Waking up the other day, I realized the record heat wave had finally receded and a hint of fall was in the air. I typically would never start a blog article by chatting about the weather, Ho Hum, but it’s appropriate for this one about prepping for a grid-crash, SHTF etc.
So ZAP your hot chocolate in the microwave and sit back while I show you how to save frozen toes when your furnace dies during the apocalypse. When hot air stops flowing generously from your vents, you do have options. Of course, you could dig a backyard fire pit, drive to the forest for wood, then go back and start a fire… snap crackle pop! You could buy an expensive generator or clutter up your roof with solar panels. Or maybe just jog a few miles through fallout or jump up and down to circulate the blood, but there’s a better option.
Get a portable propane heater. A good one.
What is the best portable propane heater?
This one: The Big Buddy
Spoiler Alert: Don’t waste any time. Buy it now! After you read this article, you’ll likely order a Big Buddy. Trust me. I bought one and it works great. Use the link to Order NOW. Why now?
Because I bought mine exactly 1 month ago, and when I try to add the same unit to my Shopping Cart, it now says:
“Currently unavailable.”
IS IT JUST INFLATION from the Pandemic, cargo boats backed up in the harbor, or is it because of all the hysteria and crazy vibes with people clearing shelves because they feel the approaching apocalypse?
I don’t know the answer to that. I do know that the only Big Buddy I can find on Amazon is now $55 more expensive than 30 days ago. Whatever the annual inflation rate is on that, it’s crazy. I calculate it’s 12 X 35% or 420%. Yikes. With prices skyrocketing like this, something’s messed up and you should act NOW, before you read the rest of this.
After my Big Buddy heater arrived, it sat by the front door waiting for a grid crash, but I didn’t want that to happen only to find out it doesn’t work; instead, I ordered some propane bottles HERE
I would test it to see if the online run times were accurate.
They said a single propane bottle runs the Big Buddy heater for 2 hours on High, but I was bound and determined NOT to find out for sure AFTER the nukes hit and Mr Frostbite was tapping at my door. There I’d be, frowning me, my face lit by candle as I realized that my glorious 6-month supply of heat is actually just a week.
Nope! I wanted the true numbers. So on the first cold morning, after months of coughing up forest fire smoke and suffering through record heat waves, with the shadowy gloom of humanity’s demise draped over me like a cold wet blanket, I screwed in a single propane bottle and fired up my Big Buddy (it’s that simple).
How much propane does the Big Buddy hold?
The unit holds two 1-pound bottles to double the runtime, or you can use just one bottle at a time.
How do I use the Big Buddy propane heater?
To start the Big Buddy, simply push the dial to PILOT, hold it for a few seconds to ignite the pilot light; then turn the dial to HIGH. The heat panels illuminate and Voila! Heat streams profusely from the top. With visions of the masses huddling around dead trees in cold dark crannies as the apocalypse settles in around them, I sat back, twiddled my toes, and marveled at that wonderful glow!
The Big Buddy also has a fan, which helps distribute the rising heat, so I inserted 4 D batteries and flipped it on.
It ran for about 45 minutes and did a great job heating the room. But why did it stop? I wondered if that was all the heat it could muster. I tried re-lighting the pilot and it came back on. The heater ran for about 45 minutes and then went out again. To my surprise, the pilot light lit again and it ran for about 30 minutes. Altogether about 2 hours. Maybe I didn’t have the bottle all the way screwed in, or maybe the unit needs to be broken in, but that’s a lot of heat!
Before I ordered my Big Buddy, I searched online and watched several review videos with solid recommendations. Now I agree with those evaluations. I also ordered the backup hose that reaches outside to the 40-pound propane tank under my barbeque. According to online estimates, a full barbeque tank will fire the Big Buddy heater for about 20 hours.
So let the meteors rain down! Bring on the Nukes! With tsunamis crashing on the coast and bioweapons raging across the planet, I’ll be reclined on my couch with my feet propped in front of my Big Buddy, toes twiddling!
