Winter Vehicle Preparation Advice (1 Viewer)

[ChiefD]

Ok, so now that I'm in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, could use a little help here. My plan is to equip each vehicle with items in case of emergencies. Right now I have:

1. Jumper cables
2. Blanket
3. Extra set of gloves/stocking cap
4. Small shovel
5. Ice scraper with brush
6. Candle with lighter and Folgers can

What else do I need here?

 

[Fantasy_Freak]

Ok, so now that I'm in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, could use a little help here. My plan is to equip each vehicle with items in case of emergencies. Right now I have:

1. Jumper cables
2. Blanket
3. Extra set of gloves/stocking cap
4. Small shovel
5. Ice scraper with brush
6. Candle with lighter and Folgers can

What else do I need here?

A large bottle of Brandy. If you ever get stuck someone will take a bottle in trade to help you out.

In all seriousness, I think you have all your bases covered. Stupidly, I only have a ice scrapper with brush. I probably should carry extra hat and gloves as well as jumper cables.

 

[Dezbelief]

12volt air compressor and/or a can of Fixaflat.

 

[arrow1]

Brats and a block of sharp cheddar...and boots

 

[Dezbelief]

A couple of bottles of water.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

A couple of bottles of water.

They'll freeze.

 

[ChiefD]

A couple of bottles of water.

I thought about that. My only concern there is the water freezing.

 

[ChiefD]

Brats and a block of sharp cheddar...and boots

This is a good idea. I know my kids are dumb and will walk around wearing tennis shoes all winter. So would be nice to have these in their cars just in case.

 

[SWC]

Ok, so now that I'm in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, could use a little help here. My plan is to equip each vehicle with items in case of emergencies. Right now I have:

1. Jumper cables
2. Blanket
3. Extra set of gloves/stocking cap
4. Small shovel
5. Ice scraper with brush
6. Candle with lighter and Folgers can

What else do I need here?

as you know my parents retired before my pop passed up in your neck of the woods even though that was only about 20 years ago there were still areas where they just put sand on the ruts in the ice and snow on the roads so we always had the standard stuff like a long solid one piece ice scraper the telescoping ones break too easy a shovel blanket a million kwik trip handwarmers jumper cables a pair of boots a winter coat hat gloves and 2 traction boards in the bedbox or trunk of all of our vehicles you can get some pretty nifty roll up traction boards off of amazon pretty cheap these days now honestly we drove around on some big state and forest counties for hunting so you probably dont need to go as hog wild as we did but hey better safe than sorry take that to the bank brochachos

 

[SWC]

i think another consideration is where you are up north if you are in the snow shadow of superior you really need four wheel drive or you need to be ok staying home sometimes until the plows can clear things up some areas in the snow belt get 250 inches a year and its just a waiting game when the big ones hit take that to the bank bromigo

 

[brun]

Don't forget to fill the tires with winter air!

 

[nirad3]

Ok, so now that I'm in the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, could use a little help here. My plan is to equip each vehicle with items in case of emergencies. Right now I have:

1. Jumper cables
2. Blanket
3. Extra set of gloves/stocking cap
4. Small shovel
5. Ice scraper with brush
6. Candle with lighter and Folgers can

What else do I need here?

Face it, you just wanted to post this to discuss shovels...

 

[Andy Dufresne]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

 

[Osaurus]

Are you transitioning to your Winter car from your Summer car?

 

[Joe Schmo]

TP, just in case

 

[beer 30]

As everyone's brochacho @SWC mentioned, handwarmers. And if you don't have a heavy duty pair of gloves, I'd throw those in too. And some heavy socks. Nothing worse than frozen toes & fingers.

You can have everyday, bopping around town gloves but I'm talking stuck overnight in a snowbank 30 below gloves.

 

[ChiefD]

TP, just in case

All of our cars already have a ziploc with TP in the glove box.

 

[ChiefD]

i think another consideration is where you are up north if you are in the snow shadow of superior you really need four wheel drive or you need to be ok staying home sometimes until the plows can clear things up some areas in the snow belt get 250 inches a year and its just a waiting game when the big ones hit take that to the bank bromigo

Yeah, this was a must for me. All (4) cars are either 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive.

 

[BeTheMatch]

It's not Antarctica. I think you'll be fine with an ice scraper and a cel phone.

 

[ChiefD]

Are you transitioning to your Winter car from your Summer car?

laugh emoji.

 

[ChiefD]

It's not Antarctica. I think you'll be fine with an ice scraper and a cel phone.

You'd be surprised how much of this area does not have cell phone service. Or it's spotty from one area to the next.

 

[ChiefD]

as you know my parents retired before my pop passed up in your neck of the woods even though that was only about 20 years ago there were still areas where they just put sand on the ruts in the ice and snow on the roads so we always had the standard stuff like a long solid one piece ice scraper the telescoping ones break too easy a shovel blanket a million kwik trip handwarmers jumper cables a pair of boots a winter coat hat gloves and 2 traction boards in the bedbox or trunk of all of our vehicles you can get some pretty nifty roll up traction boards off of amazon pretty cheap these days now honestly we drove around on some big state and forest counties for hunting so you probably dont need to go as hog wild as we did but hey better safe than sorry take that to the bank brochachos

Good call here.

 

[BeTheMatch]

It's not Antarctica. I think you'll be fine with an ice scraper and a cel phone.

You'd be surprised how much of this area does not have cell phone service. Or it's spotty from one area to the next.

If the roads are that bad, stay home. That's the shark move.

 

[Nugget]

I carry a portable NOCO jump box - GB40 works for our vehicles - also works as a potential backup phone charger. Also may consider some peppermint in the engine bay - rodents apparently don't like peppermint. Written instruction in the glovebox for various emergencies (kids are 16/21).

 

[Scoresman]

Gonna be a rough one this year.

• Lighters/ Matches
• Alcohol
• Ammo
• Gasoline
• Cigarettes
• Hygeine Products
• Medicine
• Generator
• Emergency Radio
• Emergency Blankets
• Duct Tape
• Fire Starters
• Trash Bags
• Batteries
• Candles
• Lighters
• Gas Mask
• Water Purification Tablets
• Plastic Eating Utensils
• 5 gallon bucket
• Seeds for growing your own food
• Bars of soap
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Women’s Sanitation Items
• Toilet Paper
• Sanitizer
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Tylenol
• Ibuprophen
• Imodium
• Antibiotics
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Vitamins
• Pedialyte / Electrolyte powder or solutions
• Canned Soup
• Rice
• Dried Beans
• Canned Beans
• Canned Vegetables
• Canned Fruit
• Dried Milk and Evaporated Milk
• Canned Meat
• Beef Jerky
• Granola Bars
• Crackers
• Cereal
• Ramen Noodles
• Pasta
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Peanut Butter

 

[BeTheMatch]

You'll learn pretty quickly the order of plow in your area. Obviously the main roads get it first. That's the main thing to understand. What gets plowed first, and when. And what doesn't. Plan your route accordingly. If it's icy, avoid roads with steep hills if you don't have 4WD. And if it's an ongoing large storm, the plows mostly stay off the roads until it's done.

 

[MTskibum]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

 

[BeTheMatch]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

I've lived in Minnesota for most of my 52 years, and I have never once gone in a ditch or needed a tow in the winter. Nor has anyone in my family.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

Depends on your stomach for risk now doesn't it? This isn't "car broke down" towing it's "get out of a snow filled ditch" towing.

And with the increasing numbers of bad drivers in Minneapolis, it's easy money to spend.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Oh, and if you thought people couldn't drive before, just you wait. It's quite the phenomenon up here. During first snowfall, everyone has forgotten how to drive, and everyone is going five mph. In later snowfalls, everyone thinks the roads are fine no matter what and drive 90 mph. Especially if they have 4WD, which doesn't help on black ice. You know what black ice is, don't you, buddy?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

I've lived in Minnesota for most of my 52 years, and I have never once gone in a ditch or needed a tow in the winter. Nor has anyone in my family.

I'm glad you've been so fortunate.

 

[Drunken knight]

My $.02.. it's worth buying winter tires (with rims if you prefer). better than 4wd/awd.

winter tires + 4wd/awd= shark move

my favorites were Nokian

 

[BeTheMatch]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

I've lived in Minnesota for most of my 52 years, and I have never once gone in a ditch or needed a tow in the winter. Nor has anyone in my family.

I'm glad you've been so fortunate.

I was simply agreeing with MTskibum and pointing out to a non-native it's not like you're going to need to be towed out of the ditch every winter.

 

[strykerpks]

Stock up on cold weather windshield wiper fluid. Add in a bag of rock salt or kitty litter to the trunk.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

I've lived in Minnesota for most of my 52 years, and I have never once gone in a ditch or needed a tow in the winter. Nor has anyone in my family.

I'm glad you've been so fortunate.

I was simply agreeing with MTskibum and pointing out to a non-native it's not like you're going to need to be towed out of the ditch every winter.

Not every winter but it does happen. All insurance is a gamble that you're not going to need it. IMO it's not that much for peace of mind.

Again, the sticky wicket is that a tow also looks bad on your insurance. Those companies really don't like giving you what you've paid for.

And I really meant it when I said I was glad for you. Getting stuck in a ditch suuuucks.

 

[Sand]

Step 1: Rethink the Kansas thing.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Stock up on cold weather windshield wiper fluid. Add in a bag of rock salt or kitty litter to the trunk.

Good one! :golfclap:

 

[strykerpks]

Stock up on cold weather windshield wiper fluid. Add in a bag of rock salt or kitty litter to the trunk.

Good one! :golfclap:

I've had too many trips through the sand filled roads of the LaX bluffs, only to have my wiper fluid freeze and crystallize on the windshield.

 

[ChiefD]

Step 1: Rethink the Kansas thing.

laughed emoji

 

[ChiefD]

You'll learn pretty quickly the order of plow in your area. Obviously the main roads get it first. That's the main thing to understand. What gets plowed first, and when. And what doesn't. Plan your route accordingly. If it's icy, avoid roads with steep hills if you don't have 4WD. And if it's an ongoing large storm, the plows mostly stay off the roads until it's done.

Yeah I've got this one mapped out. And our house is on the school bus route for the most part so I know they get attended to pretty quick from what the previous owner told me.

My daughter rides the bus most of the time anyway (her brother has practice after school everyday).

One nice thing is since I live between two school districts the main routes into either town and both main arteries into the school where my kids go and the town where I work. I will have about 5 miles of potentially dicey driving getting to both of those main routes. But, if its that bad I stay home.

 

[ChiefD]

Stock up on cold weather windshield wiper fluid. Add in a bag of rock salt or kitty litter to the trunk.

Good call. I have a jug already but should probably grab a few more.

 

[ChiefD]

Oh, and if you thought people couldn't drive before, just you wait. It's quite the phenomenon up here. During first snowfall, everyone has forgotten how to drive, and everyone is going five mph. In later snowfalls, everyone thinks the roads are fine no matter what and drive 90 mph. Especially if they have 4WD, which doesn't help on black ice. You know what black ice is, don't you, buddy?

Yeah sure do. Kansas has morphed into an area where sleet and ice storms are more of a risk than snow storms. We've had plenty of experience with that, and it still scares the hell out of me.

 

[ChiefD]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

Both good suggestions. I'll have to double check my insurance policy but I think it covers that.

I will have a tow strap in my truck at all times in case I need to pull someone out of a ditch.

 

[belljr]

Kitty litter

 

[Willy]

My $.02.. it's worth buying winter tires (with rims if you prefer). better than 4wd/awd.

witner tires + 4wd/awd= shark move

my favorites were Nokian

Snow tires are freaking awesome. Snow tires on a 4x4/AWD are even better.

Really good all season tires are fine when they are new, but they don't perform as well as dedicated snow tires, least of all on ice. After a couple season they might as well be skis. In a place like Wisconsin, I really prefer dedicated snow tires. The exception is on trucks with 4x4, you can run really good mud/snow tire with the 3 peak mountain rating, all year round.

I run Bizzaks on my car and SUV (Nov-April), but run BFGoodrich Trail Terrian T/A on my truck (all year). It's nice not to have to swap out the truck tires.

 

[ChiefD]

I'd love to have snow tires on all the cars but that is way out of the budget unfortunately. All the cars tires are relatively new. Mine are less than two weeks old.

 

[MTskibum]

If your insurance doesn't cover towing, get a AAA membership.

Actually you should get it anyway - towing through insurance sometimes counts as a claim against your policy.

Or since towing only costs a couple hundred bucks, just save all that money that would be going to triple a and just pay for the tow truck in cash once every 10 years when you need a tow.

Pocket the remaining 500 in savings.

I've lived in Minnesota for most of my 52 years, and I have never once gone in a ditch or needed a tow in the winter. Nor has anyone in my family.

I'm glad you've been so fortunate.

I was simply agreeing with MTskibum and pointing out to a non-native it's not like you're going to need to be towed out of the ditch every winter.

Not every winter but it does happen. All insurance is a gamble that you're not going to need it. IMO it's not that much for peace of mind.

Again, the sticky wicket is that a tow also looks bad on your insurance. Those companies really don't like giving you what you've paid for.

And I really meant it when I said I was glad for you. Getting stuck in a ditch suuuucks.

I am from Montana/Wyoming drove there for 15 winters and only had to get pulled out of the ditch once and that was when I was a teenager, learning how to drive, and it was a rear wheel drive impala station wagon.

For 10 of those years I worked in Big sky and would commute daily in the wintertime ~50 miles, i had a combination of fwd cars like camry and awd cars like subaru. AWD helps you accelerate faster, but doesn't really help you stay out of the ditch any better imo. Based on my experience in winter driving there would be no way i would pay for triple a.


The last time I did need a tow was when i blew a headgasket towing my boat down highway 288 south of houston. I found a tow truck driver that launched my boat, that was only a hundred extra. I was missing a tow vehicle for a couple months so i had to put my boat in beachside storage. That was expensive, the 400 dollar tow did not scratch the surface

 

[Joe Schmo]

No joke, teach the drivers in your house how to navigate a fish tail and a spin out, they happen in a blink even if you're driving in a safe manner. Speaking from experience.

 

[MTskibum]

My $.02.. it's worth buying winter tires (with rims if you prefer). better than 4wd/awd.

winter tires + 4wd/awd= shark move

my favorites were Nokian

This times 100.

I owned a variety of FWD, camry, sentra, etc and AWD(mostly subaru outbacks) and the difference in wintertime handling with snowtires was negligible. The main difference was the extra inch or two of clearance.

 

[berndog]

I carry a portable NOCO jump box - GB40 works for our vehicles - also works as a potential backup phone charger. Also may consider some peppermint in the engine bay - rodents apparently don't like peppermint. Written instruction in the glovebox for various emergencies (kids are 16/21).

I’ll 2nd having a jump box.
I got mine at Costco and so much nicer than jumper cables.
It lets you be self sufficient and not at the mercy of another driver giving you a jump.