On the fly decisions

[fixer27]

Let's assume that you've wrecked your car in a ditch during a blizzard. You are out of cell phone range and your car isn't going anywhere. You pick up your psk out of the trunk and have to survive from there.

What would you salvage from your off road vehicle, and what woul you wished you had at that point?

 

[Happy Joe]

No prob...
1 get out.(If the vehicle is on its side. winch it upright)
2 lock the hubs.(get back inside, put on seatbelt)
3 put the transfer case in low lock or for snow that needs lot of wheel speed in high lock (all snow is not created equal and different techniques may be needed for different types)
4 kick on the air lockers.
5 drive out of the ditch.
6 switch off the air lockers.
7 drive home.
Note extreme stucks may require airing the tires down to 7 psi or so (depends on the tire and the type of snow).
Caution: I do this sort of thing for enjoyment in the mountains in the wintertime and my jeep is specially prepped... be careful!
Enjoy!

 

[x39]

I'd definitely stay with the vehicle. The overwhelming majority of backwoods fatalities where I live involve people getting a vehicle stuck in a remote place, abandoning it in an attempt to walk out, and not making it.

 

[longbow50]

yup, stay with the vehicle. Get out and check the damage. Make sure there is no leaking fuel, or any other problems that would cause you to have to leave the vehicle.

The great thing about vehicle kits is they are designed to enhance what you already have going for you. In this situation, you'd have clothing to match the weather outside (if not, ya can't fix stupid) and your kit would have the tools available to either get you unstuck, or keep you warm, fed and hydrated until help arrives. It should also have reflectors, strobe, extra batts for strobe, etc., so people know you are there and need help. Ride out the blizzard and re-evaluate.

 

[Kat013]

Joe, that's great for people with 4WD. However, not all of us can afford such a vehicle (or don't work such that we have to have one), and I believe fixer's question was about what to do if your vehicle isn't driveable, for whatever reason.

I've never lived in blizzard country, but I've heard over and over to stay in the vehicle. Assuming, of course, that it's not on fire and not such a twisted wreck that being inside it would be a hazard. If you told someone where you were going and when, and you fail to arrive, people will start looking for you on that road.

If your vehicle is intact but just stuck, you have a cozy wind-and waterproof shelter, and you can run the heater intermittently for as long as you have gas. Just have to remember to keep the snow cleared from the grill and exhaust so your engine can breathe. I'd tie a bunch of bright orange ribbon onto the antenna, so if anyone else came driving by, I'd be a little more obvious.

If the vehicle is a twisted burning wreck, assuming I also got my coat and the tarp I always keep in the trunk, I'd move a short distance away and build a snow/tarp shelter, start a fire, and hunker down. If any of the panels on the car survived and I could get them off without too much trouble, I'd use those in the shelter as well. I'd be hesitant to use the fabric/carpet/stuffing in the car for fuel, as a lot of it is synthetic and would just melt while giving off nasty fumes. Better to put it between you and the ground.

About the only things I imagine I would wish I had were more food and a satellite phone. A book, maybe - could burn it if I had to.

 

[x39]

If you told someone where you were going and when, and you fail to arrive, people will start looking for you on that road.

Glad you brought that up. Telling someone where you're going and when you'll be back is probably the single most important ingredient to a happy ending in a widerness emergency. A common scenario in my neck of the woods involves a guy or couple who enjoys driving the backwoods logging roads just enjoying the scenery, maybe spotting some wildlife. I enjoy doing this myself. Anyway, the guy leaves home, doesn't tell anyone where he's going, goes down an unfamiliar road and gets his vehicle stuck, attempts to walk out and succumbs to the elements. Sounds crazy, but it happens pretty frequently in these parts (eastern Maine).

 

[Happy Joe]

If your vehicle and driving abilities are not up to the job then you are not prepaired and shouldn't be out in the blizzard, sorry if that offends but it is true, IMO.
However, if forced to delay repairs by the blizzard (yes, I have seen it snow that hard). I would curl up in the sleeping bag in the back of the vehicle and take a nap untill it is over. If it is a 3 or 4 day blizzard I would use one of the candles or the stove in the pack to warm and unfreeze the stored water. Then eat sparingly of my supplies and thaw water from snow untill the weather breaks enough to repair the jeep.
If forced to run the engine for warmth I would make absolutely certain to clear the exhaust pipe before starting the vehicle. (How could you go out without proper clothing in this weather? Your stove will safely burn gasoline and could serve as an expedient heater too, won't it? You do know how to safely extract gasoline from your vehicle, don't you?) People die regularly here, some times only a few hundred yards from the safety that they cannot see, because they do not clear the snow from the exhaust pipe (carbon monoxide, don't cha' know, dont forget ventilation for that stove).
Most of all I would do whatever it takes to stay dry (you do have a change of clothing, preferably wool, in that bag don't you?) Your tarp or rubberized poncho will help keep you away from the snow and dry when sleeping or sitting.
Enjoy!