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Winter weather tips
For most of us, unless you’re in the Florida Key’s or Los Angeles, you should be getting ready for the change in season’s. Winter weather has already been going on in some part’s of the country, but it has not yet reached my neck of the wood’s.
Next week though looks to be a different story! Although the ground is still too warm for it to stick, we might be getting around a whopping half-inch of snow! I know what you’re thinking, “Boy aren’t you lucky!” I would have to say yeah. I know that most other part’s have already gotten a few feet, we on the other hand do not usually get a lot of snow.
Our big thing is usually ice. Ice is much worse than snow. For power outages it is bad, door road condition’s it is bad, even walking. In my opinion, we should be trying to run lines underground like some area’s do, but that is very expensive!
I wanted to go ahead and give you some Winter weather tips before it gets too bad outside for everyone.
Know where your batteries are at!
If you have seen my earlier post on Facebook, you’ll know that I had recently had a fiasco with my battery storage. This is the best time to check up on your batteries! Flashlight’s, LED Lantern’s, Weather Radio’s, Smoke detector’s, Carbon Monoxide detector’s as well as some hand-held radio’s take batteries, you should use this time to go through everything and make sure the batteries are good and not corroded or leaking!
You should also make sure to change out the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detector’s, you do not want to take a risk on them going out when you need them the most!
I like to keep a few extra packs of batteries on hand for each type of battery that is in use around the house. This can help with not having to do run to the store or doing without!
Be sure that you know where your batteries are located, make sure they aren’t damaged or expired. You might find it easier to keep track of which pack you should open next by writing the date of purchase on the package with a permanent marker.
Vehicle maintenance
It would be wise to make sure that your Anti-Freeze is at the right mixture before it gets too cold. You wouldn’t want to find out that it isn’t when you go out and find your radiator busted.
Tire’s should be kept at the recommended tire pressure. One thing that I didn’t know is that the tire pressure on the sidewall isn’t necessarily the pressure that the tire should hold. If you look inside the driver’s side door frame, you should see a white label with some information on it. This will also tell you the recommended tire pressure for the vehicle.
You might also consider getting the tire’s rotated, balanced out, and getting them aligned. This will help with fuel economy and getting the most amount of life out of your tires!
Look into getting some ISO-HEET for your fuel tank’s. This will help keep moisture out of your fuel tank and line’s. You DO NOT want to have gas freeze in your line’s. That make’s for a long bad day! Especially if you are blocking other vehicle’s from exiting the driveway!
Grab some De-Icer and a window scraper next time you’re at the store. This can come in handy for when your get a lot of snow or ice built up on your windshield and back glass. You should refrain from just letting the vehicle run with the defrost on high. Although this is the easiest way of getting the window’s clean, it can also cause your window’s to crack!
Go ahead and have your battery tested to make sure it will get you through the winter! I know that I’ll need to get another battery here soon. They are expensive, but if you think about it, you can either change the battery out now while you have the time, or you can wait for it to go out on you in the middle of no where during a snow storm! Either way you would have to fork over that money.
BoB’s
You should have already changed out some of the content’s in the Bug out Bag’s or vehicle bag’s but if you haven’t yet, be sure to consider these changes:
- Swap out the summer clothes for winter clothes
- Add an additional pair of sock’s and glove’s
- Make sure you have hand warmer’s
What other thing’s should I consider?
Well, it would be wise to get a set of snow chain’s. I know they are not fun to put on, but some places it is required. Even if it isn’t required in your area, it can sure help you out in a slick situation.
Spring for a winch! That is something that I really need to look into installed on the truck. Sure it is a 4×4 but even with that you can still find yourself stuck!
Add a tow strap to your trunk or floorboard! I advise against Chain’s because they can break and if you are in the wrong spot, it can cut you in two.
Don’t forget about cat litter, this can be very helpful on gaining traction if you are stuck.
You should consider getting a generator! They can be pricey but they can really come in handy! What ever you do, DO NOT run the generator in the attached garage or near and window’s or door’s. This can kill you and your family! You hear about it every year.
Make sure that you have multiple way’s to cook if the power goes out. I know some of the newer wood stove’s are quite small, but some you can still use to cook on. A grill would work as well.
If you can think of anything to add to this list, be sure to leave it in a comment below!