I would say that CO is NOT the biggest threat.  That seems very manageable.   Spontaneous combustion is the biggest threat.   They may fine for years.  Then, one day, they will start to flare.  If you don't catch it in time, it could be all over.  

They are very warm and you can probably keep a tea kettle on top... LOL!

I have an ELECTRIC stove, which is why I have the Sterno small stove for emergency cooking (and have been looking at the Trangia mini alcohol stove for wide availability of fuel). If I had a gas stove, I would probably have a pot of something simmering on top during a power outage for yummy food and the heat.

I have been going off everything I read that says any of the small camping stoves that use Coleman fuel, white gas, propane, etc., should NOT be used inside at all.

So that's why I was asking.

I'm originally from Michigan (suburban Detroit). Only one in my family with a college degree. Moved to NE IL (Chicago burbs) 15+ years ago, although I HAVE lived in Chicago (including in one of the insanely liberal lakefront neighborhoods - the architecture was great but the neighbors - yikes!). But I remember Jeff Foxworthy saying years ago that Michigan was an export point to places further off for rednecks. After all, Ypsilanti and Taylor are known as "Ypsitucky" and "Taylortucky." I moved to escape the auto industry. I am most DEFINITELY not trash, unlike, well, some members of my family (brother and cousins). Irresponsible, every single one of them.

The "bugging" in was the easiest to do first. But I'm a minimalist and can easily pick up the few things I don't want to leave behind a go. Need to do a BOB, although I do have my important docs and such together in a bag.

Good ideas, thanks.

I did fail to remove that comment about the gas stove.   I did go back and read your postings.  

In any case, what I was wanting to point out was that a stove top should easily support a small backpacking stove without catching everything else on fire.    

It is true that such stoves can be very dangerous to use inside, such as in a small solo tent.    But, in an apartment, other that in New York City (think walk in closet), it isn’t an issue.    Why?   Well, carbon monoxide (CO) is one issue that a person could have in a small space if not well ventilated.   That should not be an issue to heat up food or boil water in an apartment of any size.      Next, burning a down a small tent while inside of a sleeping bag is a real possibility.     That isn’t much of issue in a kitchen with a stove, a nice smooth floor, and so on.  

Just looking at things from a survival standpoint, the small multi fuel stove can easily be used in almost any condition,  though dangerous in tiny tents.    Alcohol fuel stoves really struggle in the extreme cold.   (I do not mean inside your apartment but if you were bugging out to another location and having to stay outdoors in winter.)  

I have used them all, from big Coleman propane and white gas stoves, alcohol stoves,  blended fuel canister stoves,  multi liquid fuel stoves of numerous designs (some dating  from 60 to 100 years ago).    I have used them hunting, fishing, backpacking, mountaineering, and in domestic emergencies like remodeling my estate.       I have used them up and down the Appalachian Trail in the winter , all over the US, and on top of the some the highest mountains in the contiguous state during winter storms.    None are perfect.     Heck, I have even had a fold up, wood burning stove.     For me, I can alternate what I have in my bug out bags in various places based on the time of year.   After all, I have many stoves from which to select.   While I have given away as many as I have owned, I have about a dozen.     But, if I were telling a close friend  that could really only have one, I would say go for the most versatile, the small multi liquid fuel stove, such as an Optimus Nova, and run it on white gas whenever possible.    

I do acknowledge this whole idea is probably over kill to most people.    But, then again, I have made it off mountains when others have not, go backpacking in conditions many would consider deadly,  can live out a disaster that would wipe out Louisville, and I don’t really sweat the stuff most people do.   Sometimes, things that don’t phase average people tick me off to no end.  

Ultimately, it is different strokes for different folks.  

OH WOW!   That is truly incredible.  I really can relate.     I was once a consultant for GM’s EDS and lived in Farmington Hills.   I surely know where 8 mile and Southfield are!  LOL!    Though my life was very different, by choice and discipline, it was interesting to see to where “my people”  my people fled from Appalachia.

You could not be more correct about "Ypsitucky".   Another town like that is “Hamiltucky” for Hamilton, OH.    You are dead on.   People of the mountains went to steel towns like Newport, KY and auto cities around Detroit, MI and Hamilton north of Cincinnati.  

Your brief story is so very touching.    You have a lot for which to be thankful and proud.   I am deadly serious.    I am an only child… and have six sisters and three brothers.  (Though abandoned , I was adopted back into a branch of my family and was raised as an only child.)    

Wow… again that is an amazing story you told and I completely understand it.    There is so much to it.

Bugging in is smart.   More often that not, it is the best bet.    Just don’t limit yourself.    Considering what you have done in live, you can probably do just about anything.  

Much love!

We car camp during the winter with a Buddy heater

In a six person nylon tent with cotts, the buddy heater on low is more than enough when it zero outside. The
1# tanks last around 5-6 hours for us. There's no question in my mind that in a 10x16 room in a insulated house the Buddy heater would work well enough that you wouldn't have to run it non-stop. Between a few candles and cooking stuff I bet 3 1# canisters a day would be more than enough.

I agree the fuels you mentioned should NOT be used inside WITHOUT ADEQUATE ventilation and a CO detector.

We use a single burner Coleman propane stove and it will regularly set of the CO detector if my SO forgets to turn on the Fantastic Vent. [container and trailer, each a relatively small space]

A quality and well maintained kero space heater with wicks replaced every year or two, of approx 9000 BTU capacity, is IMHO you're best bet.

Double up on and keep a few large boxes of baking soda and a few good fire ex if you're are excessively concerned about fire.

Again, a 1# cyl of propane contains the equiv of ~22,000 BTU.

If someone gets 6 hours from a heater using it then the heater is putting out ~3,500 BTU.

That's about as much as a larger oil lamp and I suggest 3 or 4K BTU isn't going to do much for a room or tent to heat it at 0F degrees.

We run a 12,000 BTU vented heater in a well insulated container and at 0F it runs almost 80% on duty cycle.

I've experimented with Aladin lamps [guessing about 3000 BTU output] and they really don't do much to heat the container, the furnace runs just a little less.

In a well insulated trailer about 7 x 12 feet, a 5000 BTU catalytic vented propane heater will barely raise the temp to a 40F differential -running CONTINUOUSLY.

Once your apartment becomes cold soaked in a day or so, you're going to need at least -I'm guessing, 7000 BTU in a modestly insulated interior room with some venting to obtain a 45F temp differential.

The cheap sleeping bags are nice to use all winter long to keep the heating bill low.  They are also good for padding when car camping.



I highly recomend one quality bag and I still have not replaced the one I permanently loaned out, not a big concern of mine but it is on the list as temps get colder.



I also use the cheap sleeping bags to wall off rooms I don't need to heat or to block drafty doors or for other stuff.  They do better than junky cheap comforters in my experience and when someone crashes at my place I have extra bedding.



I would probably go ahead and setup something to vent the cooking fumes outside when the power is out, you could probably figure out how to wire up the vent fan over the stove already but you could also get a fan setup near a window as well.



I see having stuff to use at home as the first course of action because it is useful if the electric cook stove dies on a holiday weekend or the furnace dies or something else dies.



Yeah you can call the manager and they might be able to get to it, or they might not be able to get to it.



Depending on what you have for a vehicle you just set yourself up for car camping which is what I consider most bug outs to be.



In major extremes I would bug out.



But I know if a major snow or ice storm has the power out for a few days I am going to just stay home.



The flare ups mentioned about the kerosene heaters mean they just need the wick cleaned or replaced.



If the wick is cotton I replace em.  You can soak em and scrub em and clean the gunk off but I never had any luck with that.



I like the fiberglass wicks because all you do is burn the kerosene heater dry and it will generally burn out all the crud built up on the wick.



But in my previous post I mentioned that burning out the kerosene heater produces a lot of smoke, I always did it on a windy night on the balconey of my apartment.



I would then just fill it up and give it a half hour and use it.



I should have taken it apart and cleaned it up and knocked off the loose stuff but as a single guy I tend to skip that sort of thing a lot of the time.



And I have bought many a spare wick and just replaced it instead of burning the old one out.



Kerosene will have fumes if you leave kerosene in the heater.  Cleaning out the wicks by hand causes a lot of kerosene fumes.



The more I have thought about it I would probably go with propane simply because it is contained in a smell proof container and does not have fumes with a partial container.



Now one thing about the little tanks, once half used I have had them smell a bit when I took them off the appliance.  These days I leave them hooked to the appliance and use its shut off valve to make sure the little tank stays shut off.



I had one ancient 20lb tank that would not shut off with its main valve.  That is the sort of thing where you definately want to be outside when you learn that lesson.



I emptied it and traded it in and made sure it was marked as having a stuck valve, I wrote on the tank itself and figure blue rhino could figure things out from that.



I have hauled half full kerosene heaters and with the movement there are a lot of kerosene fumes.



For an apartment with stealth being needed I would probably go propane first and then depending on who you know in the area I might store a kerosene heater at their place when spring comes and you can get a brand new heater at half off.



Same goes for some 20lb tanks or other tanks.



One reason I want an enclosed trailer is that it becomes a self contained storage unit but I guess this depends on what you have for parking options in illinios.



Figure out what works for you.  I agree with using the cook top of the electric stove for a safe cooking area when the power is out and you are using sterno or other options.



Storing stuff that does not need to be cooked might also be an option.

Thank you for your kind words.