of having at least a basic short-term food store. Intentional slowdown or otherwise, people found themselves trapped in their home or apartment unable to go out for sustenance. Even if not technically trapped, many were in a position where they did not want to be forced out to face the elements or on to the dangerous roads.
The importance of having enough to eat and drink for a few days is matched by the ease of preparation. On your next trip to the supermarket, buy a few bags of beef-jerky, a jar of honey, and a mini-keg of beer and/or a few gallons of water. When you get home, put them away together in a cool dark place. That’s it.

Bottom Line

Again from the BermanPost,

Keep in mind these few basic requirements; the food should be ready to eat (no need to microwave or cook), it must have a long shelf life (do not want to open up the cabinet with your emergency food to find it expired or spoiled), and it must be sufficiently nutritious to sustain you over those few days.

You should make it one of your New Years resolutions to be prepared. Part of being prepared for any emergency is making sure have food/water to eat/drink and are not forced to take unnecessary risks to acquire them.

Carbon Monoxide

"It's a Gas! Gas! Gas!" - lyrics to Jumping Jack Flash

If you live in the New York City region, subscribe to Notify N.Y.C. at https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/  Alerts and notices are available via email, SMS, phone, Twitter or RSS feed.

Registrants can select five notification types for up to five ZIP codes across NYC.

• Emergency Alerts – messages about life-threatening events that may require immediate action. All registrants are automatically added to this list.
• Significant Events Notifications – important information about emergency events, utility outages and other types of high-impact events in your ZIP code.
• Public Health Notifications – information about important public health issues in your community
• Public School Closing/Delay Advisories – updates about unscheduled public school closings, delays and early dismissals
• Unscheduled Parking Rules Suspensions – updates about unscheduled suspensions of citywide parking rules

Bottom Line

As an example, here is a NYC message from 12/17 ....

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reminds New Yorkers to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by clearing snow from exhaust pipes before starting car engines, avoid running cars in enclosed spaces, and clear snow from the vents of combustion appliances. Never heat your home with a stove or oven.

I should know better but it never occurred to me to check the exhaust pipe of my snow covered car after the blizzard last weekend.

Winter checklist for your house

Ahhhh, it's a marshmallow world in the winter,

When the snow comes to cover the ground.

It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,

I wait for it the whole year round!
- lyrics from Marshmallow World

ConsumerReports.org recommends the following to prepare your house for winter.

• Clear leaves from your property and gutters and roof
• Remove piles of leaves, compost, & wood away from house (mice love to nest in debris)
• Wash windows (you'll appreciate the extra sunlight in winter)
• Turn off water to hoses and lawn sprinklers (turn off the water from inside the house)
• Turn off power to outdoor compressor on your central AC
• Cover outdoor furniture
• Put away your grill (ours sits outside and rusts)
• Test your snowblower before you need it
• Update settings on your programmable thermostat
• Have a pro service your home heating system
• Replace furnace filters every month
• Have your chimney inspected and cleaned
• Check Fire and CO detectors and fire extinguishers. Smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years and CO detectors every 5 years.

Bottom Line

I would add

* buy salt or ice melt.

* Check your snow shovels.

* Add mittens, hats and other cold weather gear to your car.

* Put a small shovel and kitty litter for traction in your car trunks.

Preparing for Winter

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the treetops glisten,
and children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow"

"With winter right around the corner, it's never too early to start preparing for snowstorms, icy roads, and other types of severe weather," says FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.  "Whether you live in an area that is used to severe winters or not, there are three simple steps all Americans should take to get ready: put together an emergency supply kit, develop a family communications plan, and stay informed about the risks and emergencies in your community." For helpful tips and recommendations see http://www.Ready.gov/america/beinformed/winter.html.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) outlook forecast is that the Pacific Northwest could have a colder and wetter than average winter, while the South may be warmer and drier than usual.  Severe winter weather can include snow or subfreezing temperatures, strong winds and ice or heavy rain storms.  An emergency supply kit both at home and in the car will help prepare people for winter power outages and icy or impassable roads.

According to FEMA, an emergency supply kit should include a three-day supply of food and water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and extra flashlights and batteries.  Thoroughly check and update your family's emergency supply kit and add the following supplies in preparation for winter weather:

• Ensure your home and car are prepared for the winter weather
• Buy rock salt to melt ice on walkways
• Buy sand (we use kitty litter) to improve traction on ice or snow when the car is stuck
• Purchase snow shovels and other snow removal equipment (keep a small shovel in your car trunk)
• Have adequate clothing and blankets to help keep you warm.
• Update your family preparedness plan and contacts list
• Test your family plan
• Learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government and your children's schools

Bottom Line

Keep informed of weather alerts via TV, radio, email, blackberry, etc. Ensure that you follow at least one of these to get advance notice of the following winter hazards:

• Freezing Rain creates a coating of ice on roads and walkways.
• Sleet is rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes roads to freeze and become slippery.
• Winter Weather Advisory means cold, ice and snow are expected.
• Winter Storm Watch means severe weather such as heavy snow or ice is possible in the next day or two.
• Winter Storm Warning means severe winter conditions have begun or will begin very soon.

Save Money this Winter

"Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to" - John Ed Pearce

This week temperatures plummeted and we had to throw some quilts on our bed to keep warm at night. So this is a good time to start thinking about heating the house for the winter. What can be done to lower heating bills?

1. Microsoft Holm, www.microsoft-hohm.com/Home/, offers advice. I entered my address and it popped up a satellite image of my house with guesses at the number of rooms, types of heating, age of home, etc, and estimates my energy bill. Spooky. I'll have to work with this more to see if it will be useful or not.

2. There are tax credits for home improvement that will expire Dec 31. Check out www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

3. Trees are said to be good for your house - they provide shade in summer and a wind break in the winter. I'm not sure I agree. We have many trees, a forest, around our house. What we might gain in temperature control is surely lost in tree maintenance, roof/car repair from fallen branches, no sunlight for backyard garden, poor TV/satellite reception, and paying someone to rake the leaves in the fall.

4. Use a programmable thermostat that changes the house temperature based upon rules that you set up. We keep the house cold at night, warm it up to get us out of bed, cool down during work hours, warm up for our return and back to cool for sleeping again.  Modern high-end  thermostats can be remotely controlled via your cell phone or iPhone.

5. A lot of heat is lost through single-pane windows. Sadly Energy Star windows are expensive, an estimate for just one wall of our house was $18,000. So each winter we cover our windows with a layer of transparent plastic sheeting.

6. Plug the leaks in your house. Caulk around windows and any cracks you find. Thermal images (above) can show you the hot spots in your house.

7. Cover hot water pipes with insulation.

8. Insulate your attic and basement.

9. Open the drapes by day to let in the sun and close them at night.

10. Dress in sweaters. Don't try to heat the house to summer temperature.

Bottom Line

Heating oil and natural gas are expensive! Make your house as energy efficient as you can. But don't go crazy. If we purchase the $18,000 windows we would never make back the money in energy savings.

More ideas at http://www.moneytalksnews.com/2010/07/07/searching-for-lower-energy-bills-this-summer-13-cool-tips/

Damaged Trees

"Even trees do not die without a groan"-Henry David Thoreau

Our big snow storm last month broke quite a few limbs off our trees. The biggest branch was about 8 inches across. One was so heavy it took both my wife and I to pull it off the street. We are thankful that none of them hit the house, our fence or our cars with full force. We did have several near misses of mere inches. There was some luck but also some fore planning. About a decade ago we paid an arborist to cut back limbs that hung over our house and driveway.

As we look up now we see several trees with cracked limbs or jagged scars. Sadly there is not much that an amateur can do about it - the shortest trees are 20' and much of the damage is 30, 40 or 50' up in the air. Our first bid from a professional is $1200 for repairs and cleanup.
What if the breaks are lower to the ground? How do you fix a free? Here are several informative articles on home tree repair from Land Grant Colleges:

University of Illinois Extension
University of Tennessee
Michigan State Extension (my school, yeah!)
Iowa State Extension

The Arbor Day Foundation has a guide to help determine when a tree is worth saving (or not).

Bottom Line

There are many opinions on tree repair involving glue, bolts, cables, limb removal, etc. It can be dangerous work. So be very careful or hire a professional.

Snow!

"Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery."-Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes cartoonist)

Last month my family experienced a snowstorm that dropped nearly two feet of wet, heavy snow and we had to shovel the driveway five times in 24 hours. Now, after the fact, I thought I’d look at the safety issues of snow removal.

Snow shoveling is NOT without risk. One study determined that after only two minutes of shoveling, sedentary men’s heart rates rose to levels higher than those normally recommended during aerobic exercise. Heart attacks are not uncommon. A middle-aged minister of our church died while shoveling some 20 years ago. Cold air makes it harder to work and breathe, which adds some extra strain on the body. There also is the risk for hypothermia, a decrease in body temperature, if one is not dressed correctly for the weather conditions. Shoveling improperly can also cause back strain.

Recommendations

• Avoid caffeine or nicotine before beginning (that is no smoking or coffee). These are stimulants, which may increase your heart rate and cause your blood vessels to constrict. This places extra stress on the heart.


• Dress in several layers so you can remove a layer as needed.


• Warm up your muscles before shoveling with some gentle stretches or walking about. Begin shoveling slowing until the heart and body are ready for a workout.


• Beware of extra-large shovel scoops that will cause more strain as you lift heavy loads. Smaller loads are safer.


• Bend from the knees (not the back) and tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Avoid twisting movements. Lift with your legs, not your back.


• Know the signs of a heart attack: chest pain, discomfort in other areas of the body, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness, nausea, or sweating.


• If snow is sticking to your shovel, spray it with shortening or vegetable oil.

Bottom Line

Take it slow and easy and pace yourself. Better to be a tortoise than a dead hare.

Resources

http://www.ext.nodak.edu/snow.htm

http://seasonal-home-maintenance.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_shovel_snow_safely_and_injuryfree

http://www.wikihow.com/Shovel-Snow

http://www.ehow.com/how_13048_shovel-snow.html

http://fitness.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_safely_shovel_snow

A Late Turkey Dinner

"Most turkeys taste better the day after, my mother's tasted better the day before"-Rita Rudner

Now this is an unusual story, “Wife who went to buy Christmas turkey and got stuck in the snow returns home... a month later”. Kay Ure left her home in Cape Wrath, Scotland (the most northwesterly point of the UK) to buy a Christmas turkey in Inverness 11 miles away. But she was unable to return when snow & freezing winds made the roads too icy for travel. Mrs Ure lived with a friend for a month before her husband managed to bring her home by boat.

And curiously it was the husband who seems to have suffered the worst for this. He had to live on the contents of his cupboards, baked beans and pasta, for a month. [ASIDE – see why food storage is important!]

Two weeks into his isolation, he ran out of heat and power when his coal fueled electricity generator blew up. Fortunately he had a battery powered radio for weather reports and logs and fireplace for heat.

Bottom Line

You never know when an “emergency” incident will occur. Ice storms are common the world round though usually not as severe as what the Ures encountered. How well could you get buy if stranded in your house for a week?

Wind Chill

"I've got to go home - Oh, baby, you'll freeze out there
Say, lend me your coat - It's up to your knees out there"
- song lyrics from Baby It's Cold Outside

Slate.com recently published an article, "It's time to get rid of a meaningless number", that is opposed to the idea of "Wind Chill factor". The columnist believes that "no amount of tweaking will make wind chill more comprehensible."

Let's start at the beginning. In 1945 two Antarctic explorers, Paul Siple and Charles Passel, realized that a bottle of water would freeze faster on a windy day than on a calm day. This is because the wind is more efficient at carrying away the heat in the water. They carefully recorded wind speed and freezing times to create a chart and formula uniting wind and temperature. So given 5 F and a wind speed of X, you could calculate that a bottle would freeze in the same amount of time as a calm day of -40 F.

The concept of wind chill was first used by Canadian Weather men in the 1970s. The Siple-Passel formula was used for 30 years before two researchers, Randall Osczevski in Canada and Maurice Bluestein in the United States, decided to retest the numbers. They found that the Siple-Passel formula was too extreme in its predictions. So instead of -40F above the same 5F and wind would feel more like -19F.

So this is confusion #1 - the system of wind chill was changed at the turn of the century.

Confusion #2 - If it's a windy day at 35F, the wind chill might "feel like" 20F but no bottle of water (or anything else) is going to freeze. The coldest anything can get in this example is 35F - safely above freezing. All wind chill does is tell you how quickly you'll cool down to the outdoor temperature - not how cold you will become. Wind does not make things colder than the air temperature - it just makes them as cold, faster.

Confusion #3 - Your results may vary. The actual rate at which your body cools will depend upon the clouds & sun, how much skin you have exposed, how insulating your coat is, how exposed you are to the wind, and so on. The modern Wind Chill model is based upon people who are 5 feet tall, somewhat portly, and walk at an even clip directly into the wind.

Bottom Line

Wind Chill is useful as a reminder about the dangers of a cold wind but keep in mind the limitations mentioned above. Also remember that wet clothes draw out heat and will cool you down faster than dry clothes. Stay dry and out of the wind.

Check out one of my early blogs for more details on Hypothermia.

Winterize Your Car 2

“Did you ever notice when you blow in a dog's face he gets mad at you? But when you take him in a car he sticks his head out the window”- Steve Bluestone

In the first year of this blog I wrote extensively about preparedness. I recommend starting at the very beginning with the Rule of Threes if you're looking for the fundamentals of preparedness.

I've also written on many specific topics and recommend the topical key words on the right side of the blog to find posts on go-kits, car safety, winter driving and so on.

Today I'll encourage you check out two of my earlier posts that are important as Winter approaches.

Winterize Your Car

Stocking your car for Winter

Bottom Line

My brother-in-law in Winnipeg was amazed that he did not yet have snow on the ground for Thanksgiving. Winter comes early for some people.

Winter Insulation

“I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood.”- Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes)

Popular Mechanics has some ideas to reduce your Winter heating bill...

1. Plug the gap into your attic (shows pictures of how)
2. Stuff your Chimney (to block the inflow of cold air)
3. Upgrade your windows (or cover them)
4. Put a blanket on your hot water heater
5. Wrap your hot water pipes
6. Fill cracks and gaps in the house walls

Bottom Line

Check out Popular Mechanics for a cost estimate on these ideas. Most pay for themselves in the first year.

Winterize your House

“Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat” - anon

Kiplinger.com had published Your Fall Home-Maintenance To-Do List with 9 ways to winterize your home:

9. Have your lawn-irrigation system professionally drained.

8. Trim landscaping.

7. Turn off exterior faucets.

6. Add extensions to downspouts so water runs at least 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation.

5. Clean the gutters.

4. Caulk around windows and doors.

3. Make necessary roof repairs.

2. Buy a programmable thermostat.

1. Tune up your heating system.

Bottom Line

Forecasters are predicting an extra cold winter in the North East due to a weak El Nino. Prepare now!

Wearing Wool

I got up one morning and couldn't find my socks, so I called Information and said, "I can't find my socks." She said, "They're behind the couch." And they were! - Stephen Wright

According to Wear Wool For Survival, humans have been using wool since about 10,000 B.C. Ancient Greeks lined their helmets with felt, and Roman legionnaires used breastplates made of wool felt. It is great for survival wear because it retains body heat when wet. (Most fabrics suck the warmth out of a person when they get wet from rain, snow or sweat.) Wool also has breathability, water resistance, odor-resistance, fire-resistance, durability, elasticity, crease-resistance, and UV-light resistance. Wool has been used as insulation in timber-frame buildings and for making rope. It insulates better than fiberglass and is naturally flame retardant. Wool can make excellent diapers with the ability to absorb moisture almost one-third of its own weight.

One drawback to wool is scratchiness. I have a pair of warm woolen socks that I hate to wear – too itchy! Soft wool does exist but you’ll have to spend extra for higher quality. The finest and softest wool is said to come from Merino sheep. They were originally bred in Spain but now Australian raises 80% of all Merinos. They can also be found in New Zealand, Argentina, South Africa, and the Western US.

Another drawback to wool is that woolen items can lose shape or shrink many sizes when washed. Here are some recommendations from wikiHow on How to Wash Wool:

• Don’t wash! Wool is odor resistant and can last a long time with only spot washing by hand for stains and a good airing out.
• To prevent shrinking, soak wool in cold water for a few hours before washing so all the woolen fibers become saturated.
• Use only a cleaner designed for washing wool. Strong detergent and soap in large quantity can harm wool.
• Heat and agitation are the enemies of wool. So never use the dryer – instead gently roll the item to squeeze out water and let it dry flat in the shape you want.
• The agitation of a washing machine can also be harmful. A good soak in water (or mild soap) and rinse is often sufficient.

Bottom Line
Wool is a great fabric for go-kits, hikes, and survival conditions. However make sure you are comfortable wearing it. You don’t want the distraction and annoyance of scratchy clothes when trying to cope with the stress of a disaster.

Ice Storm in Kentucky

“[The ice storm was] even worse than some of the tornadoes we've had where you have a very defined area of damage, ... The damage is so widespread, 42 of our 75 counties are under disaster declaration because of the ice.” - Mike Huckabee (Arkansas governor, 1996-2007)

After Hurricane Katrina, the Red Cross changed its recommendation from having a 3 day supply kit to have a week long food storage and supplies. Events in Kentucky are proving that three days just aren’t enough.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090131/NEWS01/90131003

Thousands of people in ice-caked Kentucky have sought refuge in motels and shelters. …Some in rural Kentucky ran short of food and bottled water, and resorted to dipping buckets in a creek. … rural communities feared it could be days or even weeks before workers got to areas littered with downed power lines. … Temperatures were expected to rise just above freezing Saturday for the first time in days.

At least 42 people have died in the icy arc of destruction that began in the Midwest. Most were blamed on hypothermia, traffic accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning from generators.

Bottom Line

Kentucky is also demonstrating why you to need to care for your own family and not rely on local or federal government.

1. Local resources are quickly overwhelmed
"We can't service everybody in our shelter," said Crittenden County Judge-Executive Fred Brown, who oversees about 9,000 people who have stayed five days at the town's elementary school.

2. State Aid is often not well organized

Local officials grew angrier at what they said was a lack of help from the state and FEMA. … the 25 National Guardsmen who have responded have no chain saws to clear fallen trees [on roads].

3. FEMA is SLOW and LATE
A FEMA spokeswoman said, "We have plenty of folks ready to go, but there are some limitations with roads closed and icy conditions."

What a surprise! An ice storm has closed the roads so FEMA is unable to respond. Apparently FEMA is only able to aid disaster victims when the weather is perfect and after someone else has cleared the roads.

4. FEMA supplies can not be trusted
Story Fec 5 on FEMA rescue food sent to Kentucky, FEMA Food May Contain Salmonella Peanut Butter