When Wally World sells off their end of the season winter knit hats and gloves for Pennies on the dollar ($1/each) at the end of the season, buy a quantity for yourself and like-minded people/friends.
Hello my friend. As a Canadian who travels in pretty desolate areas for work, "they" teach us to buy a bag of cheap tea light candles. They burn short but will keep the interior of a passenger size vehicle warmer than you would imagine. They maintain temperature really well. If you have a vehicle that is a reasonable temperature, keep a tea light lit and it will save fuel from your stove and keep the interior of your vehicle survivable, if not comfortable. IKEA sells tea light candles for next to nothing in bags of 50.
With 42 Alaskan winters under my belt, I've learned that #1: A STRONG WILL TO LIVE, plus covering the bases like shelter, water, calories, comm,etc, will always get you back. Remember: SURVIVAL IS A DECISION. Manage fear. ✌️out.
You forgot to tell them not to carbon monoxide themselves to death by making sure the tailpipe isnt completely covered with snowpack when running the engine at idle
I've never heard folks dying from the muffler being covered.. running the stove inside with the windows up for warmth would be my first concern. Solid point though with the muffler
Agreed 100 I had a relative die from running a propane heater in the car kinda hard to take advice from somebody putting that scary info out there without any warning navy seal or not that’s a very good way to die I know from experience be better off the use a heated blanket that will run off power outlet or carry a small solar generator my USB heated blanket will run all night on 300wh solar generator like bluetti
As a long time outdoorsman, and someone who practices survival techniques, I would highly recommend this as well. ONE GREAT ADDITION though.... Add at least 1 heavy duty black garbage bag. It can be used for countless things. Ie. Waterproofing. Covering that window you busted out. Emergency poncho. Emergency waterproof clothing incase you do go for a walk......etc etc. If you can find a bright orange one, do that, otherwise the black is 2nd best. 👍
First off the main thing is when you take a trip take a minute to see what the extended forecast is and make sure you and every family member has the appropriate clothing that you would use if you are stranded outside in the elements. Several times I have made family members go back in the house and grab the correct clothing. poncho and liner should also be included. Water proof matches also work well. Gloves and glove liners are also very important so you do not sustain cold weather injuries if you have to build a shelter off to the side of the road. I spent 4 years in Alaska in the infantry so I would say im a expert at this lol.
I have a candle lantern that I would carry backpacking in the winter. I could light it and hang it from the roof of the tent, and it kept the inside of the tent warm. The candles lasted for 8 hours each. That provides heat and light.
Throw in some Hot Hands packets. They pack small and produce prolonged heat if you get the 10, 12, or 18 hr packets. Those little tea candles are great too for additional heat in a small space, although you may want to avoid an open flame in your vehicle.
I'm digging your videos - keep 'em coming! A few thoughts on a car kit - most of these reccos don't add much bulk: 1. It's important that the headlamp is also rechargeable. Looks your Black Diamond is, but worth mentioning. 2. Chemical hand warmers are also good, and so are long-lasting emergency candles, with a candle lantern. These provide both heat and light. Don't forget a Bic lighter, or two. 3. I'd add more water, especially if I needed some to cook freeze dried meals. We need water more than food, and we dehydrate fast in winter. 4. In lieu of freeze dried food I might add high cal food bars (Datrex), as well as instant coffee / cocoa and candy for a morale boost. 5. Some kind of pee tube or potty kit might be good, if you really got trapped in the car or don't want to risk exposure at all. 6. I keep a solar lantern (Luci) in my truck at all times. Using it would help to preserve the headlamp and charger batteries. Another option is a hand crank radio/light. These are great because they also have weather band radio. 7. A book to pass the time.
Excellent advice! Two minor additions: Dont store your water in freezing conditions. Bring it with you in and out of warm locations... If you find you need to use the SOS feature on your Garmin's device, run it for 10 - 15 minutes at a time, turn it off for 10 - 15 minutes and repeat that cycle as long as you are stuck...the constant running is good, but the on/off cycle will let the potential rescuers know you are alive and manipulating the signal.
Cover would also include an extra warming layer. If you have to get out of the vehicle for any reason, something like gloves and and a beanie will go a long away
One more item you could add is carbon monoxide detectors , it seems that the people left their car running and snow covered it causing exhaust to back up into car..
Very good advice, thank you. I live up North, one problem here is your water will freeze when stored in your car. You need to bring fresh, room temp. water with you each time you venture out. Also, having a box of granola bars and a jar of peanut butter is good too as they really wont freeze. 🇺🇸👍
@@anthonyf.9170 Granted, it is still a good idea to bring more water from the house that isn't frozen for immediate needs. My wife seems to always have her water bottle in hand. Stay safe.
Bring liquid water each outing in the North. A plastic bottle of frozen water is fairly useless in a winter roadside emergency; it is not melted easily or quickly in sub freezing temps…at least in a thin plastic you could cut the ice block out of the bottle to melt it with the jetboil but if one is stranded due to snow it is much easier to use the jetboil to melt snow
Sage advise about not relying on somebody else to come save you and being prepared. Love that old Land Cruiser! Can't wait to see the upcoming content.
Before I moved to central Alabama I lived near Lake Tahoe in comiefornia, I learned many hard lessons being around snow. I also kept a bag of kitty litter, it gives you a grip after you dug out the snow. I'd also kept a shovel, ice breaker, rock breaker bar, chain saw and fuel in a tool box insulated to keep the tools and gasoline from not freezing
Don't forget to slightly roll down two opposite windows if you are running the vehicle for heat, have a candle or camp stove (JetBoil) burning. Carbon monoxide will kill.
You may think you are close enough to walk to safety but distances can be deceiving. The other thing is how cold it is and wind chills. I live in Minnesota and the number one rule they preach is to never leave your car, no matter how close you think you are to safety. Also, I don't really know about the snow being too deep to get air. Usually the wind in a storm is so strong that snow will build up on one side. I get the logic of packing a light bag but when you are in this situation you probably can't really have too much stuff. I have a vehicle like his with a ton of space in the way back. Why not use it.
Dont forget extra pair of wool socks, gloves and knit head covering. That along will help keep you warm. I carry a heavy jacket in my vehicle year round. Boots also. If you have to walk out, wearing light sneakers or regular shoes wont cut it.
Obviously his kit is better but just some extra blankets, couple bottles of water, a snickers bar, and $20 of Hot Hands would go a long way to saving your butt if that’s all you can afford. And before some keyboard survival guru jumps all over my comment, I know you won’t starve in a day or two but having some food that’s high in fat and carbs does help keep you warm.
Great kit, I have something like this myself ... however, I add (a) a small folding saw, (b) tarp & ropes and (c) make sure the ammo can is an army surplus metal unit because I can make a fire if I dont have to stay in the car ... its easy for me to stay here in Australia as it doesnt snow as much around here as it does in most parts of the USA
Fuzzy sherpa wool blankets are nice in the winter. When gas is expensive so loitering burns money and you need to sleep in the car at night in a snowstorm, a warm blanket is nice.
Thanks for the video, content, and vital information - and I love the new rig! Looking forward to future content on the Land Cruiser. Happy New 3 of 7!
great kit, I'd have the Garmin In Reach and the glass buster secured between the 2 front seats 365 days/year. Accessible for 2 people if injured/trapped in vehicle
In Afghanistan many Marines would use hand sanitizer (we had a lot) in side of a steel ammo can to make a stove. Not very tactical but just another creative way to stay warm. I used hand warmers. Easy to buy in bulk and stash everywhere.
I find it amazing out all these professionals and you are the first to mention hand warmers. Living in WI, they are a must for an emergency kit. Lightweight and easy to pack. 🫡
Great size. I think a lot of folks are reluctant to add "just one more thing" to take up space in their vehicles, but this thing is too perfect NOT to.
Thanks for another video. Sound logic and theory, Up here in canada we need more sleeping bags, reflective ground sheets, quilted pants/jackets etc especially when below -30 Celsius But other than that pretty on par.
"WE GON' GET LOUD AND WE GON' LIVE!" Seems like the larger thing here. It might seem funny but this actually seems like a perfectly reasonably in-the-moment strategy that would likely do better than another person with all the same equipment but without quite as much of a winning attitude.
If you run the stove in an enclosed space you are in danger of dying due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This happens to mountaineers running stoves in a tent without the door open.
Everyone has their two cents to add to your video. I guess they didn't hear the part where you said, "Keep it simple and not plan for every scenario.." Anyway, awesome video. Thanks
I keep mine in a backpack, but my kit is similar. I keep a Sawyer water filter and a small titanium stove that uses sticks instead of gas. The gas cylinders do not do the best in the freezing temps. Looking forward to the Land Cruiser build, I have an 80 series, my favorite and most reliable truck.
Due to the simple glazing, a car has almost no insulating effect, so you should additionally insulate the vehicle in an emergency. A few mylar/emergency blankets and some double sided tape to attach to the windows will help significantly.
If your vehicle is completely snowed in, you're using it for shelter and you're going to run the engine for a heat source - BE SURE TO PERIODICALLY REMOVE THE SNOW FROM AROUND YOUR EXHAUST! The exhaust will back up into the cab and you'll be one of the next ones to get dead in a snow storm. Nuf said
Great video. A friend at work told me you can remove the head rest and use it to break a window open (if you don't have a glass breaker) I never tried it but it kinda makes sense. Hopefully this will help someone out. If they forget to add a glass breaker.
Those JetBoil fuel canisters are Isobutane, which won't ignite below about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider a small 1 pound propane tank and converter instead. Propane will ignite WELL below zero Fahrenheit.
I live in Colorado and frequently visit north western Nebraska. In the winter, i always take my down sleeping bag, always a gallon of fresh water (regardless of time of year), always have a flash light and batteries, fire starter, tools. It doesn't even need to be a storm. Breaking down in 4°f weather and having to wait for an hour for a tow truck can be deadly. My water pump blew a bearing 2 exits from home (
Chad Great winter vehicle survival kit. Well thought out and small enough to not get taken out when you need space and unavailable when you really need it. One comment about the Garmin InReach and its competitors. They all require monthly subscription services to work. I have not found a GPS messaging device yet that works without a monthly subscription being paid ad infinitum. The monthly subscription is the only thing that has kept me from buying one yet. If anyone knows of options that don't require a subscription service let me know.
Once again, sage advice - with good arguments to back it. In an SUV, I would add a piece of Styrofoam to cover the floor. Metal cars will keep you out of the wind but the metal will be extremely cold. If your going to -40F areas, I'd have enough Styrofoam to create a small fort (4 sides plus floor). - with air holes all over. Just a barrier between me and the sides of truck. BTW, my end of the world vehicle is a modified older Chevy Blazer. Simple to maintain, hard to break. And even if all the bushing are worn out, it is still serviceable. With the idea of burning - is it worth investing in a CO2 or CO detector? I'd be afraid of falling asleep with the stove on. I haven't had to use my Styrofoam except for covering the floor (floor on the truck is bumpy) but I have concerns about suffocation or CO poisoning.
Ditto the insulation on the floor if planning to camp out in the rig. Years ago (OK, decades!) I spent a night in the back of my old Chevy Luv at a truck stop in Evanston, Wyoming. Before I left home, I'd put down two layers of surplus aviation insulation (think Ensolite sleeping pad) on the bed, and had partially lined the capper and sides, too. I inflated a bicycle inner tube between the cab slider and the capper slider as a flexible gasket, so I could get some heat back there initially. I had an old British surplus arctic bag (allegedly "down", but mostly just feathers), and had borrowed my brother's Norwegian army surplus wool blanket to throw over the top. When I woke up in the AM, my beard was frozen into the fuzzy wool blanket, but otherwise, it wasn't too bad. I'm not sure how cold it was in Evanston that night, but the radio said it had been -26F in Pinedale (near the Wind River Range). It was probably only -10 or -15F in Evanston, but that's just a guess. Pinedale is an icebox, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't anywhere near that cold in Evanston. Even though I got a decent night's sleep, I was glad to be able to go into the truck stop to conduct my morning ablutions, buy a thermos of coffee, and get on the road. I used to be able to get cheapo ensolite type pads at Walmart, but now they just have foam yoga mats.
In 2022 on I-95 in Virginia, South of DC, during a winter storm the highway came to a stop, people were stuck on the highway overnight for 28 hours. Many ran out of gas, parents were out of food and diapers. You can't count on the government to save you.
These are probably all good things to have, but what about preparation for the more common, less serious, every day emergencies like not having enough traction on an patch, or a cold battery not wanting to crank over your engine after you’ve been in the store for an hour? I would add a small, folding snow, shovel, smalls bags of sand and kitty litter, and a battery jump starter for your car (which also doubles as a power bank, in most cases). Staying warm, hydrated, and in communication is always important, but there’s something to be said about self sufficiency when you’re stuck and avoiding a 2 to 3 hour wait for AAA to come.
Dude I'm laughing at how mad you sound around 2 min mark. It reminds me of my CC in bootcamp explaining to the company how to wipe our butts after finding hash marks on some guy's skivvies.
Good compact sleeping bag or two..Being in trucking you ate responsible for your own survival ..Carharts too dog jackets for teaveling with the Pack ..Do not for get a Lowes bucket to take a crap in stuck on highway
Just dont keep the water in the box. Basic physics. If it does freeze without you knowing and busts the bottle, most of your gear is compromised. 2× 50% full bottles for expansion is better, but its simpler to keep it outside the box and much easier to visually observe it.
common overlook in the warm weather types when running engine when stuck for warmth outside air is a must as carbon monoxide from exhaust is a silent killer
I prefer a wool blanket over down as it will keep you warm even if it's soaking wet. It will take a little more space than the down blanket. I also carry 3 or 4 of those chemical light dealywhoppers (you bend them and they activate for approx. 12 hours) to have a light source.
Thanks Chad. I would add some candy bars for morale, a compass, high-vis vest and a couple of flares to that list. The Inreach subscription could soon add up. Many new cellphone providers will start adding Satellite emergency soon too so InReach and Spot may soon wane. My sister in-law had a pack like this once when she and her special needs son were trapped for 6-8 hours in Maryland. It was really a lifesaver for them. Thanks for keeping educating us sir.
ferro rod as backup, cheap mini lighter and a candle in jar....easy way to start a fire in rain and wind without wasting items. Multipurose. High calorie: peanut butter jelly mix jar
In 2024 there are a few tech items I would add or modify and a few low tech items I would suggest adding. As for techie stuff. I would say everyone should carry one of those lithium jump boxes. If you run your battery down and later need to crank your car to get out once you get some fuel or snow starts to melt you will be needing that. It can also charge stuff. I heard you say a battery bank, but generally these jump start packs will have much more capacity. I also would want to have some regular candles for just heat and light at night. To conserve stove fuel and because candle wax can be used as skin protectant and for other things. Another thing I have done for years is just leave an extra coat in the vehicle behind the seat and put some gloves and extra socks and a hat in the pockets. If you get soaking wet or you find someone who is soaking wet you can’t duplicate that. I also generally keep a change of clothes (jeans and a shirt) under the seat for emergencies year round and I would give that to anyone I found in need and write it off. Last thing I have in my vehicle is in the back instead of the dumb factory mat behind the back seat I just use an army wool blanket over the carpet as a protector. Its always there as a blanket if I need it.
How about the scenario where everyone else on the highway notices you have food/water/heat and they try to take it away from you so their family survives. Extra EDC ammo might be a good idea.
I drive a van around the state of Colorado. In the winter I always toss in a tub of winter emergency stuff, a snow shovel, come-a-long and a pile of dunnage and straps.
I lived in a similar vehicle in the winter for a few weeks and found hanging a queen or king sized fleece blanket from the center of the ceiling like a tent could keep the air around my head and face above freezing throughout the night. Also hand warmers were far and away the easiest, safest, and warmest heat source, expect to use 10 for an overnight when it’s below freezing.
I would add a $15 USN wool watch cap, a AA flashlight with spare batteries, a Mora fixed blade knife, a spark plug with the porcelain broken up for a glass break, a vinyl visual signaling/ distress sign, a book to burn or read, & a dish to melt snow in. Good video. 👍🇺🇸👍
If you get in that emergency bivy and then wrap that down quilt around you, in about twenty minutes you are going to be soaking wet from condensation from the bivy. Then you are going to freeze to death.
Big fat 4-wick candle in a coffee can, deck of cards in the glove box. And yes, no one is coming to help if it gets bad enough to need any of that stuff. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
