Winter Emergency Go Bag

[majorhavoc]

Probably not much in here that the seasoned UFoZS doesn't already know, but a timely reminder. And a good resource for lurkers and new members looking for info on prepping. And always great to see this kind of article in the mainstream press.

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-how-pack-go-bag-ahead-emergency

The one point in this article that I'll emphasize is that with just a few additions, a "go bag" can double as a winter emergency car kit. Consider that a bit of extra utility for anyone struggling to justify the expense of prepping.

I keep my get-home bag in my car at all times. But in addition to keeping basic things like jumper cables, tools and vehicular maintenance supplies in my car, each fall I add warmer clothing, a heavier sleeping bag and swap out my iso-butane backpacking stove for an Esbit stove that I know will work at any temperature.  Plus ice scrapers, folding shovel and traction aids (both for my feet and my car).

The point is, whatever you want to call your emergency bag, your car is generally a good place to store it. Sure there are some things you might choose not to keep there, like firearms, important papers and cash, for instance. But for the most part, having it in your vehicle will ensure it's there if you encounter a winter weather or other roadside emergency. 

[EBuff75]

Your setup sounds similar to mine.  I've got gear that stays in the vehicle year-round, but in winter, I add additional items for cold weather.  Shovel, scraper/brush, survival sleeping bag, extra clothes (wool socks, hat, gloves, coat, shirt, sweat pants, sweat shirt, thermal underwear, boots), another blanket (I've already got a waterproof stadium blanket and a wool blanket that I carry year-round), high-calorie food (candy bars, peanut butter, crackers, cans of soup/beans, etc.), mylar blankets, wiper fluid, and chafing fuel as a heater / stove (cheap, easy to pack, and can re-cap when done with use). 

In my Suburban (because I have additional room), I also include some items that I use for camping.  A plush carpet remnant (that I use for additional padding when camping, but in winter it's for extra floor insulation), window blocks (double-sided foil bubble paper insulation which is cut to fit each window), plus a 0'F rated XXL sleeping bag
0'F rated XXL sleeping bag. 

[Raptor]

Agreed great and timely point.

The key takeaway for me is that in winter a full tank of fuel, a shovel (to keep the exhaust clear) proper winter clothing (boots & parka) and a sleeping bag and/or blankets can be the difference between life and death.

https://news.yahoo.com/least-29-dead-buffalo-blizzard-224000002.html

I imagine these deaths are similar to the ones that result from hurricanes. The people know better but just underestimate the potential for fatal injuries.

As for the top photo I cannot imagine anything good coming out of walking to get out of that gridlock even with proper gear it looks like a long cold slog with nowhere to go. 

As a side note we had one person die from exposure in a nearby city in Mississippi. This is north of my farm but within 30 miles of the LA/MS border. It got and stayed very cold for over 36 hours.  He was dressed in jeans and a hoody for 25F temperatures and 20 knots of wind.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/slidell-man-dies-in-cold-weather-trying-to-get-to-family/article_21ed05ba-1783-5e60-8628-967a520eb6b4.html

 

[EBuff75]

Good point about keeping your gas tank full.  It's so ingrained now to fill up my tank whenever it's getting near the half-way point, that I sometimes forget that it's actually a prep to do so!  I still remember how many people ended up having to abandon their vehicles during the northeast blackout of 2003, because they ran out of gas while stuck in traffic. 

My mother asked me 3-4 times if I had blankets, food, etc. for my trip to their house for Christmas, which is about a 200 mile drive.  I assured her that I'd be fine and that I had all that and more.  There wasn't much snow in the parts of Michigan or Ohio that I had to drive through, but the wind was pretty bad, especially driving a large SUV.  I did get caught up in a big traffic snarl due to a fatal accident along the way, but that was the only issue I ran into.

CNN has a story about a 22-year old woman who died after being caught in the storm in Buffalo, NY last week.  She was only a few minutes away from her house, but wasn't prepared at all for a situation like this.  From reading the story, it does bring up another survival strategy though - if you're not prepared, it can't hurt to ask other stranded motorists if they can help.  Even if that help is just to be together in the same car, it would preserve body heat to have two people in the vehicle together.  And maybe they would have a blanket or food that could be shared as well.  While she was stranded, she mentioned to her family that there was another vehicle nearby.  Who knows what might have resulted if she had at least attempted to reach it.

[majorhavoc]

CNN has a story about a 22-year old woman who died after being caught in the storm in Buffalo, NY last week.  She was only a few minutes away from her house, but wasn't prepared at all for a situation like this.  From reading the story, it does bring up another survival strategy though - if you're not prepared, it can't hurt to ask other stranded motorists if they can help.  Even if that help is just to be together in the same car, it would preserve body heat to have two people in the vehicle together.  And maybe they would have a blanket or food that could be shared as well.  While she was stranded, she mentioned to her family that there was another vehicle nearby.  Who knows what might have resulted if she had at least attempted to reach it.

And I'd flip that around and also say that if you're stranded on a snowbound highway with other motorists and you ARE prepared, check in on others around you.  Who knows what might result if you can offer an extra blanket, a seat in your car or at least talk a panicky young person out of trying to walk to safety.

[majorhavoc]

I read your linked CNN article more closely, EBuff.  

After leaving multiple voicemail messages through the course of the holiday weekend, the family in Charlotte heard back from authorities on Monday evening. They were calling to let them know they were ready to go to rescue Taylor, Brown said. The Brown family informed them that Taylor's body had already been transported to the hospital the day before.
"I want to get to the bottom of why the city was unable to help," Brown Steele told CNN.

I get it that a grieving family would be understandably angry about authorities not getting to your loved one in time.  But what happened in Buffalo and elsewhere last Friday was a mass event; impacting hundreds of thousands.  NT2C and others have said it multiple times before: in a widespread emergency event, you can't count on responders helping you; at least not for a period of days or even weeks.  You have to be able to help yourself.  

This is why we prepare.

[EBuff75]

CNN has a story about a 22-year old woman who died after being caught in the storm in Buffalo, NY last week.  She was only a few minutes away from her house, but wasn't prepared at all for a situation like this.  From reading the story, it does bring up another survival strategy though - if you're not prepared, it can't hurt to ask other stranded motorists if they can help.  Even if that help is just to be together in the same car, it would preserve body heat to have two people in the vehicle together.  And maybe they would have a blanket or food that could be shared as well.  While she was stranded, she mentioned to her family that there was another vehicle nearby.  Who knows what might have resulted if she had at least attempted to reach it.

And I'd flip that around and also say that if you're stranded on a snowbound highway with other motorists and you ARE prepared, check in on others around you.  Who knows what might result if you can offer an extra blanket, a seat in your car or at least talk a panicky young person out of trying to walk to safety.

True, and that's partly why I've got so much kit in my vehicle.  That way there's enough to help others out at the same time, including bringing them into my vehicle if needed (the Suburban is great for this due to the size).  Same thing for my medical gear, because you never know when you might happen on a situation where more than one person needs help.

[Raptor]

NT2C and others have said it multiple times before: in a widespread emergency event, you can't count on responders helping you; at least not for a period of days or even weeks.  You have to be able to help yourself. 

This is why we prepare.

In most incidents you should assume you will be the only 1ST responder to show up for at least the first 5 minutes (maybe 3 to 5 days or even longer). You should assume this to be the case. Prepared accordingly.

The 22year old mentioned above likely died of CO poisoning from a clogged exhaust. CO and freezing to death have many of the same symptoms no pain, just an increase is sleepiness followed by a warm feeling. In some cases you simply go to sleep and never wake up.

In a heavy snow fall you may have to clear the exhaust every 15 minutes or so. I can only image the anxiety of having to leave a warm car 3 or 4 times an hour for 24 hours to shovel snow away (assuming you have a shovel) from the exhaust.

[Raptor]

I am putting this to show that even though we may be prepared;  many events may actually be worse than we are prepared to handle. Sometimes we will have to grab a shovel (plan B) and dig ourselves out of a hole. The key is to recognize when it is time to start shoveling (go to Plan B) and then to get out and do the hard work required by Plan B.
 
This a Youtube channel that documents a heated driveway in Buffalo NY. Seriously a channel that watches snow melt on a driveway. (You gotta love Youtube for the off the wall channels that exist on such subjects.)

It shows the drive way from December 23rd until December 26, 2022.

Spoiler alert the heated driveway could not deal with the worst of the storm and despite elaborate preps a Plan B was needed.

[majorhavoc]

NT2C and others have said it multiple times before: in a widespread emergency event, you can't count on responders helping you; at least not for a period of days or even weeks.  You have to be able to help yourself. 

This is why we prepare.

In most incidents you should assume you will be the only 1ST responder to show up for at least the first 5 minutes (maybe 3 to 5 days or even longer). You should assume this to be the case. Prepared accordingly.

The 22year old mentioned above likely died of CO poisoning from a clogged exhaust. CO and freezing to death have many of the same symptoms no pain, just an increase is sleepiness followed by a warm feeling. In some cases you simply go to sleep and never wake up.

In a heavy snow fall you may have to clear the exhaust every 15 minutes or so. I can only image the anxiety of having to leave a warm car 3 or 4 times an hour for 24 hours to shovel snow away (assuming you have a shovel) from the exhaust.

Apologies Raptor, it was you who I was thinking of, not NT2C (no disrepect to our forum benefactor).  You've hammered this point home multiple times over the years, borne of your experience with hurricane Katrina back in 2005.  It has made an impression on many of us.

[Anianna]

I've been thinking about this and how one conserves heat if you run out of fuel or if it becomes unsafe due to the exhaust getting snowbound.  I keep mylar emergency blankets in my car for such occasions, but I'm wondering if they're enough.  I'm thinking one of those mylar emergency sleeping bag bivy deals or a mylar poncho with a hood may be better options for events like this.

Keep in mind, that the conditions don't even need to be extreme for something like this to happen.  The I95 incident in Virginia last year started as a series of accidents in poor weather, the weather itself not really being significant enough to initially be a major problem.  It escalated due to degrading weather conditions to the point where crews had difficulty clearing multiple issues. 

The Virginia incident is also an example of fend for yourself just like Raptor has been saying.  While crews were focused on clearing obstacles, there were no authorities tending to stranded motorists, which was a common complaint pertaining to the incident.  DOTs are not in the business of ensuring everybody in a traffic jam has the accommodations they need, they are in the business of getting traffic moving again and that can take time.  There are no first responders in many events like these and you have to be prepared to take care of yourself, possibly for an extended period of time.

If you live in a place that snows, I suggest keeping an extra pair of snow boots and snow bibs in your vehicle.  If you do have to get out to shovel your exhaust, the worst thing is getting wet.  If you get wet in freezing conditions, you're much more susceptible to hypothermia.  I wonder if it would be better to just turn the car off and wrap up rather than risking getting wet to keep the car running if you don't have boots and bibs to stay dry in the snow.

[Blast]

I've been thinking about this and how one conserves heat if you run out of fuel or if it becomes unsafe due to the exhaust getting snowbound.  I keep mylar emergency blankets in my car for such occasions, but I'm wondering if they're enough. 

No, they are definitely not enough. They will reflect a lot of your heat back at you but they don't offer any insulation against the cold. Walmart has cheap, fuzzy blankets on sale right now that are decent insulation.
-Blast

[tirls]

There is a special mountaineering version of those emergency bivys that consists of 2 layers that form air filled pockets when in use. It is quite hard to find though, impossible to repack and still not intended for a nice cozy sleep. They are really more for reflecting some of your body heat and against wind chill.
I've experimented some with them as a backup when hiking to extend the range of your sleeping bag and they only give you about 5 degrees more and make you feel like a bag of crisps.

A solution against wet clothing is a vapour barrier. The idea is that you have a thin baselayer on and essentially sleep in a completely vapour resistant bag inside your sleeping bag. You stay wet, but don't lose any heat through it and it keeps your sleeping bag dry. It is widely used in winter expeditions to keep the down from collapsing through accumulated moisture.

We simply have a cheap winter sleeping bag in the back of our car that's rated to -15 Celsius. You can get them for around 50 Euros and you don't have to keep your car running.

[EBuff75]

Well, some of the new winter gear for my vehicles has arrived, but there's still more coming.  I have a lot of gear in my truck, but the winter portion of it isn't that well organized, so I ordered a cheap duffel bag to put it in.  This will be a dedicated winter gear bag which will go into storage during warmer weather, like what I already do for my car, although that one is a little smaller.  New gear that I've ordered to go into the bag includes:

• Wool blanket (I already have one in the truck, but this one will stay in the bag)
• A hat (I can never seem to find a winter hat when I need one, even though I probably have a half-dozen already, so I just bought a 3-pack of them in order to have extras!)
• Balaclava (same issue as hats - I swear that there's a dimension for missing hats / gloves / socks)
• A couple of Mylar, emergency blankets

I'm going to pick up some cheap clothes to throw in as well - sweatshirt, sweat pants, thermal underwear, and some winter gloves (I have a hard time finding gloves which fit properly, so I didn't want to try ordering anything online).  I still need to swing by the Army Surplus store to look at some new boots to use for CERT.  Once I've got new ones, I'll "retire" the old ones and just keep them in the truck year-round.

I also ordered a cheap sleeping bag to stick in my car for the winter (in addition to the two blankets which are already in the car).  I've got a larger / nicer bag in the truck where I've got the room to store it, but I don't have one which is small enough to put in the cargo area of my Mazda hatchback.  (I have two other bags, but they're both too big for the car - one is a mummy bag which is about 14in x 20in when packed and the other a 30+ year old bag which is only slightly larger than a bale of hay...)  For $28.50, and 9in x 14in packed, this seemed like a decent deal.