by Stein, Eric's Son
Car Kits and Travel Advice
Skiers by necessity travel to places where it frequently
snows, sometimes a lot. Snowy places are also cold, and
because its winter, days are short. These factors are
likely to bring out the worst in your car. They also create
driving situations that are far from optimal. Add to that
the fact that we often choose to drive to far away ski
destinations after work and end up driving home in early
evening after a full day of skiing, and you have the potential
for encountering both minor and major emergencies.
Although we may not be able to avoid an emergency, we
may be able to keep a minor one from becoming major, or
at least make a bad situation more bearable by taking
a few precautions. One of the easiest precautions you
can take is to carry some winter emergency supplies in
your car. Here is a list of things to throw in the trunk
this winter to help you be better prepared.
Tools: a jack and lug wrench; adjustable (crescent) wrenches
(large and small); a regular screwdriver; a Phillips screwdriver;
a pair of pliers; and ball peen hammer.
Supplies: a can of flat fixer/tire inflator; a flashlight;
some spare fuses; duct tape; a roll of wire; hose clamps;
some railroad type flares or other flashing roadway warning
light; 50' of rope or chain; jumper cables; a fire extinguisher;
and extra windshield washer fluid.
Communications: a cell phone or CB radio.
Traction: tire chains or strap-on cleats; sand or kitty
litter; and salt.
Clothes: a hat; waterproof parka; work gloves; and boots.
Food: bottled water and canned or packaged food.
Heat and light sources: candles; a flashlight; space blankets,
regular blankets or sleeping bag; waterproof/windproof
matches; Sterno or fuel tabs and stove; and a butane lighter.
Other: Burlap bags to kneel or lie on; rags to wipe off
grease; grease remover (e.g., Fast Orange); a shovel;
and a broom.
Towing (if you really like to venture off into the boonies):
a winch; chain; and wire or folding saw.
The other thing you should do before a ski trip is to
make sure that your car maintenance is up to date. Among
the things that are easily checkable are: tire pressures;
windshield washer fluid levels (front and rear windows);
fan belt tension and condition; oil level; and coolant
level. Also, don't forget to give your windows a treatment
of "Rain Off."
Having prepared for any emergency you can take to the
highways with confidence and enjoy the trip. Speaking
of enjoying the trip, there are also a few things you
can do to promote having a good time on the road. One
is to make reservations. This way you know where you are
going and that there will be a bed waiting for you when
you get there. Make sure to take the telephone number
of your destination with you. It's also a good idea to
get local directions to your destination from a well-known
location to avoid late night wanderings trying to find
a driveway in the dark in a blizzard.
Have a road map with you, so if you run into detours
you can easily identify an alternative route.
A few snacks (e.g., cookies and fruit) and some bottled
water or juice can help you get to where you are going
faster by reducing stops. They can also help you avoid
the tendency to snack on gas station junk food or high-fat
fast food. And, they can help get energy levels back up
after skiing or long periods of driving (often helpful
when traveling with a companion who gets grouchy when
blood sugar levels get low).
It also never hurts to have an old gallon jug with a
tight fitting lid in the back for those times when you
can't find a gas station and there's not a convenient
stand of trees near the edge of the road for a "pit"
stop.
Lastly, when leaving your car out at night, keep the
gas tank full and park the car so that the engine/radiator
is as much out of the wind as possible.
