a few years ago Minneapolis got hit with a long nasty winter.



now i don't want to use the word "panic" but the thought of having my old canoe hauling car break down drove me to some over the top survival ideas....like...



turning the car into something like a mountain hut.



this winter i dialed things back a bit.with a good cell phone as a in city PLB and a bag of my old but very good winter parka,boots,gloves,wool pants and a ski mask i should be able to stay warm until a tow truck arrives.
most places i drive this in the winter i could walk home from! our SUV is new and i don't worry about it snapping a belt or having a major part fail like this 92 might do.
we are not out West or in farm country where help could be a problem. the Minneapolis area has plenty of traffic or places to walk into to wait if i did not want to stay with the car.

I live across the border from you in Sioux Falls, SD. This time of year in this part of the country everyone with half a brain is doing what you're doing. Sadly, nowadays it seems like few people do have at least half a brain! Your kit looks good. Right now all I have in my truck is an extra coat, cap and gloves along with some traction mats that have worked pretty well in the past. Next time I take a trip out of town I'll add a bit more winter supplies.

Even in warmer places, a good kit makes sense. I have always had a sleeping bag, as well as a canteen or two, and a few Clif bars...Screwdrivers and pliers come in very handy.

I remember that winter, I pulled out about 30 people over the winter, and about 17 in one storm. Lets hope for a nice mild winter.

after reading that Tyber saved 17 cars in just one storm i added a few things to my kit



it might take hours for that tow so a hot cup of coco and a MRE brownie will take the chill off.the ash tray is to hold that large candle which by the way is made from a wax you can eat!!

Wax you can eat?

Regards,
Bill

We've had some great winter car survival threads. Worth dusting off one or two of those.

My driving is mostly east coast and not on remote roads but even in the middle of the city on a clear day I've waited 2 hours for a AAA tow truck to show up. So my major criteria for winter car survival is the ability to simply stay warm in the car. To that end, my winter car gear includes:

20-degree sleeping bag
down booties
gloves/hat/neck gaiter/balaclava/long underwear
chemical hand warmers
Gore-Tex boots, Smartwool socks, waterproof pants

Year around, I have the usual assortment of survival stuff in there, such as fire-making gear and water. Throw in some energy bars and I and passengers would be in decent shape for situations short of armageddon.

My dog (a Samoyed) is often with me so for her I keep a few days of food and water in the car (an SUV). It's a dehydrated raw dog food which is great for travel. She'd be the first to get cranky if we were stranded on some road during her dinner hour.

Remember that a top priority for winter car survival is keeping ample gas in the fuel tank so you can run the heater. When I get to half a tank -- especially in inclement weather -- I start looking for a gas station.

.

Bill..when i first found ETS some years ago i sort of went "survival crazy",in a nice way.no basement full of stuff but i did look around the web for gear that might come in handy if a canoe trip went bad.before ETS it was just a few things in a PFD and what in the world was a PLB and they cost what!!
so anyway i found a supplier who sold edible candles.
"shave some on toast" was the lead on the sales blurb.
so i got a few.made from the oils found in olives and other foods rather than petro oils you should be able to eat one in a pinch.what got me into the "eat your candles" idea was reading some old,pre WW1,accounts of British hikers and climbers doing that when they were lost or snowbound.maybe back then tallow candles were still available.

Never letting your gas tank get below half full is also a good idea in earthquake country. EQs will really shake up and disrupt the gasoline distribution system.

Historically I've been pretty bad about keeping my gas tank topped off. But I've been making a concerted effort to keep my truck up above half full. In the winter it's essential; one might have to run the engine for awhile or one might get stuck. Gotta have some margin for error.

Now that we have a Costco in Sioux Falls (yay!) I stop every Monday and top off.