It’s minus 20. The road is barely visible, obscured by blowing snow and darkness. The icy conditions have scared away other drivers, leaving the snow rutted highway void of traffic. Suddenly the 4 x4 goes into a spin and loses control. It plows off the road into a deep ditch. The taillights, dusted with snow, form a white camouflage making it invisible from the road. Unless the occupants of this vehicle are prepared, there is a strong likelihood they will die of hypothermia, if left undiscovered.

“What most people don’t realize,” explains David Arama, owner and chief instructor of the Wilderness Survival Challenge and School, “Is that cars are full of metal. They draw heat away. If the temperature is -20 or colder, you will likely freeze to death in your car, or suffer severe hypothermia if you can’t produce any heat.”

When asked what is the most important thing people should carry in their car during the winter, Arama replies, “A sleeping bag, good for minus 20, and an underpad.” He also recommends if people are able, to get out of their car and go into the woods and build a lean-to. I must admit, I’m not convinced on the last point. I personally think trying to build a lean-to in a raging blizzard is more likely to kill me than staying in my car. However, I do not teach wilderness survival skills for a living.

As we head into winter, we’re likely to encounter bad road conditions, especially on the way to the cottage or cabin. Simple things can save lives. “Most people are unprepared and don’t think it (getting stranded) can happen to them,” states Arama. He recommends you be as prepared as you can, starting with your car. Here is his list of essential items for your vehicle.

Wilderness Survival Essentials

1. Sleeping bag rated -20 degrees and an underpad
2. Wool clothing i.e. hats, mitts, long underwear as well as wool/fleece blankets
3. High energy snacks like granola bars, nuts, or trail mix
4. Water or water purifying tablets
5. Road Flairs
6. Cell Phone
7. Candle - nice to have but doesn’t warm you up much
8. First Aid Kit

Another important point is to let people know where you are going and when you are expected back. Arama recounts a story of a man in the Muskokas who went out driving in his SUV. He took a wrong turn, got lost and ran out of gas. Unfortunately he waited 9 days for help that never came. Eventually he made his way out to the highway, where he was discover, but suffered severe frostbite. People were looking for him; they just didn’t know where to look.

Given that our family will likely be spending more time on the sea-to-sky highway this winter, this is one piece of advice I am going to take. I hope you will too.

Cheers,

Julie

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 10:48 am and is filed under Fix It, Road Trips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.