What do you need in case you get stuck in the snow. Often it is an innocent mistake because you don't read or see the latest weather report for your area because you are preoccupied with something else. My ex-wife did this recently and was trying to get from Mt. Shasta to Yreka when the snow on Interstate 5 got bad so she found herself in a 12 foot deep snow drift and then a snowplow covered her van up even more. She was stuck there from 12 to 24 hours before she dug herself out. However, knowing her she would be prepared for something like this because she lives up in the mountains and has for years now.
However, many people living in cities where the weather might be nice or where they don't deal with snow that much might not be prepared for these kinds of events. For example, in California where people often live in places like San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego or even Sacramento they might not ever deal with snow really at all. But, if you get on Interstate 80 and go to Reno you can easily get stuck. I have had to go into 4 wheel drive many times going or coming from Lake Tahoe for example, and many many more times had to go into 4 wheel drive going from Redding to Mt. Shasta or from Mt. Shasta to Yreka or Ashland Oregon over the Mt. Ashland Pass.
What you actually need is a down sleeping bag (to stay warm) a full tank of Gas (this is really important because you might need your heater in your vehicle and you need gas to keep your heater running. You need Water (because you don't want to drink dirty or yellow snow) and a friend of mine says "Snickers Bars" but she is from the East Coast where colder weather this time of year is the norm and where many many people are snowed in right now from Lake Effect Snow.
Granola Bars are not usually perishable so I would take some protein Bars with you too to keep you going. Another thing you might find useful is a small shovel to dig your car out after a snowplow drives by and buries your car.
I can remember one time the only way I could even find my car which then in college was a 1966 VW Bug was the very tip of the radio Aerial which is all I could find of my car then. So, being observant often allows you to survive things in the snow too.
So, basically you need warm clothes, snow boots (for snow over 1 foot deep) and you might even take snow shoes for walking on top of really deep snow. If you have ever been in snow 10 feet deep you really need snow shoes and if it is powder snow you likely aren't going anywhere even then even with snow shoes until the sun hits that snow and puts a crust on it where you can stand on it even with snow shoes.
Then driving in the snow is a whole other thing. If you aren't an experienced snow driver basically you shouldn't be doing it. For example, you don't ever use your brakes driving on snow or ice unless you want to die soon. You might downshift your car going downhill but you never use your brakes only your engine to slow you down or you might spin off the road entirely and that would be it.
So, being prepared for winter weather is really important always. Because you never know when things could get difficult. So, Be prepared so you can live to see another day.
No comments:
Post a Comment