Jo Walker

I would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you! to all of you for your immediate help. ( sp, I'm exhausted )

The power did NOT go out this time, but the online did. I can live with this! We are alright, and doing quite well. I have not had much time to play with the clay, but would have put off everything else if the power had gone out, to make an emergency RMH ( Mini though it would have been ).

Now the game plan is to continue looking for the items needed to make a real RMH and get us set up so there are no more emergencies like this!

Again, thank you so very much! I cannot say that enough.




First up, I'm going to get me some bricks, even if I have to steal them from a building tear down! ( IF I can find one that is )

Jamie Corne wrote:I would highly suggest preparing for next winter by using this summer to gather materials and begin building. It sounds like you rent as you've mentioned a landlord.

I have been looking on youtube for something that might help you - because I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to get anywhere.

Is your ground frozen right now?

If it's not frozen to where you can get to the clay beneath the top soil...this might help:

Although adobe isn't meant for high heat - mixed with cob, you might be able to use your cinder blocks on their side (so the holes are pointed up) packed tight with clay, top soil, old organic clippings from the field and dried manure (if you can find any - cow manure and/or horse manure is the best) and newspaper pulp (extremely tight packing) on the inside of the cinderblock and around the outside in order to create a temporary rocket stove until you are able to get to somewhere that will allow you to make a more appropriate one.

I don't know how well this would work and if the cinder blocks would hold up - but for an ice storm (and my having lived in South Dakota weather all of my life) it just might save your life. You're gonna want, though, to make sure that you are really packing those cinder blocks thick...with the cob because they will explode...causing someone to get hurt and possibly the house burning down.

If you have metal buckets - I'd suggest making a makeshift one as I left you a video up above...and closing off one room for the ice storm. I'd be making your space as minimal as possible to retain heat.

Remember also - that most heat is lost through windows and the roof - so possibly hanging blankets lower than the room or somehow creating more makeshift insulation for the ceiling (perhaps using pillows in the small space) will help you to retain heat.

Since you have 2x4's - it might be good to build a little "hut" inside of your home that all of you and the pets can stay in until the storm is over.

Icestorms bring with them (at least here in SD) very low temps and a person can freeze very easy...or get other injuries such as frost bite that can cause gangrene. Either way - I'd even ask neighbors if they have anything they aren't using - or ask the landlord to assist you since it's a life or death situation. Most times, churches will be willing to help you as well - even put you up somewhere until the ice storm is over. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Again - ice storms are nothing to mess around with. Be very careful and good luck.

Jamie, that is exactly what I am talking about. our "landlord" has given us written permission for anything I want to do. Our house is only 10 ft wide, by 24 feet long, with 12 foot celings. a "barn shed" so to speak. We have two lofts, but one of them is blocked off. the other one holds my pantry.
Since finding out about RMH and the stoves/ovens, I have been looking for the items needed to make a proper one. But this storm is heading our way, and if it hits, and is a bad one, we will need a way to survive it.
At the moment, the ground is not frozen, but quite muddy. I am in a horse field, that hasn't held a horse or cow in 8 years. But the neighbors about 1/4 mile away have sheep that have kept the grass cut very short. So, I am limited to what I have on hand, and it isn't pretty. I just want to make sure that if this storm hits, we will be alive when it is over.
Then I will keep trying to make us a home that is as self sufficient and off grid as possible. ( something I has not been possible until now )

Alder Burns wrote:Another thing people do in a pinch is to reduce the area of the house being heated, sometimes to just the room with the heat source in it. If there is no door, block off the room by hanging a blanket, etc. in the doorway. Beware of water lines elsewhere in the space freezing though. Countering this line of thought is the need for ventilation, especially with any kind of open flame used for cooking inside the space.
I would think that water would be a better heat sink than rocks, if you're thinking of heating something on an outdoor fire and then bringing it in. When we started homesteading in GA (in Nov-Dec.) we were in a tent till we could get the cabin done. With nights in the 20's, we'd put a 10 gallon pot of water on the campfire and bring it to a rolling boil, and then set it inside the tent on a piece of cardboard. The two of us and four cats and a puppy all shared the tent with the pot of hot water. Going to sleep was toasty, but getting up in the morning was a bitch!

Alder, I understand exactly what you are talking about! I lived in a tent every summer as a kid, and it saved our lives a few years ago. Had to live in one while the house we were living in was sprayed for the deadly infestation of brown recluse.. I'll post photos one of these days.

Jamie, I may have to purchase them over the phone, or mail order ( we don't do credit cards, either cash and carry, or not at all. ) Lexington is a 4 to 6 hr drive from us, and we don't own a vehicle.

k, checked the landlords barn, and nothing I can use there.. except for really old 2x6's. ( not even any old dung )
umm, would dead tomatoe plants work for it ?


I would like to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU for all of your help. I don't think I could do this without you all.

I didn't think the cinder block would hold up to the heat, but I thought maybe if I covered it with something it could act like a wall. I'm not looking for permanance atm, just emergency heating/cooking source for inside the house.

I will build a proper RMH when I can get the correct materials for it, and the book of instructions

The rocks here hold heat very well, that's how we survived the last one, I heated rocks on the bbq grill, then put them in large pans to heat the room/ bed with. So they do hold heat very well, and for long periods of time. But they do get too hot to touch, and will start fires if they get hot enough.

I could easily build one out of them, but what to cover it with so my puppies and kitty don't get burned?

The top soil where I am is only about 8 inches deep, and clay beyond that. ( similar to caleche when dried ) But no straw, it is all green. I have a limited supply of paper, and cardboard. ( have had to eliminate it because of brown recluse infestation )




I'm going to go see what the landlord left in the barn... maybe.....

Hello Everyone,
Being new to Permies, I hope I am following forum rules, but this is kind of an emergency.
I am looking at another situation in Icestormage. Durring the last one, my family and I almost died, and I don't want to do that again. A few weeks ago, I came across the RS on Utube. I have been searching the forum here for any information I can glean about building one, just for this kind of situation, and because I thought it would be a perfect way of heating our "home" ( an amish shed we are trying to change over )

I have been looking for the stuff to build one, but alas, in our area ( I can't believe it either ) there are no such thing as firebrick, and no one here seems to know what fireplace flashing is. So, I have been unable to acuire the necessary materials to build a proper one for testing.

Now I am looking at a possible ice storm that could conciveably take out our power ( only source for heating and cooking ). I cannot risk this due to a disabled best friend. ( the other half of the "we" )

And, I have to do this on my own. So, all of that being said, could someone help me to work with what I have?

I have a field that is quite high in clay content, but no straw. I have cinder blocks and plenty of them. I have some wood, 2x6's, & 4x4's, and 1 sheet of 1/4 in. plywood, that is kinda old ( 5 yrs? ). And I have a whole "forest" area that I can get some rocks from. I also have some slate from an old pool table.

and no, our library here does not have any books on this. ( western kentucky )