Winter is upon North America and there are already people getting stranded on the roads, it is crucial to always have a survival kit in your pickup truck to make it through these tough times. Ice and snow can create environments unsuitable for any experienced driver and accidents are far more common in this season than others. People can get stranded in a variety of ways and some without getting into any sort of accident. A person can get stranded just from the precipitation of terrible weather conditions, road closures, fallen trees and other hazards. To be safe and make it out of any unfortunate situation unharmed you should regularly stock things in your truck that can help out when you temporarily or permanently get stranded.
A few things that may happen when a person gets stranded out in the harsh winter elements: immobility of vehicle, loss of heat in vehicle, location confusion, hunger, panic, fear, and needing to make a call for help. A carefully prepacked Winter Survival Kit will be a comfort to any driver who skids off the road or meets a more dramatic situation. Some people may have empty storage beneath the seats of their pickup trucks, while others have toolboxes in their truck beds, both are acceptable places to keep a survival kit depending on what the kits contents are. Kits with electronics usually need to be kept inside the truck rather than outside to be sure they are most effective when the time comes. Another option is to purchase a vehicle organizer for your survival kit to keep in a backseat or other empty area that is easily accessible.
What needs to be in a basic Pickup Truck Winter Survival Kit:
-First Aid Kit
-Gloves
-Extra Heavy Jacket/Parka/Coat
-Face Mask suitable for Snow
-Multipurpose Tool/Knife
-Nylon Rope
-Waterproof Matches
-Flashlight with Extra Batteries
-Compass
-Single Wick Candles
-Metal Container suitable for melting snow over Candle
-Extra Water
-Extra Gasoline
-Warm Blankets (pack multiple if space allows)
-Portable Battery Starting Power System
-Hand Crank Radio or Battery powered Radio
-Emergency Cell Phone with GPS
-Protein Bars for Extended Energy and Slow Digestion
If a Kit has electronics or a cell phone inside of it be sure to keep them charged so they work when needed. Additional supplies can be added if space permits, a Kit can always be improved.
Photo credit: Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious / Foter.com / CC BY-SA