What winter kit do you keep?

[Gvsukids]

flares

Great to use after expiration from the boat.

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[Rusty PW]

One item I've haven't seen mentioned. That's condoms.

https://basisgear.com/survival-uses-for-condoms/




Plus you never know when you might run into a lot lizard.

 

[HopSlammer]

Wow, I read the list! Condoms come in handy. Well oh geez, just read the list people. ?

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

I'm in Maryland - we just stay home that week.

Yup. People can’t drive In inclement weather in this area. All rolling around with a bunch of stuff like that guarantees is that sooner or later…you’re going to get stuck in a 4+ hour traffic jam. But hey, you’ll be comfortable, lol.

 

[snowbear]

Yup. People can’t drive In inclement weather in this area. All rolling around with a bunch of stuff like that guarantees is that sooner or later…you’re going to get stuck in a 4+ hour traffic jam. But hey, you’ll be comfortable, lol.

Gotta love the DC area in snow.

As far as what I carry: basic hand tools, a shovel, and a blanket.

I used to keep a sleeping bag, second pair of boots, and emergency strap-tire chains, but that was many years ago when my job worked in the 9-1-1 center. Not so much, these days.

Where about in VA are you?

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Gotta love the DC area in snow.

As far as what I carry: basic hand tools, a shovel, and a blanket.

I used to keep a sleeping bag, second pair of boots, and emergency strap-tire chains, but that was many years ago when my job worked in the 9-1-1 center. Not so much, these days.

Where about in VA are you?

I live in Northern VA. Jokes aside, I don’t leave home during the winter without basic “get out of a jam” and emergency necessities.

Unless it’s an absolute emergency though, I generally don’t leave the house anymore if there’s frozen precipitation of any kind. I’ve learned my lesson and it’s just not worth it (too many “but I have a four wheel drive” types).

 

[smlobx]

I'm in rural Northern New Hampshire. So I carry most of the usual stuff everyone else has posted. I also toss a set of tire chains in for winter, though I've never needed them. One thing I don't usually see mentioned in these threads....

I'm a licensed ham radio operator. I have a cheap chinese Baofeng UV-5R h/t that is programmed with all the local active ham frequencies and repeaters, as well as GMRS and any local EMS type stuff that hasn't gone digital. The original rechargeable battery is replaced with one holds AA batteries. I use lithium AAs with 10yr shelf life, and I vacuum seal them with my wife's food saver. I then place them, the radio, and it's antenna in another freezer bag with a silica pack and vacuum seal that. My wife, who is not a ham, has the same setup in her Jeep.

Technically, it's not legal to transmit with that radio on GMRS channels, and of course it isn't legal to talk on the local fire dept frequency (or for my wife to transmit on ANY frequency), but in an emergency, you do whatever it takes. Around here, you can be many miles from the closest reliable cellular signal, and still hit a mountain top ham repeater 30 miles away.

As a HAM licensed operator I agree 100%.
I will add the in addition to a pair of the Baofeng radios (which I charged up before this recent set of storms) I have a Kenwood HAM radio hard wired in my Gladiator that can push out 50 watts! It has also been programmed to run several GMRS frequencies and while technically not legal, in an emergency anyone is allowed to use these radios so I’m not worried about it.

 

[IamPro2A]

As a HAM licensed operator I agree 100%.
I will add the in addition to a pair of the Baofeng radios (which I charged up before this recent set of storms) I have a Kenwood HAM radio hard wired in my Gladiator that can push out 50 watts! It has also been programmed to run several GMRS frequencies and while technically not legal, in an emergency anyone is allowed to use these radios so I’m not worried about it.

How did you mount the radio? I have yet to figure out a way to mount my Yaesu FT-7900 in my JT as cleanly as I did in my Ram. The detachable faceplate fit perfectly in the dash cubby below the factory stereo.

Also, 4yrs after my original post.... I have not moved to emergency radios over to the newer Jeeps. That's because our phones now have Starlink satellite coverage that works far better in "normal" non-TEOTWAWKI emergencies. If my wife were to break down in the middle of nowhere at 5am with no cell service, she can has about a 99.999% chance she can contact me and 911 via satellite, instead of trying a bunch of radio frequencies and hoping some random person hears her AND helps her instead of doing something nefarious.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

SoCal list:
Beach towel
Flip flops
Sun block
Shovel (to make sand castles and bury people on the beach)
Surfboard

 

[smlobx]

How did you mount the radio? I have yet to figure out a way to mount my Yaesu FT-7900 in my JT as cleanly as I did in my Ram. The detachable faceplate fit perfectly in the dash cubby below the factory stereo.

Also, 4yrs after my original post.... I have not moved to emergency radios over to the newer Jeeps. That's because our phones now have Starlink satellite coverage that works far better in "normal" non-TEOTWAWKI emergencies. If my wife were to break down in the middle of nowhere at 5am with no cell service, she can has about a 99.999% chance she can contact me and 911 via satellite, instead of trying a bunch of radio frequencies and hoping some random person hears her AND helps her instead of doing something nefarious.

I mounted my Kenwood TM-K71A dual band radio under thepassenger seat with the head unit mounted above the rear view mirror. I added a remote speaker under the drivers footwell to better hear the communication. Here are a few pics.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Does that work for trail comms as well? Send/receive? I like that setup.

 

[DanW]

I keep at least two MRE's, several bottles of water, two emergency blankets, a Life Straw, extra gloves, stocking caps, hand warmers, extra socks, 2 rain ponchos, and my recovery gear. Sometimes I carry more than that, but that is the minimum in the winter.

Of course there are flashlights, binoculars, extra batteries, GMRS and CB radios, too.

Also fire starters, an axe/saw, extra ammo, tire repair kit and all kinds of other small stuff that is in the Jeep year round.

 

[Badunit]

It is hard to get far enough away from civilization around here to require carrying a lot of survival or winter gear. My gear is year round and more for breakdowns than survival or winter: basic tools, flashlights, tire plug kit, tire gauge, portable air compressor, code reader (JScan on my phone, bluetooth dongle). It all fits under and behind the rear seat and in the console. I keep an ice scraper all year round in the glovebox and have a blanket under the rear seat that doubles as rattle protection for the tools and hitch/trailer stuff. I want to add a small folding shovel because you never know when you might need one. I'll carry a snow shovel in the bed if it is snowy. I usually have a water bottle or two because I get thirsty sometimes, not as survival gear.

 

[Sweetums]

At all times (currently from memory since it's dark out and I don't want to go take inventory)

• Wool blanket
• Tools (I'm not listing them all, but it's pretty comprehensive)
• Air compressor
• Rags
• Jump starter
• Winch controller
• Flash light
• First aid kit
• Hatchet
• Tire puncture kit
• In-Reach Mini
• Tire air-down tools
• Work gloves
• Snatch block/donut for synthetic line
• Ratchet Straps (you'd be surprised what you can lash together with these)
• Soft shackles

In winter:

• Shovel
• Folding snow shovel
• Winch line damper
• Snatch strap
• Winch line extension
• Tree saver strap
• Assorted shackles and rigging
• Another wool blanket
• Emergency food and water
• Backpack

Winter clothing always comes with each person's personal stuff. The best thing is knowledge - I watch the forecast like a hawk and have weather warnings turned on for my phone. The NWS is very good at giving at least 6 hours warning for popup storms and usually we have several days notice that severe weather is likely. We plan ahead, like most mountain people to make sure we are stocked up before a storm; then we hunker down and wait it out.

The best place to be stuck is warm at home with a bourbon and a book.

 

[IamPro2A]

Those of you with real winters, how are you carrying water? It can go well below zero F here at night, and while most bottled water will survive a few freeze/thaw cycles, eventually they burst.

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