"Baby, It's COLD Outside."

Good afternoon my fellow winter soldiers! I come to you bearing gifts of more winter preparedness information and the promise of an absolutely delicious chili recipe (using almost only ingredients that you would find in your non-perishable canned food stash) in the near future. With the cold weather finally here to stay for good until March, I think it's safe to say that we need to start preparing for the harsh conditions ahead. 

Preparing your home for winter is an absolute must, and most of you probably already have items around your house that you can use to keep you self sufficient for a few days...but what about your car? Do you have the necessary items packed in your vehicle to help you beat the frost bite sure to come your way if you-mother nature forbid- did in fact get stranded in your vehicle?

First of all, let's check off the essentials; you should definitely already have tires, oil, and a battery in your car. If you don't have any of these items, you probably just shouldn't be driving around in the first place. Now that that's out of the way, let's look at the not so obvious things you could have that would be beneficial to you in this time of need: 

Engine Coolant 

(Think anti-freeze. It's this magical fluid that stops your engine from freezing in the winter or overheating in the summer. Make sure you have this.

A Full Tank of Gas 

(Consider this...a tank half full of gas is also half full of air...which contains...you guessed it! Water vapor. On cold mornings, that water vapor can condense and leave water in your gas tank. Not that big of a deal right? Wrong. Since water is heavier than gasoline it sinks to the bottom of the tank, and from there it can find its way into the fuel pump and fuel lines. If this water freezes, it can block the flow of fuel to your engine. Say goodbye to those holiday travel plans and say goodbye to all that money in your bank account as repairs can get costly.)

De-Icing Windshield Washer Fluid

(Pretty self explanatory, nobody likes an icy windshield. This could help tremendously for those mornings where it doesn't seem possible that the ice could have gotten so thick on your vehicle.)



There are a few more things listed on this helpful infographic from the Washington State Department of Transportation below, think about putting at least one thing from this list in your car every week until you have them all. You'll feel awesome knowing that you took the initiative to get prepared, although I hope that you will never be stuck in this kind of situation. Feel free to comment below with anything else you think might be needed during this harsh winter coming up!

 

Sending good vibes your way, 

Tiara and Rob