A basic first aid kit would be good to have.
Band-aids, gauze pads, tape, alcohol wipes.
Just in case.
Deer whistles are useless, forget about them.
A running deer can jump over a car, so if they want to jump through your windshield they will. I drive in deer and moose country all the time. Your best bet is to drive slowly and look ahead/stay alert.
AWD/4WD is nice for going, but snow tires are what you need when you want to stop. Get snows.
4 wheel drive or all wheel drive and all the kitty litter, burlap bags etc are not going to change the basics. If you are driving in conditions where you get stuck, using some traction devices to get you unstuck will only likely result in getting stuck again another 100 yards down the road. Perhaps stuck worse.
The driving skills needed are different in the more temperate areas that occationally get snow, like WV. It is best if you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle to leave it in 2 WD until you begin to have problems, then put it in 4 WD and use that to get to the nearest place of safety.
West Virginia snow is going to be wet and slippery, not dry and cold like Wisconsin. 32 degree snow not 10 degree snow. You might even get through the whole winter without seeing any snow.
Best survival tool you can have is a bic lighter. If you’re stranded in North America, build a fire and someone will come. If no one comes, it is because your fire isn’t big enough. Get a few acres going and a response is guaranteed.
… and any wiper fluid you spray onto the windshield.
Trust me. :smack:
You should have winter windshield wiper fluid, which has a lot of anti-freeze and works find to -10 F and a little beyond.
Kitty little gets very slippery when wet. Use sand instead.
I drive over the continental divide every day. The year before last we measured 30’ of snow fall at our house.
The only place I’ve ever been stuck is at our house. In 17 years of driving this, I’ve only stayed home twice because of weather.
In any case, it does help to be prepared. Good tires, preferably snow tires are a must. And as others have said, 4x4 of some sort. I tried studded snows on a 2wd for my first season. Now way, no how.
But then ‘dicey’ winters can mean a lot of different things. Around here, we have excellent snow plowing. No other choice. I have my own plow truck for my drive.
I keep tools and a tow strap in my car. Some different size clevises for the tow strap. Road flares and a few bic lighters. Also a lightweight blanket and rubberized water proof gloves. Couple of flashlights too.
You mentioned that you will be driving to and from work. I don’t know what your work dress is, but I’ve started carrying a pair of snow mobile boots, a pair of socks, mittens, a pair of jeans and a sweater in my car, in the winter. If I end up in the ditch, I really don’t want to be walking very far in heels and a skirt, because that is what I was wearing to work.
I used to drive 40 miles each way in Minnesota. Yep, it’s pretty flat, so the terrain wasn’t an issue, but weather still was. The biggest thing I did was make plans with friends that lived near my office. If the weather was ever bad, I’d just stay at their place that night, rather then drive home. I only had to use that a couple of times, but having a change of cloths and a toothbrush in my car meant that I didn’t even try to drive in the storms. My co-workers knew that if the weather turned bad, I’d probably show up in a pair of jeans the next day.
Not bad on snow - but totally worthless on wet pavement. I mean DANGEROUS. I couldn’t start from a stop without spinning my wheels.
I tried a set of them one winter - then got rid of them as soon as the snow melted.
I live in northern Idaho. If you aren’t taking it in the woods, your rig doesn’t need 4WD. FWD (Front Wheel Drive), OTOH makes all the difference in the world.
Buy a cheap set of winter wheels and put your studs on them. Come winter you can change your tires yourself easy as pie.
Studs and FWD will pull a person through damn near anything. I have a Chevy Cavalier that I use like a pickup; I take it hunting, to get the Christmas tree - I can go through 2’ of snow.
I’m horrible about packratting stuff into my car, you don’t want to go down that road. Whenever I’ve been stuck or stopped to help someone else we wished for the following:
Shovel - get a full head w/ short handle, your back will thank you for eschewing the entrenching tool.
Jumper Cables - Twice I’ve stopped to aid someone only to find that they had a dead battery and neither of us had cables.
Headlamp - Nothing beats hands free in an emergency and they are tiny now.
Wow, you are tenacious. This thread was started 5 months ago.
Paul, you’re moving to WV? West Virginia has snow?
You are going to buy a vehicle?
If you are worried about snow, just go buy a used Subaru outback. Put good rubber on it.
If you are worried about deer drive carefully. Look for them at the side of the road. Look ahead. WAY ahead.
Keep a hat, coat and gloves in the car. I don’t mean to sound trite, but you are over thinking this.
Oky doke friend. Good suggestions.
But I have pulled out a lot of 2 and 4x4 vehicles that thought that snow tires and studs would pull though anything.
When things can or have gone to shit, it’s easy to exaggerate. I understand. But it is best to present realistic scenarios to people that are asking for advice based on experience.
Two feet of snow in a Cavalier? It’s must have been champagne powder and very very cold.
Yeah - front wheel or all wheel drive is all well and good - but in two feet of snow, cars are going to be dragging the whole bumper and body through it.
It was powdery, we were dragging ass and snow was coming over the hood making it hard to see. I’m blown away by where that car will go. It’s light, FWD, and with studs it just crawls along, even in the deep stuff.
That said, I get stuck. I get stuck at least twice a year and hell of a lot more than that a couple of winters ago. However, I only get stuck when I’m doing something exceedingly stupid like hunting waaay out or that memorable ‘through 2’ of snow to get the Christmas tree’ trip.
The OP is commuting, if he gets a FWD w/ studs and doesn’t drive like a maniac, I think he’ll be set to fly even if he doesn’t pack enough equipment to survive in the arctic.
I wouldn’t bother with studded snows in WV, regular snows should be more than enough. Studded tires come with their own set of problems (stopping on wet roads, chewing up roads, local regulations) that make them less than ideal for most people.
Only after you have found a nice long probing stick, or heavy rock to test for tree-wells
Lodgepole pine is good for that. If you can find it. My snow shoes are Atlas brand. Very good hook up system to the boot. Boots are Merrells.
Second the sleeping bag. Your biggest problem will be staying warm. The second will be staying hydrated (which is necessary for staying warm. Your body can’t maintain heat well when water is low.) I read somewhere that you can actually dehydrate by eating snow - I think due to the heat required to melt it? Any hoo, have water in the car and keep a bottle int he sleeping bag with you at all times. (so it melts.) And get into the sleeping bag immediately, don’t wait until you feel cold.
Consider buying some reflective paint in a color that matches your car. Use it to paint a large “X” or other identifying symbol on the roof of your car. Make sure your friends/family know that it’s there and what it is. You may find yourself amid a large number of abandoned cars, spread over several acres, and the rescuers need to know which car to come to.
Keep in mind that even after you contact them, they may be quite busy just getting trauma victims to hospital. You need ot be able to settle in cozily and wait. Consider a long book that you like, or some yarn and knitting needles, that sort of thing.
My progress.
Yesterday going to/from work I saw two racoons, one squirrel (thump!), a black bear cub, bald eagle, turkey buzzards, crow dining on squirrel, and two deer.
Oct, Nov will be rutting season and I am told to watch for bucks running flat out towards my car.
I test drove a big vehicle over the mountain and got queasy on the switchbacks - I bought a little manual corolla so I can hug the corners and engine brake down the mountain. Maybe this is not so great for snow, but I learned that my worksite will call me if there is snow and tell me not to come in (they get snow before I do).
Turns out that trees-across-the-road-before-dawn is a concern: I keep the brights on (politely) and carry an axe and brush saw in the trunk. I won’t use both at the same time - usually a line of cars is backed up behind the tree, with people standing about saying “got an axe or a saw?” Having two might make the work go faster. Again thanks for all the ideas.