Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
takes about seven candles to put out as much heat as a single human body at rest, so you should
conserve and use that body heat! If it is freezing cold inside your home, pitching a small tent
inside a room, or making a “fort,” like little kids tend to do, out of blankets and furniture, will
make good use of available body heat to keep a small volume of space warmer and more com-
fortable.
Stuck in Your Car During Severe Winter Weather
Every winter, thousands of people are stranded while driving in the snow. On more than one
occasion, I have been overly confident in my abilities to drive in hazardous icy and snowy con-
ditions, forgetting that I may know how to drive in the snow, but that does not mean the other
guy does. When driving in winter weather, it is best to heed the old Yankee saying, “Hope for
the best, but plan for the worst!”
Prep for Winter Driving
• Make sure that your car's antifreeze and windshield washer fluid can handle the pre-
dicted lowest temperatures. It is both frightening and dangerous when you find your-
self blinded by a slushy spray that coats your windshield, only to discover that your
washer fluid is frozen and worthless. You can pick up an inexpensive plastic meter
with different colored balls inside it for measuring to what temperature your car's an-
tifreeze is good for freeze protection.
• Carry chains and make sure they really fit your tires and that you know how to install
them. It is a good idea to practice putting your chains on in broad daylight on dry
pavement. It is much harder to figure these things out in the middle of a blinding
snow storm at night when you are cold and wet and lying on your belly in a foot of
new snow. The night before I wrote this, I was helping a motorist around the corner
who was stuck on a hill with wet snow that had packed to ice. He had a pair of brand-
new cable chains, but had no clue how to install them. That particular style of cable
chain was pretty near impossible to properly tighten when installed in the snow,
rather than on pavement, so after spending a half hour trying to get the cable chains
properly installed, we ended up towing him with a rope and a four-wheel-drive
pickup. Some states outlaw tire chains, but in a dicey situation on treacherous roads I
figure it is better to be safe and use the chains than to worry about breaking a rule. If
you have a set of traditional tire chains, you should also carry spare chain repair links
and at least one set of chain tensioners (not for use with cable chains).
• Bring along a flashlight. It will be very useful for flagging down cars, warning people
of an accident, and an absolute must for installing tire chains in the dark. I personally
