A bit of snow up on the mountains today…none down here in the valley. Checking last years posts, I see that we had our first snowfall in the valley right around this time last year. Well, at least it’s consistent.
Survivalists in the south lament that when the apocalypse comes, summer will be unbearable without air conditioning. I suspect they are right. And while summers up here will be just fine, the winters will be downright lethal. But…I’ve a goodly stash of alternate fuels, warm clothes, and food, so if we do lose power in some sort of ‘storm of the millennia’ blizzard I’ll be juuuuuuuust fine.
But…I suppose this means it’s time to migrate the winter gear back into the vehicle. But first…inspect it. Swap out all batteries, regardless of whether they’ve been used or not. Check gear like radios and flashlights for function. Inspect food/water for degradation. That sorta thing. Sitting by the side of the road when its five below zero is no time to learn that the radio won’t work, the flash light is dead, the mice got into the PopTarts, and your spouse took the blanket outta the car. Ya gotta check this stuff, man!
Some previous commentary on the subject:
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Winter vehicle stuff – Pt. I
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Winter vehicle stuff – Pt. II – Candle lantern
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Winter vehicle stuff – Pt. III – Visual signals
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Winter vehicle stuff – Pt. IV- Sleeping bag(s)
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Winter Vehicle Stuff – Pt V – Clothes
Of course, you are supposed to add/remove things to this basic list as you deem necessary. One size has never fitted all.
Living all my life waaay down there in Texas, I’ve wondered how much more critical having a car kit is than here. Seeing blizzards shutting down a road or mountain pass, having critical supplies on hand IS a matter of life and death. Not comfort – for all the marbles.
I share your feelings about winter. Where I am, the power goes out on a regular basis which means no water and there are times when getting into town can be a bit of a chore. During an average winter we will get around two to three yards of snow dumped upon us. So we make sure to have the necessities like extra food/water/power and an alternate way to heat taken care of.
The reactions I get are funny when southern friends who bitch about summer heat listen as I describe to them how we tend to get frost quakes and have had trees pop from the cold. Getting stranded out here in the winter without a way to get out of being stuck or stay warm until help arrives can, and does, kill people.
Because of the extreme cold here in Wisconsin and me not using my car much, I keep my winter car kit in a duffle bag tucked out out the way by my front door. I figure it would be nice to not have my stuff frozen solid if I ever need to use it.
Before I moved north, I believed that freezing to death was a fairly easy way to go – that’s what I’d read. Then I read “The Children’s Blizzard” by David Laskin – very educational.
One winter morning we helped a couple whose truck slid into a ditch the night before. They weren’t well prepared, but they did have a full tank of gas & were able to keep warm. Since then I’ve added keeping the gas tank full to my winter car preps. When you live in the boonies you never know when you might be the one needing help.
Yup, I was having anxiety until I topped off the 42 gallon diesel tank in the suburban tiday. I was (the horror!) almost down to half!