ALT-1 Essential Items for Winter Survival Car Kit
The winter months can bring some beautiful yet often dangerous weather and road conditions. For those of us in areas of the country, or the world for that matter, that go through snowy winter seasons, it's important to be prepared. In almost every winter region, there will be stories of people freezing to death because they did not anticipate car trouble. If we intend on driving anywhere during any type of winter weather, we need to have a good, simple survival kit ready and waiting.It's not like we need to prepare for a month trapped in a glacier, although that does happen. We do need to be ready for the inopportune flat tire or empty gas tank, in the country, in weather that cannot, or should not, be walked in. Typically, if we can plan on a survival kit that will hold us over for the night, we should be OK.The first rule would be to not travel, by yourself, in those areas that are more than just inconvenient. If you insist on going places where everyone knows civilization is not to be found for miles around, then you need to bring an extra car battery and have your cell phone and citizens band radio, primed and ready. The emergency kit I am going to describe is not meant to take care of you in those conditions. It is intended only for those accidental slides into the ditch and other mild inconveniences.Car emergency kits are available already packaged. They generally contain a little bit of everything. Prices range from about $30 to upwards of $80. What these kits generally do not take into account is your ability to do some of the tasks the contents are intended to perform. Can you tune up a vehicles engine? Are you capable of patching a radiator water hose? Would you be able to change a flat tire? These kits are fine but I think you can do yourself a favor by putting something together from things around the house.Just in case your un-planned for situation causes any sort of harm to any of the passengers, your kit should also include a well stocked first aid kit. I highly recommend purchasing a first aid kit that has already been put together for you rather than trying to assemble one yourself. Mainly, because they are so economical; first aid kits will range from between $5 and $15. They will be nicely stocked for all your medical needs.You should concentrate on an emergency winter survival kit that is not provisioned to allow you to build a new vehicle out on the road, but one that will allow you to stay alive through the night. You need to stay warm, avoid dehydration, keep your body fueled so it continues to generate warmth and contact someone as soon as possible. Those are your four most important priorities; warmth, moisture, body fuel and communication. The kit we talk about will do more than that for you but it must at least do those things.WARMTH: Your first priority is to stay warm. Place one or two decent sleeping bags or several thick or fuzzy blankets in your trunk and forget about them. You needn't worry about extra clothes at this point. The cabin of the car is small enough that with no more than two people, you are going to be sharing each other's body heat for quite some time. Hopefully you were dressed for the season when you left on the trip to begin with. If not, then you may want to consider some extra winter clothing.HYDRATION: Next, keep a one gallon milk jug of fresh water in the trunk. Just put it in there and let it stay. Place it as close to the back of the back seat as possible. You should also wrap it in furnace duct wrap. This may not prevent freezing all together but it will help. If you have the room, someplace in the cabin is a much better storage place. Otherwise, once you bring the water up from the trunk it will start to thaw. Don't worry, you won't die of thirst before that gallon of water thaws.BODY FUEL: Now you need something to keep your body generating heat; you need some easy, convenient foods. I would say things like nuts, dried fruit and energy bars. They will pack nicely and keep for a good period of time, so you can bring a healthy supply. Foods like this will work at keeping your internal generator working. You could also consider cans of liquid protein, the kind a Doctor may prescribe or recommend. They are available over the counter and will work wonders. You may not particularly enjoy your stranded dinner, but it will serve it's purpose.COMMUNICATION: The fourth priority is communication. You need to let someone know where you are. You should have things like; a couple of road flares and a fluorescent orange emergency sign. You also need one of those million candle plus spotlights along with you. Not just a flashlight but something that is designed to cast a beam across the wilderness. You may be right next door to a Holiday Inn but just didn't know it because you couldn't see the lights. Also, make sure your cell phone is powered up and try to travel only in signal available areas.There are many other things you could bring, but be careful. Some things that sound like good emergency tools and supplies may only serve to endanger your condition. For instance, a shovel. Unless you are physically capable, do not try to shovel or push yourself out of a ditch. Doing something as strenuous as moving great quantities of snow, maybe no more than once or twice every three or four years, is only an invitation for your heart to explode. So you don't really need that shovel or bag of sand.Also, anything that requires someone else to be there may be overkill. If someone else does see you and stops to help, they can go get real help and have you towed to where you need to go. So jumper cables are nice but don't rely on them. Tow ropes and chains are worthless, unless you have someone who can and is willing to use their vehicle to try to pull you out of a ditch on slippery roads. Again, if someone is there to use your chain then they can be asked to take you to the nearest service station and you can then call and arrange for safe repair of your vehicle.My suggestion, if you ever unfortunately find yourself in a stuck situation, in the winter, is to place your warning devices, flares and fluorescent signs, get your sleeping bags and blankets, grab a snack and snuggle in for the night. If you have it, make all the phone calls you possibly can and get someone out there as soon as possible. There is no stronger power than that which Mother Nature delivers. Don't go up against her without the proper equipment and preparation.
The winter months can bring some beautiful yet often dangerous weather and road conditions. For those of us in areas of the country, or the world for that matter, that go through snowy winter seasons, it's important to be prepared. In almost every winter region, there will be stories of people freezing to death because they did not anticipate car trouble. If we intend on driving anywhere during any type of winter weather, we need to have a good, simple survival kit ready and waiting.
It's not like we need to prepare for a month trapped in a glacier, although that does happen. We do need to be ready for the inopportune flat tire or empty gas tank, in the country, in weather that cannot, or should not, be walked in. Typically, if we can plan on a survival kit that will hold us over for the night, we should be OK.
The first rule would be to not travel, by yourself, in those areas that are more than just inconvenient. If you insist on going places where everyone knows civilization is not to be found for miles around, then you need to bring an extra car battery and have your cell phone and citizens band radio, primed and ready. The emergency kit I am going to describe is not meant to take care of you in those conditions. It is intended only for those accidental slides into the ditch and other mild inconveniences.
Car emergency kits are available already packaged. They generally contain a little bit of everything. Prices range from about $30 to upwards of $80. What these kits generally do not take into account is your ability to do some of the tasks the contents are intended to perform. Can you tune up a vehicles engine? Are you capable of patching a radiator water hose? Would you be able to change a flat tire? These kits are fine but I think you can do yourself a favor by putting something together from things around the house.
Just in case your un-planned for situation causes any sort of harm to any of the passengers, your kit should also include a well stocked first aid kit. I highly recommend purchasing a first aid kit that has already been put together for you rather than trying to assemble one yourself. Mainly, because they are so economical; first aid kits will range from between $5 and $15. They will be nicely stocked for all your medical needs.
You should concentrate on an emergency winter survival kit that is not provisioned to allow you to build a new vehicle out on the road, but one that will allow you to stay alive through the night. You need to stay warm, avoid dehydration, keep your body fueled so it continues to generate warmth and contact someone as soon as possible. Those are your four most important priorities; warmth, moisture, body fuel and communication. The kit we talk about will do more than that for you but it must at least do those things.
WARMTH: Your first priority is to stay warm. Place one or two decent sleeping bags or several thick or fuzzy blankets in your trunk and forget about them. You needn't worry about extra clothes at this point. The cabin of the car is small enough that with no more than two people, you are going to be sharing each other's body heat for quite some time. Hopefully you were dressed for the season when you left on the trip to begin with. If not, then you may want to consider some extra winter clothing.
HYDRATION: Next, keep a one gallon milk jug of fresh water in the trunk. Just put it in there and let it stay. Place it as close to the back of the back seat as possible. You should also wrap it in furnace duct wrap. This may not prevent freezing all together but it will help. If you have the room, someplace in the cabin is a much better storage place. Otherwise, once you bring the water up from the trunk it will start to thaw. Don't worry, you won't die of thirst before that gallon of water thaws.
BODY FUEL: Now you need something to keep your body generating heat; you need some easy, convenient foods. I would say things like nuts, dried fruit and energy bars. They will pack nicely and keep for a good period of time, so you can bring a healthy supply. Foods like this will work at keeping your internal generator working. You could also consider cans of liquid protein, the kind a Doctor may prescribe or recommend. They are available over the counter and will work wonders. You may not particularly enjoy your stranded dinner, but it will serve it's purpose.
COMMUNICATION: The fourth priority is communication. You need to let someone know where you are. You should have things like; a couple of road flares and a fluorescent orange emergency sign. You also need one of those million candle plus spotlights along with you. Not just a flashlight but something that is designed to cast a beam across the wilderness. You may be right next door to a Holiday Inn but just didn't know it because you couldn't see the lights. Also, make sure your cell phone is powered up and try to travel only in signal available areas.
There are many other things you could bring, but be careful. Some things that sound like good emergency tools and supplies may only serve to endanger your condition. For instance, a shovel. Unless you are physically capable, do not try to shovel or push yourself out of a ditch. Doing something as strenuous as moving great quantities of snow, maybe no more than once or twice every three or four years, is only an invitation for your heart to explode. So you don't really need that shovel or bag of sand.
Also, anything that requires someone else to be there may be overkill. If someone else does see you and stops to help, they can go get real help and have you towed to where you need to go. So jumper cables are nice but don't rely on them. Tow ropes and chains are worthless, unless you have someone who can and is willing to use their vehicle to try to pull you out of a ditch on slippery roads. Again, if someone is there to use your chain then they can be asked to take you to the nearest service station and you can then call and arrange for safe repair of your vehicle.
My suggestion, if you ever unfortunately find yourself in a stuck situation, in the winter, is to place your warning devices, flares and fluorescent signs, get your sleeping bags and blankets, grab a snack and snuggle in for the night. If you have it, make all the phone calls you possibly can and get someone out there as soon as possible. There is no stronger power than that which Mother Nature delivers. Don't go up against her without the proper equipment and preparation.
