Well, I am taking a big step here and moving from Florida to Colorado. I just wanted to throw out a couple of thoughts that I had...

According to the unofficial ETS map, I will be the first ETSer in Colorado. Are people in Colorado really less prepared than in other areas?

From an equipped point of view, this is definately going to be different. Florida is not exacly a very comfortable place to live for many months out of the year, but there is really very little here that is actually life-threatening. Almost everywhere in the state you are close to water. If you have a good filtration system, finding water is almost never a problem. If anything, the problem is that there is too much water. Mosquitos and opressive heat and humidity might make things miserable, but not very likely to kill you. The native fauna is another story, but you can avoid them. The total amount of time that is spent below freezing can be measured in hours per year.

Colorado, on the other hand, will be more of a challenge. Out there, the weather can kill you. Besides freezing cold, it is also a much drier state. I do intend to spend as much time in the mountains as my family can tolerate (which might not be much since I have a five-year-old and a four-year-old). I have only spent a couple of days in my entire life in snow, so this should be one heck of a learning experience.

Well, as Cody would say: "Party on!"

Moving to Colorado hey? Just watch out for 4 little kids: Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
No amount of preperation will help you with what they do there.

I'm going down to South Park, gonna have myself a time.......
(Really like those episodes. It sums up the state of the world so nicely!) <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Just because you look at the map don't believe the info is complete.

There are quite a few folks ETS even if not registered.

Colorado CAN kill you with- rattlesnakes, drought, tornado, rockslide, avalanche, lightning, flooding, treefall, West Nile Virus, road accident, hypothermia, home invasion, tainted spinach, ballistic sugar beets, mountain lions, black bears, rabid dogs, and so forth.
Some things you CAN do here that you can't in Florida- climb to safety in event of flash flood. Wait for the alligators to freeze in winter, wait for the skeeters to freeze, hunt Elk, hunt mountain lion, pan for gold, cut trees for heating fuel, stand on a mountain ridge and look all the way to Kansas and look down on airplanes going by.
No matter where you go there are threats to survival. New place- new rules.

Unimogbert

That sounds like an interesting story.

Yup. I guess that was the point of my post.

Colorado is, at least to me, a lot more beautiful than Florida. But it also seems more dangerous. Maybe it is because I grew up in Florida, and the thought of alligators, sharks, and the most lightning of anywhere is the US is very familiar to me.

hey Unimogbert,

You really know how to cheer up a guy who is about to move there. <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

Just watch out for 4 little kids: Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny!

I thought they killed Kenny !?!? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

"You really know how to cheer up a guy who is about to move there."

Sincerity test. We see lots of Californians wither and die in their first snow-driving event. I f igure Floridians may have some similar insufficiency of information.

Ballistic sugar beet- motorcyclist killed by a 4 lb beet to the chest dropping off an oncoming beet truck on a 55 mph road.

Life just isn't safe!

Wow... talk about a freak accident!

That is the one thing that worries me the most. I like cold weather. I got the honor of driving one during a blizard in Virginia - not my idea of fun.

"That is the one thing that worries me the most. I like cold weather. I got the honor of driving one during a blizard in Virginia - not my idea of fun."

It's wise to be concerned. Now go figure out what you can do to help yourself equipment and skillwise. Then get the equipment and learn the skills.

I commute 100 miles per day. Have been doing so for 3 years. A few days each winter I leave early to beat the stupidity,er, traffic. But it hasn't been as much of a problem as I thought it would be when I started this job. But I DO manipulate my working hours so as to not be driving in the peak of the rush.

It's like combat in a way and they ARE trying to kill me (but they'll make it look like an accident).
If you have the ETS mindset you'll be fine. Observe, think, plan, execute and continue to refine your skills and equipment.

If you want to continue this offline shoot me a private message and we can talk some more. I've been here 23 years and Colorado hasn't killed me yet.....

unimogbert

New place, new rules. Absolutely correct.

As a New Englander with some of the same conditions, I would suggest a few things for wintertime. Most of them you've heard before.

1. Different EDC bag in the back of the car. Include blanket, spare windshield washer fluid, rainwear, winter wipers (minimizes snowpack on the blades), jumper cables. And on and on.

2. Snow tires. FOUR! The brakes don't stop the car, they stop the wheels. The tires stop the car. I want as much advantage over the snow as I can get. And if you are driving 4WD or AWD, in that case get FOUR snow tires. It will matter less getting up the hill, but just as important coming down the other side and stopping before sliding into the intersection.

3. Driving in winter. Nothing is as important to make certain you get where you are going as slowing down. If you are on the highway you should be in the right lane. If you pass anyone, slow down.

Yes, this is pretty conservative advice. And, of course, modify these rules as you gain experience. But that first winter will be a BIG learning experience for you.

When I was in the USMC, we went to Minnesota for winter training. The tenp was -10F. We had some guys in the unit from Florida who had never seen snow before. They went out & played in the snow & got hypothermia. They had to be taken to the hospital to be thawed out!

Oh - and if your truely want EVERY advantage in the snow - get a set of chains (again, 4 if you have 4wd) and toss them in the trunk. You might use them 1-2 times a decade, but when you need them, there is nothing like them

"Oh - and if your truely want EVERY advantage in the snow - get a set of chains (again, 4 if you have 4wd) and toss them in the trunk. You might use them 1-2 times a decade, but when you need them, there is nothing like them "

Amen. But before you toss them in the trunk, try installing them. Find out if they FIT and what kind of monkeying around is needed to get them installed. Do it in good weather at the time of your choosing so you don't waste your time lying in snow trying to make chains go onto tires that are 2 sizes bigger than stock.....

Turns out our Floridian is going to take a job in a building I worked in for a period. So we have lots to talk about.

Wonders of the Internet :-)

unimogbert

yes,samhain, they did kill Kenny...many, many times! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Actually the "Try them before you need them" is something you should do with ALL of your gear

I am back in Colorado after a 10 year respite. All Dangerous aspects aside I love it, feel safe living here, and will always come back here.

The mountains are rich with resources. If I have to eek it out and can get to a particular spot in the mountains, I’m going and never leaving. The amount of animals is incredible. It’s easier to get water in the mountains. If you are going to be bored you might as well be surrounded by beauty.

I don't think Denver is a huge target in the grand scheme of things.

Water is a problem. Store it, have a plan. Drought is my biggest concern right now.

People in Colorado are prepared. You can be alot of miles from anywhere in a hurry, we have places called "Last Chance" and "No Name" for a reason. You better believe these people are prepared.

You will get comfortable here quickly. Every place has its own set of circumstances. The weather is hard to beat.

Snow, it’s not that bad. Snow comes down in feet and melts the next day because it’s back up to 70*. A key to surviving in snow is to know how your vehicles respond to it. Spend some time in a parking lot after a snow and get used to how it feels to be out of control. Soon you will never truly be out of control. Practice, practice, practice.

Unimog Guy, do you actually have one? I wish I did.

Where are you moving to in Colorado???

Colorado Springs.

Only 10 days until moving day!