Newbies!!! It's almost winter!!! Here's some tips.

Didn't see that until formertaxidriver posted it, a candle of two provides enough heat to keep you alive if you get stuck in a blizzard, can't move and your engine dies. Carry several packs of waterproof matches and a couple of the wide 3" candles. Not sure about the hairdryers, etc, I've found that when it's really cold outside, keeping the defroster off and a window cracked so things don't fog up inside will keep the snow from sticking and makes it easier to see.
Jt

 

clean the crap off the dash !!!!!!!!!! those vents are for the air to circulate, not for a filing cabinet !!!!!!!!!!

I just thru my winter kit in the truck this evening when I got back from Minn. coveralls,(insulated), water proof gloves, ski cap,. need to buy some pork and beans , sardines and other emergency rations.

good thread, even for us old timers, we forget. lol

 

As professional and seasoned as some of us are out here, things tend to slip our minds (due to old age probably!!!) and we get into that comfort zone from April to the first snowfall we encounter. It just is nature. It's always good to "freshen" up on our winter do's and don'ts. Hell it happens every year, lol. But it's better to be over prepared than not at all. I was sitting thinking of what I'll need for winter when I started this thread and hoped we could all help each other.

 

after my little trip to Calgary couple weeks ago.

snowbrush
Diesel 911 and PowerService
Ice cleats for MY feet
Snow boots
coveralls (Bibs and coat)
extra hat
chopper mitts
heavy work gloves
neck gator
facemask
wool blankets
Canned heat (for like on the buffet tables)
Extra paper towels. (you can always put windshield washer fluid in the windex bottle)
2 gallons of washer fluid. (there is normally 2 anyway. I only had 1 and a partial though)
two 5/16"X20' transport chains (I'd much rather have a nice 2"X20' nylon tow rope)

Already had:
Twenty 21" bungees
Five single chains
two 3-bar chains

 

Just picked up my MRE's for the winter. Pretty much everything else stays in the truck year round so there wasn't much to get.

 

Forgot on the list.

Food
Fuel filter with wrench
Unopened tube RTV
Duct tape
Emergency took kit
Spare belts for both apu and engine
3 gallons straight antifreeze
3 gallon water (potable) used to drink or mix for antifreeze.
Gallon of oil

 

Thanks for the clarification. While it would be nice to have the entertainment while stuck in snow, I thought having the band would be overkill...

 

Dont forget a nice wool skullcap. you lose more heat thru your head than any area of the body.

Another... If you dont feel that the conditions warrant safe passage to your destination get your butt off the road and park it till the conditions improve.
(ive had to set and wait a day an half for the IL roads to get better after a really bad storm took out MO, IA, IL, WI, and IN last year)

Also carry a small bucket of sand mixed with some water softener salt. It will do much better grip for a stuck situation than kitty litter.


more ideas to come as i think of them

 

They are British, they're used to crappy weather!

 

Awesome thread I have been mostly on the east coast driving but my new company goes west coast and haven't topped any big mountains in many years and east coast winters don't seem as harsh as mid west and west coast so this has me doing a lot of thinking and that's good. Thanks for all this good advice.