Driving in the Snow

Ok, now that we are firmly entrenched in winter and we`ve pretty much gone through the `Holy shit,the roads are slick" we can settle in for the long haul and always be ready for driving in the snow. Yesterday my GF saw that I was putting long underwear. When she mentioned something about it I simply told her I dress for the weather and not for the vehicle. Now growing up during a time before cell phones and roadside emergency phones and so on I made it point to always be prepared when it's -21 with a wind chill of -25 or 30 like it is today. Let me tell you,its no picnic to be stuck on the side of the road and freezing while your waiting for a tow truck. So a couple things I always made sure I have right handy are,

• a set of winter boots,
• a blanket
• 1 gallon metal can of some sort
• decent sized candle
• a good supply of matches or decent lighter 
• gasline antifreeze or Methyl hydrate
• jumper or booster cables
• winter work gloves

These are all things I have on top of what ever emergence tools I keep in the truck's tool box.

 

Being prepared

  Personally I believe that we should be taking the initiative when it comes time for our kids to learn how to drive. My youngest brother didn't have the benefit of either myself or my eldest brother around to inform him of some of the things you can run into during the winter. Fortunately for him, he grew up under the same circumstances we did so he was fully receptive to a little "cover your ass" information. Even though he drives an all wheel drive Subaru that's in top condition he also carries with him a full compliment of roadside emergency gear all the time. As well as the fact that he is fully dressed for winter even though he's driving. It took my daughter once of not listening to my advice about how quickly it gets cold when the truck isn't running. And by no means should we have to make sure our teenaged kids are dressed all the time, they're teenagers so by this stage of the game they should be well aware of what they are going to need during a road trip whether it's 30 degrees out or -30.

Communication

In this day and age we also tend to think that we're always in constant communication. There are spots however that are basically "black holes" out in the middle of nowhere. These are areas where your cell phone doesn't have service. If you find yourself parked in the ditch because of icy road conditions then having a few emergency items like those mentioned above can and will save your life. To be on the safe side,make sure you let someone know you are leaving and let someone know you are on your way when its -30 outside.