Preparedness for when

wondercollie

They just get by. Heat use can is limited. Layers and layers of bedding. Many apartment buildings include heat in the price of the rent. Thermal underwear isn't that expensive. The best boots have old fashioned felt liners.

It isn't the working poor that worries me, it's the homeless by choice or circumstances. Somehow we only have two or three people freeze to death every winter and usually alcohol is involved. Many of our homeless are First Nations and have some old ways of surviving even when living rough in the park system. Our shelters are full nightly and some sleep in the train stations. A couple of charities have "warming buses" that patrol the inner city with hot drinks and snacks, extra mitts, scarves, socks, touques. The homeless always need socks.

First Nations peoples have survived on these prairies for centuries without heating, it's an adaptation process. I've met a few Inuit over the years that say it really isn't that cold!

Popperwell

Earlier in the week there pictures of firemen trying to put out the biggest fire in years and everything was freezing up and the pictures of all the buildings and trucks covered in ice was amazing because at the time of the fire it was the coldest it had been in years...

I said on another thread how bad our paths are still here...good news the rain or winds have virtually taken it away and we seem to have avoided the flooding on my town at least.

GreyQueen

:eek: OMG, wondercollie, reminded me of something a guy told me (ex-UK army) about being on exercise in N. Alberta in winter; one weekend it went from - 40 to 40+ and the shock of the change was too much for some of the squaddies, they got really ill because of it.

I have read that each human being has a set point which is normal temp for them, and it is established in childhood. If you later move outside the zone which you're set for, you experience it as either uncomfortably hot/ uncomfortably cold.

I have a pal who is of English stock whose family emigrated a couple of generations back to S Africa. Their grandchildren emigrated back again. Cannot get acclimatised depsite being here more than a decade and feel cold winter and summer. They wear extra layers inc long undies in the summer.

My set point is northern european temperate zone. I can manage at 30+ degrees celcius (about 100 faranheit) but only if I take it very gently. I think the coldest temp I've experienced personally is about -10 below. That was plenty cold enough for me.

Currently about +40 faranheit here (+5 celcius) which feels mild to me. Skies are clear so temp will drop sharply but the thermal mass of the buildings around me stops it getting as cold as an isolated country dwelling. The difference between here and slightly more open ground about 200 m away is shocking; no frost here, iron frost inc on the trees up there.

Keep warm and keep well. I have leftover chili con carne which I shall have with h.g. spuds and some steamed veggies. Fuel the inner person.

Popperwell

10c-18c indoors seems the average...during Nov-April going by the thermometers I have in the hall and my bedroom. Curtains may help stop cold from the windows...maybe I should try the bubble wrap tip that has been mentioned before.

I see no benefit to having double glazing, cavity wall and loft insulation but it probably does...makes you wonder what it would be like without it.

VJsmum

My favourite temperature is 22 but am happy at 16+

Last week I was somewhere where it was 35 or so - and I wasn't ever "too hot". I would much rather be hot than cold, I simply don't "do" cold. I loathe snow and went out as little as i could last week. When it is warm, you won't find me in. I can't imagine why anyone would ski when for the same money they could go to the canaries!

Indoors we are set at 19 which is OK, I couldn't possibly have the temperature lower - I would get rid of a lot of other stuff first.

Popperwell

I found a link to that story with images of the firemen fighting the fire in such cold weather...

Move away from the video of the fire further down the page to the images...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/25/chicago-fire-warehouse-ice-rekindles_n_2548505.html?utm_hp_ref=uk?ncid=GEP#slide=2019266

Molly41

GreyQueen wrote: »

:eek: OMG, wondercollie, reminded me of something a guy told me (ex-UK army) about being on exercise in N. Alberta in winter; one weekend it went from - 40 to 40+ and the shock of the change was too much for some of the squaddies, they got really ill because of it.

I have read that each human being has a set point which is normal temp for them, and it is established in childhood. If you later move outside the zone which you're set for, you experience it as either uncomfortably hot/ uncomfortably cold.

I have a pal who is of English stock whose family emigrated a couple of generations back to S Africa. Their grandchildren emigrated back again. Cannot get acclimatised depsite being here more than a decade and feel cold winter and summer. They wear extra layers inc long undies in the summer.

My set point is northern european temperate zone. I can manage at 30+ degrees celcius (about 100 faranheit) but only if I take it very gently. I think the coldest temp I've experienced personally is about -10 below. That was plenty cold enough for me.

Currently about +40 faranheit here (+5 celcius) which feels mild to me. Skies are clear so temp will drop sharply but the thermal mass of the buildings around me stops it getting as cold as an isolated country dwelling. The difference between here and slightly more open ground about 200 m away is shocking; no frost here, iron frost inc on the trees up there.

Keep warm and keep well. I have leftover chili con carne which I shall have with h.g. spuds and some steamed veggies. Fuel the inner person.

I think my set point must be very high as in I get very cold winter and summer. Im rarely without my furry boots on - even in July. My childhood home was absolutely freezing so I wonder if that is why I cannot cope with it? I also very rarely sweat or perspire:o

2tonsils

Popperwell wrote: »

10c-18c indoors seems the average...during Nov-April going by the thermometers I have in the hall and my bedroom. Curtains may help stop cold from the windows...maybe I should try the bubble wrap tip that has been mentioned before.

I see no benefit to having double glazing, cavity wall and loft insulation but it probably does...makes you wonder what it would be like without it.

The problem is that if you have no heating on then the double glazing, wall insulation and loft insulation will keep that cold in...rather like a fridge......


I quite like the hot summers here and its often 40 plus for months on end. Its the high humidity that makes it feel uncomfortable, the same as it makes it feel colder in the winter months. Corfu is very humid all the year round and we run two dehumidifiers (upstairs and down) all the time. We find them very cheap to run and it does make the place feel warmer in the winter and dryer in the summer. We use the water for topping up the steam iron and car battery.

2tonsils

Molly41 wrote: »

I think my set point must be very high as in I get very cold winter and summer. Im rarely without my furry boots on - even in July. My childhood home was absolutely freezing so I wonder if that is why I cannot cope with it? I also very rarely sweat or perspire:o

It was my complaining about being cold all the time and having cold hands and feet that alerted my specialist to my thyroid problem. Last winter I could have the fire on, central heating, blanket over me and cuddled up to my OH and still be shivering.... thank God I am not that bad this year!

missrlr

GreyQueen wrote: »

:eek: OMG, wondercollie, reminded me of something a guy told me (ex-UK army) about being on exercise in N. Alberta in winter; one weekend it went from - 40 to 40+ and the shock of the change was too much for some of the squaddies, they got really ill because of it.

I have read that each human being has a set point which is normal temp for them, and it is established in childhood. If you later move outside the zone which you're set for, you experience it as either uncomfortably hot/ uncomfortably cold.

I have a pal who is of English stock whose family emigrated a couple of generations back to S Africa. Their grandchildren emigrated back again. Cannot get acclimatised depsite being here more than a decade and feel cold winter and summer. They wear extra layers inc long undies in the summer.

My set point is northern european temperate zone. I can manage at 30+ degrees celcius (about 100 faranheit) but only if I take it very gently. I think the coldest temp I've experienced personally is about -10 below. That was plenty cold enough for me.

Currently about +40 faranheit here (+5 celcius) which feels mild to me. Skies are clear so temp will drop sharply but the thermal mass of the buildings around me stops it getting as cold as an isolated country dwelling. The difference between here and slightly more open ground about 200 m away is shocking; no frost here, iron frost inc on the trees up there.

Keep warm and keep well. I have leftover chili con carne which I shall have with h.g. spuds and some steamed veggies. Fuel the inner person.

Mine must be totally kaput :rotfl: I grew up moving regularly from +40 in the Middle East to -25 or lower (oC) :eek: several times a year as a consequence I cope with any temps, humidity (but its much nicer where there is air conditioning!) I just get the feets warm. :T

DH does both without too much issue, but he does like doing nothing :rotfl: