Winter Vehicle Stuff – Pt VI – Everything else

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So I’ve pretty much hit the highlights, but there’s still a dozen or so small items that aren’t really worth their own post but they are worth mentioning since they may nudge your thinking in a direction it hadn’t previously gone.

So what else? Well…entrenching tool, esbit stove/cup with tabs, spare batteries in a case, Maglite w/ spare batts, pocket AM/FM radio (with battery commonality with the flashlight), a few ration bars, water pouches, first aid kit, TP, a good book, space blanket (for use as a ground sheet in case you have to kneel out there on the wet snow to change a tire or something), sheath knife, notepad and pen, and a few other items. It’s not hard to imagine…just think, if you were sitting in the dark and cold overnight what would you want to have with you while youre tucked away in your sleeping bag? Go from there.

Depending on your preferences and tastes, this can be as much or as little stuff as you think you need. And it can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you’re comfortable with. Me, I’ve got no problem paying extra $$$ for the name-brand quality stuff. When it’s -10 and I’m huddled in a sleeping bag trying to make it through the night I doubt I will be patting myself on the back for saving a few bucks by buying the Walmart-brand batteries and flashlight. You can buy the Made In China bargain parachute, not me.

But, as we all know, the first rule of disaster survival is: don’t be there. If it’s calling for 10″ of snow and high winds….stay home. Open a can of chicken soup, sit on the couch under a blanket, and watch Big Bang Theory reruns.

15 thoughts on “Winter Vehicle Stuff – Pt VI – Everything else”

  1. a pee bottle. i see kansas folks stuck in ice/snow today. thousands they say, ng called out to get them. nowhere to pee when you’re bumper to bumper on the interstate, lol. maybe a little bucket, for the other outlet? love this series, thought provoking/action inspiring.

    • Good call on the pee bottle, I’d go for a cleaned fabric softener bottle as I find that they all ways have a wide mouth.

  3. Most survival foods are very high in carbs – which is fine for most people – but not diabetics. The last thing I need in an emergency is to end up in a carb coma. The best low carb portable food I’ve found (so far) is Epic meat bars. They taste good and – depending on the variety – have carb counts as low as zero. Even the highest carb bars are only 12 or so – quite safe if I’m going to be active.

    I keep a couple in my purse at all times. They don’t have the shelf life of the high carb bars, but I’m sure they’ll still be edible past the best-by date.

    • Thanks for the heads up! I’ve just resigned myself to the higher carbs in most storage food, and the sleepiness that follows. Having just restarted an Atkins plan, I was really missing having a bar in the truck when driving.

      I’ve ordered the sampler pack and hope to enjoy them. I certainly like meat, especially pig!

      nick

  4. That bucket you are carrying your sleeping bag in? Cut a length of large diameter heater hose that will wrap around the rim. Split it lengthwise with a razor knife. That size of hose usually has a curve, so make your split cut in the side, not the inside or outside, so it will stay in place on the bucket. Store it in the bucket. If you need to take a dump, fit the hose around the rim to make sitting bearable. Don’t toss the hose into the bucket when done, you may need to use it again, before your trip is over.

    BTW, it is better if you use a new bucket for this. Like plastic cutting boards, bacteria hides in the scratches, so washing is more effective if it remains smooth. Alternatively, buy a new bucket if you end up using it for this purpose.

    • Or do like they did with the old Civil Defense water drum/toilets: put a plastic bag in it, do your thing, remove and dispose of bags. A half dozen small garbage bags would take up no space and be useful in a myriad of other ways too.

    • Same trick works with a length of pool noodle, and the noodle is softer than rad hose and cheaper. Pro tip: put a couple kitchen trash bags in the bucket under the sleeping bag; when “in use” the noodle (or rad hose) will hold them in place, keeping the bucket clean and simplifying transport/disposal.
      Extra Pro Tip: double bag.
      Not So Pro Tip: the bucket thing ain’t so useful inside a compact car (or the front seat of a pickup) so it pays to develop some suitable procedure for using it outside (and leaving it there) because you do not want to risk spliiing it inside….and a length of cardboard (a piece of file folder works and takes up less space when disposed of in the bucket ) folded down the center will assist at least one of the genders in ensuring everything winds up in the bucket; particularly useful for male children. Just sayin’….

  5. Rain gear stays in my car year round.

    Yes, my winter coats are pretty water-resistant. But here in Upstate NY, especially in January, its not at all unusual, for winter temperatures to spike and all that snow coming down turn into rain on a 40+ degree day.

    Perfect example just this last week. Sunday Jan 8th we had a high temp of 18 degrees (F), snow on the ground. Tuesday the 10th the high was 33, and the snow coming down changed to pouring rain (which in turn resulted in 1/2″ of ice on everything by Wednesday morning), and Thursday the 12th the high was 54 with more pouring rain! By Saturday the 14th we were back to normal with a high of 26.

    This sort of January thaw happens most years here. We’ll go back to collecting snow before long, meanwhile we enjoy the warmer temps when they happen. But it means that your average “winter prep” car pack needs extra additions year round here!

  6. Maybe I missed this, or maybe you didn’t say, and maybe OPSEC will keep you from saying, but, what are you driving, anyway?

      • Oh, HELL no! The vw aircooled heater systems were not very good, especially for sustained driving in below freezing temps. Just keeping the windows defrosted was a problem. They handled well in snow. Good traction. One of the reasons people kept buying them in the North East states, I guess.
        The Willy’s 4×4 Wagon, that my father stored in the town that was down-mountain from his hunting cabin, had the optional twin heaters. Just the ticket for running around the mountain roads and trails covered in snow. That SUV sized body needed two heaters.

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