Like you I'm always checking and rechecking bags and gear to make certain everything is up to snuff. Well, that and it's an affliction. Anywhooo. I ran across this document I put together and thought it might be of value or at least give some ideas. Around here about the only way someone would be stranded in their vehicle is on the interstate in a winter storm and that happens just about every year. Most folks are rescued pretty quickly but some get to spend the night in the vehicle. With that in mind, I put this together, went over it with my wife and placed the document in the glove box of her vehicle.
Procedures to Follow if Vehicle is Stranded
1. Remain Calm. In almost any emergency, but especially in a survival situation, it is critical that you first S.T.O.P.
"S" is for Stop. Take a deep breath, sit down if possible, calm yourself and recognize that whatever has happened to get you here is past and cannot be undone. You are now in a survival situation and that means . . .
"T" is for Think. Your most important asset is your brain. Use it! Don't Panic! Move with deliberate care. Think first, so you have no regrets later. Take no action, even a foot step, until you have thought it through. Unrecoverable mistakes and injuries, potentially serious in a survival situation, occur when we act before we engage our brain. Then . . .
"O" is for Observe. Take a look around you. Assess your situation and options. Consider the terrain, weather and resources. Take stock of your supplies, equipment, surroundings, your personal capabilities and, if there are any, the abilities of your fellow survivors.
"P" is for Plan. Prioritize your immediate needs and develop a plan to systematically deal with the emergency and contingencies while conserving your energy. Then, follow your plan. Adjust your plan only as necessary to deal with changing circumstances.
YOU WILL SURVIVE!
2. Determine if the vehicle is in a safe location. Are you stuck at the bottom of a hill where other vehicles might slide into you? Are you stuck in a snow drift in a location where other vehicles are unlikely to run into you? If the vehicle is in a dangerous location then exit the vehicle and take your survival gear with your. Find a safe location a short distance from the vehicle. If the vehicle is in a safe location then stay inside. But STAY WITH THE VEHICLE. It will be spotted from the air a lot easier than you will. Remember, too, that dense fog or blizzard conditions can be disorienting. Attempting to travel even short distances from the vehicle under these conditions could mean not being able to find your way back.
3. Triage any injuries and use the First Aid Kit in the front console compartment.
4. Attach USGI VS-17 GVX Aerial signal Panel Marker to the roof of car. Attach it to the roof rack with the provided cordage.
5. Check the vehicle exhaust to make sure snow or other debris does not block it. A blocked exhaust can lead to asphyxiation from carbon monoxide and/or cause the engine to stop running. Periodically recheck the exhaust if snow is falling to ensure it does not block the tailpipe.
6. Only run the engine 10 minutes of every hour. Lower front driver’s and passenger’s windows 1 inch to allow for cross ventilation while engine is running. Windows may be closed when engine is shut off. If you are with someone else you can take turns sleeping. If you are alone never go to sleep with the engine running.
7. If you have cell phone access then call 911 and give the operator your location. To determine vehicle location. Select Map Mode.
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From the next screen select Compass
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The Compass Screen will give you the GPS Coordinates of the vehicle. This is your exact location and should be given to 911.
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As an example, it is read as:
Lat. : N3855.23’
Long. : W7655.51’
Latitude: North 38 degrees, 55.23 minutes.
Longitude: West 76 degrees, 55.51 minutes
If you do not have cell phone access then you will need to make preparations for survival until you are found. You have a winter survival bag in back along with a get home bag under the rear driver side storage area. You can access both from inside the vehicle.
You have both food, water and nutrition bars in your get home bag as well as a stove and cup for heating water/snow. The base of the stove will get hot so a metal platform is also included to keep the stove elevated and off plastic material. Make certain the stove is stable. Lower both driver’s side and passenger side windows one inch when using the stove to prevent asphyxiation from CO2.
Your Get Home bag includes a candle lantern with additional candles and matches. While the candle lantern will not heat the car in extreme cold it can add some warmth in more moderate temperatures. Its greatest benefit will be to provide lighting without draining the car’s battery as well as psychological comfort.
In addition, you have tools and flares that can be used for signaling overhead aircraft or as a fire starter if you must leave the vehicle and wood is wet.
There is also an 8X10 tarp that can be used as an emergency shelter if you must leave the vehicle. You also have 8 Timber Nails that can be used as tent stakes as well as 25 feet of paracord. You have a knife in the get home bag and in one in the top glove compartment that can but used to cut the paracord. Here are some easy configurations:
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If you are forced to leave the vehicle don’t forget your firearm and knives. The knives are the most versatile tool you have. Don’t forget or lose them!
You can use leaf litter or other organic material to provide insulation in the tarp and a fire can be built at the open side or end to radiate heat inside the tarp. Just take care to keep the fire far enough away to prevent burning or melting the tarp or burning any support poles or overhead cordage.
If you must gather firewood then gather as much as you think you will need for one night then triple that amount. You will ALWAYS underestimate the amount of wood you need for the night. It’s better to gather too much wood in daylight than try to find wood in the dark or spend the night without fire. Remember, the fire can also attract rescuers.
In cold weather remember the acronym C.O.L.D.
C - Keep clothing Cean. While this might not apply here the rest do.
O - Avoid overheating. When you get too hot, you sweat and
your clothing absorbs the moisture. This affects your
warmth in two ways: dampness decreases the insulation
quality of clothing, and as sweat evaporates, your body
cools. Adjust your clothing so that you do not sweat. Do
this by partially opening your parka or jacket, by removing
an inner layer of clothing, by removing heavy outer
mittens, or by throwing back your parka hood or changing
to lighter headgear. The head and hands act as efficient
heat dissipaters when overheated.
L - Wear your clothing loose and in layers. Wearing tight
clothing and footgear restricts blood circulation and invites
cold injury. It also decreases the volume of air trapped
between the layers, reducing its insulating value. Several
layers of lightweight clothing are better than one equally
thick layer of clothing, because the layers have dead
airspace between them. The dead airspace provides extra
insulation. Also, layers of clothing allow you to take off or
add clothing layers to prevent excessive sweating or to
increase warmth.
D - Keep clothing dry. In cold temperatures, your inner
layers of clothing can become wet from sweat and your
outer layer, if not water repellent, can become wet from
snow and frost melted by body heat.
Don’t Panic! Use your head and take advantage of the tools available and you will be rescued. Think out of the box. The roof bars can be removed and used to cover a snow trench. The tarp can be laid over the top and snow piled on the tarp for insulation. You can cut evergreen bows and lay in the trench so you lay on the evergreens and not on the snow or you can lay the tarp out as a tube supported by the roof bars. That’s just an example. Look around and think, how can I use “that” to my advantage.
