Winter Car survival ??

[granite]

But don't put the hot hands in your underwear while you sleep. You will burn your butt cheeks. BTDT.

[Sarge47]

But don't put the hot hands in your underwear while you sleep. You will burn your butt cheeks. BTDT.

I'm not touching that one!

[Elkchsr]

HAHAHA....

I love new experiences, but I think I'll learn from yours Granite

[rt36crazyfists]

a way to signal when stranded in a car is to take the spare tire put gasoline in it and ignite it. it will make a thick black cloud

[Rick]

If nothing else, pop one of your mirrors off and use it to signal.

[NorthWindTrails]

Just my two cents worth ... A dandy little alcohol heater can be made for next to nothing using 70% Isopropyl (IPA) rubbing alcohol. The alcohol can be purchased quite cheaply here in the States (last I looked about .78 cents at WalMart) and burns quite cleanly (little to no CO). I took a larger soup can, washed it out and stuffed a roll of toilet paper inside (after removing the center cardboard tube). Soak with most of a bottle of IPA when needed and this will heat a stalled car to 60 or 70 degrees quite well. I got this from FEMA's website, I believe. It's quite worth it to keep a homemade heater, a couple of bottles of alcohol and a Bic lighter under the seat of your vehicle. Cheap and effective! NorthWind

[canid]

i travel in winter conditions with about a gal of water, extra change of clothes, spare cigarette lighter, spare sleeping bag and often some other oddments, plus whatever gear i took with me for the trip i happen to be on. generaly, this includes other outdoor gear and a firearm.

with temps cold and snow deepening, i would not be inclined to stay in my car unless i had plenty of gas, it was in running condition and i could use the heater. failing that, they are generaly cold traps and i would be inclined to take shelter in a drift with the sleeping bag for a floor insulator. my car gets cold when it's not running.

[nell67]

Canid, I would NEVER stay in my vehicle with the motor running for extended periods of time,it is dangerous,I found that one out the hard way

[canid]

uhm, yeah... you have to keep some ventilation going...

[nell67]

Umm, did you know that most cases of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning in a vehicle,at least one window of the vehicle is opened slightly for fresh air? But the catch is carbon monoxide like heat rises,and it gets to you before it gets to the window.
Like I said I found that out the hard way,very long story,very unhappy ending.

If you think this is a safe way to stay warm in winter,then you need to ad a CO detector to your kit,if you are lucky,maybe it will alert you before you go to sleep.

[Elkchsr]

Another item I should have mentioned is having a half dozen or so flares bundled in your trunk

They don't ever go bad as far as I know and they burn hot enough to get a fire going even if starting with totally wet wood

[canid]

a door not facing into the prevalent wind left open a crack is sufficient to keep air circulating and eliminate buildup of CO as convection will bring fresh air in from allong the floorboards.

i'm not a stranger to these problems.

[nell67]

along the floor boards? where do you think the CO is coming from the roof?

I am no stranger to it either,I lived through it,but my sons father did not,and the car was sitting in the open,not in an enclosed structure,and 2 windows were opened 1/4 of the way,yes I know what I am talking about.I have a very large scar on my leg,and on my right arm from the burns it can cause,kills the muscle and the nerve, so you dont have to worry about feeling the pain from the burn.

[granite]

Why do you need a heater so desperately? I keep 3 sleeping bags in my car of various warmths. In extreme conditions I will use all 3 bags at once and they will keep me toasty warm. But most times I only need 1 or 2.

[canid]

as air flows in from below, it warms, rises and creates a circuit of air exchange, keeping CO levels from building up to dangerout levels in the first place. it is a handy thing to know how to use any tool at your disposal, including those which, like a chainsaw or even a blunt rock, can be dangerous without the knowledge to use them.

in answer to granite: re-read my post above. i do not advocate relying on vehicle heaters, but feel that they are a good first line if you have the gas for it. i actualy advocate not staying in the vehicle if better shelter is available, for the reason i stated above.

[nell67]

And brings the CO with it,which you ARE going to inhale before it goes out the door!

[canid]

not in significant quantities. trust me or don't; it's your health anyway and i'm not telling you what to do with it.

[canid]

what has my age got to do with it? it's a matter of learning and experience. having lived through doing something wrong is no substitute for knowing how to do it right.

i'm beginning to wonder if you are just in this for the argument.

i will probably stop being agressive about this if you can lay off being offensive.

[AdventureDoc]

It is my understanding that the CO (carbon monoxide) accumulates only if the tail pipe is covered. A normally functioning exhaust system will expel the CO from the car, into the environment. "Dilution is the solution to pollution" when it comes to most gases. If this tail pipe is blocked, the CO will back-up, (eventually) into the interior of the car. I was always told to make sure if I was running a car in a severe snow storm, to make sure the tail pipe was periodically dug out to allow ventilation. This means leaving the car and exposure to other potential problems. Getting lost outside the car is the worst fear. Some have suggested tying a length of cord to the car and around your waist. A cut-up seatbelt is another option. The tail pipe should be free to vent exhaust, though.

A person can suffocate from CO poisoning in a garage, with the vehicle running, as well. This is the same principle as a blocked tail pipe. The CO accumulates in the enclosed and poorly ventilated space. Symptoms of CO poisoning include lethargy, fatigue and "sleepiness". Most people just get tired and fall asleep. Confusion is another symptom worth mentioning, as well.

This is a great thread and very appropriate. I find myself looking at what I have in the back of my truck, now. I guess that is the point of all this...Thanks!

[nell67]

It can also happen in an open area doc,as was the case with my accident,nothing blocking the exhaust,2 windows open,the carbon monoxide rises like heat and even with the windows open,you are going to inhale it as it passes by you to the windows.