# How do you survive a night without heating. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834 "2012-01-08T17:18:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/41 "2012-01-09T01:23:48Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Its now 11:21. See ya in the morning. How was it? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/42 "2012-01-09T01:36:37Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Oh, come on! > I’ve slept in nothing more than a sleeping bag, outside, in temperatures in the 0° range. Yes, it’s cold. No, I didn’t freeze to death. Wear long underwear and a T-shirt, and put some extra blankets on the bed. You’ll be fine. This. And a nice thick woolen cap. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/43 "2012-01-09T01:44:39Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > My husband likes the house quite a bit cooler than I do, so I frequently wear leggings under my nightgowns, and on particularly cold nights I also wear one or two pairs of socks to bed. Many times I wear two nightgowns at once. I have a hot water bottle and a heating pad. You’re not SUPPOSED to use the heating pad while asleep, but I must confess that I sometimes do. I’ve found that if my feet are warm, that my whole body feels warmer. This might be because I have poor circulation in my feet. Me, too. I sleep with rice bags that I’ve heated up in the microwave. One at my feet, and one in the middle of my stomach. They stay warm a long time and are much safer than a heating pad. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/44 "2012-01-09T01:50:28Z")
When an ice storm knocked out the power for a few days, we pitched a 3-man tent in the livingroom. Add a couple sleeping bags and we were toasty. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/45 "2012-01-09T02:53:01Z")
Meh, we lost all power for the better part of a week after an ice storm and were fine. We put a couple extra blankets on the bed and bundled up if we had to be home during the day. Hell, the furnace in my old apartment used to go out every couple weeks. I could always tell when the heat was out because I’d wake up with my head and the cat under the comforter. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/46 "2012-01-09T03:38:08Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > How was it? It was quite cosy actually. Wore lots of layers, and the blower heater while being useless to heat the room, helped. Fortunately the water heater remained functional so I do have warm water. The rest of the house is like Antarctica. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/47 "2012-01-09T03:59:09Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Is a hotel room out of the question? That was my first reaction. Hellloooo, Hampton Inn! Or Motel 6, or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![RedWood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f08c70/32.png) [@RedWood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedWood)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/48 "2012-01-09T04:07:56Z")
> [@Cheez\_Whia](#): > > … I sleep with rice bags that I’ve heated up in the microwave. One at my feet, and one in the middle of my stomach. They stay warm a long time and are much safer than a heating pad. This. The belly one usually ends up on one side. Often it is still faintly warm in the morning… and I find a kittencat curled up on it \>^.^\< they make bed much nicer! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/49 "2012-01-09T04:59:02Z")
I would be cautious about relying on space heaters while sleeping. Every time we have a particularly cold winter in Saskatchewan, seems there are news stories about fires starting in the night by the use of sPace heaters. I would second the suggestions for wool sox and something on the head, as well as the sleeping bag. ---
**Author:** ![kjbrasda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/74df32/32.png) [@kjbrasda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjbrasda)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/50 "2012-01-09T05:33:25Z")
I agree with using rice bags over water bottles. No chance of them leaking water. You can make your own with a cup or two of rice in a knotted sock, heat in the microwave for a minute or two. Holds heat for a decent amount of time. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/51 "2012-01-09T19:10:04Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > the cat under the comforter. I don’t know how to keep the little beggers out from under the comforter when the heat is on … only way to displace them is by physically removing the blighters. And how exactly does a 9 pound cat take up one THIRD of a queen sized bed:confused: ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/52 "2012-01-10T05:07:36Z")
Cats are able to overcome the usual laws of physics that other animals have to obey. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/53 "2012-01-10T05:42:51Z")
sleeping bag [suits](http://www.sleepingbagsuits.co.uk/)… I sort of like the look of these, but I wouldn’t buy one online without being able to try one on for size. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/54 "2012-01-10T06:13:45Z")
An electric blankie is all you really need. Or one of those electric snuggies! _snicker_ I’d be too nervous about the fire risk to fall asleep with a space heater on, but I’m glad it worked for you. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/55 "2012-01-10T18:04:39Z")
We lived in a dumpy apartment building, many years ago, and the landlord removed the furnace in October - preparing to replace it, but the city got wind of his non-permit status and shut it down[sup]1[/sup]. We got by with space heaters (the oil-radiator type), but we were on the third floor. The place was cold, but basically there was no place to hang out EXCEPT the bed so we were always bundled up. The tenant on the ground floor - who had an unheated, open-to-the-cold-air basement below her - was not so comfortable. She had the same space heaters, provided by the landlord, but was still cold. She tried using the stove to heat the place up, which was a bit frightening for us. The building did have a working water heater (except when it wasn’t… but they usually got that fixed within 24 hours when it went out). So I suggested she fill the clawfoot bathtub with the hottest water possible, and let that radiate heat into the bathroom at least. When the water cooled, drain and re-fill. I know that helped a little. While the OP is probably fine by now, other things to do (in addition to blocking cold air escape routes etc.): Use the oven and/or stove WHILE YOU’RE IN THE ROOM. Not while you’re sleeping elsewhere. If they’re gas, and you’ve blocked ventilation to keep the place warm, obviously do NOT do this. I’ve had low-level CO poisoning (I’m 99% sure) and it’s not fun. But anyway - if you can safely use the oven / stove, that won’t keep the place warm all night but it’ll put a little more heat into the house, so it’ll have to drop further before becoming miserably cold. 1. And, in this unheated status, the landlord sent us a message 3 months into the sublet mentioning that the rent happened to have increased just before we moved in. We were tempted to tell the landlord to “get bent” and threaten him with all sorts of legal headaches over the uninhabitable condition of the place, but didn’t want to mess things up for the fellow we were subletting from. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/56 "2012-01-10T19:18:12Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I would be cautious about relying on space heaters while sleeping. Every time we have a particularly cold winter in Saskatchewan, seems there are news stories about fires starting in the night by the use of sPace heaters. I would second the suggestions for wool sox and something on the head, as well as the sleeping bag. [I spent half an hour trying to find this image.](http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/993.16_large_view3_.jpg) ‘Old’ didn’t get me results, I needed to use the search term ‘antique’. We had a couple of these on the rugs throughout the house. Some days I do wonder how I survived…no auto-shutoff for falling over, nothing protecting the outer casing from the heat either. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/57 "2012-01-10T21:23:08Z")
> [@kushiel](#): > > [I spent half an hour trying to find this image.](http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/993.16_large_view3_.jpg) ‘Old’ didn’t get me results, I needed to use the search term ‘antique’. We had a couple of these on the rugs throughout the house. Some days I do wonder how I survived…no auto-shutoff for falling over, nothing protecting the outer casing from the heat either. Heh - I had a feeling what I was going to see on the other end of that link. We had at least one of those, too. How DID we all survive to adulthood? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/58 "2012-01-11T00:00:39Z")
sheer luck, when I consider some of the things that teenage boys in small Prairie towns do when they’re bored… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/59 "2012-01-11T02:22:12Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > sheer luck, when I consider some of the things that teenage boys in small Prairie towns do when they’re bored… You mean, blowing stuff up? Or riding their ski-doos over possibly frozen lakes? Or jumping off of barns? ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834/60 "2012-01-11T03:20:54Z")
Wake up your teenaged son at 4am when it’s -35 to go out to the wood pile, gather wood, and then start a fire. I only specifically remember two high school mornings, and that was one. Man, that was unpleasant. Other than that - layers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-survive-a-night-without-heating/608834.md?page=4)