Winter Weather To Do List

This is a re-post from 2011 but the ideas are still relevant.  Keep warm and safe in the cold weather.  It was -22 this morning where I live.  Be prepared before the storm!

I think winter may be on its way!!  It snowed today and my kids thought it was really fun, but as adults we know how long winter can be.  When it gets colder I always think about how we would cope if the power went out.  I personally don't enjoy being cold and having no heat would sure make life uncomfortable.  There are many ways of preparing for a cold weather emergency and I want to give you some ideas of what you could do before hand so you are well prepared.


Winter Preparation To Do List:

• Have a portable heater, such as a Mr. Buddy heater, kerosene heater and lamps with oil, or wood for a wood burning stove.
• Emergency radio:  crank or battery operated.  Store it in a location that is easy to access and always have extra batteries.
• If possible have a generator.  A 5000 watt generator will run almost any appliance.  It has a 6 gallon gas tank that will run for 14 hours.
• During the winter if it is cold enough outside you can put food in coolers and leave them by your back door.  Store coolers that will fit the food you typically have in your freezer and fridge.
• A great way to stay warm is to pitch a tent in your living room or other room with a heat source.  The kids will probably enjoy this, but it is to keep the most heat in the area you are all sleeping.  
• Sleeping bags and warm weather clothing.  I recently stood in line for 2 hours (by choice) in a snow storm and wore long underwear to keep warm.  I thought I was going to be cold but I didn't feel cold and I know it was the long underwear. Have a pair for everyone in your family.  Wool socks also kept my toes from freezing!  Hats, gloves, coats, scarves, socks, and warm sleeping bags are all important for every member of your family.  
• A To Do Box of non-electric games, toys, coloring books, cards, jump ropes, paper, pens, pencils, etc to keep everyone occupied during a power outage.  I know that my kids nagging me with "I'm bored" would literally drive me insane if I had to hear it all day long.  Keep a box ready for power outages or emergencies to save everyone from boredom.
• A great idea that I got from somewhere (I can't remember, sorry) is to have a menu written out, BEFORE the emergency, with the meals you could make if the power was out.  Have at least a weeks worth ready to go.  If you have a small butane stove you would probably have meals like soups, stews, or rice dishes.  Or if you have a Volcano Stove you could grill, or bake a dish.  Knowing what your menu will be will alleviate the stress of making food when it is cold, dark, and miserable!!
• Have a corded land line phone in your home.  When the power goes out so do your cordless phones.  Cell phones may or may not work in an emergency.   
• Snow shovels are also an item that will be gone from stores when a storm hits.  Have 1 or 2 shovels ready in your garage.

Before the Storm:
If you know a storm is approaching there are a few things you can do to prepare your family.  I am assuming you already will have food and water.

• Put gas in your car.
• Do the laundry and dishes and put away.  Folding laundry in the dark is never fun :)
• Charge all phones, DS games, computers, dvd players, ipods, etc.
• If you have a wood burning stove or fireplace, have all the wood cut and placed in an area that is easy to access.
• Get out all flashlights, batteries, candles, and matches so you aren't searching in the dark for light.
• Bathe and shower the kids and yourself.  Starting off clean will make life more pleasant for everyone.  :)
• Make sandwiches, gather some soup cans, or cook some food if the power is expected to go out.  I would pull out some snacks and keep them out so we don't have to search in the dark for food. 

IF you aren't prepared for any emergency I would then tell you to get yourself to the store and buy food, water, flashlights, and batteries.  Although so will most of the general population, so go early to get any kind of a selection.

If you travel frequently during the winter months it is important to have a car kit in your vehicle.  Click HERE to view a previous post on winter weather preparation and car kits.


"Have faith, unemcomber your life, lay up in store"-Keith B. McMullen

Self-Reliant Saturday-- Car Kits

Inventory and organizing have been my thing lately.  Once I get on a roll I tend to organize everything in sight.  I finished with the storage room and decided to pull out our car kit to update it as well. 

I should be embarrassed to tell you that I hadn't updated the car kit since we moved two years ago.  It was kind of scary.

I pulled everything out of the dirty bag and then checked the dates on the granola bars and fruit snacks.  They were years beyond their expiration dates.  And with them stored in a heated/cooled car all the time, I decided it was best to dispose of them.  

Reason #1 to go through your car kits every six months:  food does expire.  It seems that the kids also eat the food in the car kits.  I have 7 people in my family and only 1 fruit snack and 5 granola bars remained in my car kit.  In an emergency I would have to pick my favorite kid to feed.  (kidding)

Everything got sorted and cleaned and I decided to put "like" things in resealable bags.  Mittens/gloves in one bag, toilet paper, diapers, sanitizer in another bag, etc. 

Then it all got tucked away into the back of the car again.  I hid the food at the bottom of the bag, now maybe my backseat riders won't be able to reach it so easily. 

Items to have in a Car Kit 

• Water
• Food (granola bars, emergency bars, no chocolate-it melts)
• Cold weather gear (hats, mittens, blankets, tarp)
• Small shovel
• Took kit
• Flashlights
• Baby supplies
• Wipes, sanitizer, toilet paper
• Paper and pens
• Map of your area with multiple ways out of where you live
• Hand heaters
• Can heater (click HERE for instructions on how to make one)
• First aid kit (we always have ibuprofen in ours!)
• Poncho
• Emergency blankets (the shiny mylar ones)
• Emergency radio

Any other personal items that you may need or want can go in your kit.  Personalize it to fit your family's needs.  Take a few minutes and update your car kit, or put together a car kit for the cars in your household.  My husband drives down a canyon to get to work everyday.  I don't want him stranded and not have a way to survive.  I usually have 4-5 kids with me when I am driving around and we inevitably need water or snacks or baby wipes.  Emergencies big and small can be remedied by having a well stocked car kit.  

(click HERE to view a previous post on using your car as a shelter)

Preparing For The Storm

I have been thinking a lot these past few days of the warnings the people on the east coast are getting right now.  The storm of the century is suppose to hit early next week and it looks and sounds pretty scary!  What I also thought about was how prepared would I be if I lived there.  I think we have all the food an water to ride out a storm, but I would really like a portable heater.  It is actually what I want for Christmas this year, so I hope there isn't a disaster before that.  A friend of mine lives in New York and she said as a side note, we better fill up the milk jugs with water there is a storm coming.  I think this is the thinking of many, many people.  We will just run to the store or fill up a few milk jugs a few days before the storm hits.  What's wrong with this thinking is that everyone else is doing the same thing.  Grocery stores will be cleared out!!  Many people are not actively preparing before a disaster.  What if this storm is as bad as they are predicting??  Electricity and water could be out for weeks before they get around to fixing everything.  Scary situations!!!

I wrote a post on preparing for winter with suggestions of things to do BEFORE the storm.  CLICK HERE TO READ THAT POST.

 And if you had to shelter in your car, check out THIS POST.

Do you have all the essentials for an emergency?

And click HERE to view a post on Cold Weather Preparedness.

Take the time NOW before the storm arrives to prepare your family!!

Your Car As A Shelter

There are many stories of people who have been stranded in their cars and had to survive with only the supplies they had in their vehicles.  How well could you survive right now with what is in your car??  I have suggested making a car kit before (check it out HERE), so get those car kits assembled and placed in all of your vehicles.  If you have college students that travel back and forth on weekends and holidays, they especially need to have a car kit with them.  


If you do get stranded and have to use your car as a shelter there are a few things that you can do that will help you stay warm until you are rescued.

• First and foremost, stay where you are!!  Don't start wandering off!!  You will most likely get lost and make a rescue even harder.

• Only run your car heater every 10 minutes out of every hour and only do this if your exhaust pipe is clear.  Crack a window open as well.
• Don't place your head right against the window.  Use a blanket or other item to block the cold.
• You can use the stuffing from the seats of your car to keep warm.  Stuff them in your socks, sleeves, and pants to stay warm.
• If you have enough blankets, use one to make a partition between you and the back seat to keep the most heat around you.
• If you can't access the trunk from inside your car, you will need to get out quickly and get everything you'll need from your trunk.

• If you travel in rural areas you may consider carrying a common flare so aerial searchers will be able to see you. 

• Tie something to your antenna so searchers will see you.
• Staying warm is important, move your arms and legs to keep the circulation going. 
• This one is for the ladies:  keep a pair of hiking or running shoes in your car.  Your cute heels will only get you so far :)
• Always be driving on the top half of a tank of gas.  This is great advice not only for winter driving, but for all year driving.  If there was an earthquake or other disaster you would want to have a full tank to be able to drive to safety.

One way to stay warm is to make a heater out of a #10 can or a new paint can.  They are cheap and simple to make.  They also make great gifts.  Follow the instructions HERE or HERE to make one for your car. The second link even has a great printout label to use if you are making your heater as a gift.  

If you need blankets for your car kits, IKEA sells some inexpensive fleece blankets for around $2.30. They aren't fancy but will work great for a car kit.  Keep one for every person that normally travels in your car.  Click HERE to see where I heard of them.


Planning ahead will save your life!!  I can't imagine I will ever be driving in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm and get stranded, but stranger things have happened!!  I have used my car kits for first aid (kids go through so many band aids),blankets for cold kids in the back seat, water bottles for my kids after soccer, a diaper for the baby (totally an emergency when I realized I didn't have one in my purse!!) and even food for a snack when I have forgotten the kid's snacks.  I have needed my kit for everyday "emergencies"  and have been grateful for it every time I have used it!!

Gear Up For Winter Driving

"Gear up for winter driving" on page D6 of the Sunday Tribune. Just thought I would let you all know. It has a list of items to keep in your car. Get ready, the snow is coming.