I'm six months pregnant now, making the public transit trek to Toronto (a good 60kms or so one way) every two weeks, and it's seasonal switch-over time. Temps are going below zero overnight now, and are anywhere between single digits and high teens during the day, with sun, rain, wind and frost. My weight tolerance is getting lower but my needs a little higher. I've been adjusting my EDC load as I go and could use your help winterizing it. It's significantly light today than it was when I first posted but now needs a winter warm-up.

The most likely scenario I'm prepping for is a breakdown of public transit between the hospital and my Jeep, that gets parked on the outskirts of the city. If I get stuck at the hospital or my Jeep, I figure I'll have enough resources available unless TS really HTF.

This is one view inside my EDC backpack - the tools pocket, if you will. LMWave (with fire steel and maglite solitare in sheath), AAAx3 LED, LED glow stick, bic, kleenex, wipes, lip balm, bandana, pen, TUMS, mylar blanket, emerg poncho.

http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/IMG_0865.jpg


The bag also contains: my wallet with cash/coins/credit/id/emerg contact info/calling card/etc, 2 days worth of prescription meds, 2L nalgene, 3 or 4 cliff/granola bars, spare socks and unders, wool hat and mitts, medical paperwork and id, Toronto tourism map with contact info, silk sleeping bag liner, FAK, mp3 player with FM tuner, sunglasses, prescription glasses and a gortex jacket. I've also been taking my tablet or kindle, cel phone and chargers on these trips. My edc keychain also gets thrown in there. (keys, SAK, micro photon, Fox 40, paracord lanyard, Streamlite Nano)

Obviously, the clothing I wear is my first line of defence against the weather. I dress for the worse likely weather, which means I'll likely be wearing the jacket more and more. I'd like to swap it out for something warmer, and possibly lighter. I've got a wonderful primaloft jacket but I've outgrown it so am on the hunt for a budget-friendly substitute. A lined fleece jacket perhaps?

I'm also thinking of switching the nalgene to a 1l version and adding a small insulated bottle/thermos for hot drinks. I'm going to throw in some chem pocket warmers and microPUR tabs as well.

Any other suggestions?

Nope, sounds good to me bacpacjac. As a contingency I would spend an hour and run a search for hotels, hospitals, police and fire stations along your commute route, and mark those on your map. Also the locations of houses and apartments of friends located en route, with their phone numbers - any port in a storm. You don't mention whether your commute is by train or bus, but either one can break down en route, get stuck in snow or ice etc. Worst case, you could be stuck in Peel or Uxbridge or maybe some other unknown area en route between home and work, and your SO may not be able to get to you. It might be good to know where you might find a place to be put up for the night. If this happens, tell your SO of your plan, and just make sure you can do it safely. Having that and the financial means to pay for shelter is a fair contingency. Slightly more likely would see you being snowed in at work, so the same preparation to shelter in place at work or a nearby Toronto hotel would be a good idea.

As long as you are on public transport you benefit from the twin realities that a. you're pregnant, and most of us by human nature will go to extremes to help a pregnant person, and b. the operators of public transport do much the same for anyone on their busses or trains. Staying on the train or bus until they are ready to 'move' you and other passengers is the safest plan. With your silk sleeping liner, warm clothes and survival blanket you should be the warmest passenger in the worst case. I wouldn't recommend going off in a snow storm in your third trimester alone to find assistance - leave that to others.

How about a one-pager (two-sided) to guide some stranger if they were tasked with helping you deliver in a non-hospital setting?

Being paper, it would also be firestarter.

possibly a walking stick or trekking pole....I don't have a lot of experience walking on snow or ice....

I would second the written instructions on baby delivery. With that in mind, add 2 feet of strong clean cordage and 4 maxi pads in the event of unexpected water breakage. Mostly during the 3rd Trimester.

Can't help but chuckle at all us guys giving advice!

... I've been around a few preggers and (pardon me for being indelicate) the first order of business is a plan for bathroom facilities ... not sure how to deal with that on a city bus that's stranded ...

Thanks gang! Great suggestions, all.

LOL@dougwalkabout! My water broke in a movie theatre when I was pregnant with my son. It was nothing at all like the clean, simple affair they show on tv and in the movies. Point well taken! Thanks for the reminder!

Perhaps we should start a pool on where you 'll be when your water breaks this time. Places would be general description. Ex: Home, a bus, a store, camping, etc.

I'm sorry but I couldn't help myself.

I believe it is BPJ who will be starting the pool.....

I'm sorry but I couldn't help myself (either).....

In my social culture, men are very protective of women, and I had to remind myself that I am writing for a different society. Otherwise, there is no way in life that I will leave my wife travel all that long and in that kind of weather , and while she is in her trimester. I would even leave my job to go with her.

OK. I have been on western forums for long enough. So, I will suggest that your husband travel with you once or twice . Reasons are :

1 - He becomes familiar enough with the hospital , road ..etc so that if you had to call him during a blizzard, and tell him you are in so-and-so restaurant, he will know what you are talking about.

2 - On the way, both of you can pick and agree on possible "bug-in" locations, where you will shelter in case of weather/auto/social/other problems.

3- While you are with the doctor , he can tour the nearby area looking for safety opportunites , or sources of trouble that you may have not noticed ( being focused on your primary purpose of the travel).

Just my 2¢

Oh, and I didn't see you mention : hand warmers
I suggest you add some

Or maybe a pair of Microspikes or other traction device to put on your shoes if it's icy and you have to walk. I'm assuming you'll be wearing good walking shoes and not heels...

This is an exceptionally good idea, one I haven't seen articulated before in books or here.

It is always a good idea to have someone with you, near you, or in whatever way reachable. This is why I ALWAYS carry my cell phone, even if working around the house. Anything can happen, from heart attack to work-related injury and you may not be able to rush to someone asking for help.

One day I was working around the house and some building materials collapsed around me. I had my cell phone on me in case I had to call my wife. But it was not that bad and I was able to free myself.

So, if it is what you have to do, bribe someone to be with you. If that is not possible, at least call them time to time and tell them where you are and how things are going.

Just a quick update, after a_ trip to the local second-hand store.

Realized yesterday that I don't have extra batteries. They're in there now.

I swapped out my thermal top for a light wool jacket. I layer and usually wear a long-sleeved thermal top as a base layer in cool and cold weather, and the wool jacket is about the same weight and only slightly bulkier. It should work very well as a mid layer, between my synthetic or merino wool base layer, and my synthetic outer layer.

I also swapped out my 2l Nalgene for a 27oz Kleen Kanteen. It's better for boiling water in (which I'm not really planning to do with this urban kit), but it's also smaller and a bit lighter.

Hand warmers, a hiking stick and micro spikes are great ideas. I'm still working on the stick but do have spikes ready to add when the big freeze arrives and hand warmers have been added. Walking on ice can be tricky and I really don't want to fall. The baby is pretty safe but I don't bend or bounce like I did in my thirties.

Hubby has made the commute with me. We lived and worked in the area this trip covers, so he's got a very good lay of the land. We've got a nine year old at home to take care of so he sticks closer to home to manage that piece of the puzzle.

Commuting alone so far from home in the third trimester isn't ideal. It means that I have to maintain a dependant point of view when I'm planning. I am becomng increasingly dependant on others the closer I get to delivery day. I'm not going far or carrying much on foot so I need to stay realistic. Hunkering down or heading straight to the hospital, and keeping in contact with my peeps via phone are my best two options should something go wrong. I normally plan to be as independant and mobile as possible so this is quite a shift in thinking.

The delivery day plan details are solidifying as well. We've got a few get to the hospital plans (A,B,C,D,E AND F) and take care of our son plans (A,B,C,D AND E) in place. The emergancy call list and action plans are confirmed, the hospital bag is packed and hanging inside the front door of the house, and we have a tour of the hospital in a couple of weeks.

Still three months to go, but the time is going to fly. With a little luck, the baby will arrive safely and on time at the hospital that's a couple of blocks from home. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

LOL!

EDC Backpack Update:

Today updated my paperwork to include the results of my most recent rounds of testing. There's a chance that I could deliver at one of a few hospitals that aren't one of the two that are coordinating my care. I'd rather hand them a folder of reports then have them try to track them down, so I'm carrying copies of the most relevant stuff. Not to mention that dual-care means having to sometimes upate one of my primary care physicians about what happened with the other one.

I added a toiletries bag including travel sized toothpaste, toothbrush, floss sticks, deodarant, hand sanitier, some hair elastics and lip balm. I also added some post-delivery pads/unders. Thanks for the reminder dougwalkabout!

I removed the mylar blanket because as I was repacking my FAK, I realized that it has a 1 person Heatsheets in it already. It had hand sanitzier in it as well, which I removed in light of the new bottle in the toiletries kit and the santizing wipes in the FAK. I almost kept both in in case of emergency child birth. I might rethink that. They're small and weigh little.

I also found the microPUR tabs I stashed in the FAK, so took getting more off my To Do List. (Forgotten Heatsheets, purelle and H2O tabs. This is why I need to write things down.)

I also realized that I hadn't migrated a headlamp back into this bag so I fixed that by adding my Petzl eLite. Love that light! Hands-free is the way to go when you weigh 800 pounds, have no balance and are potentially dealing with dark and slippy conditions.

I'm going to grab a couple of N95 masks today as well. Been thinking about the subway closure a few trips ago. Escaping a smoke filled building or transit tunnel is a distinct possibilty and even though I have my bandana, I'd feel better with a proper mask.

It gets a little cramped in there if I add my jacket and e-reader but from the looks of the weather forecast, I'll be wearing my jacket most of the time from here on out until I switch over to a winter coat. I can always sling it though the shoulder straps when I'm inside.

Thought I'f post a quick update with pics from yesterday:


Maps, wallet and key chain:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/Picture033.jpg
Keys, Fox 40, SAK, Streamlight Nano, fauton, lots of change and cash (for parking, transit, phones, cab, hotel, etc.) credit/bank cards, and paracord bracelet

Gortex jacket, Jeep and edc backpack:


Merrell hikers:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/Picture031.jpg

EDC Backpack, including clothes, shelter, FAK, water, LM Wave, lights, snacks, toiletries, medical records, emergency contact info, etc.:
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012081.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012079.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012078.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012077.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012076.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012075.jpg
http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/MBO/may2012074.jpg

I've made a few more adjustments so I thought I'd update to keep it current:

-exchanged my 32 oz Nalgene/28 oz Kleen Kanteen for a 20oz Bubba Hero Bottle. It's a 24 hr cold/8 hour hot water bottle. It's a little smaller than the other two bottles but winter's knocking on our door and carrying a hot drink is going to become a requirement soon. Since this is an urban only bag, I don't want to carry a water bottle and a thermos or travel mug.
http://www.amazon.com/bubba-HERO-bottle-classic-navy/dp/B0087JLHE4

-exchanged my goretex jacket for a Wind River packable annorack. Since I'll likely be wearing my goretex jacket or winter coat from here on out, I took advantage of the space/weight savings. This one's more of a water repellant hooded pullover windshirt. It's that's much lighter and should make a good additional mid-layer if needed. Works great with my down vest and a woold sweater to cut the wind!

-removed the LED glow stick. I've already got an LED flashlight and headlamp, along with my maglite solitare. 4 lights seems like overkill for this kit.

-exchanged my wool/fleece mittens for fleece-lined horsehide mittens. They're more durable and also warmer.

-added a small plano fly case to hold my extra batteries. It's got 4XAAs, 4XAAAs and 2XCR2032 in there right now and they fit perfectly.

-added a Vicks Vapoinhaler. Now that the cold weather is hear, the second-hand smoke is sticking to smokers and making me seriously nauseous. Vicks is a godsend in those cases!

-Doug made me hungry when he listed his travel kit contents and he inspired me to added a tuna and crackers snack kit as well.

It's recently come to my attention that they make body warmers, in addition to hand/foot/toe warmers. I'm on the hunt for some of those now: http://www.warmers.com/Category.aspx?Cat=70&pkey=Body+Warmers&pval=70&pIds=CategoryID

For the other women on this board: the body warmers that have adhesive for sticking inside clothing are also good for menstrual cramps...heat often helps more than taking NSAIDs and this is a way to have that option when out and about if you are someone who gets bad cramps. Those rice bags you stick in the microwave are great at home, not so practical elsewhere.

Nice! Thanks for the tip Jolt!