What have done towards your prep?

[CharlesHarris]

I am with MB on wood heating.

When I was younger, more fit and lived in New Hampshire, we heated with wood and I put up six cords of firewood each spring and summer to use in the fall.

I moved to West Virginia in preparation of retirement, my task was to convert what had been mostly a weekend and summer cottage to a full-time, year-round residence.

The wood cookstove in the kitchen was replaced with a modern gas unit and the woodstove moved to the cellar where it could more efficiently heat the house and was in closer proximity to the wood supply. It is NOT used as the primary heating system, but would serve as short-term backup if we got snowed in for an extended time, were out of LP gas and unable to get a timely delivery.

The cottage has electric baseboard heating, but this is set only at a maintenance level to keep the pipes from freezing if away. During cold winters of long duration well below freezing, electric by itself at its minimum setting maintains the living spaces at 12 degrees C. Just like living in Scotland.

The living room fireplace was converted to a gas insert, which maintains the main floor in comfort in extended below zero weather. I was advised by a friend ten years older than myself that while cutting wood, splitting it and stacking it is wonder exercise to maintain your fitness and provides great personal satisfaction when in your 40s and 50s, it becomes rather a nuisance in your 60s and slowly becomes impossible by your 70s. He advised me to get a 1000-gallon LP gas tank, a backup genset and modern gas appliances. I did so and have been thankful.

I also decided to support the local economy and have a reliable "younger" handyman who keeps the cellar wood bin full, cleans the gutters, trims the trees, chips and mulches the leaves and small branches, while cutting and stacking the larger limbs suitable for stove wood in an emergency. I repay him with garden vegetables, and reloads from his empty brass for his Remington 760 .30-'06 deer rifle and .357 Ruger Blackhawk revolver.

Barter is alive and well in America's heratland.