This entire thread has been a most interesting and informative read. I don't want to get off track here, but the following may generate some ideas or (hopefully) constructive critism regarding regarding winter travel emergencies:

I live in Alaska and experience a variety of conditions and occurences with a lot of potential for disaster.

1. I travel 120 miles R/T almost every day from a semu-rural home to Anchorage and have made it a point to carry and maintain a basic kit in my vehicle, including first aid, warm clothing, fire making, light, blades, firearm, food, water and tools (water is just 1 qt nalgene in my laptop bag.). There are several bridges and rivers that can separate me from home at the half way point and I could be in for a long and cold hike if not trapped. In a real disaster (earthquake, volcano, fire - we get them all), I could be completely cut off from home for an extended period. This has happened to me for short periods a few times.

2. I also fly above the arctic circle usually one week each month. This week I left -41degF and blowing snow there to return to 0degF and 60-70mph winds. In all my air travels I carry what emergency/survival gear the TSA allows in my day pack, which sadly doesn't amount to much more than clothing and a minimal personal kit without blades, etc.

3. I don't rely on the airline personnel or government agencies for my personal survival on these trips. We fly over 600 miles of frozen wilderness.

I have always made it a priority to be as prepared as possible for any cold weather travel contingencies and have been thankful for that on several occassions over the years here in the frozen north, even in summer. I wish I could convince my family to take this more seriously instead of relying on me (good chance I will be gone).

What am I missing? Is this useful to anyone? I know I haven't addressed winter storms on the homefront, or what gear I carry and why, but I thought the travel issue important.

Thanks for your patience.

This is my biggest worry/problem!!! I have no problem finding the time/money/training/supplies I would need to be personally self-sufficient for very prolonged period of time… However, I do not have the finances to take care of everyone in my family and I am the only one to both enjoys the preparations and have the forethought and motivation to do them.

JPH

Let me refer you to a great book on this very subject entitled, "The Ant and the Grasshopper".

TR

Tools, anyone?

For preparedness/survival purposes, I would divide them into functional groups.

Construction.

Automotive.

Household.

Farming/Ranching.

Firearms.

Anyone have any other groups which would be applicable? For example, I think rescue tools can be gathered from several of the above categories.

Let's start with construction tools.

Basically, most of these tools are designed to move material, make a piece of construction material the proper length, or to put two or more pieces of material together.

I would start my tool collection with shovels, picks, and similar earth moving tools.

Add timber felling and shaping tools such as axes, saws, planes, drills, chisels, etc.

You have to have measuring and alignment tools to make sure that the pieces will fit. Measuring tapes, levels, strings, plumb bobs, squares, guides, etc.

Then add joining tools such as hammers, screwdrivers, staplers, pliers, clamps, ratcheting straps, etc.

PVC pipe can quickly be assembled for a number of purposes with just a cutter, some sandpaper, and the pipe cement.

Electrical wiring repair is dangerous and should only be attempted by professionals, but a test meter, a few sets of pliers, a couple of screwdrivers, a set of nut drivers, some wire, and a few rolls of tape, with a working knowledge of electricity and a schematic will allow most people to keep the lights on.

I would also consider demolition tools in this category, such as pry bars, quickie saws, sledges and mauls, demolition hammers, etc. These could be among the most useful items to have if the disaster involved rescuing trapped people, or knocking down parts of structures for access.

The construction tools would be very handy indeed if you neede to improvise a hasty shelter, to expand your current one, or to make expedient repairs to a damaged structure.

In this category, I would recommend that everyone have at least one good ladder, a hammer, hand saw, a hacksaw, pair of pliers, a screwdriver with interchangable tips, a heavy duty stapler, a Wonderbar, a shovel (long-handled round-pointed), an axe (single bit), a 25' measuring tape, a short level, a try square, plenty of fasteners such as nails, screws, staples, etc. I woulkd strongly consider adding a good drill (cordless, 18v. or better if possible), a power saw, a chain saw, and a wheelbarrow.

When I lived in Puerto Rico, a lot of the houses had "FEMA roofs" for over a year, which were blue tarps nailed onto the exposed roofing. A couple of good sized tarps (or a roll of plastic sheeting), a few furring strips, some nails, screws, or the fastest, a slap type stapler, and you can repair the weathertightness of your structure quite rapidly. You could even use the stapler on the range.

Pop the hinge pins out of interior doors with a hammer and a nail or screwdriver and you can make quick shelter materials or handy litters for the injured.

Use a mower, a lawn tractor with a disk, or a shovel properly, while keeping the roof wet with a hose, and the wildfire might not get close enough to your house to destroy it.

The saw chainsaw that you use to remove fallen trees and limbs can also rough cut lumber, if you use it right. Don't forget the file, bar oil, two-stroke oil, and fresh gas.

The redneck engineering thread is a wealth of ideas.

If you have no tools, this might be a good time to go to the hometown store, a Lowe's or Home Depot and look at the selection. Get a kit or add one new tool per month till you have your basic set.

Just a few thoughts, hope others feel free to contribute.

TR

If you are on a budget http://www.harborfreight.com/ is a great source of cheap tools especially when they run them on sale.

I just bought some really large tarps there dirt cheap.

Tarps from HF are okay.

I have rarely found cheap tools to be a bargain in the long run though.

TR

One in Fayetteville
 

There is one in Fayetteville. I got a cheap Hot Air Gun for cleaning out my "new" 03. Worked good. Then again that was a one time use tool and if it keeps working the next time so much the better.

Every day use tools are well worth the extra money and quality. One thing I can not stand is a cheap screw driver. Followed in close order by "fake" Swiss Army Knives and "fake" Leathermans.

Pete

I try to always keep an e-tool in the trunk of the car.... shovel, axe, prybar... weapon.... anybody else?

Very true sir. For everyday use I have a full set of Craftsman tools and for power I prefer the Dewalt line.

I have several autos, boats and tractors so I can outfit a pretty good "aw sh*t" box on each with cheap tools to get me back home. Bright side of cheap tools is if it falls overboard or you bounce off a ratchet in a corn field you are not going to loose much sleep over it. Yes I have done both. :o

You mentioned electrical repair. For automotive use you can buy a large assortment of wire and connectors relatively cheap. I hate having to run out to the store to get a 5 cent connector in the middle of a repair. No telling what may act up in an emergency.

E-tool, flashlights, batteries, fire extinguisher, an axe, folding saw, multi-tool, comealong, tow strap, tie downs, ratchet straps, bolt cutters, rope, jumper cables, 100mph tape, electrical tape, spare bulbs, 550 cord, a space blanket or three, gloves, hats, rags, wipes, a siphon hose, cans of fix-a-flat, fuel line, clamps, wire, a gas can, flares, cell charger, lineman's phone, water, food, scanner, fuses, spare ammo, OC, flex-cuffs, a first aid kit, paper towels, a notebook, pens and pencils, and a tool kit (Craftsman and WiHa).

Last time I was almost stuck was when I had a late flight home and when I got to the truck in the airport remote parking lot around midnight, the headlights would not work. I checked all of the fuses, connections, grounds, everything. Turned out later that the switch was fried. They would work on passing beams though, as long as I held the stalk up. Every 10-15 minutes, they would overheat and go out too, so I would turn them off and drive without them on just the marker lights till I saw a car coming, when I would turn them back on. I had two SureFire M900s that I contemplated taping to the hood as substitutes, but decided that it might attract too much attention so I would occasionally hold one out the window to light the road if there was no traffic. I guess I could have slept in the parking lot or called the wife to wake up the kids and drive for over an hour to get me, but I really wanted to get home on my own. Then I added a 12 v. test light to the tool loadout.

TR

Although our topic has switched to tools, in light of The Reaper's post I'll add my recent experience with my furnace (AKA my boiler).

Spring has been late in coming to my area of the NE and last week Thursday I woke up in a VERY chilly bedroom. My home was built in 1941 and still has the original hot water boiler and radiators for its heating system. I was puzzled because I could hear that the system was 'running' so I knew the thermostat had kicked it on.
I walked down the stairs to the basement to find that the copper coil, that is the 'innards' of my boiler and which is heated by natural gas jets on the base of the boiler , had cracked and was now leaking water all over the floor as well as swamped the gas jets and pilot light.
1). I believe there is a 'safety' mechanism that shuts off the gas, even though the furnace was calling for it. Nevertheless, I have several Carbon Monoxide detectors properly located so that was not a problem. After having a 'scare' several years ago I believe that every home should have several and buy the good ones - carbon monoxide is not an area to pinch pennies.
2). I had no idea how to shut the water off to the boiler to stop the leaking all over the floor. Had to call a friend to come do that. ( Note to the other ladies on PS.com........make sure you find out about all the simple stuff as a home owner , like where shut off valves are for everything related to water - water to the toilet, to the outside hose connection, to your hot water heater, to your furnace if it involves hot water, etc. etc.)
3). Once the leaking water was taken care of, I knew I had to find a source of heat for the next few days and the forecast was calling for an overnight low of 0* !!
I have one of those electric sealed space heaters that has oil inside it, and it has a multiple setting thermostat. It actually looks like a radiator - you've most likely seen them.
I don't have a fireplace.
No little children around any longer, but I do have pets so whatever I use has to be 'pet' safe.
Because of that, one other older electric space heater I owned was not going to be 'safe' to use. The heating elements were too exposed for my peace of mind.
A friend loaned me another type of space heater that does have heating elements (rather than the 'oil' ) but it was much safer than the one I had. Mine is going in the trash.

The weather has gone from frigid on the night the boiler died, to 60* yesterday, and tonight we have a weather advisory for 3 - 6 " of snow once again. :mad:

So, I guess this story is about what to do if your home heating source kicks the bucket, in very cold temps, and you can't just pack up and go stay with friends or family because your pets will freeze. :(

It's not the standard problem when all power is lost during a blizzard, but having SAFE alternate heating sources on short notice for back up is worth thinking about BEFORE you need them.

RC201

Wow, RC...glad you found alternative heat.

Did you have your boiler/furnace checked out by a professional prior to turning it on for the winter season?

We have already covered heat, but I would add that in an emergency cold weather situation, collapse all of your activities down to a small part of the house, or a single central or well insulated room, if possible.

The smaller space takes a lot less energy to heat, if you have supplemental heat, and if not, body heat and a candle or two (or a can of Sterno) will be a lot more effective in the confined space than in an entire dwelling.

Just remember to keep an eye out for Carbon Monoxide problems.

Thanks for sharing!

TR

One winter some years ago in Chicago, the furnace died on us. The system was still blowing air, but an electrical part went out related to the thermostat. My uncle whom I lived with then was out and my aunt didn't know what to do. It was a weekend and the repair guy said he'd come the next day. We have a fireplace in the living room and it has it's own gas line. Finding the main valve in the basement was interesting (we rarely turned it on and it was my uncle), but once we did, that was our source of heat.

My aunt, my two cousins, a buddy that was over visiting, and myself all threw sleeping bags in front of the fireplace and crashed there for the night. We had lots of extra blankets. The only problem with the fireplace was that its location was in the most open/exposed part of the house (Valuted ceilings, windows, french doors, etc.). There was no way to trap heat to that room. Temp in the house was hovering around 50 the next early morning. The fireplace looked pretty, but didn't have much 'oomph' to it.

[QUOTE=The Reaper]E-tool, flashlights, batteries, fire extinguisher, an axe, folding saw, multi-tool, comealong, tow strap, tie downs, ratchet straps, bolt cutters, rope, jumper cables, 100mph tape, electrical tape, spare bulbs, 550 cord, a space blanket or three, gloves, hats, rags, wipes, a siphon hose, cans of fix-a-flat, fuel line, clamps, wire, a gas can, flares, cell charger, lineman's phone, water, food, scanner, fuses, spare ammo, OC, flex-cuffs, a first aid kit, paper towels, a notebook, pens and pencils, and a tool kit (Craftsman and WiHa).

Looks like you have that pretty well covered, but why the bolt cutters?

I also carry an Estwing axe and a folding shovel + a small BOB or "Possibles Bag" which includes a large fixed blade.

bob