People are on the move for the holidays. Many of us are going by car. Congested travel and winter travel both have their own special problems. Is your car properly stocked, in case your trip doesn’t go completely as planned?
What if you can’t get into the car?
On the mundane side…if you’re traveling with a companion, does each of you have a key? It astounds me how many folks don’t take that simple precaution. When we rent cars, they often come with both keys joined on a wire. We cut them apart if we must; then reattach them firmly before we return the car.
What if the car won’t start?
Cold weather can sap batteries. I like to carry a jumper battery pack in my car in the winter. This post will show you what I mean if you’re not familiar. That particular model didn’t last as long as I thought it should have, so I’m less up on it than I was when I wrote the review, but the concept has worked for me several times. If you make sure you keep the pack charged it’s a very quick and easy way to get going when your battery wasn’t enough.
Jumper cables are less prone to failure, but you need a willing partner with a running vehicle to make them work. I’d go that way if I had a big-engined vehicle — it took either that or a super-sized jump pack to start the big-hauling farm truck.
What if you can’t see out of the car?
There are lots of places that point out that you can, in an emergency, use a credit card to scrape your windshield. Yeah. Sure. If you’ve got a little frost. If you’ve had freezing rain? The only way that credit card will clear a half inch of ice off of a windshield is if you use it to buy a proper scraper. Or a guy with a flamethrower. The “wait and blast heat” method works of course, but it can take a very long time to clear a load of ice that way.
What if you don’t know where to point the car?
Do you have a full set of paper maps for everywhere you think you might want to go? When roads are closed or clogged, the GPS is an inferior route planning tool. I like maps with some topographic information. Ridge roads tend to be safer in bad weather: they have fewer hills and bridges, which are the sketchiest part.
What if the car gets stopped?
Care to clean this off with a credit card? And what if you’re *in* one of those cars?
This is really the most dangerous part, in situations you’re most likely to encounter. I recall one icy night when my car completely and suddenly died. No help would be available for most of an hour. I still chuckle at the look on the state trooper’s face when he stopped to check on me … and found me wrapped up in the car blanket. I thanked him for his care and waved him off to people who actually needed the help; I’d be fine until the tow got there.
Rescue is not always close at hand. Especially when there’s bad weather, or even when there’s bad traffic drama, you might be stopped with the car for a long time. Or you might even need to hoof it out.
Is there gear in your car suitable for everyone you’re traveling with to walk in the worst weather you could reasonably encounter? Do you have several days worth of necessary prescription meds on hand for everyone? Are there enough emergency supplies in the car? Is there enough cash to tempt random strangers to help if the situation’s bad enough that the usual suppliers of roadside assistance can’t be counted upon?
A car get-home bag for each traveler can solve these problems, but…
My car get-home bags change with the season. Have you rethought yours for winter? Mine loses its bug spray and water bottles that may split when they freeze.
It gains winter boots with good *wool* socks, outerwear that’s water repellent as well as warm, and extra blankets. I also put an extra flashlight in my bag, since I don’t trust the solar/battery flashlight that lives in the car in cold weather. I’m a big fan of filtering water bottles, but you must make sure the filters are completely dry before you put them where they might freeze. Expanding (freezing) water can ruin a filter, and you wouldn’t know until the Giardia hit.
I also put in several hand warmer chemical packs. I’m not a big fan of disposable chem packs normally, but I’ve been in situations where I needed more dexterity than my cold hands could manage, and that’s no good.
Here’s hoping that you don’t need any of these preps this holiday season. If you do, here’s hoping you have them.
p.s. You’re on your own with any family drama…
p.p.s. I liked this article from the CDC on winter preparedness in general.
My GHB is all weather. As is the one I prep for my wife, dispite her objections. That being said, when we were under tornado watch, hers was right at the top of the cellar steps along with the rest of the gear. She might object but she is not gonna be one of “those people” that is willing to go on a wing and a prayer.
I’ll post a counter…. I’m in Australia… where we are currently experiencing a bit of a heat wave… and a lot of people will be on the roads over the next few days (past few too) to get ‘home’ to family.
Pack plenty of water.
Plan your usual route, and then plan a route for when there’s roadblocks and detours.
If you are in NSW, QLD and various other current fire states check maps and advice now, but also as you travel… get your passengers to check while you drive, don’t lose 3 demerits and $400 for this! Oh… wait.. it’s probably double demerits right now… really get your passenger to touch the phone, not you!
If you plan to drive the M1 have twice the fuel, water and time you plan. Accidents and closures are common.
Fuel up. Know where your next and next-next fuel are. If you are travelling in more remote areas don’t be surprised to find fuel stations closed on Christmas Day. Have access to a card, often places will have a truck refill point that will take cards if the shop is shut.
If you breakdown don’t leave your vehicle. Filter and drink the water from your radiator if you are desperate, buy you’ve packed water right? Wear a hat. Get some shade. Wait it out. Someone will be along, unless you are somewhere more remote than the Gibb River Road… there you might have to wait a few days this time of year.
Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be there. Let them know you’ve arrived.
Unless you can carry 10L of water plus shade plus whatever else in a GHB, and home is within 10km… don’t walk… wait.
Good article. I have a GHB plus a separate bag for extras plus another bag of just medical supplies. I won’t take all of that with me but I can decide if I need to add to or swap out things in my GHB depending on the situation. The extra clothes I carry could help another stranded person.