Winter Weather Prep

As this arctic air mass descends upon the whole of North America next week, I thought it would be a good time to put out a reminder of the gear to keep with you in the winter. I know, it’s so easy in our comfortable lives to say, “Well, I’m going to leave my house and walk 25 feet to my heated car, and drive to work where I’ll walk 25 feet to the heated building, so I don’t need to worry”, but you do. You could get into an accident, slide off the road, face a power outage, get stuck behind a 93 car pile up, or just get stuck in the snow.

He spreads the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.
He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?

Psalm 147:16-18

In addition to all the stuff in Get Home Bag and my Vehicle Kit (see TW-01 Baseline Training Manual), I have one extra bag in my car during winter, my Extreme Cold Weather Kit. It’s filled with important emergency gear specialized for the winter. Let’s go through that first.

In the outermost pocket, I keep a pair of USMC Extreme Cold Weather gloves, a hardface fleece watchcap, and a grid fleece balaclava. The gloves are made by Outdoor Research and are waterproof. The hardface cap is a standard US Issue item just like the gloves and the balaclave because I know that good research went into picking out US cold weather gear. These are on the outside because these are the most important things. You lose the most heat via the head and if my fingers get cold, I’ll lose the dexterity to dig myself out or build a shelter/fire.

On the inside, I start with 2 different levels of waffle tops. You need to keep your core warm, because it’s the furnace that keeps the rest of you warm. I also have a woobie shirt from Mission Essential Gear in there – great warming later item. I have a wool sweater, because it will insulate even when wet (yes, it’s a USMC Wooly-Pully). Lastly, I have a French CCE camo (Camouflage Central Europe) GoreTex set (parka and pants). These serve to keep me dry, and will trap heat in.

The one thing I’ve added to the bag this year, since I’ve moved to Montana, is snow gaiters. These are vital for keep your pant legs and feet dry. Mine are GoreTex and there are a tom of great options out there.

Next, let’s talk food. You need to add to whatever emergency food you have in your car during cold weather. There is a reason why the US military has specific Cold Weather rations and Cold Weather supplement packs. Your body will burn more calories trying to keep warm in the cold, so you need more food to fuel your furnace. Throw some quick calorie hits in there.

Speaking of fuel, in light of the coming cold weather, fuel up every chance you get. At the very least, top off your car each night. No, don’t wait until morning because even if you are at home and your power goes out, you can use the vehicle to get warm or to charge battery banks/devices. Just make sure you are well-ventilated, please don’t run cars in the garage.

On a related note, if you get stuck and decide to run the engine for warmth, get out and make sure that your exhaust is clear of snow. You do not want to die from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carry chains or rope (I carry rope) for recovery in case you slide off the road. Lots of folks will stop to help, but might not have ropes or chain, so make sure you do. If your state allows it, don’t forget tire chains. I was recently on a slippery mountain road in a truck during a winter storm and the former Green Beret I was with taught me all about tire chains and I was convinced. The heavy 4 wheel drive truck just spun on the ice without the chains, but bulled through with them. If you can’t have tire chains, carry traction boards.

You need some type of communications and signal gear. My car has a 50 watt UHF/VHF radio (click the link above) that gets me 25-40 miles of range, but I also keep a handheld unit in my Get Home Bag. During the winter, I also carry a handheld CB. You can usually find a trucker on CB channel 19 and it’s a great channel to listen to for road conditions, especially out west. Midland handheld CB Units have an attachment that allows them to use vehicle power and a roof mounted antenna. I also carry a VS-17 panel, orange on one side and pink on the other to allow rescuers to see my position from the air.

Some type of shovel and some type of saw can be quite useful to help you get unstuck. In the above winter road incident, my friend got out the trusty chain saw and made short work of some small trees that were blocking our path. I recommend also one of the small electric chain saws for small tasks. I never go anywhere without at least one axe. In fact, one stays strapped to my Get Home Bag.

You should already have this in your Get Home Bag, but you need a way to start fires, preferably more than one way. The saw and axe will help you generate fuel, but you need a lighter, matches, AND a fire steel. Some kindling or firestarter tabs are a good idea as well.

I know I mention it alot, but if wear dress shoes or casual shoes for work, carry a pair of sturdy boots and extra socks in your car, just in case. Switch to them immediately. I know that the current under 50 crowd will augh at this and mock it, but when I was a kid my dad, and all the other dads, put on boots at home and then changed into office shoes at the office, changing back before coming home. It may seem old fashioned, but it’s SMART.

Winter is a wonderful time of year, but it can be dangerous. With just a little preparation, you can be more ready to address the risk.

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