Show me your car kits for winter! What things do you include for Warmth? Food? so on so forth.

Also Prolly been posted already but here ya go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9laZnqMals

Multiple parts all found on that dudes channel good short watch tho not to mention the other clips he has posted.

In my SUV (helps to be an avid gear-head camper):

Clothes:

Gore-Tex boots and three pair Smartwool socks
Gore-Tex gaiters
long underwear
fleece and rain pants
fleece tops
Marmot pre-cip and dri-clime jackets
fleece hats and fleece-lined waterproof hats
multiple gloves
fleece neck gaiter and balacava
chemical hand and feet warmers

Gear:

Sleeping bag
Firemaking tools & tender (lighter, matches, firesteel, vaselined cotton balls, steel wool, fatwood, Duraflame log, magnesium)
Axe, knives
Stoves (Jetboil, Kelly Kettle, Coleman duel-fuel)
MSR camp cookset

Food/water:

Water bottles
Mountain House freeze-dried meals (6)
jerky
Pop-Tarts
Luna Bars
Cocoa, instant flavored coffee, tea bags


This and more (flashlights, headlamps, First Aid, jumper cables, tarp, duct tape, paracord/thule straps, air compressor, etc) fits in two 48-gallon Rubbermaid Action-Packers that reside where the backseats used to be. I make a point of carrying extras for others.

How appropriate. I was just thinking the same thing. I have my coffee cans just need to organize everthing in them.

That is a good artical, short I wish that someone had put them all totgether for one viewing. But the articals were good.
I keep a prity good kit in my truck but I also went to cool school at Eielson AFB (required for all who work there)

I am intrested to see what other have in there car.

I was happy to see that his "snow shovel" was a grain shovel.

A touch of humor, last week I was removing a tree for a friend. The tough spot is that the tree was over 300 feet away from anywhere near where we could get a truck. my paranoia paid off, I had over 110 feet of 10,000pound webbing and over 200 feet of 10,000 pound rated rope. and over 70 fee of chains.. I think that I need to re-evaluate what I cary!

Jebuz Dagny I was expecting to see some well prepared people but you instantly took the cake! Cant wait to see if anyone can top ya!

Ha! Shucks, that's nothing.

This is ETS, surely someone's driving around with a chainsaw, gas cans, blowtorch and weaponry to bag an elk.

Us city-folk need Duraflames and freeze-dried pasta. I even carry a couple vegan dishes for friends.

What's in my Envoy now stays in there all year long. The only things I add for winter are an ice scraper and one of those cheap collapsible shovels to make quick work of powdered snow. Otherwise, going from memory, this is what's in there:

In the front (center console, glovebox, door boxes):
-Prescription sunglasses
-Streamlite Scorpion
-Maglight 3D cell LED flashlight
-Microfiber towels
-A container filled with spare change
-A gerber multitool
-A benchmade seatbelt cutter
-A handheld CB
-Work Gloves
-A pad and pen
-My Garmin GPS
-Cell phone charger
-Box of tissues
-Various snack bars

Under the back seat:
-Crow bar
-Small Utility Shovel
-Gerber Hatchet
-Plastic Funnel
-Tire changing tools (wrenches and jack)

In the rear:
-My toolbox (filled with all kinds of hand tools and other little bits and pieces like spare bulbs, fuses, tire plugging kit ect ,ect)
-A quart of motor oil
-A cloth cooler bag filled with water-bottles
-A stainless Nalgene bottle
-A fleece sleeping bag
-A bright yellow windbreaker jacket
-A sweatshirt
-An umbrella
-A couple flares
-Jumper cables
-A small first aid kit
-A fire extinguisher
-Gloves
-Tow straps
-D-Ring Shackles
-Power inverter
-An extension cord
-Disposable Shop towels
-Bungie cords
-More Snack bars
-Towing reciever ballmount
-100ft of climbers utility cord
-Big garbage bags
-A little zipper bag with:
--N95 dust mask
--candle lantern
--Prescription goggles
--A Doug Ritter PSP
--Water purification tablets
--Disposable Poncho
--Small roll toilet paper
--A lockback pocket knife

The vehicle has a built in air compressor in the back right compartment, to which I just added an accurate tire gauge and some different nozzles.

If I'm going somewhere where I don't expect to see a lot of other people, I'll toss in a 5 ton come-along and maybe a filled 5 gallon gas container or two....but that's only when I feel like I might need 'em.

I see nothing to eliminate the SEARCH out of "SEARCH & RESCUE".

OK I am loving this thread!!

Waiting to see more list and picks.

And FYI I do have a chain saw, and gas, oil and stoves, freeze dried food. List to come shortly

Get Home Bag
2 head lamps
1 Gerber folding saw
1 hand powered chain saw
3 packs JELLO for hypothermia
2 water proof dive LED flashlights
24 Spare AA batteries
24 Spare AAA Batteries
20 Spare 123 Batteries
1 Alaska Ax
2 Stainless Steel cups
1 diamond Sharpening stone
1 compas
10 safety pins
1 Fisher space pen
2 Sharpie Markers
1 3x5 note pad of Write in Rain
4 knives (different ones for different purposes)
2 Emergency Blankets (the orange ones that are higher quality
1 bag full of assorted zip lock styled bags and heavy duty trash bags.
2 utensil kits (holds fork, knife, salt and pepper spoon)


In the truck
6 road flairs
1 air compressor
1 400 watt inverter (need to upgrade this to 2,000 watts)
4 Shackles (6 Ton Rated)
2 2" by 20' tow straps
1 3" by 30' tow strap
1 4" by 30' tow strap
3 3" by 6' tow strap (tree savers ect)
1 10mm by 200' static line rope (formally a rappelling line)
1 20' tow chain
1 10' tow chain
1 8' tow chain
1 tow truck T hook set (allows me to hook into multiple autos that don’t have tow hooks)
1 cold steel machete
1 Fiskars Hatchet
2 8x6 tarps
1 16x24 tarp
2 ground pads
2 sleeping bags (one at 0 degrees one at -15 degrees)
2 set Gortex uppers and lower
2 set sox Poly pro styled
2 set polar fleece pants and tops
3 sets of assorted gloves for working (1 leather 2 cloth/leather sets)
2 sets Mittens/winter gloves
2 balaclavas
3 propane tanks (hand held size)
1 propane stove
1 propane blow torch
1 large white gas bottle (MSR 30oz)
1 wisperlite international stove
1 GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist Cook Set
1 family size cook set
8 Freeze dried meals.
1 140 piece Husky tool set
1 5 piece pliers and wire cutters set
1 vice grip set (1 med, 1 large 1 extra large)

1 Poullan pro 42cc chain saw (18inch bar)(collapsed to fit in box)
1 gallon mixed gas
1 quart Bar/chain oil
3 saw wedges
1 Avalanche shovel
1 Grain shovel
2 pieces of closed cell foam
1 first aid kit


(Note, I always carry about 3 pairs of sunglasses and hats in my back pack.)

Things that this thread is showing me I need to get.

More water containers or just more water
Hand Held GPS
Possible PLB
Larger Ax’s (even with a saw an ax is invaluable)
A winch!
tire chains

Hmmm... I concentrated my list on winter warmth and sustenance.

Seems to me that in regard to the car, eliminating the need for "Search" rests mostly with the computer on my shoulders that God provided.

Augmented by maps, compass and GPS.

And, in the winter, tire chains and shovel.

No one's had to search for me yet. Knock on wood....

If I needed to be found, then I've got multiple means to make fire, mirrors galore to flash a signal, a strobe light and a large blaze orange "HELP" flag that I recently found on sale.

Why I live in the South now.

I add nothing, as the chances of being in a blizzard are nil. Forecast calls for snow, they close everything anyhow, so you can't go anywhere or do anything.

I have an emergency repair kit, some basic items and a first aid kit. I can start a fire, make a shelter and eat and drink.

Cold to these people is 30 degrees.

All that equipment sounds like you're [sp] driving to the north pole and are planning on homesteading if you have a problem. Any kits that don't weigh a thousand pounds, force you to take out the back seat, drag a trailer and/or take out a second mortgage to buy?

Edited for spelling.

Maybe you're stranded and no one knows.

Ask your computer what it will take to get me to come RESCUE you.

Why don't you enlighten us on what gear you think we should be carrying in our cars to address your point?

Your initial post was cryptic and snark isn't helpful.

It undoubtedly depends on where one lives. I carry a lot of warm clothing and emergency supplies during the winter here in the PNW, I would estimate close to what Dagny has listed. Recently we had snow and ice and people were stranded for 12 hours on I-5 and if the snow had continued it could have been longer. I want to be reasonably comfortable as well if stranded. And then in my neck of the woods earth quakes are another reason to have supplies in the vehicle.

It's really pretty simple. Keep a good selection of your backpacking/camping gear tucked away in the vehicle, such that you have the ability to eat and sleep when stranded. Most of my second string stuff winds up in the vehicles, along with a decent supply of canned goods and a few gallons of water, and also a pair of good walking shoes.

One thing I didn't see on the lists is a small swedish saw. One can come in very handy when fallen trees have blocked the roadway.

And yes, location matters. I carried a lot more when living in Flagstaff, AZ than I require here in southern California. I don't imagine you would require too much gear in the sunny Florida climes.

In Florida perhaps you could survive with a Speedo, sunscreen, bug spray and bottled water.

I recommend storing it all in a zip-lock bag, and including a garbage bag in case the wind comes up or you encounter an impressionable Girl Scout troop.

You should also have in your kit a knife to slay the reptiles. And a cheap prybar.

The cost should be minimal and you could still curl up on your backseat.

In the interests of leading this thread a bit astray, let me point out that winter weather is not a big problem in Florida. Late summer and fall weather, on the other hand, can sometimes be a bit challenging.

What would you want in your vehicle in case you had to evacuate just before a hurricane?

You have a good point about the amount of money that is invested and the volume. But it is often weighing of cost/weight to need or perceived need. First I have taken a long time to get the gear that I have together. I could have never afforded to buy all of my gear in one shot. What I did was keep a mental list and purchase one thing at a time.

To speak to the volume of my stuff, I have a 4x4 truck throwing this gear in the bed of the truck gives me traction and the gear is functional. So rather than driving around with sandbags in the back of the truck for traction (it is rear wheel drive when the 4x4 isn't engaged) I have gear that I can use.

To add to the comment about cost, Last January my first truck box got stolen the insurance claim was over $1,800 in loss.

The expense of what I keep in the truck is not missed on me at all, but I would rather have the gear that not only do I need by equipment to help my friends out when they are stuck, cold and alone and needing my help. Often I am the person who is called when any of my friends are stuck or in need have help.

Extra windshield washer fluid is a must have for winter driving around here. Its possible to run through that fluid faster than gas on a trip through the Colorado front range or mountains in the winter months. Good wipers are a must have as well. Although not technically survival items they can help keep you safer on the road and are things people forget about until they are needed. In addition to survival type gear I carry extra washer fluid and spare wipers.

That's one of the things I love about my Envoy. The washer fluid tank holds a little over 2 gallons, which is two entire bottles of fluid. Most other vehicles I've owned only hold a gallon...if that.

Tyber's truck kit is more-or-less what you'll find in any work truck that goes well off the beaten path.

Another reason to be prepared is you can be stranded in a snow and or ice event through no fault of your own. Even if you have a vehicle that is equipped to can handle the conditions--roads can be blocked from accidents or storm damage--- and there you sit. As soon as the weather broke enough here after the recent storm--for the state patrol to fly-- they were up in the air with some sort of heat seeking camera checking stranded vehicles for occupants that might be in trouble. And it was only luck they had a break in the weather to do that. Even in a vehicle exposure can be brutal or even deadly without proper cold weather gear and supplies. So far this fall/winter season the PNW has been hit with two storms (one wind and the snow/ice) that came in much more severe than the weather service had predicted. So one can’t just depend on weather reports!

One more piece of equipment that I always carry in my SUV is a small battery powered radio (along with extra batteries) which would give me the ability to keep up on news and weather reports without constantly running the engine or risking running the vehicle battery down.

And most importantly keep those gas tanks topped off in the winter months. During the recent storm here many vehicles ran out of gas when stuck in the jam on I-5.

Excellent point about the portable radio. And topping off the fuel tank is a very wise habit to get into.

I'm putting together a winter car kit for my sister for Christmas. It fits in a ditty bag. Will take pics and post inventory when its completed. Want to mail it off next week so hopefully can wrap it up this weekend.

In addition to the gear in the kit, I'm going to include some instructions and a check list of other items she should have in her car, such as coat and blanket or sleeping bag. She's driving on Mt. Hood frequently as she has a vacation home at 4000-feet (Government Camp).

So thanks again to the OP -- this thread, most of it, is useful.

If those vehicles ran out of gas by running their engines to keep the car heater going, they were taking chances with carbon monoxide emissions. Problems with CO increase when the vehicle is stationary, and especially if the exhaust pipes should become blocked with snow.

Nice warm clothes are a better alternative.

Oh, if I had a 4x4 I would stuff it with stuff... absolutely.

Having a more modest family car (actually, quite roomy) I am very much against filling the cargo space or the passenger compartment with all kinds of stuff. We no longer haul strollers around, which gives a bit more room for emergency equipment, but I still hate having stuff perpetually rolling around back there. The only thing back there is actually the first aid kit (velcro'ed to the side panel) and the emergency triangle, both designed to live there by the manufacturer (and no way to fit them anywhere else, or I would move them too...)

I make great use of the spare wheel drum, which holds a minimalistic "emergency-only" tiny wheel in a normal size wheel drum. This leaves quite a bit for the most basic equipments, including
- Tools
- Jumper cables
- Towing rope
- Gloves
- Poncho and plastic rain suit (single use only)
- 1 litre of sand
- the NATO folding tri-shovel equivalent
- chains

In winter, I add an avalanche shovel (plastic) and some wheel mats (3' long plastic thingy to put under the wheels when stuck in deep snow, untested but probably far better than the floor mats, which I never have been able to make work). I also add a few extra window scrapers and snow brushes (the kids fight over them whenever the car needs scraping or brushing, so I just toss in a few extra). Oh, and I put on really good winter tires.

Glove compartment holds a lighter, flashlight and Mora knife. Side panels hold reflective vests (required by law) and working gloves.


Frankly, we either just drive around locally, in most cases we could just walk home if stuck. And when we drive further away we usually do it for a purpose involving either a day trip or an overnight trip. In both cases we're fairly well equipped.

I am in the process of rethinking this strategy and put together a bigger car cit, along the lines of some food, blankets and such. We'll se how it works out.

Hypothermia,Frostbite,Dehydration,Starvation,Insanity,etc.Will get you,A week in the Hospital or Worse,& The cost could be Astronomical!If I lived in an Area Prone to Freezing-@$$ Weather,I'd Stock up on Everything Possible to Keep my Vehicle & It's Occupants in the Best of The Circumstance!2nd,3rd Mortgage?Ain't Nothin',Compared to Loss of Life & Limb!Equipment is Cheap,No Matter How Expensive it is,Better to have it & Not need it,Than Otherwise!Thanx to Dagny & Tyber,They have Taught me a Good lesson of Winter Minimalism,Should I find myself on that Road!

Now you have the attitude to survive. Read about all of the dead that were unprepared. Read about those in the hospital that were tough, lucky or under prepared. Understand why some people spend many hours, days or weeks in a survival situation. They did not eliminate the word SEARCH out of "SEARCH & RESCUE". Had it been done, they would have been home for dinner.

DON'T BECOME ONE OF THEM.

CARRY A PLB WHEN RURAL
CARRY COMMUNICATION WHEN URBAN

it's just not out on the brush you need a car kit.over in St Paul Mn a couple 70+ years old ladies were stuck in their car for about four hours only a few miles from home.they called for a tow but with a ice storm underway no one showed up.a city sanding truck stopped,they were on a ice covered hill,and said they would send help.nope,nothing.a second sander came hours later and the women and some people behind they finely got moving.i don't carry much in my "city" car thinking a cell phone and blanket should be enough but i'm going to add more including a heater of some sort and a couple bags of sand.

heavy snow = instant wilderness. Add unpreparedness and stir well for calamity.

My initial list at the outset of this thread was not exhaustive. Among the things I've added to my car gear the past couple years is "blaze orange" items -- including a blaze orange waterproof hunting coat that I got a sensational deal on ($17 for an $80 or so coat).

My motivation for adding blaze orange was for road safety, in case my car broke down someplace like the Beltway with its horrifying traffic.

Since this thread began, I found myself reflecting on the 2006 James Kim tragedy and considered that hi-vis should be part of any road kit year-around. The coat at a one-day sale I bought is similar to this one:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/60155?feat=506569-GN3


I also have in the car one of these excellent blaze orange LED hats from LL Bean. Got one initially for our neighborhood orange hat patrol. Have since kept one in the car, too. The LED lights on it are surprisingly bright. A very good value for $20.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63736?from=SR&feat=sr


And in my nearest REI store they have large blaze orange "H E L P" signs marked down half so I picked up a couple of those -- one for me and one for my sister's car kit. They fold up compactly, taking not much more room than a cheap bandanna.

If I have occasion to empty the car out this winter I'll try to remember to take photos and do an inventory.

I keep two orange plastic safety vest that I plastered with high visibility tape in both the driver and passenger door storage compartments. I also carry a couple of emergency flasher's that are easily accessible in the event of a problem. For years I've carried road flares in a box mounted on the tongue of my horse trailer but never really wanted those inside the SUV. I also carry high visibility neck bands for both of my dogs in the event they had to be removed from the vehicle in an emergency.

Step 1. Be smart and don't meander in little traveled parts of the world in poor weather.
Step 2. Cell phone.

For most urbanites and suburbanites, you can't physically get far enough away to be out of sight from someone for any appreciable length of time.

If I was cruising the wastelands of Montana, I might change my tune.

Something I don't see (but may have overlooked) is a decent bag. Looking at Buffalo this past week, with 24+ hours of stranded vehicles, it seemed like many folks left the cars and stayed at shelters. Cops and FF on ATV's to help pick up. Seems if you had a decent bag and a pair of dry socks, they could have walked instead of waiting for a ride. A pair of shoe shoes would have been a nice, if bulky, addition. I have 2 bags in my kit, neither backpacks, but could work in a pinch for a survival/Go Bag.

Cell phone coverage can be spotty without being in the middle of Montana.

I'm about 6 miles out of downtown Olympia and on my own place they work okay up around my house and barn but when I get down by the cove they either don’t work at all or cut out and drop calls. I’ve tried several different carriers over the years all with similar problems. Neighbors have the same problem. While I always carry my cell, I don't depend on it entirely either.

I keep backpacks in my SUV as I usually have my dogs with me and would need my hands on leashes rather than a bag.

The make/model of the cell phone can make a big difference in reception.

For many years a friend kept an otherwise obsolete 'brick' phone with a traditional handset because it had several times the signal strength on transmit over more compact units and it easily accommodated switching to a large external antenna to pick up distant cell towers. He did this because a lot of his work was in rural areas where cell coverage was spotty.

Given enough transmit power and sufficient antenna size he was able to maintain good service in normal times, and jump over gaps when cell/s went down due to storm damage.

Cell service providers usually have technical staff on hand, over and above the sales staff that usually know very little, that can recommend suitable phones, ones that have an external antenna connector, and compatible antennas. They should be quite familiar with the issue and have answers.

Good point Art in Fl. I've also found that to be true and always ask my provider as to which phone has the best signal strength. I've had the best luck with the so called ruggedized phones.

Unfortunately, modern handset phones are all limited to .6 watts of transmitting power for safety concerns now (and older phones with greater transmitting power, aren't allowed to be connected anymore by law unless they were already connected prior to a certain date). This means, for the most part, every handset phone you buy today is going to be roughly equal in its ability to pick up a signal. Connections rely more on your carrier than on your phone.

That's not to say that there aren't other options. There are still companies that make bag-phones, which are allowed to transmit at greater power levels. Unfortunately they are expensive and difficult to find. Then you've got satellite phones that are even more expensive, but will get a signal just about anywhere as long as you can get a fairly clear line of sight to the sky.

Personally, I've got GM's On-Star in my truck, which works on the same network as cell phones, but uses a significantly more powerful transmitter (3 watts). Typically I can get a signal with that when I can't get one with my cell phone. The downside though, is that it's built into my vehicle.

I respectfully disagree, and I base this on my hands-on experience.

Some digital phones will pull in a signal more strongly than others, and will punch out calls in fringe areas where other phones will not.

A couple of years ago, I upgraded to a "smart" phone. I discovered that it would not pick up a signal on major highways where I knew for a fact there was service. I went back to my little Nokia candy bar phone, bought a couple of spares on sale, and haven't looked back.

I have friends who were amazed that my cheap, boring, $40 Nokia could pick up 2 bars when they had nothing on their $400+ phones. So it's not just me.

My entirely unscientific testing indicates an inverse rule: the more things a cell phone tries to do, the less likely it is to make phone calls when you need to. YMMV.

How long ago was this?

While Canada might be different, in the U.S. they passed a law that in 2005 all newly activated cell phones had to be GPS enabled. This, combined with a previous law that restricted headsets to .06 watts, effectively made it impossible to activate an older handset phone with greater than .06 watts of power.

Prior to 2005 it was possible to use older phones from before the .06 watt requirement (such as Motorola Star-Tacs and older Nokia Candy Bars). After 2005 the law prevented such phones from being activated.

While I'm not sure about Canada, in the U.S., all new handset phones are essentially equal now as long as they are operating at the maximum legal power.

With that in mind, there is an issue with some smart phones where the user will block the antenna if they hold the phone a certain way (thereby degrading the signal).

These were all digital phones. Test period spanned 3 years.

Our system standards mesh with those in the U.S., and almost all carriers offer roaming throughout the U.S. (but watch for a big fat fee if you accidentally catch a U.S. tower near the border). Analog is no longer supported.

So I don't buy the argument that all phones perform at the same level, especially in fringe areas. They should, absolutely. But my experience strongly suggests otherwise.

Because power isn't the only factor. S/N of the receiver, antenna design, etc all factor into being able to send and receive a signal. My droid can get a signal and call through in a lot of places my wife's LG env3 can't on the same carrier.

Going through camping gear this weekend I came upon a roll of Reflectix insulation that I'd cut in pieces to fit in the rear and side windows of my Honda Element. That is a popular and cheap method for warmth and privacy on the Element forum among those of us who have slept in our Elements on camping trips. The pieces roll up quite compactly and have been durable. The pieces, cut with scissors (not with precision) fit neatly in the windows, with light pressure.

A 24" by 25' roll took care of my rear and side windows with about half the roll left over (which I've used to envelop my cooler on hot days). For the windshield I use the sunshield that I carry all the time.

Am thinking that for winter road trips, especially with snow in the forecast, it would be wise to throw the Reflectix in the car. It cuts down markedly on drafts. Can't see out of it but I've always left the driver and passenger doors uncovered (and cracked for air) and the Reflectix still makes a notable difference in the rear.

$23

http://www.homedepot.com/Reflectix/h_d1/...catalogId=10053

Anyone else have experience with using Reflectix on camping trips?

That's interesting, and surprising, to me. I would've thought that enough heat escapes through the metal car body that covering the windows wouldn't really make that much difference, but it sounds like it does.

I covered the inside walls of my truck with that, headliner, behind the seats, door panels, kick panels, firewall. I drove to work one morning with temps in the single digits and was getting hot and went to turn down the heater and it was already down on cold.

I think most vehicles have some degree of insulation in the doors and roof for soundproofing. Covering the windows with reflective bubble wrap could very well be worthwhile.

I've been experimenting with a semi-transparent foam-plus-vapour-barrier material used as underlayment under basement subfloors. It comes in huge rolls, weighs nothing, and adds more insulation than you'd expect. Perfect for temporary winter windows in my house during renovations. I think it would be highly useful if stranded in a car. Similar to this: http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/store...tk=P_PartNumber

I've got a similar looking jacket, does your's have a fleece like exterior? Mine does, and it seems to soak through pretty easy in the rain.

I'm also an occasional Beltway traveler and there is no way I'd ever want to want to break down on it.

Perhaps this is toooo obvious: plane tickets to a sunny destination - break glass in case of opportunity!

The exterior feels more like a thin felt than fleece. The inside is a light fleece.

I have not worn it in the rain. It sure is bright!

The Beltway and I-270 -- gives me the heebie-jeebies to think about being stranded on either. You'd be a sitting duck.

On that note, I just got a reflective safety triangle from Red Flare. It augments a strobe light and LED road flare:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/65534?feat=9519-GN2

Currently there are 10,000s of motorists (estimated 20-40 mile motorway bumper to bumper tail back) know stranded on the main motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh (M8) facing an unexpected overnight (currently 20:45 GMT) stay in their cars in -15C temperatures. Many of them were morning commuters so have already been stranded for 12 hours in freezing temperatures. The motorway network in central Scotland is now basically unusable and the authorities are unable to help due to the weather conditions. Many are now running out of fuel so its going to be an uncomfortable chilly overnight stay in their vehicles.

The police have advised people stranded on the Scottish Motorway network to stay in their cars and have advised anyone this evening who need to make journeys to use public transport (which is quite laughable as public transport is currently non existent). The army have now been brought in to help with the ambulance services as they are now basically unable to reach patients or emergency 999 calls throughout most of Scotland. Even the London based media are starting to take an interest, as the current media spin in more akin to a 'isn't everyone having a jolly good winter snow sledging holiday at the moment'.

If only more folks were prepared with Winter car kits, so this is a very relevant thread.

5 degrees Fahrenheit -- OMG! I've camped down to 19 degrees and that was not delightful with a zero-degree sleeping bag and fleece head-to-toe in a teardrop trailer.

I hope they topped-off their gas tanks before hitting the road.

5 degrees Fahrenheit would be a miserable night with my half-ton of gear.

Going to the bathroom would be miserable (and too public for comfort).

Best wishes to the Scottish people who are in harm's way in these storms.

BBC coverage:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scotland/

AFLM, I think this is worth a separate thread. I'd be interested in ongoing media links also.

A media link from earlier this evening, from STV based in Glasgow

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/214411-drivers-stranded-as-blizzards-bring-more-chaos-to-scotland/

The situation has not made any of the front pages of the London based newspapers, they would rather have pictures of Sharm El Shiek Sharks and China men dressed up as Pandas.

In fact there is very little coverage of these emergency events on going here probably due to the embarrassment of the incompetent Scottish and UK governments. i.e. even when the Scottish transport minister was asked directly in a TV interview for an estimate of the numbers of people who were stranded on the the motorway network in central Scotland he blatantly dodged the question even though he had just been at an emergency government meeting. You would think this would be one of the questions asked at that meeting.

Apparently the Police that were on the scene were stopping stranded motorists from walking to nearby service stations for food, water and bathroom relief etc as they wanted these folks to remain in their vehicles.

My Minnesota relatives say "There is no such thing as bad weather, there are only bad clothes." There is something to that when you think about it, although it is small comfort when you are hit with something well beyond normal expectations.

I carry a pretty sizable amount of stuff with me, and I have had the need to use some of it. Frost-proof food, shovel, hatchet, flashlight, candles, fire, snow melting/cooking pot, FAK, hand tools, big Vic SAK, Mora Clipper, two blankets, compass, maps, jumper cables, spare glasses, and my heavy blaze orange deer hunting clothes, hat, choppers and pac boots actually used when I got stuck in the snow and had to walk 7 miles at night in 1 degree snowy weather to a truck stop in a very remote but familiar area to get a tow truck. Cell phone does not work everywhere I go.

Historically the Brits, and Western Europeans in general, have a very good record for protecting people and dealing with such situations.

There is also a very good reason for wanting people to stay with their vehicles. If everyone stays with their vehicle rescuers can go to each vehicle and move people out systematically while keeping a tight inventory on everyone so nobody gets missed or left behind.

If people wander off the authorities can't so easily be sure that the people are safe. Did they pop into a nearby bar? Are they presently warm and safe and drunk? Or did they take off cross-country where they can't be found? Each person will have to be tracked down to make sure they haven't collapsed into a snow bank. Finding people who wander off would be a huge job that could require dozens of responders. All of which are potentially risking injury themselves.

Initial response would be to get to each vehicle and make an inventory of people and emergency needs. If the people are reasonably safe where they are it is better to leave them there until a major effort can be mounted to get people out systematically. Extraction would be limited to those in vehicles that can't protect the passengers and people with serious medical issues. Healthy people in situations that are not immediately dangerous can expect to wait. Hundreds uncomfortable, for however long it takes, as long as everyone gets out alive is preferred over most people comfortable, but a few dead.

Good point. Generally, when inexperienced and unprepared people leave their cars, their odds of getting into serious trouble go way up.

That said, a big order of fish and chips and a couple of pints/brandies would take the sting right out of being stranded. So if you're popping out to a pub, have the courtesy to leave a note and several contact numbers in your car.

EDIT: To continue the threadjack: what sort of tires are normally on vehicles over there? The photos I'm looking at show what Albertans call a "dusting" of snow -- routine overnight stuff, not much more than a nuisance. But if people normally have hard-compound summer tires, it would be a disaster. Zero traction.

If form and content should follow function, then a kit's function offers guidance. All of my kits evolve to address the functional categories: first aid, shelter, water, food, fire, navigation, communication, hygiene, and morale.

For winter vehicle travel, I know I will have my EDC, PFAK, PSK, and BOB already. My car kit amplifies each functional category with more robust and abundant gear, plus vehicle maintenance and vehicle self-rescue items.

If I have a chance to encounter extreme conditions, then I go through each functional category and try to include whatever might be handy if I had to survive a few days of extreme conditions.

To address extreme cold, for example, I would follow the old adage that the best way to get warm is to stay warm - more and warmer clothing layers, more and higher caloric foods, and full vehicle gas tank. Personally I find I need more hydration in very cold conditions, so I would beef up my water supply, too.

If snow was possible, then snow chains and possibly a snow shovel would be added. If snow was certain, then I would consider some rock salt, sand, and perhaps a few yards of tire traction mat. My vehicle is not suited to off-road snow travel.

This is actually the case. The method to keep roads open is done firstly by using a snowplough vehicle to push the top layers of snow to the side of the road then grit and salt is sprayed on to the remaining snow on the road (from the back of the snowplough/gritting lorry). For this to work, the temperature has to remain above -5C and the the grit/salt worked into the snow/ice by the vehicle traffic. The problem is that the daytime temperatures have not basically risen above -5C so this process doesn't work even during the day. Night time temperatures were last night getting down to -18C in the affected motorway areas.

Many parts of the motorway network due to yesterdays weather and the inability of the snow ploughs to carry out there work, have now basically left the roads with 2-4 inches of solid accumulated ice in place, which cannot be removed using the conventional snow plough/gritting vehicles. This is why many of the main arterial routes in the country are still closed. They will be for the next 2-3 days until the expected warm front appears. This event will now most likely have a serious knock on effect for supermarket and petrol deliveries in the next week or so, leading to shortages.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9262000/9262838.stm

The UK met weather office needs to take some responsibility here as well. They are continually underestimating the real daytime and night time temperatures. In yesterdays forecast they were only showing the temperature in main coastal city centres, which are far removed from the temperatures in the snow fields in the centre of the country i.e. about 10C colder, which they seem reticent to display on their public weather forecasts.

At least the Scottish Transport minister appears to be a little more contrite this morning. Maybe he has been advised that he will be apologising a whole lot more in the next couple of weeks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11936621

There doesn't appear to be any news media reports with regard to any hypothermia deaths last night though.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11936660

Alright lets change the thread up abit =D

Best methods of storing all the stuff in your car! (also what you got if you havent already posted)

I been wondering about the "extreme" Temps items in a car have to go threw and thought some methods of storage have to be established for my kits.

Filling More water bottles half or so way for prevention of freezing and popping was one idea but now Im wondering about plastics and extreme heat. Im guessing stainless steel so the plastics dont leech anything into the water (BPA Free or not i do not trust leeching plastic in heat).

As for food Im guessing Freezed Dried would be best since it cannot expand or freeze no? Any opinions on that would be greatly appreciated.

A question on the freezing of water in a 1-liter/32oz Nalgene bottle with a wide mouth - how much water can I hold in there if it's going to freeze in my car and avoid breakage/leaking?

Thanks!

Dave

Water expands about 10% when freezing. More than 10% of the volume of the bottle should be air. I have not done any reliable tests of exactly how close to 10% you can safely go, but eyeballing "slightly more than 1/10" has certainly been good enough for me until now.

Most commercial bottled water comes in plastic bottles that are largely, if not entirely, immune to freezing. It is a packaging design consideration. Manufacturers and shippers don't want a semi-load of bottled water to be destroyed if the temperatures drop or the truck reroutes through a mountain pass that gets frosty. Those corrugations in the bottle are aesthetic and allow a good grip, both worthy goals, but they also allow space for the water to expand into if it freezes.

There may be brands of bottled water in plastic that may leak or burst if it freezes solid. But I haven't seen any. I've seen quite a few frozen bottles but none burst of leaked. An interesting experiment is to take various bottles of water and place them in a freezer to see what happens.

You might want to protect some of your water to keep it from freezing so you have some ready to drink when you need it.

I have accidentally frozen both 2-litre soda jugs dead full of water and 1-litre Nalgene polycarb bottles dead full of water. (Whoops.) Neither of them burst, though I suspect it shortened their service life.

In my vehicles, 2-litre soda bottles 80+% full have withstood years of freeze/thaw cycles. Not a single leak. I set them on their sides so there is some room for expansion as the ice forms on top of the liquid.

yes cell phones a must point blank..........

I usually go for generic one-liter bottles of water. I buy them in eight-packs. The size is handy and generally fit in cargo pockets and pouches. The weight of a liter of water, a kilo, roughly two pounds, is not unmanageable. Once used the one liter size is handy if you refill and need to use a chemical treatment. Those are usually standardized at one or two tablets per liter.

I have carried canned foods in my vehicle emergency stash for years. Just rotate them out of that duty after a year or so and consume them normally. I prefer items that can be eaten with little or no preparation - canned fruits are great, since they also give you quite a bit of water. I keep my freeze dried items for trips where weight is critical (e.g.,backpacking)

With extremes of heat,the biggest problem is growth inside the bottles. Refresh them regularly and keep them out of sunlight, if at all possible.

Vehicle interiors are a tough area in which to store foodstuffs - solar cookers in the summer and iceboxes in the winter

Re food:

I stashed a 1 kg factory-sealed jar of cheap peanut butter in the trunk of each vehicle. It's not high end stuff, but it's concentrated calories -- very helpful if we're ever stuck in a vehicle overnight. I opened one jar after a year of winter freeze and summer heat. It was fine.

My 32oz and 64oz Nalgenes are a decade-old and I routinely freeze water in them -- filling the water to about an inch. No problems.

http://www.rei.com/product/402049

http://www.rei.com/product/402058

I left a bunch of bottled waters in the car all last winter. Stored them in a soft-sided cooler in case they did leak. Temps down to the teens.

No problems. No leaks.

I like that peanut butter idea. I'm going to steal it, and add some MRE crackers. The crackers are generally horrible, but it beats being hungry.

This is my peanut butter of choice, in my Jeep. I buy it at whole foods whenever it's on sale. It taste great & can be stashed just about anywhere.

I'm going out to buy this immediately.

Yep, winter means different things to different locations. Ask a Canadian what he does in the winter time (late October to March). Personally, my conditions are the prairies which typically means not a lot of snow but the snow turns icy and gets "polished" with wind and more snow. Snow tires don't really help much but winter ice tires like the Blizzak or X-Ice work great because of the softer rubber. Keep your tires inflated at the proper pressure so a tire gauge and foot air pump or compressor come in handy. Ditto for the SPARE TIRE. Those tire inflate-in-a-can products don't work well in the cold weather and muck up your tire pressure sensors.

Nobody uses tire chains around here. A lot of winter troubles will happen because somebody is travelling a bit too fast for the conditions and spin out and find themselves stuck in the ditch. And with the relatively low traffic in the rural areas it can be quite a while before someone can get to you. So as long as you are in cell-phone range it is best to hunker down in the vehicle, keep yourself warm and your vehicle visible. A cell-phone charger should be kept in the car at all times. So should things like charcoal hand warmers / candles / extra clothing / reflective markers / flags / reflective clothing are all great things to have. Obviously you should also have a shovel, sand/kitty litter, tow strap and snow brush/ice scraper.

Food is handy but really not that necessary other than to relieve boredom. Yes the calories are helpful to generate energy and heat but not for a life preserving item. Water is necessary to keep you hydrated, especially if in liquid form but if it is frozen you will spend a while thawing it. I might as well reach out and grab a few mittfulls of snow as that is easier to melt than ice in a bottle! You won't have many hours of sunlight so an alternate light source is high on your list.

Since my vehicle seems to be prone to the gas line freezing, I keep a stash of gas-line antifreeze which doubles as fuel for my alcohol stove. Extra windshield washer fluid. Gas can. Jumper cables (the larger the gauge the better - 4 or 6 gauge 12-16' length please.) Extension cords to plug in the block heater. I also use a "battery blanket" - this term may be foreign to most Americans, let me explain. It is an electric warming pad that encircles the battery and comes with a cord so that it can also be plugged in. It consumes between 75-150 watts and basically keeps the battery several 10's of degrees warmer which allows you to turn over the engine easier. I also practise upsizing the battery - put the largest battery in the vehicle that will fit the battery tray. The more cold cranking amps the better in cold weather. Make sure I also clean the battery terminals. Install a cold-weather bra on the vehicle front so that the cold air won't circulate around the radiator as much (in the old days, I wired a sheet of cardboard in front of the radiator!) A lot of vehicles come with heated front seats - if you have ever been in a car at -40*C and felt the warmth of a heated seat you will know exactly what I mean by "heaven on earth".

Personal protection:
Blankets, parka, overalls, scarf, mitts that will fit over your gloves, balaclava, toques, hoodies, long underwear, extra socks, warm boots, charcoal warmers, face shield goggles to protect your eyes from the direct blast of cold air. Warning: if you come up here with flip flops or crocs I will personally kill you with my laughter! And you WILL DESERVE IT!

Glad to see that somebody even knows what a grain shovel is!

Perhaps -- but what would you pack in you vehicle during hurricane bug out season???

I've a question about the ON-star system. When it first came out it worked on analog cellular technology. When the analog system was killed off the older vehicles with analog on-star lost their connectivity. The new system is digital but what type? GSM, CDMA, TDMA, frequencies? Are these available everywhere?

The newer OnStar setups use a CDMA digital based system with roughly 3 watts of power. It mainly connects to the Verizon network (in the U.S.) and Bell Mobility (in Canada).

It works pretty well. My cell phone is Verizon and I've been able to call with OnStar just fine in places where my cell phone doesn't have any signal.

Here is their coverage map:

OnStar Coverage

OK I'll break the Ice!Everyone's Kits/Idea's/Suggestions/etc. Missed One Major Point!What are you using, When Your Futilities turn Towards The Facilities,& There are NO Accomodations in Sight? All That Freeze-dried food/ Peanut butter/Crackers/MRE's/Hot Coffee/Cocoa are gonna' turn into CaaCaa,Eventually! I'd think one of those Fold-up Porta-potty w/bags,couple rolls o' TP & Maybe a cheap shower curtain set-up,Would Certainly be more comfortable,than a "Bear in the Woods" or Squat in a Blizzard,let alone digging a Cat-hole thru the Ice or Falling into some Frozen Water,which is Often found on the Roadside!Think of the Many folks in The UK that drank Coffee & Ate a Bran Muffin,Whilst commuting to work,Then All of a Sudden,Traffic comes to a Halt,& You are in a Full- Blown Blizzard!This Really happened 2 days ago!Maybe some Grampers/Pampers? Think about It!

Snow balls work just fine...and they are very stimulating.

My hygiene kits in BOB and car include wag bags, personal wipes, and TP; in PFAK and PSK there are a couple personal wipes.

But I had not thought about protecting a place to go.

Excellent points. Once upon a time, along with countless cars as far as the eyes could see, a friend and I were stuck on I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge waiting for snow plows to clear an avalanche and lead us through. An hour or so into the wait, guys from several vehicles walked across the guardrail and eastbound lanes to the woods. We assumed the soda and coffee had caught up.

I'm not going to carry a porta-potty in the car. Either I'd look for safe natural cover nearby and count on my warm clothes, boots and gaiters to keep me warm. One could also drape a tarp over the doors on one side of the vehicle to provide a modicum of privacy. Would help to have friends or family in that case.

What to do with any solid wastes is another matter. Could be buried in the snow and left for snowplows. Or could be deposited in one of the garbage bags that many of us carry (perhaps that could be tied to my bike rack but it's not going in the car).

I carry a Kelly Kettle. Will it burn?

When is doo dung?

Might ruin one's appetite for tea.

Don't eat yellow snow.

When it comes right down to it, onlookers are not going to gawk, given the exigent circumstances. Big groups of runners can overload the facilities, particularly just before the start, and then a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Nobody cares.

Doo becomes dung in one month, seven days, and sixteen hours (approximately)

TP and a few paper towels/napkins are standard in my cars and portable kit. When you need them, boy do you need them. I also carry a poly tarp so I can create a bit of a shelter, workspace, or private potty corner out of the wind.

I carry hand sanitizer as well, which is multipurpose: hand cleanup, personal tidy up, infection control, firestarter, gas stink remover (use lots, then scrub hands with snow, repeat).

In rural areas, I wouldn't worry about the waste unless it would wash directly into a body of water. On a heavily travelled route, I would let solid waste freeze and scoop it into a doubled trash bag. Not really different from cleaning up after your dog.

Here's what the eastern seaboard has to look forward to next week. Early in the season for such temps. Glad we're not getting what the midwest will. I hope anyone who needs their winter car kit in this has erred on the side of too much...


* The cold will bleed toward the East Coast starting Sunday night, with the worst of it in arriving Tuesday and Tuesday night. Although the cold air will not be as potent as it had been in the Midwest, the entire I-95 corridor from D.C. northward will have sub-freezing highs and lows in the teens. The wind chills will make it feel much colder. Conservatively, it looks like sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts over 40 mph begin Monday and may not relent until late Wednesday (especially toward New England). Wind chills at night will dip near or below zero in all the big cities.

D.C. metro forecast:

Monday: High 29-33, wind chills in the teens

Monday night: Lows 12-20 (suburbs to city), wind chills from 5 to -5.

Tuesday: High 25-29, wind chills in the single digits and teens.

Tuesday night: Lows 10-18 (suburbs to city), wind chills -10 to 0.

Wednesday: High 27-31, wind chills in the teens.

thats why I carry an entrenching tool and a poncho, roll of paper towels....empty Gatorade bottle too...

Yikes! Reminiscent of what we recently had in the PNW. Stay safe everyone. Carry lots of cold weather gear if you have to be out and if you don't stay off the roads. I was lucky in our recent storm to watch it on TV as the roads were horrible and being stranded isn't any fun no matter how much preparation is in the vehicle.

Jeez, that wind chill just kills it.

get a big plastic snow shovel--my E-tool would have been a joke trying to dig out today.plus i had to move the car to the hospital parking lot so my street could be plowed curb to curb.walking back home just a few blocks that big plastic blade made a great wind shield for my face.also,if you have a charger for your cell phone that's made for use in the car---leave it in the car!..i left my phone in the car this AM when i made a run for snow blower gas and left it there,the battery was of course dead....10-20 below tonite they say..

That could be my street, CANOEDOGS. I'm right over the border in SD. It's 0 F right now, -30 wind chill. The interstate is closed from NE to ND.

Spare chargers are cheap. House one, one for the car, one for the suitcase...

I justed remembered that I have a box of raisin granola bars in the trunk. I'll probably be adding a jar of peanut butter soon, as mentioned earlier.

Anyone have any suggestions for a good tire inflator? I think the one I bought last year doesn't cut it.

So far so good on this one I bought around a year ago. After borrowing mine a friend bought the same one and is pleased with it. On sale at the moment on Amazon --

http://www.amazon.com/Slime-COMP06-Power...5292&sr=1-7


The best tire inflator I ever had came from Sears for $19 nearly 20 years ago. It lasted over a decade and fit neatly in my Miata's trunk. Have had a couple clunker tire inflators since but am hopeful that this "Slime" one will endure for awhile.

Murph... not a whole lot to go wrong with an old fashoned two handed bicycle pump, just make sure you get a good locking fill valve..I like the screw on ones... you get some cardio in the process

Not everyone has Miata sizes tires, a hand pump would take about an hour to pump mine up.

All this cold-talk inspired me in the past couple days to pick up a snow shovel at Costco and multiple packs of BIC lighters at Target. And now it inspires me to make hot cocoa....

Best wishes to everyone dealing with these storms and cold.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_wintery_weather

Wind hampers efforts to free drivers on Ind. road

By TOM COYNE, Associated Press – 12 mins ago

LAPORTE, Ind. – More than 70 motorists were stuck for hours Monday in biting temperatures on snow-covered highways in northwest Indiana as strong winds hampered snow plow drivers' efforts to free them. By Monday afternoon, most had been rescued safely, but a few were still trapped by drifts.

Authorities said strong winds with gusts up to 30 mph were delaying rescue efforts.

...Others were trapped overnight on U.S. 30, some for more than 12 hours...

My wife called me this afternoon - "Honey, the kit you put in my trunk is great, but it didn't have an ice scraper!"

(we got about 2" of snow today)

My reply? "Babe, I'm from LA. You're from Wisconsin. Why on earth would I put one in YOUR car??"

(of course, I had 2 in mine - lord knows where hers disappeared to, but it wasn't my truck!)

Funny, I'm in San Diego and there's a like-new ice-scraper I bought years ago under the drivers seat of my truck. Doesn't everyone have an ice-scraper? It's not like you'll always be in the warm & sunny . . .

OK,I'm Guilty,I have one also! Mine has a Brush on the Obverse,& A Squeegy/Sponge on the other end.I have used it a Few times to Scrape the White stuff off the Windshield... No,Not Snow,Seagull Crap,lol!

Someone tipped me about this experience which is highly relevant for this thread:
http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=73649 (no, I'm not a member there).

It is the experiences of a very well prepared couple that got stuck on a highway. They planned to - and were well equipped to - spend as long as necessary in their vehicle, but were ordered to evac by the police, who transported them to a truckstop or whatever. (Whose heating system didn't work, by the way...)


Their story set me thinking: Items dedicated to making indoors sleeping a bit more comfortable may be worth considering. I think most of the people stuck in their vehicles would have preferred to stay in a hotel if available.

Another scenario is that the police or other authorities order you to leave your vehicle, which may or may not be to your liking. (Discussing wether this is within their legal boundaries to do so is another topic - but those cops have a) no reason to believe whatever you say about "being prepared" -after all, most people aren't and what makes you think the cop should consider you as the sole outstanding exception?- and b) if they leave you and something bad happens they will have a very big problem.) Like it or not, legal or not - it will be VERY hard to say "I'm not going anywhere" to a cop that insists on evacuating you when you're stuck in a blizzard.


In either case, having some toiletries such as a toothbrush, a towel and clean underwear will make you stop feeling like a clumsy polar bear at a cocktail party. In my experience, it is no problem roughing it for as long as it takes when I'm in the bush - but I feel highly uncomfortable not being able to clean myself when I'm in a more urban and civilized setting such as a hotel. Not really related to survival, but highly relevant for your comfort and hygiene.

It was an interesting read, but I shook my head when he dumped out a messenger bag, and then loaded it with guns, knives, and electronics as he was being evac'd.

The guy was ready for the Zombie Apocalypse...lol

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YUIDSW?tag=wwwbathbodysh1-20

I just picked a couple of these up and tossed in the vehicle. My local Wholesale sports had them for $9. I already had some of the hand and toe warmers in there but this kit has larger body heaters, and larger than I'd seen before.

FYI, the toe warmers. Don't follow the instructions and put them under your toes... less you want to feel like your walking around on crunchy gravel all day.

Well, I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a member of ZS forums! It's pretty darned good site IMOHO. Interesting, too- he ended up staying in my home town! I remember that storm well.

I hadn't ever really considered the fact that the police would actually order me to evacuate. All this volunteering these years in EM, and knowing my limits, I figured I'd either be left alone voluntarily to get other people, or I'd be more than willing to leave.

The other thing I hadn't really considered having to prepare for was trying to convince a cop that I have enough experience and education to know my limits, I'm fine, save other people that don't have a clue, and yes, I do understand where you're coming from, and yes, I do understand the big picture.

Guess I'll have to make a much more portable vehicle kit!

Another item that hasn't been discussed in this thread: Gaiters. If you've ever been wading through 4" of snow with "civilized" shoes and trouser you know exactly why you need gaiters. (You will also have learned how surprisingly deep innocent looking snow banks will be - it takes only a slight breeze to transform 1" of dry powder into snow banks just big enough to invade your shoe). The gap between your shoes and your trouser is a particular weak spot.


In winter, people will dress with a warm coat or jacket and most of those will also use a not-too-dysfunctional winter head and hand garment. But most people won't put on functional trousers unless they're planning for a hike in the snow.


So - gaiters are well worth considering. Of course, a plastic grocery bag and some duct tape makes great gaiters. Just make sure to put them on BEFORE your shoes, socks and lower part of your trousers are drenched and your ancles are bitterly cold.

I think it started with katrina? Where cops pushed their weight around and Forced people to evac against their wills. I think it was all over the news how cops did not have the authority to Force people to evac and yet they happily abused the situation and their Firearms to force people to leave. So yeah personally if i was forced to leave my car behind i would dump my bag and fill it with thee most expensive contents of my vehicle. Swhy now that i think about it more i may very well make a full list of my bag's so if i do dump items i would know what i have and am missing so if needbe i can buy it again without worry im forgetting that one small item.

Indeed -- another thumbs up for gaiters. And improvising.

My fave gaiters (they come in men and women's sizes). They pack small and are priceless in snow if you don't have tall boots on:
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/43528?from=SR&feat=sr

That looks like saran plastic wrap in the picture. I'd imagine that'd work pretty decent in a pinch too.

You can also use duct tape by itself

from memory, my little 1990 honda civic holds:

in the glove box:
-screw driver
-3" fixed blade knife
-flashlight + 2 sets batteries
-lighter
-kleenex + baby wipes
-sunglasses
-charger for cel phone
-bag of trail mix
-power bar
-bubble gum
-local map
-pre-paid phone card
-tire pressure gage
-keychain led
-compass
-charger for the kid's DS

ashtray + console:
-a ton of spare change
-couple of batteries
-bic
-lip balm
-rolaids
-tylenol

under the seats:
-seat belt cutter
-2Ls water
-extra hats + mitts + socks (wool)
-long wool scarf
-50 ft paracord
-chemical warmers
-baseball hats
-1/2 of toys r us

in the trunk:
-spare tire, cables
-jack, tire iron
-fix-a-flat
-flares
-work gloves
-shop towels
-tarp
-50 ft paracord
-collapsable shovel
-golf umberella
-sleeping bag
-sm tent + fly
-wool blanket
-kitty litter
-washer fluid + oil
-air compressor
-fire extinguisher
-H20 proof flaslight
-extra batties galore
-coffee can, candles, bic
-more water
-extra coats
-extra snowpants
-work gloves
-paper towel
-extra sunglasses
-fully loaded first aid kit
-sm lunch bag with instant drinks + thermos, mres + heaters, hard candy
-2 fully loaded hiking kits, ready for a few overnights in winter
-1 scout leader's pack with hot chocolate, thermosses, snacks, extra lanyards, extra flashlights, local maps, compass, radios, 1st aid + psk

Awesome list!

If I get stranded in your vicinity, could I please have some of the "half of toys-r-us?" I'll be warm and hydrated, but utterly bored to death.

Some places they actually do consider that, we got caught in a snowstorm around the PA/MD line a few years ago, steep grade on the highways there and a state police roadlock was setup and they would ask if you had 4x4 and/or chains and/or a shovel, etc before they would let you pass. We had all and my cousin's VFD tags on their vehilce made the inspection go quickly.

Everythng in mine is pre-packed to make leaving the vehicle behind if needed. Wrench and Tool tolls, FAK, GHB, etc all in their own bags so I can pick and choose what I need based on the situation. I make sure to not just put things in without them being in some sort of bag/pack that can be easily carried or transferred to another vehicle if needed.

Looks very through! I'm going to print it out and check it against my less than organized car.

LOL! For my fellow ETSer, at risk of seven-year old melt-down over a missing treasure, you got it Doug!

It drives my husband nuts, Murph, but it's my car and he has his own. Besides, he's grateful for it every time "something comes in handy."

Nice list and it covers a lot of contingencies. By comparison I am light on shelter/foodstuffs in my normal kit but I get pretty close to this when packing for travel (i.e. not commuting to work).

I didn't see the following which are part of my basic car kit (Maybe I missed them).

- Good, Heavy Duty Jumper cables
- Good tow rope / chains
- Spare Fuses for my car (right type/size)
- Brake Fluid and Transmission Fluid
- Zip Ties (how did we ever do with out these)
- Some basic automotive tools

My basic car tool kit may be a bit excessive (grandpa owned a garage/towing business) but here are some additional things that I carry.

- 12V Test ligt
- Fuse Tester
- Code reader for my car (actually any OBDII)
- about 6-8 screwdrivers (phillips/standard varying sizes)
- offset screwdriver
- Set of combo wrenches from 1/8 to 1" and Metric Equivalent
- adjustable wrenches (one big and one small)
- Standard and Needle Nose Vice Grips
- Standard and Needle Nose Pliers
- Forceps (straight and curved Kelley style)
- Standard and Metric Allen Wrenches
- Spark Detector
- spark plug gapper
- Tape (Duct, electrical, Muffler, tail light)
- Hammer
- 12V Halogen spot light
- Hydraulic Jack (hate those things that come with the car)


This is just for my regular around town driving, I add more for "traveling". The wife just shakes her head and makes me pack the car.

-Eric

Good list Eric!

We did a check today and found:
-a back-country road book (not always accurate but, topographic and WAY more accurate that a regular map (pocket behind the seat)
-a spare pair of glasses in a hard case (glove box)
-a wire fishing leader, J-hook and Gerry worm (review mirror)
-disposable plastic straws (glove box)
-gasline anti-freeze, transmission fluid and extra fuses (under seat)
-extra wipers (trunk)

Sometimes I wish I still had my mini-van!

I hope everyone in the northeast U.S. has their vehicles equipped for a winter emergency - such as being stranded in snow.

We had some excellent discussions on ETS last winter that merit being dusted off.

Best wishes to everyone in the path of this storm. Probably not going to be a big deal in my area and I'm not going venturing much beyond the Beltway this weekend but this is motivation enough for me to get my car preps winter-worthy.

Yes, it's time for me to begin winterizing again, both home and car. I always have certain supplies on hand at home (water, batteries, sleeping bags, butane stove with a dozen canisters, etc). But I have to make the changover in truck. New sandbags, antifreeze, etc. It's also time to put a couple AMK bivvies behind the seat as well as a shovel.

I hate winter, btw.

I've been thinking about it too. I got in the car this morning, wearing long-sleeved t-shirt and down vest and then heard the weather girl say it was minus degree C. Brr. That explains the frost. It's time to recheck and put the winter gear back in the car.

at least your not in ohio. I have to scrape the ice and run the heater in the morning and switch back to the A/C in the afternoon then back to heat and scraping ice in the evening

Due to scheduling, I've been setting aside tommorrow morning to check my gear in the truck for a couple weeks. I'm planning on finally picking up a tow strap and I saw shorty snow/sand planks at walley world. I know, I should have had them all along...

So what do we get today...

Issued by The National Weather Service
Burlington, VT
3:12 pm EDT, Fri., Oct. 28, 2011

... WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BURLINGTON CONTINUES THE WINTER STORM WATCH... FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.



This is NOT my fault!!

There's actually a 15% chance of DC getting 4" of snow. That would be astonishing. And one of the rare times I would not welcome it.

I went ahead and took flip-flops and windbreakers out of the car. Am sorting out winter clothes + accessories this evening to go in: neck gaiter, hats, balaclava, gloves, ski socks. Fleece sleeping bag liner.

The fire-making stuff, cocoa, soup, boots, etc are in there year-around these days.

Just added coolant and the ice scraper...

Turned out to be a total false alarm for the DC area. But a good reminder. I was just thinking about anti-freeze the other day. Ooops.

My area got hit pretty hard. Trees and power lines down all over. Our power didn't go out, but all around us people are still without power.

The one thing I was glad to have in my truck was my little chainsaw. With big limbs down all over I had to cut a few and drag them off to the side so I could get through the streets.

Of course, that's not something I would recommended for most people. Chainsaws can be extremely dangerous in even the best of conditions.

You are right about that.

A good, sharp, 36 inch bucksaw is much less dangerous, and is surprisingly fast. You do need to pay attention when dealing with downed trees.

Another lesson from the storm. Your Car kit is YOUR CAR KIT Dont take that important flashlight out and lend it out to get taken home by someone else....sigh

i put a shaker flashlight in the car,summer and winter.i have yet to have a use for it but i assume without battery's to freeze or go bad to will work when i want.

Some of those flashlights are very good and use a capacitor to store power. Others use a cheap coin cell and wear out quickly with or without use. Make sure you know which kind you have before relying on it.

Of course the best "prep" is to watch the weather and change travel plans as necessary. "Blizzard" is usually a good clue that starting tomorrow is better...

Hi all --

Still lurking, still learning.

I'm in the process of re-stocking the car for winter, and have some questions regarding the kitty litter that several of you (including myself) store in your kit.

Have you ever actually used the kitty litter for traction/etc in an emergency situation? And if so, what were the results? Was it effective? Also, are there better alternatives?

The reason I ask: Kitty litter bags can apparently develop structural integrity issues over time. The bag that I'd kept in the trunk for about 3-4 years fell to pieces when I was moving it the other day. Microscopic bits of dusty clay EVERYWHERE.

Yeah, it was the old-fashioned big chunk kind. But over time it seemed to have disentegrated, being made of Fuller's earth clay.

Good tip about the contractor bags...

Sounds like it got moisture in it, which makes sense if the bag was compromised. (Tjay's ehat it's meant to do, after all.)Not sure but they must make regular litter in those plastic buckets? Granted, it would take up more trunk space.

well here we are again!!..i would skip the kitty stuff and get a bag of course sand as it won't get wet and turn to mush under the wheels.some people swear by busted up shells that are used for chicken pens.a few roofing shingles,cheap works better as they are courser,put under wheels got me out a few times.one of those cable pullers that you could attach to something,tree,sign post--whatever--would go a long way in getting you going again...
but i'm not worried--it's going to be another easy winter!!!
right????

But it will get wet and turn into a frozen brick,so it has to be kept dry.

I have plastic traxion plates instead of sand. Very effective in all kinds of surfaces (including sand).

Instead of kitty litter, I have switched to playground sand which is a better traction product as it is much coarser, packaged dust free and does not clump like wet kitty litter does. I usually purchase the sand in the early spring when Home Depot et al has it on sale in time for outdoor home projects.

Also depending on where you live and snow fall levels, a quality set of tire chains is a good investment. The cost varies from $60.00 for smaller passenger car tires then upwards of $150.00 which I just paid for 20" truck tire chains...

I carry a snow shovel (it's this one: http://www.voile.com/voile-avalanche-shovels/voile-telepro-avalanche-shovel.html). It's paid off for me several times (especially during http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post214082, where I had an older model shovel). Only when I was stuck at the bottom of a hill covered in a sheet of ice did I wish for a traction aid instead.

That's a super nice shovel, ChaosMagnet!

Teslinhiker -- Good tip. Thanks.


Here's another question: What sort of blanket(s) do you all keep in your car kit? I currently have an inexpensive polyester fleece number, but always wonder if a wool one would be better.

Also, do you think the color could be helpful? (Darker = warmer, bright yellow/orange = better visibility)

I keep a wool and a synthetic fleece blanket in the truck at all times. For out of town winter travel, a sleeping bag rated to -10C is added.

As for color, to me it makes no real difference as the blankets and bags would most likely only be used in the truck interior. It would be easier to carry a large orange plastic contractors bag if you ever needed something for maximum exterior visibility.

I go black fleece + a HD winter sleeping bag for each rider

On out of town trips, I carry a wool blanket, winter sleeping bag, fleece or wool sweater, thinsulate hat and mitts for every passenger. My regular commuting load is a wool blanket, winter sleeping bag, thermarest and my personal GHB/BOB, which includes extra clothes, hat and mitts.

Heatsheets two-person (one in my commuter kit and a couple in my car kit), plus spare clothes and spare outerwear, plus a sleeping bag if traveling out of town.

I'd like to get a good wool blanket to leave in the car but I haven't found one that I liked at the right price yet.

It's allowed me to get my rear out of a few difficult situations. I highly recommend getting a model like mine that can extend to full size, it has made a huge difference with my bad back.