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View Full Version : How to Survive in Your Car for 48 Hours



RedJohn
02-09-2013, 09:36 AM
Being stranded in your car can be a scary experience. But if you’re prepared, you don’t need to worry. Follow these tips below to help you stay safe and find the help that you need in an emergency situation.

Don’t Abandon Your Car
Walking away from your car can be dangerous if you’re far from any city or town. Especially if you are caught in a storm, your car offers great shelter. Don’t abandon the car unless you know there is a city or help nearby.

Flag
If you get stuck on the side of the road, tie a fluorescent flag on your antenna or hang it outside of your window. If night comes before help arrives, use a flashlight or your car’s dome light. Try and have someone stay awake – or take shifts throughout the night – to ensure that if someone passes in a car, someone is awake to signal for help.

Call for Help
If you have a phone, use it. Try and describe your location as precisely as possible. Where were you driving from? Where are you going? What road are you on? What landmarks do you see nearby? All of this information will help them locate you if you need help.

Don’t Use Gas All at Once
Run the engine periodically to run the heater for warmth. But even with a full tank, you’d be surprised at how fast the car can run to empty. Don’t run your vehicle for longer than 20 minutes at a time. If you’re stuck in the cold, run the heat on high as possible when the engine is on. Try to go as long as you can between intervals of turning the engine on. Also, be sure that your exhaust isn’t covered while you’re idling.

Go Crazy on the Horn
Your horn and lights are a great way to signal where you are and that you need help. However, your car battery can only go so long before it loses all of its juice. Remember that while the car is idling you can use the horn and lights as much as possible. While the engine is idling, the battery isn’t in use and the engine is powering the lights and horn.

Don’t Drive with an Empty Car
Your car can be a great asset if you use it correctly. So, why not start with the upper hand and add some emergency items to your car? You should have a supply of water and food to help you in a time of need. Also prepare wisely with jumper cables, a flashlight, emergency radio, etc.

Hydrate
If you’re stuck in your car during the summer, you will need to stay hydrated and make sure you are drinking water. Even during a winter snowstorm, you’d be surprised at how quickly your body can lose water. Pack water in your auto emergency kit. Especially if you are going to be in your car for 48 hours, you’ll need to have food and water.

Insulate
Try and insulate your heat as much as possible during a winter storm. The metal parts of your car are going to make it a little harder to insulate your vehicle but try and use blankets, floor mats or any part of the car to try and insulate your body heat.

Avoid Overexertion
Shoveling snow or pushing your car can take a lot of effort in a storm. Don’t risk an injury. Besides a risk of injury, the exertion will make you hot and sweaty. Wet clothes lose insulation value and make your more susceptible to hypothermia. Instead, try and do light exercises in your vehicle – stretching your arms and legs from time to time.

Your Plans
So, what plans do you have in place for your vehicle’s emergency kit? Comment below sharing what items are most helpful for you and your family.

http://www.thereadystore.com/auto-emergency/6387/how-to-survive-in-your-car-for-48-hours

Echo2
02-09-2013, 10:40 AM
Yup....spent 12 hrs in car waiting for road to reopen.

ever seen what a mile plus of interstate traffic looks like hanging out in a rest stop facility.....not pretty is an understatement.

- - - Updated - - -

I was in a suburban....temp was about 40 degrees.....night.

bacpacker
02-10-2013, 12:56 AM
Never had to do this yet. But we do take some trips out of our area and always have 2 cases of water and the means to purify more. Plenty of ready to eat food. Means to start a fire. Tow strap, gloves, GHB's, boots. If it's cold weather we throw sleeping bags in as well.

Sniper-T
02-11-2013, 02:44 PM
Tow straps, booster cables, extra parka, extra boots, means to melt snow/ice/cook...

all part of my standard winter kit.

And yeah they've all been used more than a few times

realist
02-12-2013, 12:02 AM
Ya know when they say a car is like a refrigerator when it is cold they are right. Done it a couple of times, I always have a good sleeping bag in the car along with, food and water, extra clothes...etc.

Kodiak
02-12-2013, 01:40 PM
We keep the typical 3 day survival kits in the cars, food & water, blankets, extra pair of hiking boots, extra clothes and tow straps. Means of making fire along with a few emergency candles, multi tools, knives and flashlights...

You know, the typical gear most people keep in their cars :P

Dropy
02-14-2013, 10:09 PM
couple years ago I spent nearly 12 hours in our truck on the road in a snow storm. Diesel = WIN!! I ran the truck the entire time to stay warm and used under a 1/4 tank of fuel. I have a 25 gallon tank. We had some drink and snacks and wifes mom was right behind us in there vehicle her sister was there too.

All was fine. But for everyone around us.....

rentprop1
02-16-2013, 08:24 AM
couple years ago I spent nearly 12 hours in our truck on the road in a snow storm. Diesel = WIN!! I ran the truck the entire time to stay warm and used under a 1/4 tank of fuel. I have a 25 gallon tank.
I had a friend who was late to work, and very forgetful.... he ran into work , then couldn't find his keys after an 8 hour shift......guess where they were, he had locked his keys in a running minivan and sat there idling all day, had only used 1/4 tank of gas...so I think if you have fuel you might be better off running the car longer that the 20 min at a time ???? YMMV

Sniper-T
02-20-2013, 12:33 PM
There was a bad accident on I29 in NDak yesterday, spent 1-1/2 hrs parked in the middle of the road waiting for them to clear it. snacked on jerky and chips. had an apple. had dr. pepper, water, juice. Sat back, read a book, and had a nap.
-37 with the wind chill. Started the car intermittedly.

rentprop1
02-21-2013, 04:24 AM
Started the car intermittedly.

so what you're really trying to say is you didn't have enough fuel to leave it running ??? :confused:

Sniper-T
02-21-2013, 04:42 AM
not at all. filled up before we left Grand forks, drove less than an hour to the accident site. according to "zoom-zoom's" readout, we had 600+ km left on the tank. I just shut the car off when we hit the 'all-stop' and the wife reached over and started it when she got cold. based on the readout, and the fact that I only ran the car for 10 m,inutes per 1/2 hour, we coul've stayed toasty for 400+ hours... without touching the emergency kit. or our bags... of clothes.

rentprop1
02-23-2013, 08:47 AM
it was a joke :)

LUNCHBOX
01-16-2014, 01:15 AM
Due to the weather, l thought l would bump this thread. Anybody have any other car encounters?

Fidel MD
01-16-2014, 02:28 AM
Our winter bags - kept in the vehicles, moved around when we double-up

Arctic canteen (2 qt), cover, cup
Balaclava, fleece
Blanket, Rescue
Blanket, Wool GI
Bomber Hat, poly fleece
Collapsible snow shovel
Duffle bag
Gloves, heavy wt (Mitts) Wiggys
Gloves, liner, polypro
Goggles, snow/ski gold tinted
Parka, Wiggys
Scarf, cashmere or Buffalo
Shoe packs (Sorel or equal Wiggys)
Ski /snowshoe poles (collapsible)
Snow Pants, Wiggy’s with suspenders
Snow shoes and bindings
Socks, heavy wt long,
Socks, synthetic liner
Sweater, heavy
Food (Cadbury chocolate bars, hot chocolate mix, protein bars, jerky, slim jims)

bacpacker
01-16-2014, 11:58 AM
Nice car kit MD.

Fidel MD
01-16-2014, 12:28 PM
Nice car kit MD.



Thanks. The wind chill can go to -65F around here. Got to be ready. We have a 4-seasons backpacking tent, and other supplies, in my truck at all times too.

bacpacker
01-16-2014, 02:11 PM
We dont have temps like that to deal with here. But the wifes family lives in Mi. So when we take a trip up there I have a large plastic storage box I pack full of winter needs in case we get stuck or stranded. Or even should we have to abandon the truck for some reason.
Down here I can pack everything under the rear seat of the truck to do us.

ak474u
01-16-2014, 03:45 PM
I've got a pretty good winter kit, its 60* here today, and will be for a week, but then it could be 8* or 88*. Stupid Texas weather. I added an E-Tool to my truck, along with a machete to supplement my toos that I frequently end up needing. I faithfully swap the Gear in the BOBs to winter in October or November. I do think I need to order some light duty SUV tire chains to the kit, nobody sells them here for obvious reasons, but when we had the icepocalypse a few weeks ago, they would have been nice. We live right at the north end of the area where heavy equipment is used for road clearing, a few miles past us, clearing drops to local municipalities and the county, so if we had to bug out north to family in OK, it would be tough. My next vehicle purchase will be a 4x4, when I bought this one, I lived in South TX, and didn't want the extra maintenance, or initial purchase costs at the time for something I'd only use when hunting. I want a CUCV as a weekend driver, but I've gotta have a good daily driver for work too.

ElevenBravo
01-16-2014, 10:00 PM
A damn good sleeping bag and THIS....

http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=41&id=338

COULD save your life...

Dont forget water, Mountain House and toilet paper.

Some type of light.. A book or a few magazines...


I dont have a car kit at this time, weather here is not that bad... right now.

EB

Brownwater Riverrat 13
01-16-2014, 10:21 PM
Our winter bags - kept in the vehicles, moved around when we double-up

Arctic canteen (2 qt), cover, cup
Balaclava, fleece
Blanket, Rescue
Blanket, Wool GI
Bomber Hat, poly fleece
Collapsible snow shovel
Duffle bag
Gloves, heavy wt (Mitts) Wiggys
Gloves, liner, polypro
Goggles, snow/ski gold tinted
Parka, Wiggys
Scarf, cashmere or Buffalo
Shoe packs (Sorel or equal Wiggys)
Ski /snowshoe poles (collapsible)
Snow Pants, Wiggy’s with suspenders
Snow shoes and bindings
Socks, heavy wt long,
Socks, synthetic liner
Sweater, heavy
Food (Cadbury chocolate bars, hot chocolate mix, protein bars, jerky, slim jims)

I like the way you got yours packed.........but what the heck is a "Wiggy?"

ElevenBravo
01-16-2014, 10:35 PM
.but what the heck is a "Wiggy?"

Expensive, and WORTH IT, sleeping bags, etc.. etc..

https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=wiggies&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I love Alps, Kelty and MSR gear, I *wish* I had some Wiggies...

EB

Fidel MD
01-17-2014, 02:24 AM
www.wiggys.com

His products can be left compressed for quite a while without damage. It's tough to do that with down or most other synthetics.

Metrocruiser
01-17-2014, 07:52 PM
Hey all,

I just bought a couple lower end sleeping bags, obviously they are larger than desired. I was wondering if there are some kind of stuffit bags I might be able to shove these s-bags into to make them more compact and manageable in the suv?

Fidel MD
01-17-2014, 08:49 PM
Sure. Compression stuff sacks abound.

For example http://www.rei.com/product/794957/rei-lightweight-compression-stuff-sack

bacpacker
01-17-2014, 09:33 PM
Granite gear makes some good ones in various sizes. I bet REI or Campmor carries them. Blu Ridge Mtn sports maybe as well.

Metrocruiser
01-18-2014, 03:46 AM
Awesome!! compression stuffit sacks, just what I need.. I did not know what to search for, thanks for the links. there are alot on amazon and ebay as well.

Thanks guys!!