Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “My Winter Survival Story — Don’t Make The Same Mistakes!” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/my-winter-survival-story/.
My Winter Survival Story — Don’t Make The Same Mistakes!
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Talyn
SAINT
While winter severity varies across the country anyone living in the northern-tier states need to take extra precautions & preparations, especially when traveling our "longer" distances from point A to B.
One key factor is having "real" & quality snow-tires. So-call "all-season" tires just don't cut it when the going gets tough.
One key factor is having "real" & quality snow-tires. So-call "all-season" tires just don't cut it when the going gets tough.
Sld1959
Hellcat
Good article. It's important to remember how fast things can go sideways in all sorts of weather extremes. In cold weather the body slows blood flow to the extremities to keep the core warm and functioning. Loose mittens are a god send to the hands. A couple things we carry in our winter car kit are extemra wool socks, loose sheep's wool slippers for both of us and large size wool boot liners. When stranded we can remove boots and shoes and get our feet into something more insulated. You do not want anything tight, air space insulates and keeps feet warmer.
Sld1959
Hellcat
Come winter time I always put on snow tires. In truck beds I put a sheet of plywood then lay a layer of sandbags down and cover with another sheet of plywood. This allows use of the bed like normal but adds hundreds of pounds over the rear axle.
Talyn
SAINT
I have my "snows" (Bridgestone Blizzaks w/no studs) on separate rims (all four) so I watch how the snowline starts coming down the mountains, the temps as they drop to 32 all day, and weather reports for any snow that's supposed to stick in the valley bottom if I'm not traveling out of my area and going over a pass(s).
When all those signs are coming together, I swap the tires out in the driveway in about 30 min. I put a couple 50 lbs bags of sand in the bed & I'm good to go. Usually all that happens in mid-November but it could come earlier.
By th middle of March I swap back to my summer tires. I can get several years of use out of both sets, especially the "snows" since running them on bare pavement with temps above 32 wears the soft rubber off faster.
BassCliff
Professional
Thank you Mike!
This is timely information. Thanks to all of you for sharing your suggestions and experiences. This winter will be the first real winter I've had to live through. I've been a California boy for so long I need all the help I can get to ready Mrs. BassCliff and I for winter here in the upper Midwest, near Milwaukee. I have cold weather motorcycle riding gear to keep me warm but there are many other things on the list I'll need to prepare, like hand warmer packets. Good stuff Maynard!
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “My Winter Survival Story — Don’t Make The Same Mistakes!” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/my-winter-survival-story/.
This is timely information. Thanks to all of you for sharing your suggestions and experiences. This winter will be the first real winter I've had to live through. I've been a California boy for so long I need all the help I can get to ready Mrs. BassCliff and I for winter here in the upper Midwest, near Milwaukee. I have cold weather motorcycle riding gear to keep me warm but there are many other things on the list I'll need to prepare, like hand warmer packets. Good stuff Maynard!
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Bassbob
Emissary
Being also from the midwest I can tell you our winters are very cold and can yield a lot of snowfall, but nothing like what you see "Up nort". In the mountains a truck is king. Roads that rarely see a plow abound. And snowfall can be staggering. In urban and semi-urban areas in the midwest you are often better served by compact, front wheel drive vehicles. I once had a beat to hell Dodge Omni with a 4 cylinder and front wheel drive. I passed many trucks, including 4 wheel drives, in ditches and stuck on the side of roads with that little car. It was like a tractor. It never, ever left me stranded anywhere.
The Night Rider
Professional
The fact that I knew where the story was going might be coloring my opinion but when the author said 15 minutes into the the trip we knew we had a problem I would have turned around and gone back to the hotel then and there.
I have one specific rule that I live by that keeps me from doing stupid things "Always err on the side of caution."
I also have a flameless, fumless propane heater that lives in my car
I have one specific rule that I live by that keeps me from doing stupid things "Always err on the side of caution."
I also have a flameless, fumless propane heater that lives in my car
Talyn
SAINT
One addition is that folks that live in winter-long "snow" country, whether mountainous or flat-landers, need to know how to drive in those conditions.
You can't drive like its summertime. Folks need to slow down and look ahead to scope out driving conditions.
Stopping distances increase a lot due to the white stuff on the pavement. While snow has more traction than "ice" you have to look ahead for your stops, and slow down on curves.
In canyons sunlight may not reach the pavement sue to the reduced sun angles in the winter months so shaded areas will hold ice vs. those parts that get some sun to burn it off.
You can't drive like its summertime. Folks need to slow down and look ahead to scope out driving conditions.
Stopping distances increase a lot due to the white stuff on the pavement. While snow has more traction than "ice" you have to look ahead for your stops, and slow down on curves.
In canyons sunlight may not reach the pavement sue to the reduced sun angles in the winter months so shaded areas will hold ice vs. those parts that get some sun to burn it off.
Sld1959
Hellcat
One thing to remember is try to stay warm, not get cold then try to warm up. If you find yourself stuck, with cell phones today it's usually best to hunker down and call for help. Wool blankets hats, mittens, loose insulated footwear all will help keep you warmer.
To generate heat small heaters if you have room and chemical hand warmers will help generate heat. I even have a couple nifty rechargeable handwarmers from my bus driving days. Be real careful of candles and heaters which create carbon monoxide in such small enclosed spaces, same goes for running the car for heat, fumes can make thier way in even if the tail pipe is clear. I knew a lady who had carbon monoxide poisoning from being in a running car for a sexual tryst. She spent the rest of her 30s and up until her death in a nursing home with a very limited mental capacity.
Always carry spare boots and socks if you do not wear them every single time you leave the house. Walking in snow in tennis shoes or dress shoes is bad juju.
Remember it's the dead air in layers which keeps you warm, leave tight clothes for summer.
To generate heat small heaters if you have room and chemical hand warmers will help generate heat. I even have a couple nifty rechargeable handwarmers from my bus driving days. Be real careful of candles and heaters which create carbon monoxide in such small enclosed spaces, same goes for running the car for heat, fumes can make thier way in even if the tail pipe is clear. I knew a lady who had carbon monoxide poisoning from being in a running car for a sexual tryst. She spent the rest of her 30s and up until her death in a nursing home with a very limited mental capacity.
Always carry spare boots and socks if you do not wear them every single time you leave the house. Walking in snow in tennis shoes or dress shoes is bad juju.
Remember it's the dead air in layers which keeps you warm, leave tight clothes for summer.
Bemused Berserker
Elite
We've lived in the foothills of the Front Range of the Rockies for nearly 60 years. We keep two kits ready to go year round. A Fair Weather kit, and a second Winter Weather kit that can be tossed into the hatch from September to April. Electric Socks and Hand Warmers are a part of that kit.
Fortunately, we've never had a breakdown worse than a flat tire, but you never know when that string of luck will run out.
Authot, I'm glad you'll survived your experience. It could have been so much worse.
Fortunately, we've never had a breakdown worse than a flat tire, but you never know when that string of luck will run out.
Authot, I'm glad you'll survived your experience. It could have been so much worse.
Great article, glad it worked out as it did. One point I’d like to make, the chemical handwarmers really won’t generate much heat especially in those temps. I use them while hunting and they will never get warm enough to work well in boots. They need oxygen to function and do ok inside gloves or pockets down to low teens. They will get hot once you bring them indoors, but barely warm in sub zero temps.
blues_hawk
Operator
I do a lot of hiking in the southern Virginia mountains and winter can sneak up on you, usually with wet slick ice, sometimes only when the wind blows. My wife has that sensitivity to cold so I always keep a few of those hot hands warmers in my pouch or pack just in case she needs them.