northernsentry

 Only the worst of forecasts keep many people at home during the wintertime. Fortunately, most of the people who do venture out manage to make it to their destination safe and sound. However, there are always those who do become stranded temporarily, and sometimes uncomfortably, for several hours or days as a blizzard rages. Occasionally the storm takes its toll, and reports of deaths hit the headlines.

Travelling without planning and being prepared for bad weather is dangerous and risky. If car trouble develops or an emergency is encountered, travelers may not be able to survive an extended period of time without the basics of shelter, food, and clothing. Survival can be diffi cult when man is pitted against nature.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

• Obtain weather and road reports from your local law enforcement offi ce or a radio or TV station which receives hourly weather and road reports, call 511, or visit NDDOT online for road conditions.

• Tell someone of your plans, route, alternate route, destination and estimated time of arrival. When you arrive at your destination, tell those who need to know.

• Dress according to the weather conditions and be prepared for worse conditions.

• Do not leave without a full tank of fuel and check the engine's oil level.

• Check the vehicle over for survival equipment -- don't leave without it.

CAR EQUIPMENT

Winter travel requires that some additional safety and repair items be added to the trunk of the car. You should always have a good spare tire, tire wrench, and jack to change it with. You should also carry tire chains, container of sand, booster cables, tow rope or chain, gasoline antifreeze, windshield cleaner fl uid, fl ares, repair tools such as pliers, wrenches and screwdrivers, pocket knife, bright red or orange cloth, 50 feet of nylon rope, a fi re extinguisher, fl ashlight, spare batteries, and a shrill plastic whistle for signalling. Don’t forget to include extra food and water in your winter survival kit. High calorie food that provides protein such as trail mix, is a good option. Make sure you have enough for each person traveling.

CAR SIZES

Tests conducted by the National Safety Council revealed that small cars have some advantage over larger cars when stopping on glare ice, but do not have as much starting traction. Many of the smaller and intermediate sized cars have front wheel drive, which has a distinct advantage over rear wheel drive in steering, starting, and stopping.

WATER AND FOOD SUPPLIES If you don’t take anything else along, carry a gallon of clean water. A lack of water can cause dehydration, a dangerous state. The body’s most important need is for clean, drinkable water. You’ll need to drink one to two quarts of water per day. This can include other liquids such as soft drinks, fruit juice, liquids from canned goods, coffee, tea, cocoa, or bouillon, but not alcoholic beverages. Melted snow should be used only if necessary and then it must be warm. Cold drinks will use up precious body heat; don’t drink them.

One gallon of fresh water should be available for each person travelling. Some emergency food should be taken along even though a healthy person can go without food for up to 30 days. Most storms will last only two to three days, so vast stores of food are not really necessary. Food is a great morale builder. Food and water should be kept inside the car to prevent freezing.

Select foods to match the tastes and diets of the people travelling. Alcoholic beverages should be avoided but tobacco products should be provided for those who really need them. Survival during a storm is not the time to quit smoking, cold turkey! Alcoholic beverages dull the senses, impair the judgement and affect the activity of the consumer -- none of which is needed in a survival situation. A sober person is warmer, too.

MEDICINAL SUPPLIES

Along with your fi rst aid kit, take a box of tissues, toothbrush, wet towelettes, needed medications such as insulin, sanitary supplies and a covered container for toilet use.

IF YOU BECOME STUCK & STRANDED

Expect to spend three days in the car! Therefore, plan to use your resources up gradually. Be organized in what you do. Take time to consider each step carefully.

• Stay in the vehicle, your chances are much better if you do.

• Call an emergency number on a cell phone, or periodically call for help with a CB radio if you have one. Bad weather may cause freak transmissions and poor reception. • If possible, position the car so it faces into the wind. The car was designed to be warmest when headed in this direction. Be sure that the exhaust is free of snow and check it periodically if you use the engine for heat. Otherwise, stay in the car!

• Tie a colorful, red preferably, banner on the car antenna. Tie a nylon cord or rope to the car and yourself if you must leave the vehicle for any distance during the storm. This will help to ensure your return.

• Move all of your emergency supplies from the trunk to the interior of the car as soon as you realize you will be staying for a while. Put on the warm clothing NOW, before you get cold. It is easier to stay warm than it is to regain lost warmth. Loosen tight clothing so body heat can circulate.

• Remove metal jewelry as it can chill you.

• Check your supplies to see what you have to work with and when you can plan on using it. Arrange supplies in order for their use.

• Manage your heating systems carefully. Make sure everyone knows what is being done and how it is being done.

• Listen to weather reports on the radio. Prepare to send signals for help if road or rescue crews are reported to be in your vicinity. Flashing lights and horns can be effective for a distance if the wind has died down.

SOURCES OF EMERGENCY HEAT

A lighted candle provides very little heat in the car. Candles may produce up to 75 to 85 BTUs per hour to be used for melting snow to drink. A multi-wick candle called “Dakota Heat” is claimed to keep the interior of a car comfortable for 24 hours. This product, which could be made at home, consists of a number of wicks in a paraf- fi n/sawdust mixture poured in a shallow pan. It must be used with care since several fl ames are burning at a time. The heat produced increases with the number of wicks burning.

Cans of Sterno. A can will burn for about an hour depending on the size of fl ame and the size of the can. The open flame requires that considerable care be given to its use. Propane heaters will provide approximately 12,000 BTUs of heat. The open flame makes it a dangerous heater with considerable risk in a combustible environment such as a car’s interior. The size of the flame affects the burning time and the heat produced.

Since these heaters all use oxygen while they operate, always open a window slightly on both sides of the car to prevent asphyxiation and allow for moisture removal. Opening a window on each side of the car allows for fresh air to replace the fouled air from the oxygen-using heater.

Do not sleep with the heater operating. It could asphyxiate you or tip over and start a fire. Another source of heat is the car’s heater. There are several problems with relying on this, however. Leaks in the exhaust system can cause carbon monoxide poisoning if ventilation of the car’s interior is not safely managed. The wind can carry exhaust fumes up to the air intake of the heater, causing a build-up of carbon monoxide inside the car.

Two other problems associated with using the car’s engine and heater are managing the fuel supply and preventing the engine from icing up when it is periodically started, warmed up, and then shut off. The fuel capacity of the vehicle may be another problem. The average eight cylinder engine, while running at idle, will consume about one gallon of gasoline per hour, while six and four cylinder engines burn less.

It is not likely that you will have more than a day’s supply of fuel for continuous running of the engine when you become stranded. Some will have been used in attempts to get the vehicle free again. The coldest weather usually follows a blizzard, so you may want to really conserve the fuel available for that time. But you will also be faced with the problem of keeping the engine warm enough that it will start when you do need the heat.

This leads to the suggestion that the engine should be used intermittently to keep you warm. The frequent starting of the engine will put an extra hard strain on the battery when it is not at its best. Remember, batteries are weaker in cold temperatures. The intermittent starting and stopping of the engine will also allow time for snow to blow and drift into the engine compartment, melt, wetting the engine’s electrical system and then freeze. This may make it virtually impossible to start the engine the next time. Managing the use of the engine for heat can be very difficult at best.

It is best to store the necessary clothing, sleeping bags, and food in order to be prepared for the time when the engine cannot be depended upon for heat. You can survive winter blizzards with adequate preparation and wise use of what you pack ahead of time. Now, relax and take it easy! Accept the fact that you will not be going anyplace for a while and enjoy the opportunity for some free time.

A tip from cold weather campers -- eat a snack of high calorie food just before sleeping to stimulate your metabolism (heat production). If you awaken due to the cold, just eat some more high energy food and add another layer of insulation -- more clothing or a blanket. They survive -- so can you!

 

SSGT CHAS POTEAT | 5TH BOMB WING OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY