Winterising your Car

[itsybitsy]

With warnings of dire winter conditions, how are folks doing with their winter car kits? Do you get or carry out a winter service on your car?

My everyday 'get to work and back' winter car kit contains de-icer, a scraper, a 5 litre bottle of water, screen wash, walking boots, wellies and a ski jacket. If I was going on a long journey I'd throw in a torch, a flask of tea and some snack bars.

What do other people have in theirs?

[WhiteWolf]

On top of Itsy's list SWMBO's daily car also carries:

GHB
Sleeping bag
Micro fiber blanket
Briefcase cooker
Brew kit

This is on top of the stuff that's in there year round.

WW

P.S.

Just a "Heads up", as of tomorrow (17th) Lidl will be stocking Screenwash with Antifreeze - 5litres for £5.99 and other stuff. LINK

[Dutchie Delta]

Most of the above. Only problem I have is the water.
When the water freezes, the bottles burtsts. When thawing...
How do you solve this?

[WhiteWolf]

Most of the above. Only problem I have is the water.
When the water freezes, the bottles burtsts. When thawing...
How do you solve this?

We just fill the water bottles to the top, leaving room for expansion

[axelt123]

dont forget to include a foi blanket incase you get stuck

[itsybitsy]

With warnings of dire winter conditions, how are folks doing with their winter car kits? Do you get or carry out a winter service on your car?

My everyday 'get to work and back' winter car kit contains de-icer, a scraper, a 5 litre bottle of water, screen wash, walking boots, wellies and a ski jacket. If I was going on a long journey I'd throw in a torch, a flask of tea and some snack bars.

What do other people have in theirs?

I should point out here that my journey to work is only around three miles - so I just need the very basics - enough stuff to get me home on foot if I had to abandon the car for any reason

[Ian]

I have been bothered by the eight hour plus traffic jams that happen too often, so I normally carry enough for an overnighter, say 12 hours plus.

Have you a sleeping bag or two you could throw in? and a wide mouth bottle could be useful should you get an 'urge'.

Entertainment is also an area of attention and perhaps a small radio so the car battery is reserved, I expect we all have one kicking about. I don't carry specially purchased items, just carry things in the car as if I was going hiking in the cold for a day or so. Pack the weekend bag ready to go and chuck it in the car boot instead of the wardrobe.

To Dutchie. I carry Ribina 'bricks' (not the diet type). They have a lot of sugar in them which depresses the freezing point to about -5ºC or so and the packs will withstand freezing solid without damage and may be thawed one at a time. The sugar is welcome as well to drink when you are cold and Ribena also has a certain feel good factor.

PS
Itsy do you have the option to stay at work if things are bad, it is much nicer than facing the weather and the bosses appreciate the cover. You also don't have to slog back to work the next day!

[Dutchie Delta]

Might be the quality of bottles they use here perhaps. I left room for expansion last winter and they still had cracks.
Will look into the Ribena, they sound good.

Last winter trains sometimes didn't drive anymore. Campbeds were set up in some trainstations and a congress center.
We also has weeks on end where the streets were one ice sheet. Couldn't drive, cycle or walk out there.
Wouldn't hurt to have a fresh change of clothes at the workplace as well. Undies at least

[itsybitsy]

PS
Itsy do you have the option to stay at work if things are bad, it is much nicer than facing the weather and the bosses appreciate the cover. You also don't have to slog back to work the next day!

God no, I would just walk home. We don't need cover overnight or anything like that. Not that kind of place. Last year we closed up when the weather was at its worst as they it was too dangerous to let anyone onto the property.

[bulldogeagle]

if going on longer journey carry fully stocked GHB, normally carry scrapers, screenwash, 2 foil blankets, folding wood saw,tarpaulin and shovel, medication, binoculars and maps, i wear a paracord bracelet with a button compass also lock knife in pouch on belt.