Selfsufficiency Tips

Winter in the Country: Home Security Essentials For Rural Houses

Article by Jon Jacobson

While blizzards and blustery days do a number on Americans across the country, they’re particularly hard on those who live out in the country. The joy of waking up to a fresh blanket of snow is something that never quite goes away for those who love winter, but the snow brings with it a world of concerns about safety and property. After all, those who live in cities can count on efficient plow service and places to go in case of an emergency that don’t require miles in a car. For people who happen to live further from the nearest town, getting ready for winter is a completely different matter of home security and proper preparations. The first step towards making sure that a rural home is ready for the upcoming winter is to start thinking about things long before the weathermen are predicting snowfall. During autumn, taking the time to do a one-over of your property is a crucial step in not missing anything that needs attention. Whether it’s checking out whether or not the windows are in good shape for preventing drafts of air or double-checking to see that gutters aren’t going to break under the weight of snowfall, these outdoor steps are all important. For home security indoors, having someone check to see if the furnace and fireplace are ready to go is a must. Plenty of rural homeowners wait until there’s already a problem with heating, and this is often too late for comfortable living. During particularly bad weather, people’s systems tend to be strained and then break. And for anyone who is living a long drive away from the nearest repairs person, this might mean an uncomfortably long wait. Get everything taken care of before winter is here, and you’ll be far less stressed out. It’s better to know there’s a problem while fixing that problem doesn’t involve digging through snowdrifts. Of course, winter weather also means being prepared. And this is completely different if you’re more self-sufficient to begin with. Part of effective winter home security should be ensuring there are enough logs chopped for fireplaces or wood-burning stoves. This is a great way to make sure there’s an alternative heating source if the power happens to go out. Being sure that firewood is stored somewhere easily accessible even in the event of a blizzard is also important. Another main part of better winter home security is taking the time to stock up on non-perishables and storing them with a can opener and other essentials. For anyone who might be stuck at home during particularly fierce storms, being sure that there is enough fresh drinking water for four or more days is essential. It’s also important to keep a fresh supply of batteries, a battery-powered radio, and a couple of flashlights. It’s also important for those who are dependent on any kind of medicine to have an emergency refill ready with any winter weather preparedness kit. If there’s a particularly heavy snow and the plows won’t be out to your neck of the woods for days, getting medicine becomes a crucial concern. Keeping some over-the-counter medicines and a first aid kit is also a smart idea.

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