Living in -40 temperatures

Cold weather strategies – Water and warmth

We live in Canada in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. I grew up on the Canadian Prairies. I'm used to the cold. I don't enjoy it but I do get a kick out of getting through it successfully. I take my wins where I can -LOL!

-40 is the same in Celsius and in Fahrenheit. The temperature here this morning is -28 but with the windchill it's a bit colder than -40. Frostbite happens very, very quickly at these temperatures and honestly, it's the type of weather where you don't go out if you don't have to. If you are out driving, you really, truly need to have winter gear with you. I was very annoyed with my sister over the weekend as she was only wearing runners. I nagged and her response was that I'd done my big-sister duty. We moved on. When I go out over the winter, even if it isn't this cold, I have snow pants, a blanket, my heavy winter boots, extra mittens, one of the face mask things and a scarf. I keep a couple of granola bars in the truck. I also try to remember to take some water. One year for Christmas, one of my brothers gave me a collapsible shovel. We've learned to be prepared. You just don't know what you could run into and if you're stuck for whatever reason, you could be facing a lengthy wait in the frigid cold.

Cold weather can bring some real challenges to our little farm.

Last week was so cold that our indoor water lines froze for a few days. Our main line from the well never stopped working so thankfully we've had water the whole time. We did manage to get the water going using a space heater and some socks filled with rice that I warmed in the microwave.

It was a learning curve to figure out how to stop the water from freezing in the winter. Coming from the city, it really wasn’t something I ever thought about. Turn the tap and the water came out. Out here, our water comes from a well and the lines between it and our home can freeze coming up through the frozen ground.

When the water lines first froze, I think Troy and I both felt panic. When you don't know what you need to do and the situation seems dire, it is overwhelming. We talked to people who live out here (an awesome community!) and found out about heat tape. Wrapping that around the water lines solved the problem. We're going to need to do something to keep our indoor lines from freezing. I've no doubt that we'll get it sorted out. At least that year we didn't have any livestock to worry about.

Now I keep water jugs around just in case. Even though we've done a lot to avoid freezing water lines, it can still happen. Obviously! I keep a big pitcher of water for us for inside. We have a few carboys around (those big jugs for water coolers) and I like to make sure they are full when we're going in to a cold snap. I've heard it also helps to keep the water flowing. I haven't tried that as our drain can also freeze (like it did a few days ago). We've learned that when the gray water drain line freezes we can call a steamer truck to come and thaw it.

The other reason to keep water handy is that when the power does got out, the well pump won't work. It doesn't usually go out for long but that's probably when I'm going to be really thirsty, right?!

A woodstove is key

When we first moved to our property we did not have a woodstove. There were some incredulous people out here. Now that we’ve got a woodstove, I understand why they couldn't believe it. Troy and I use the term "game-changer when we find something that really makes our lives better. No question that the woodstove fits that definition. When the power goes out and the furnace can’t run or we can’t cook food, we have heat. I wouldn’t say that I cook on top of the woodstove but I can heat up water, soup, stew or chili no problem. Our property has a lot of trees on it so there is always wood available.

For every problem there is a solution. I've learned, though, to be patient while the solution takes it time getting sorted. At the moment I don't have running water but I will. The drain is cleared but we need to cover it with some straw insulation so it doesn't freeze up again. I really want a shower but sponge baths are all I get for now. It's okay because I know it'll all be working soon.