Winter time is upon us and the snow has started in some regions. Have you prepared your vehicle with fall maintenance, prepared for swapping to winter tires, changed your emergency supplies for the season, adjusted your Get Home Bag with appropriate clothing for the coming weather, changed batteries in lights/radios/ect? Have you rotated your vehicles food and water supplies, as a means of a timely update? http://shiftintowinter.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/winter_driving_survival_checklist.pdf What have you done and what are you still needing to do? What is missing from the attached list that should be added?
My truck is good to go for the winter, everything is done. In addition to the list above i also keep a second spare tire, leather gloves, backup fan belt, am-fm-sw radio, and a small fuel tab stove with a pot for making hot water. Also i keep more than one wool blanket, when it is really cold one blanket will not cut it. Those sun blockers people use in the summer to keep their vehicle cool can be reversed to hold in heat in the winter.
A change of winter clothes would be advisable. Get wet (for whatever reason, including sweat) in cold weather and your chances of survival plummet.
snow chains .. not only have them but make sure everyone knows how to install them ... I know i dont but my wife does but if i have to install snow chains at my house we have big problems on earth!!!
Great point KAS!! Training for family is just as important as having the stuff to do the job. Ensure all of your family members know how to perform basic maintenance, put on chains and use any other items in your vehicle such as flares. It really amazes me how many folks now days do not even know how to change a tire or jump start a vehicle!! I see it all the time, a young person gets a flat and does not even know how to get the spare out of where it is stored.... AAA will not always be there for these folks!!!
The one thing that always gets forgotten. Do it now- check you coolant. Is it ready for the extreme temperatures? You can buy one of those little tools at a local auto parts store cheap. Better to check it out now instead when it is 8 degrees. That list doesn't have an ice scraper. Most park in a garage so ice scraper doesn't seem necessary until they need it. I always like to have extra wish washy fluid.
I have been in "WINTER MODE" since Sept 15th... The only thing left to do is get the snowmobiles out, and ready to run, but that takes a minimum of 8" of snow. Our snow Level is still up an 1800 Ft, so I likely have a month or so to get that Job done.... Food, Fuel, all done, for a long time now....
My truck is going to need new shoes. I miss having a company truck. The last one i had was much nicer than my own and i never had to pay for treads or gas.
I like an elements-resistant outer layer carried separately from the get home bag - (no need to take up space in the bag with something you would put on and wear from the get-go) - along with the usual under-layer change of clothes (which packs smaller and lighter) in the GHB.
so does a spachella!! I learned the hard way ... who would of thought u needed and ice scraper in the south ... and good luck findiong one in the store!!! Flares go bad ... when they do is a good time to do a brush up on the skills!!!
I typically carry an all weather heavy black jacket in the truck during the winter season.... it just went back in the truck the other day. It supplements my GHB mil spec parka that I have had for many years. The parka will protect me from the rain and wind... but does not have much for insulation. My clothing plan here contains layers of coverage depending on the circumstance.. I have a set of frogg toggs in my bag as well, more for use in spring, summer, fall periods.... we live in rain country here and exposure is a huge concern.... a bit different than snow country issues.... but my daily travel takes me across one mountain pass that has snow in the winter. Frogg toggs® The worldwide leader in Breathable, Lightweight, and Affordable all weather gear and the inventor of the The Chilly Pad®- Stay cool during exercise or general hot weather.
I thought Al Gore said we had global warming going on KAS.... did hell freeze over in the South Last year we had a heavy snow and every snow shovel in the region was bought up within a day or so.... prepare in advance....or suck like the rest, the benefit of the lack of preparation.
Here are some items I did not see listed that I have in my get home bag: Meds and asprin Life Straws Paracord 550 minimum Small pair of binoculars Compass and area map GPS and extra batteries TP Guns and extra ammo are always a given.
Nobody's mentioned it yet but after the first show fall do you go out to a big open space and check how your vehicle handles in the snow ? This is something I always do - actually at least once for different conditions - loose fresh snow, packed snow, ice glazed snow and bare ice. I have a new to me truck this year so I'll be checking how it handles in 2 wheel drive and in 4X4 mode from a standing start, while going uphill, downhill, turning ...and in reverse too. One thing many drivers fail to realize is four wheel drive does not necessarily mean four wheel stop, so you need to re-acquaint yourself with the manner your vehicle behaves while attempting to stop under all of the above conditions. These things I have learned: A bed full of snow will improve traction in a 4X2 pickup. Worn tires will change the way your vehicle responds form the way it was last year. If you are in a 4X2 pickup with your nose pointing downhill and you need to go up the hill in reverse, most likely it will not. Batteries fail when you do not have jumper cables. Do not expect a timely response from AAA during a snowstorm. Last but not least, check your anti-freeze BEFORE winter.
wen u say checking to see how it handles... you do mean going to the high scool parking lot a spinning browdies right ?