What's in your winter kit?

BrianD

It seems that a spell of harsh winter driving conditions is now an annual norm and we're never prepared for it - individually or at authority level.

The authorities made known their plan of action last week but are individual commuters ready? Have you your kit ready and what's in yours?

Detail your winter kit here!

DWCommuter

BrianD wrote: »

It seems that a spell of harsh winter driving conditions is now an annual norm and we're never prepared for it - individually or at authority level.

The authorities made known their plan of action last week but are individual commuters ready? Have you your kit ready and what's in yours?

Detail your winter kit here!

I don't think 2 consecutive years of bad weather makes anything an annual norm. We have often gone many years without any significant snowfall, after brief periods of extreme weather.

But there's no harm in being prepared. My kit; (had it last year)

1. De-Icer
2. Blanket/Duvet.
3. Torch.
4. Anti-Freeze/Coolant.
5. Shovel.
6. Salt.
7. Chocolate.
8. Shaving Foam/deoderant/razor/shampoo. Change of clothes.
9. Hats, Spare Gloves and wellie boots.

LXFlyer

Snow-spikes for my shoes.

Armada

lxflyer wrote: »

Snow-spikes for my shoes.

Got a pair on Doli deals for half price - very handy gizmos, friend had them last year.

L1011

Bottled water, credit card and hotel loyalty cards got me through the last two winters... even if I had to dig the back end of my car out of a snow drift it spun in to with a small scraper

I have a spare set of clothes in the car anyway, however, and some of the other stuff - deicer, scraper - has been there since day one.

corktina

water wings and factor 20.

Tabnabs

Well worth a read of this thread to see what optional extras are worth while

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056446925

Cookie_Monster

Won't need one this year (unless the volcano blows up I suppose) last year was very simple though, left the car at home and cycled. No probs on the bike, surreal cycling down the middle of a deserted N11 though...

Losty Dublin

I'm not driving a lot anymore so I'm just carrying two torches, some gloves, a couple of fleece caps and a scarf.

When I was on the road last year, it was the same plus a shovel, two towels (I covered front and rear windows overnight so no need for overpriced deicer; they are also handy if you need something under wheels for grips), water, lucozade, phone charger, spare windproof fleece, change of boots and socks and a paper to keep me amused. If I was driving long trips then two full flasks for tea, some food, extra clothes and a blanket of some sort would also be thrown in; the survival bags you see in camping shops wouldn't be a bad idea as they are compact.

Cookie_Monster

Losty Dublin wrote: »

the survival bags you see in camping shops wouldn't be a bad idea as they are compact.

only a good idea if you have a waterproof sleeping bag or gear. If you're sleeping in one they trap your sweat and you'll wake up cold and wet...

They are really only for emergencies or really bad weather, you'd be better off with a sleeping bag in in the car anyway.

Conway635

Old warm coat that I don't mind getting dirty.
Two torches.
Scraper.
Spare washer-fluid, oil, couple of bottles of water (carried always)
First Aid Kit (likewise).

Want to get a shovel as well.

C635

Del2005

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Won't need one this year (unless the volcano blows up I suppose) last year was very simple though, left the car at home and cycled. No probs on the bike, surreal cycling down the middle of a deserted N11 though...

Your a brave one, in slippy conditions it's 4 wheels good 2 wheels bad. In saying that I had great fun years ago ripping across the fresh snow on the mountains on a trials bike, the spin back to the car with hundreds of walkers not realising I couldn't really turn even at walking pace wasn't.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

only a good idea if you have a waterproof sleeping bag or gear. If you're sleeping in one they trap your sweat and you'll wake up cold and wet...

They are really only for emergencies or really bad weather, you'd be better off with a sleeping bag in in the car anyway.

Yeah them survival bags are useless, we used to use them camping and you'd be wetter in the bag then in the rain. A foil blanket is no harm to keep in the car.

Which reminds, must dig winter car stuff out of the attic.

corktina

jeez, where do you all live , ? Poland? The tiny amount of ice and snow we have here normally only lasts a couple of days, theres no need for special precautions.

Two bad worse than normal winters and you all reckon we're in an ice-age! It's like Time Teams "one stone is a stone, two stones are a Norman Castle"

bk

corktina wrote: »

jeez, where do you all live , ? Poland? The tiny amount of ice and snow we have here normally only lasts a couple of days, theres no need for special precautions.

The funny thing is the Polish think we are mad. Some Polish friends of mine were laughing their heads off when I was telling them about everyone going out buying the ice grips for their shoes. No one in Poland needs to use them.

Personally having spent time in Czech Republic and Lithuania in the depths of window, I was amazed to watch stunning women in 4 inch heals walk confidently through snow and ice with no problems and not an ice grip in sight.

But then they do have ice in their veins :cool:

LXFlyer

corktina wrote: »

jeez, where do you all live , ? Poland? The tiny amount of ice and snow we have here normally only lasts a couple of days, theres no need for special precautions.

Two bad worse than normal winters and you all reckon we're in an ice-age! It's like Time Teams "one stone is a stone, two stones are a Norman Castle"

I don't think that investing in snow spikes for my shoes is bad planning.

We don't all have short walks to/from bus services - last time around I had two 30 minute walks either end of my journey (neither in the city centre) due to buses being curtailed. Walking on those roads was frankly lethal without them as the paths were not treated. The previous year I had two bad falls without them.

Frankly being prepared is good planning.

BrianD

corktina wrote: »

jeez, where do you all live , ? Poland? The tiny amount of ice and snow we have here normally only lasts a couple of days, theres no need for special precautions.

Two bad worse than normal winters and you all reckon we're in an ice-age! It's like Time Teams "one stone is a stone, two stones are a Norman Castle"

We live in a temperate climate. We generally tend to be unprepared for even the mildest deviation from the norm. We're just talking about a few basics here to avoid the "coming to a halt" syndrome. Also makes the difference between on time delays or injuries (slips and skids).

parsi

bk wrote: »

The funny thing is the Polish think we are mad. Some Polish friends of mine were laughing their heads off when I was telling them about everyone going out buying the ice grips for their shoes. No one in Poland needs to use them.

Personally having spent time in Czech Republic and Lithuania in the depths of window, I was amazed to watch stunning women in 4 inch heals walk confidently through snow and ice with no problems and not an ice grip in sight.

But then they do have ice in their veins :cool:

Early this year Berlin went through a serious freeze. I would have thought that they'd shrug it off but no - their snow clearing services became overwhelmed and just like here their papers were full of stories about folk slipping and breaking limbs.