Surviving a Break Down in the Cold

This time of year we love to see the yards and streets as well as the mountains covered in a beautiful blanket of snow. It is a grand site to admire and some times even fun to travel in.

I want to point out the obvious though when you decide to explore the terraine in your four wheel drive or the ol front wheel drive sleigh. A lot of times when we travel we always pack to the destination we are heading to. What about packing in the event you do not make it to your destination. What if your vehicle breaks down and your a few miles from help what would you do in this case.

There are several things we all can do in time of a vehicle brake down, one major thing is planninig ahead.

When you travel here are some things that may bail you out in your worse time.

1. When you leave be sure to give at least 2 people your travel route. If there are any changes keep them updated.

2. Make up an emergency travel kit to accomidate the weather. During winter travel your kit should always contain vital items to provide security and peace of mind. A great start is purchasing a back pack and then place the following items inside. For warmth in case of vehicle failure you should always have a blanket as well as a clean pair of socks. The reason for socks would be that your feet sweat and you want to prevent your body from going into a chill mode. Another great item are warmer packets. These can be purchased almost any where and come for hands and feet. They generally have a life of 2 to 6 hours depending on the type. These are good for warming extremities,hands, and feet for good blood circulation always read the precautions on the packet though. Another vital item is at least 2 bottles of water because even though it is winter and you do not feel dehydrated your body will loose fluids. Next would be to keep a couple of energy bars so that your body can keep it's charging system going to help generate warmth. Another good item to keep in a travel pack would be a prepaid cell phone.

Why would you have a prepaid cell phone because you all ready have a cell phone. Well beleive it on not I have found that sometimes a prepaid phone will pick up signals in areas a normal cell plan will not. One reason for this is they work from tower to tower access.

A major mistake that so many people make is thinking they can walk and find help. Once you leave your vehicle you are taking a risk or gamble that you will be spotted before the elements set in. Your vehicle though lamed is still a vital source of security and safety. In a heavy snow fall it is easier to see a vehicle with or without flashers that it is to spot a single person. One very valuble thing for us when we are in this type of situation is to remember to stay calm. When we panic we impair our own judgement and this generally leads to more problems.

I hope this bit of information helps someone in a time of despair and remember pre planning can be the most vital effort in survival.