Just because we live off-grid does not mean we don't have technology to help us out. We are going to hit -35C / -31F with a wind chill of -46C / -50.8F tonight. It has been really cold for a few days and it will get colder!!! We have seen these temperatures before, so we can deal with them just fine. At these temperatures we could lose animals as it is way to cold, even for the goats. What we do is build multi-functional buildings so that we can use them for many purposes.
The chickens got the barn this winter, so the goats will be put into sheds or the shop when the temperatures get this cold. The baby goats from this past spring are still too small to deal with the extreme cold and we have lost babies in the past as a result. So we now put them up for the cold spells, where ever we can find space.
The shop also is our backup plan in the event we lose the earthship. We lived in it for several years, so we know we could survive just nicely within the building in case of emergency. If the whole yard goes due to fire, then we have other contingency plans as well.
When living off-grid, it is important to think of these and plan for the any type of emergency. Wind chills of -46C is an emergency. At that extreme cold temperature, most would perish. Our earthship, though it took a lot of work to build, could keep people warm at these temperatures even if there was no power or heat. Modern homes would freeze if the power or gas went out. People's lives are then in extreme danger. However, with the earthship, the building would not freeze as it would only drop to about +10C and it would protect those inside from the extreme cold even if everything else failed.
We live above 54 deg 26 minutes north far away from any ocean to keep us warm. We experience extremes here and our way of life is adapted to those extremes. We have clothing that allows us to work all day long in these temperatures as our duty to our animals and our own survival is paramount. We heat with wood so that we have no dependency on the grid for power or gas. We can survive even if all hell broke lose. We have the skills to do it all again in the event that we lost it all too. There is great security and comfort in having the knowledge, skills and technology to survive in this area of the world.
Granted, it is not for everyone and I'm sure there are some who just cannot comprehend the cold of which I talk about. We had some dear friends visit this summer from Mexico. It was +10 - +15C and they were in winter coats and toques. It takes years to acclimatize to living in these conditions. But it can be done. We are a resilient, intelligent and resourceful species. Even though our vessels came from the tropics, we were able to adapt and live in all areas of the planet.
Think about this: What would you do if the power went out? In most homes, the furnace requires electricity to move the air around the home. No electricity = no heat. Could you survive in these temperatures if the grid failed? The grid is fragile, more than you know.