How are you Prepared for Winter?

I know the winter months are a ways away but I recently was thinking of how to properly prepare for power outages in winter. Power went out during a thunder storm here recently and has happened in the winter, I have yet to have my snakes during the winter and would like to know what is good to have.

Do you just have hand warmers for emergency outages to throw under their enclosures? I have two snakes so not large enough to warrant a generator... haha.

Reptile Basics sells 40 hour heat packs, which are probably the best defene against power outtages. That and blankets to insulate the enclosure. I live in MA and we lost power for 11 days this winter. Fortunately I was at school until the tail end of it so it wasn't much of a problem for my snake.

They're several things you can do. When I lost power due to heavy snow in louisiana, I couldn't get to the store because of frozen roads & a RWD cobra mustang. I let her stay with me 24/7 and absorbed my body heat, which wasn't the best idea, but I worked with what I had. Once the snow stopped snowing and I could actually drive, I borrowed my neighbors car and went to walmart, I purchased the warmers, that you open and shake, they have big ones that last for so many hours, and smaller ones that last for less hours. I used them to keep my snakes warm. Aswell as bought a portable heater which I would only leave on while I was home. If your snake requires more humidity what I did that I found worked is I cracked open one of those heat things, shook it, then I wet a towel, and ringed it so it was damp & I wrapped the heater in the towel to create humidity, though it was really really high, it's better then not having any. On the positive side, the smaller ones don't get warm enough to actually burn a snake, so you can put them near the snake or under the snake, just make sure the snake isn't big enough to eat.

http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect....520/p1814.html

Turns on the second my house loses power. Its only hooked up to my furnace,fridge,freezer.
Its hooked up to my gas line so it can run indefinitly.

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Originally Posted by Darkice

http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect....520/p1814.html

Turns on the second my house loses power. Its only hooked up to my furnace,fridge,freezer.
Its hooked up to my gas line so it can run indefinitly.

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Once I move out on my own, you betcha I'm getting one of these! Tad out of my college student fund rate. I will definitely have to get some hand warmers or the bigger ones.

Luckily that's not a common problem here in San Francisco, but I'm not sure what I would do... this will be my first winter with snakes! ;) Even in a big storm it's never TOO cold here (40 degrees minimum), so hopefully they'd be fine for a while.

its like REALLY hot here in CA, and my house is really old.. were already having power outtages... i cant hav my air conditioer on :(.....

We lost power here a couple years ago during an ice storm. Some people went for two weeks without power. I was lucky that mine was restored in 24 hrs. I only had one snake at the time, but we turned the gas stove on and warmed the house like that till power came back on. Now I have a kerosine heater, and I will be investing in battery backups for my cages. Next will be a generator, but that will be a couple years down the road.

I remember when we were hit with hurricane ike and my power was off for 2 weeks and it was really hard to heat my bearded dragons cage. What I did was that I put a few unscented candles in a ten gallon tank and then get another ten gallon tank and stack them on top of each other and put my beardie in the top 10 gallon. The temps were where it needed to be but I stilled worried about my little guy.

i am planning on a kerosine heater and a 5 gal can of fuel and it will sit in the corner of the snake room until needed. I also can consider if in a pinch loading everything up and got to my grandmothers if she got electric. ( not that she be happy to see me and 21 snakes pulling up in the driveway ) I plan on getting a little gass gen betwee nthis fall and next winter and set it up to be on standby for the fridge and possible my snake room thermostats .. as I can use a kerosine heater to keep the trailer on a low warm side ( enough to prevent frozen pipes. ) I just grab bag and sleep in the snake room floor lol and if it too cool I place them in the truck with the heater running.. Considers setting up a large radiator heat system to run off the truck ( or other motor oh the possible ideals this can make/solve.

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Originally Posted by h00blah

its like REALLY hot here in CA, and my house is really old.. were already having power outtages... i cant hav my air conditioer on :(.....

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Oh boohoo! lol. Michigan... below zero temps in winter, 95* in the summer. I have no air conditioning and I get 70" of snow annually where I live. Im gonna go with the 40 hour heat packs. Cant beat them for $1.10 each. I can buy 10 of them and there is no way they wont be sufficient for a major power outage. Never lost power for 16 days straight before hahaha

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Originally Posted by mrshawt

Reptile Basics sells 40 hour heat packs, which are probably the best defene against power outtages. That and blankets to insulate the enclosure. I live in MA and we lost power for 11 days this winter. Fortunately I was at school until the tail end of it so it wasn't much of a problem for my snake.

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In Paducah KY it was out for eleven days as well. My Cousins are getting a generator so hopefully they will let me keep them at a closet there if a major power outtage were to happen. Though I would have to talk my aunt into it.

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Originally Posted by specialk01510

Oh boohoo! lol. Michigan... below zero temps in winter, 95* in the summer. I have no air conditioning and I get 70" of snow annually where I live. Im gonna go with the 40 hour heat packs. Cant beat them for $1.10 each. I can buy 10 of them and there is no way they wont be sufficient for a major power outage. Never lost power for 16 days straight before hahaha

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Yea but theres a difference between 95° up north and 95° down south. The humidity is way lower there then it is in the south which adds the feeling of another 5-10°

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Originally Posted by Neal

Yea but theres a difference between 95° up north and 95° down south. The humidity is way lower there then it is in the south which adds the feeling of another 5-10°

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Im willing to bet you that we are more humid. Its Michigan... ya know... the great lake state. You literally can be ANYWHERE in the state of Michigan and be less than 6 miles from a body of water. That is a fact. We have terrible humidity here, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I didnt look where you were from, but as long as you arent from the west side of the country you can compare probably. 100% humidity is 100% humidity no matter where you are.

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Originally Posted by specialk01510

Im willing to bet you that we are more humid. Its Michigan... ya know... the great lake state. You literally can be ANYWHERE in the state of Michigan and be less than 6 miles from a body of water. That is a fact. We have terrible humidity here, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I didnt look where you were from, but as long as you arent from the west side of the country you can compare probably. 100% humidity is 100% humidity no matter where you are.

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I've been to michigan, my father is from there. Didn't know you were a weather specialist, being they all talk about how the southern states are more humid. Go look it up.

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Originally Posted by Neal

I've been to michigan, my father is from there. Didn't know you were a weather specialist, being they all talk about how the southern states are more humid. Go look it up.

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I looked it up. Louisiana has 55-60% humidity average. Michigan has 50-55% humidity average. Close, but you win. Sucks for both of us. Thats funny tho, I never hear ANYTHING about the humidity in the South. Must be because you are from the South. Everybody thinks their sh!t smells sweetest. (can I swear on here?)

Easy, I live in a coastal city in Florida! It's a freak occasion to see temps below 50

I live in So. Ill and Western Ky And it is always humid here. And it does add to what it feels. Sucks really. I'd rather be in Arizona or Nevada.