Never Froze in 31 Power Outages. 12 Things I Use to Keep Warm That Don't Burn

In 49 years the power has gone out on this ridge 31 times, once for nine days in a February ice storm, and nobody in this house went to bed cold. Harlan handles everything that burns. I handle everything that doesn't. Here are the twelve things I use to keep warm without a match or a plug: one room, a wool blanket under you, a tent over the bed, sleeping together, curtains and quilts on the windows, the battery carbon monoxide alarm that saves lives, wool socks, a thermos filled before the storm, the space blanket, hand warmers, the dripping faucet, and the cedar chest that holds it all. Never heat a house with a gas oven, a grill or a generator inside. I'm not a doctor. If someone in your home is very old, very young or sick, a warming center is the right answer. Write it down, friend. Paper remembers.