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If you missed my last post, you can check it out here!
It was a lot of fun taking a different approach. Not only that, but I got to share many things I have wanted to with you. So, I hope you liked it.
Now, I’m back to my regular posts, but I honestly had no clue what to write about this week.
So I started reading some of my older posts. That gave me the idea to share reshare with you some of my cold-weather techniques and ideas. You can say they are for survival, but they are just good things to remember.
I will be linking to other posts I’ve written. Please check those out as well. Let me know what you think!
Cold Weather Survival Tips
Learning about what to look for, such as frostbite (waxy/pale/cold skin, tingling or numbness) and hypothermia (shivering, confusion, change in your mood), is extremely important for survival.
If you are out in freezing weather, you must learn what to look for. You should always have a first aid kit, better yet, one for the cold winter months, and know how to use it.
And always keep extra supplies with you. If you ask me, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. But with that said, I generally overpack for everything.
So let’s keep the extra supplies for water, food, medication, and first aid. Once you have those basics, you can find out what else you need.
Pets
I will cover this later but now is as good of a time as any. Remember to take care of your pets and animals too. Remember that if you are cold, they probably are too.
If you can, bring them inside, cover them up, have dry bedding, and have extra water for them will help.
Check out this article if you want more ideas for pet first aid!
Your Vehicle
If you are like me, you spend as much time in your vehicle as you do your home. Not only that, but you could do a cheap conversion and have your very own car camper!
Speaking of vehicles, I was reading the AAA website and saw that it is estimated AAA will rescue more than 350,000 stranded motorists across the country between December and January.
I had to read that again because I couldn’t believe it.
If you read the AAA article further, you will find three main culprits for the rescue calls. I bet you won’t be surprised, and I will share them with you in a second.
But, using this information, we can make sure we are prepared before leaving on an adventure.
The top three reasons include flat tires, dead batteries, and lockouts. Let’s get into each one briefly:
Tires
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- It’s easy to check the tire pressure, but when did you last look at the tire tread?
- If you are driving on under-inflated tires, you may very well experience a tire blowout.
- To prevent this, look for cuts, gouges, or any bludges in the tire sidewall. Check your tire tread by inserting a quarter upside down between the tread. If you can still see the top of Washington’s head, you need new tires. Last, make sure your tire pressure is at the manufacturer’s specifications (you can locate the PSI on the tire’s sidewall or check out the sticker on the driver door jamb).
Battery
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- You can check this yourself. Just pay attention to when you start your vehicle. If it starts much slower than normal, that could indicate that your battery is dying.
- Another thing to consider is if your battery is five years old. That could be a good time to get it tested at a shop. I know many auto shops will check your battery for FREE.
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Keys
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- I think we have all locked ourselves out of our cars (or homes) at least once. It sucks. And that is when you are very thankful for a service such as AAA.
- If you are traveling in your car, I advise getting a spare key made. I got one made that I keep in my backpack or wallet. I am happy to report that I’ve never needed it, but I’m glad it’s there. Side note, the key I made was just a blank (there is no key fob or anything else on it, it’s just a key). That means that I cannot start my car with it. It’s only to unlock my car if I ever lock my keys inside.
If you are traveling, always remember to check the winter advisories. Remember that if the report tells you that it is dangerous to be on the roads, it’s DANGEROUS TO BE ON THE ROADS!
Sometimes, you don’t have a choice and still need to travel. In that case, make sure you give yourself plenty of extra time to get to your destination. And like when going hiking, always tell someone where you are going.
My Mum always knows where I am, or at least the general area I plan to be.
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- Remember always to check the things listed above. This is extremely important before leaving on any road trip.
- If you don’t take your car to the mechanic, make sure you top off all your fluids (windshield cleaner, brake transmission, oil, coolant, power steering fluid, and so on).
- Bring some extra food and water.
- It doesn’t hurt to have dry clothing and even some extra blankets.
- The other thing I make sure I have is my auto emergency kit. As you know, I have multiple kits, but this one is always in my car.
Your Home
Just as a vehicle, you must have your home ready for winter. Ensuring your home is repaired for winter is very similar to having your home prepared for fire season.
There is always something you can do now to make it easier later.
For example, do you live in an area where your pipes are prone to freezing? If so, you need to insulate and get your pipes ready.
Nobody wants to run out of water.
One thing you can do is to wrap the pipes up or, if you can, have the faucets drip (the first one is a better option, but both can help prevent them from freezing)
- Familiarize yourself with your family plan and where the emergency shelters are in your area
- Do you use a wood stove or fireplace? Remember to have them vented to the outside (I forgot one time, and the house was engulfed in smoke after a few minutes, now I always make sure I move the vent)
- If you are using a generator, it is important to remember not to use them inside or in the garage. This can build up fumes such as carbon monoxide that will ruin your holiday.
As always, make sure you and your family know the plan in an emergency. If you need help with this, click here to learn how to make your own family plan.
Reading the above link is one of the most important things you can do for your family (in my own opinion).
Winter Weather Conditions
Depending on where you are in the world, knowing what the winter conditions are will help you a lot.
I have read and listened to the news often and didn’t always know what they were discussing.
To help with this, I have a few words and definitions that might help you out.
- Freezing Rain – Rain that freezes when it hits the ground. This is known to create a coating of ice on roads, walkways, trees, and power lines.
- Sleet – Rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet causes moisture on roads, making roads and walkways prone to freezing and slippery.
- Winter Storm Warning – Indicates that a storm is or will be in the area shortly. If you plan on traveling, pay close attention to these warnings. Don’t forget to leave yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.
- Blizzard Warning – If you ask me, these are super crazy and sort of fun. I know, I have a strange sense of fun. But you will find sustained winds around 35 miles per hour. And you will have a ton of snow. Your visibility will be less than a quarter-mile. This is the time when you do not want to be outdoors. Stay inside, make a fire, and have some hot cocoa.
- Frost Advisory – These are super common, where temperatures of 33 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit. Generally, there will be clear skies and light winds over a widespread area. For the Farmers out there, this sucks because plants and crops outdoors may be damaged.
- Freeze Warning – Simply temperatures of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. I believe they call anything below 28 degrees a hard freeze as well.
Do You Have Anything To Add?
Well, for not knowing what I would write about, this was a super long post.
I hope you learned something new, and feel free to click on any of the links sprinkled throughout this post. They all will go to previously written content by me.
As you can imagine, many other things for winter weather survival techniques exist. I’m sure while you were reading this, you came up with some of your own.
If so, please share them below. I would love to hear them.
Thanks for all the tips. I try to do the basics, but it’s always good to be reminded.
Where I live, there is a summit that I avoid about six months out of the year because of the possibility of snow. It’s one thing to have the tools you need (like all wheel drive), but it’s another thing to have the skill to use that tool (I admit that I do not). I feel like I’m doing all the other travelers a favor when I stay off the high roads.
Also, you reminded me to put something in my car. I keep kitty litter in the car during the winter to help when there is trouble with traction on ice etc. OK… Before I get called out on this… I did forget to put it in the car last year. I got stuck. My awesome son walked a mile and a half to get to me and rescue me. It was a dangerous situation and I was totally freaked out. He’s the best!
That always makes me laugh but in a good way. It would be nice if others stayed home too, it would make for less crowded streets. Driving in the snow is definitely a skill that many don’t have (I still don’t understand why people drive so fast, but then you see them down the road in the ditch).
And what a great son you have ?
What’s the best way to survive a cold-weather survival situation? You’ll find that there are many techniques and ideas in this article.
Do you know how much time it takes for your body temperature to adjust when going from the summer heat, into fall/winter conditions?? It can take days! This means if something happens where temperatures drop below freezing point.
Thanks for the comment SOS Survival Products. This topic could be an entire series of articles, but I wanted to see if there was any interest before diving more into it.