getting the car ready for winter trips

When winter comes it brings with it some dangers, The most dangerous being the cold. Wither it be going out to town or going up to the slope, chances are that you'll be venturing onto the icy roads. With some preparation a lot of issues & some dangers can be avoided. 

The first thing you need to do is put away any sports cars, motorcycles, fancy do dads, & anything that doesn't have 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. my preferred vehicle is an a jeep or 4x4 truck. anything less is not snow worthy. 

  

now that you have a vehicle worthy of snow travel there are somethings you should carry incase of emergencies.

even if you have 4WD or AWD you still should carry with you some chains, even the best vehicles can get stuck. Even in the best circumstantial  Icy roads can still be treacherous. The little extra traction a good pair of chains can provide, could be the difference between a cold night stuck in a car; waiting for a tow truck to come or a good time on the slopes. 

You would be surprised how many batteries get drained in the cold. It is always a good idea to carry jumper cables in your car, wither it's your car or theirs stranded; it's just plain ol' common courtesy.  

In the event that you do get stranded some where & have to wait for assistance, a sleeping bag could make the wait a lot more comfortable. Usually it's a good Idea to bring, 1 per person. If you don't plan on getting your bags we, then a down bag would preferred, though if they get wet.... well it's not going to end well. If you happen to for some reason to get a bag wet on a regular basses, a synthetic would be to your liking; they dry far faster. 

In the cold you will burn a lot of calories in order for body to  make heat. It's a good Idea to carry something containing some substance such as:

a cliff bar, candy bar, or anything else you can think of. bring enough to share, you could be there a while

Carry some water with you, as you create heat to warm your body; you will get dehydrated. even though it is cold, it's important to keep well hydrated. carry enough to sustain yourself for a few hours. A nalgene or two usually does the trick.

lastly carry a first aid kit. You could get stuck hours away from help and a minor injury in the cold could cause a lot of heat loss & further harm that could be prevented with a little first aid.

Be safe out there!