Winter Travel Preparedness

It's that time of year.  Driving conditions can change without warning, and suddenly you find yourself sliding along on an icy road, or trying to find your way through a blinding snowstorm.  Even the best drivers can experience difficulty, and it's good policy to expect the unexpected.  Just like when you go for that casual stroll in the woods: anticipate that everything will go smoothly, but always be prepared in case it doesn't. 

With that in mind, I've created an EDC for my car.  Once the weather turns cold, the kit never leaves my vehicle.  It isn't a full survival kit and it's definitely not fancy, but it will give me what I need to manage until help arrives.  It's also portable in case it isn't safe to stay with my vehicle and I need to hike to safety or set up shelter elsewhere.

This is used in addition to my usual car kit (jumper cables, flares and emergency signs, window emergency seat-belt cutter/glass breaker), as well as the items I carry on my person like my cell phone, water bottle and granola bars. 



Old backpack stuffed filled with items for warmth: wool blanket : poncho : multi-tool : bungee cords:  9x12 tarp : small emergency first aid/survival kit

Small Emergency Kit (kept in car year round):

basic first aid kit with bandages, pain reliever, gloves, gauze, tape, sling, blister pack, tweezers, alcohol wipes, instructional book and glucose tabs : emergency blanket : string : matches in waterproof container : candle : compass : elastic : expandable towels : flashlight.

Backpack (winter kit):


 over-sized (so it can go over top of another coat) water resistant jacket with hood and removable fleece liner : hood/hat : scarf : cotton and leather insulated work gloves : boots big enough for extra socks : 2 pairs of thick socks : lined water resistant snow pants : sleeping bag (not shown)



fire starting kit : paracord : handwarmers : toilet paper : candles in jar (windproof holder) : knife : compass : emergency blanket 

I've focused a large percentage of my kit on items to keep me warm, since cold is likely to be the biggest issue.   I usually travel close to main routes in populated areas (unless I'm headed for camp, in which case I'll have all the gear I need), so a short-term survival kit should be sufficient for my needs.  If you travel in more remote areas, you may wish to prepare a larger kit for long-term use and include a water filtration kit and pot for boiling, as well as extra food.  Alter your kit to suit your personal needs, making sure to cover the basic necessities of shelter, warmth, water and food. You can survive without food, but eating will help keep you warm and thinking clearly.  Of course the hope is, you won't need anything from your kit at all. 

Hope for the best....prepare for the worst. 

 

 

BG