With the recent snow, the potential for getting trapped in your car on one of Colorado’s highways is greatly increased.
Last week, an avalanche on Monarch Pass prevented skiers and boarders from getting to their destinations for at least three hours.
If you were in this situation, possibly spending the night in your car in freezing weather, would you be prepared?
Many wilderness survival companies sell survival kits, but there’s nothing in them that can’t be bought at any camping supply store.
Whatever time of year, a car should always be equipped with a basic first aid kit: adhesive strips, gauze, bandage, butterfly sutures, a needle and thread, scissors, antiseptic wipes or iodine, cotton balls, aspirin, diphenhydramine (such as Benadryl) and a week’s supply of any necessary prescription medication.
In addition to being useful in an emergency, first aid kits can be useful for fixing minor cuts and injuries sustained on the ski slopes or from hiking.
In the winter, cars should be stocked with supplies that would be useful if the car gets caught in a heavy snowstorm. A large sleeping bag or thermal blanket should be kept close at hand to keep passengers warm without having to waste gas by running the heater.
A flashlight is always a good idea in case you need to signal for help. Just remember to check the batteries every few weeks so you don’t get stuck in the snow with a dead flashlight. A pack of matches and a lighter are also useful investments.
A small portable fire can be useful as well. To build a portable fire, get a large coffee can, a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Remove the cardboard tube from the toilet paper and put the toilet paper into the coffee can. Pour the rubbing alcohol over the toilet paper, set the coffee can on a stable surface and light the toilet paper. The fire will only produce water vapor rather than smoke, which could fill the car and lead to a lack of clean air to breathe, causing suffocation.
Energy bars and bottled water should also be kept in the car to stave off hunger and dehydration.
Small hand and foot warmers can be kept in the glove compartment to help keep frostbite away. These can be found at REI or Gart Sports stores in the camping section.
Full survival kits, including some made specifically for cars, can be purchased online. They can be found on sites such as Saratoga Trading Company (www.saratogatradingcompany.com), Forestry Suppliers Inc. (www.forestry-suppliers.com) and The Preparedness Center (www.preparedness.com).
Other sites have information about wilderness survival seminars and classes. The Wilderness Institute of Survival Education based out of Loveland was set up by a member of the Colorado search and rescue team to ensure that fewer people would be killed in the wilderness.
