Our growing problem with our growing debt.

A couple of things have inspired this post. Recently the national debt exceeded 15 trillion dollars. That is 15,000,000,000,000. A few days later Congress decided not to pass a balanced budget amendment. I am growing increasingly concerned over this. Our GDP, the gross domestic product, or the total of all goods and services produced in the United States is 14.58 trillion. US GDP

What that means if that if we were to shut down all forms of government and impose a 100% tax on everything that everyone in the country made for 1 year we could still not pay off the debt. This is roughly the same as having personal unsecured loan that equals the total of your family’s yearly income.

One final thing that concerns me is the total refusal of the Government to spend less than they take in. At 2010 levels our President and the Congress spend 1.49 for every dollar that they take in in taxes and fees.

We really do need a balanced budget amendment. My idea (and I am paid to drive truck not come up with political ideas) is to treat the federal budget just the same as you would treat a household budget. This is how I envision that this would work.

Congress would be required to base the budget for the current year on the revenues from the previous fiscal year. The absolute limit on spending would be set at 90% of the previous years income. This would be AMAZINGLY painful for the first few years. Of course by design this will create a surplus. In order to spend any part of this surplus a 75% majority of both houses and the president would need to sign off on it.

The surplus would grow from year to year and once it reaches 100% of the federal budget anything over that level could be spent. This 1 year surplus would be there should at any time we have to go to war, or a national disaster of unprecedented proportions strikes.

Unfortunately every amendment ever adopted has started in the congress, and to be quite frank there are very few in the congress that have the intestinal fortitude to put something this strong forward. There is a procedure in the Constitution that allows the states to call for an amendment without the congress, but it has never been used, it requires 34 states to call for a article V convention, and while it did come close in the late 1980's the congress gave in a little and promised to do better. Enough of the states folded that the convention never happened and congress forgot about it's promise and we end up where we are now.

Being a realist I do not believe a constitutional convention will ever take place. I do have hope that an amendment can happen through congress. It will not be as strong, but it can happen if the public pushes hard enough.

So what to take from this? Well of you are not politically active become active. Call your Representative to the house and your Senators. Everyone serving in the House and Senate have email addresses, start writing. I myself have written several letters and do not plan to stop until I am no longer able to type. These people are supposed to be representing me and as such I feel responsible to let them know how I feel.

I cannot state strongly enough how important this is. We are on track to become the next country like Spain, Italy, or Greece. Look at what they did and where they are now and look at what we are doing now. Will there be an apocalypse if we do not change our ways? Honestly no, there won't be one. Will the pain be worse if we don’t do something? It absolutely will.

What I am thankful for.

   It is Thanksgiving evening and I finished driving a little over an hour ago. I have been listening to pod-casts and radio programs all day and many of them listed a litany of things that they were thankful for. I wanted to take just a few minutes to let everyone know what I am thankful for tonight.

I am thankful for my beautiful, wonderful children. All of them are adults now and I am now a proud grandpa of 4!

I am thankful for my job, it is sometimes a huge pain in the ass, but it pays well and allows me to keep the bills payed.

I am thankful for the men and women who have fought and are now fighting to keep the greatest nation in the world free. Everyone who calls themselves an American owes more than can ever be repaid to these brave people.

I am thankful to live in this country, where we have the ability to live as we please and have opportunities that exist no where else.

I am most thankful however that my beautiful wife chose me to be her husband and has stuck with me through thick and thin. Everyone has listened a million times to the wedding vows, “To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part.” Let me tell you that when Susan said these things she meant them.

I wish I could say that I am a perfect person, however I cannot. I am not going to publicly display all of my failings, as this is not what this post is about. However suffice it to say that my wife has seen a while lot more of the worse, the poorer, and the sickness than she has of the good sides of the equation.

The love of my life has been there for me in terrible struggles. She has been the reason that I get up and get going every morning and the last thought that I think every night.

If everything that I now have was taken from me I know that I would be ok, and could start from scratch with nothing as long as I still had my sweetheart and soul mate beside me .

I love you Susan.

Driving Security (and securely)

 Security Driving

I was debating on whether to call this blog post “Safety while Driving” but I thought that a lot of people might misinterpret that to mean that I wanted to convey driving tips to avoid an accident. While that is true there is a lot more that I want to include, and avoiding accidents is only secondary to overall safety in your vehicle.

I have been a truck driver for about the past 9 ½ years and in my job I deal with security every day. I sometimes carry loads that are very expensive, and hard to replace. Hijacking and cargo theft are big concerns in our industry. I deliver and pick up in some neighborhoods that are, shall we say, less than desirable, and can be scheduled any time of the day or night. I wanted to share a few things that I have picked up along the way with you and hopefully help to keep you a little more safe.

While you may not have to deal with cargo theft, it is possible that you may have to deal with a carjacker, a strong-arm robber, an ex husband or wife that has snapped, or another person that just plain wants to do you harm.

Your personal safety should mean much more to you than you not damaging your vehicle or that of another person. Your car, pickup, van, SUV, RV, or commercial vehicle have a lot of safety systems that are designed to keep you safe and minimize injury in the event of a collision. The tips that I am going to offer here are more designed to help you in case there is a person (or persons) that want to do you harm.

First and foremost. Some of the techniques that I will mention are considered operating a vehicle at the very edge or possibly outside of its intended performance design envelope. I would strongly recommend practicing these techniques at an open safe place. Just as someone who has never handled a gun will likely mess up the first (several) times they fire one, emergency driving, and performance driving are something that need practice and occasional refreshing of skills, and just the same as shooting a firearm, can be a whole lot of fun!

There are events put on all across the country by autocross clubs that will allow you to find the limits of your car and your driving skills at a very inexpensive price. Besides being a whole lot of fun these events make you a better driver overall. Do a Google search for autocross and your city and you are likely to find at least one club that has events. Attending and watching these is usually free, and there is only a cost to compete.

Just as in any activity of life, the better you plan the more likely you are to be successful in your goals. So let's look at some things that are helpful in keeping you safe while involved in vehicle operations. I would advise that you have a few things in all of your vehicles, whether it goes with you from car to car or is duplicated in each car.

1. A cell phone. All cell phones must be able to call 911, so even a cell phone that is not on a plan will be able to summon help for you.
2. A D/C charger for your phone. This is a charger that plugs into your cigarette lighter and charges or powers your phone while on the road.
3. A GPS device. Some cell phones have these, but I like to see people have a separate one so that if you need help you can read off the display of the GPS while you are on the phone.
4. A flashlight. I wish everyone would carry one of these in every vehicle. Remember to change the batteries and test the flashlight every time that you change your clocks in the spring and fall.

You need to start thinking about security before you ever leave the house to get in your car. Think about where you are going and have a general plan of how you are going to get there. In planning your routes try to take main roads as often as possible. These roads are lit the best at night and have a better chance of having witnesses around. Not that witnesses are going to come running to your aid should something happen, but they might, and witnesses are a deterrent to someone wanting to do you harm and not wanting to get caught.

I always advocate treating ½ of a tank of fuel as empty. In the winter months it can be a lifeline if you are traveling in the northern states, but any time of year it is helpful. If you are being followed and you are nearly at empty and the closest police station is 12 miles away you could have a problem, however if you just got to a half a tank no sweat. Also keep your car in good repair. Breakdowns are not only expensive they put you in a vulnerable spot. Not only is it cheaper to fix a problem with your vehicle before it fails it is far safer for you as well.

I am also a STRONG advocate of having a concealed firearm. If you have one depending on your state you may need a carry permit for your gun, and in the case of Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, and a few other states I would recommend a new state if possible. If you chose to carry a gun or a knife or a baton, or a rocket propelled grenade, (I am pretty sure that that one is not legal in any of the states but think of how nice we all would be to one another if it were) you MUST get training in how to use it properly. I can't possibly name all the good and bad places to get training, but do a Google search and do some homework. In South Dakota, where I live, there are some great places to get training and we are one of the most sparsely populated states in the union. In my opinion you are better off without a weapon than having a weapon and not having even the most basic training.

Ok, so we have planned the route we are going to take and are ready to leave. If you have a connected garage you have an advantage. With a connected garage you can load and get in to your car without a lot of attention from the outside world. Before you lift our garage door make sure that you have everything in the car that you need in it, this includes all of the kids(and the cup of coffee that you are about to leave on the roof). If you have a remotely operated garage door opener get in your car and lock all the doors before hitting the button. If you have to lift the door and close it, make sure that everyone is in the car and all of the doors except yours are locked. Leave your door open and open the garage door. Back out of the garage and look around to make sure that no one is coming your way, then go close the garage door, get back in and lock your car door. If you do not have a garage the best advice that I can give you is to try to load the car as quickly as you can and lock doors as you close them. The time that you spend loading and unloading your car is the time that you are most vulnerable to attack.

One more thing that I would like to suggest before we move on from here. If it is at all practical I would recommend that you back your car into the garage and drive out rather than the other way around. There are a number of aids to help you with backing if you need it. These things might include hanging a tennis ball from a rafter so that when it hits the back window you stop, drawing chalk lines on the concrete or tar so that you can line up the car/pickup/van/SUV as you back up, and many others. The point is, when you are leaving you get a direct look out as you are leaving the safety of your garage instead of cranking around and only seeing directly behind out and your passenger side.

You are not always going to be able to get into your car from inside a secure location. When you approach your vehicle try the following suggestions. Before going outside to go to your car get our car keys out, select the key that opens the door and keep that in your weak hand. On my key chain I have a tiny LED flashlight that I can hold between my 3^rd and 4^th fingers, with the door key in between the thumb and index finger. This provides light and access to the vehicle and leaves my right hand free. Of course many cars have a key fob that unlocks doors remotely just substitute that for the key if that is the case for you. In your dominant hand (right hand for most of us) keep your cell phone. I know people that dial 91 before they leave a building and that way they only have to dial the final 1 and then send if something is not right.

As you approach the car take a lap around it, this serves 2 purposes. It allows you to see if someone is crouching around it, and if (and this happens) someone has scratched up your car, run into it and left a dent, or your radiator gave up the ghost and puked out a ton of coolant on the pavement. Look into the back seat and if you have a SUV or mini-van look into the cargo area.

This is the part where I get most of you mad at me (this includes most of my fellow truck drivers). When you drive your 1^st responsibility is to drive. You are controlling a 1500 pound to 80,000 pound missile, one that at 45 mph travels at 66 feet per second. While driving in a city environment you should not be talking on the cell phone (even with a hands free device). You certainly should not be texting or reading e-mails. You should not be eating or drinking anything. And here is the one that is going to hurt... You should not even be listening to the radio. The only thing that should be on your mind is safely getting from where you start driving to where you finish driving.

Now in full disclosure, I do listen to the radio while I drive. I listen while I am on the interstate and there are 4 lanes of traffic, 2 going my way and 2 going the other. If there is enough traffic to warrant 3 or more lanes in each direction or if I am in a city situation the radio is turned off. I do have a soda that I drink. Same thing here with the exception that I will take a sip while I am stopped at a red light.

Why do I say this? Well quite frankly it is tough enough to try to avoid all of the other distracted drivers without having distractions of your own to deal with. If you are a music lover like I am you have to admit that there are some songs that get your blood pumping and you are a little heavier on your right foot. You might get so into a song that you sing along. Both of these things can and WILL increase your reaction time. Also if you are into that song and you have the radio cranked up you will not hear the sirens coming up on you. If you are a talk radio or podcast listener (I am guilty of that as well) when listening you can easily get really emotionally charged up. That is the last thing that you need when dealing with traffic that can make you tense already.

When driving any vehicle try to keep a picture in your mind of everything that is going on around you at all times. Keep your eyes moving, it only takes a quick glance in the mirrors to know what is happening in back of and on the sides of your vehicle. Try to notice colors and styles of cars as they come up on you and then as they pass. For example a red sports car coming up, and then as they pass you notice that the driver is a bald male. (I know that is stereotyping... But it is SOOO true.) If you keep practicing this you will become better at noticing if someone comes up on you but doesn't pass.

Alright, lets talk about the drive itself. Any time you are in the car all doors need to be locked. I prefer to have all of the windows rolled up as well. This provides the greatest barrier that you can have between you and anyone who wants to threaten you. I have heard discussions that you should drive with the windows down so that you can hear better, and while I do see the merits to that I think that rolling a window down a few inches can provide the same audio benefit while still providing protection.

I recommend wearing your seat belt every time you get in any vehicle no matter what seating position you are in. In the event of an impact anything that is in the cabin is going to be flying that is not strapped down. This includes the passengers and the driver. The driver, if wearing the safety belt, can remain in the drivers seat and in control of the car. If one of the passengers is not wearing theirs they

have a good chance of flying into the driver and injuring both themselves and the driver. One more benefit to wearing a belt is that if someone wants to drag you out of a car they have one more barrier to deal with.

I have been an EMT for more than 20 years and I can honestly say that I have never seen a situation where I can say that someone was worse off wearing a belt. If you want to debate this feel free to contact me, but you had better have your facts in order and be REALLY well prepared. I have well documented statistics and some horrific personal memories of responding to accident scenes to back me up.

While driving I also like to drive just a little slower than the traffic that is driving around me. There are a couple of benefits to this.

1. As people drive around you they also drive away from you giving you a constant buffer of space in front of your car so that should something happen in front of you you have plenty of time to hit the brakes or maneuver around the situation.
2. It makes anyone who is following you glaringly obvious.
3. It keeps you calmer on your drive.

As you are driving in the city you will frequently have situations like stop signs and red lights where you have to stop behind another vehicle. This is critically important, when you stop you need to be able to see pavement behind the rear tires of the car in front of you! If you can see pavement behind the back tires of the car in front of you you have room to turn the wheel all the way to the right or left and accelerate away if a dangerous situation presents itself. In the case of a tractor trailer where the tires might be quite far forward of the rear of the trailer do the same thing with the back of the trailer, make sure that you can see pavement behind it's bumper.

In any situation that you are going to have to stop where there are 3 or more lanes of traffic in one direction try to stay to either the farthest right or left lane that is going your direction, and of these I prefer the right lane. In the USA if there is a right turn lane it will clear out of cars faster than a left turn lane will because, in most places, a right turn on red is legal. The center lanes are “choke points” and it is quite common for a car to be in front of you and on both the right and left sides, so that should you have to move you are stuck, or at the least there will be a collision if you do try to move.

In almost all circumstances the safest place for you to be is in the drivers seat of your car and for that car to be moving. The best way to keep moving is to anticipate traffic lights. If a traffic light ahead of you has been green for a long time it is safe to assume that it is going to be red before you get to it. Slow down early and try to ease up to the intersection so that by the time you get there it is green again. Not only does this create a more secure environment for you it saves fuel as well.

Let's try to break down some scenarios. First, you are driving along and notice that a car is following you. The first thing to do is be certain that you are indeed being followed. When it is safe make a few random turns. Avoid residential areas when doing this, but drive in such a manner that if they follow you there is no doubt, such as making 4 right hand turns. If you are being followed DO NOT STOP AND CONFRONT WHOEVER IS FOLLOWING YOU! I would advise driving to the nearest police station. At this point you do not need to go screaming down the road, just drive as you normally would, and do NOT go home. Out loud start describing as much of the detail of the car and driver as you can to yourself. This will help you remember these things so you can give the authorities a better description of the car. If you have a passenger have them call 911. If there isn't a passenger you should make the call yourself, but use a hands free device (such as a headset or speaker phone) and set the phone down once you have dialed as there is a good likelihood that you are going to need both hands for driving. Once you get to the police station do not get out of your car unless there is a uniformed officer standing right there.

Let's move on to another scenario, you are stopped at a red light and you are first in line. A young adult male starts crossing from your left in the crosswalk. As he approaches your car he veers out of the crosswalk and walks towards you while locking his eyes on you.

As soon as you start noticing him move towards you look at the traffic pattern. You are looking for an opportunity to make a right turn. If he continues toward you, or shows any kind of weapon GET OUT OF THERE. I would rather make a illegal turn and have to explain it to a policeman than deal with a dangerous situation longer than I had to. You have an inherent advantage over anyone on foot, you are faster, but they have an advantage as well. They are quicker and more nimble. That is why it is important to notice this as early as possible

Ok, same situation as last time, only you are the second car in line. If you have room to move, do it. If not lay on your horn and stay on your horn until the person turns away. If a weapon shows up make some room if you can. This includes jumping curbs, running red lights, doing anything you need to do.

Here is where the practicing part that I mentioned at the beginning of this comes in. Go to a large empty paved lot and with the permission of the owner practice fast right turns with your car. The ideal situation is to get a few orange cones and place them as though they are the back bumper of a car then mark a “curb” about 9 feet to the right of the back of the cones that you need to stop behind. Pull up behind the cones and then practice turning the wheel all the way to the right, goosing the throttle and then quickly turning left and right again to negotiate the corner. Please be sure to have your seat belt on and tight before you try this and after a few times you will see why.

Each car is different and has different handling characteristics, that is why it important for you to practice this with the car that you drive the most. A few words of warning here. Be careful if you drive a pickup or an SUV, and even some minivans. These vehicles have a high center of gravity and overturn much easier than a car. When practicing with a vehicle with a high center of gravity go slow! You can eventually pick the pace up, but take your time getting there. The last thing that I want you to do is to turn a SUV on its side, and it is actually fairly tough to do without hitting anything first, but it can be done.

A few more scenarios that I want to cover. One way that bad guys try to get you to stop and be in a vulnerable position is to actually hit the back of your car. If you are involved in a collision and you are not injured, get on the phone and get the police on the way. Wait for the other driver to get out first and assess the situation. If it seems just to be an honest accident then prepare to exchange insurance info and all the other things that go with an accident. Should you feel unsafe tell the other driver that you want to go to a safe place to exchange that info. They should have no problem with this. Above all until you are certain that it is safe stay in the drivers seat and leave the engine running.

It may also happen that someone tries to run you off the road. When this happens blow your horn constantly. They are most likely just not paying attention. Brake quickly and let them in front of you. If they are just being a jerk they will flip you the bird and drive off. If they brake and try to get you to stop call 911 and try to keep rolling, if they stop in front of you put your car in reverse and back away. Again the key here is distance. If you have room around your car you can maneuver. Even a small 4 cylinder car can do some pretty amazing things when it is driven by someone who knows the limits of their car, knows their own limits, and has practice.

Here is another thing that I would like you to practice. Any car guy over the age of about 40 will know this as a “Rockford” from the 70's TV show The Rockford Files. In an empty parking lot put your car in reverse and start backing. Crank the wheel all the way left and keep backing. As the car comes up on 180 degrees (the opposite direction from the one you started in) brake, shift into drive (or 1^st gear in a stick shift) and drive away. This maneuver can get you out of a situation in a hurry in a case where there is a car blocking the front of yours and it is difficult to drive around it, however it can be really tough on your transmission if you shift while moving too quickly. This is where the practice comes in. You want to move between reverse and a forward gear as your car comes to a stop.

I would honestly try to avoid making contact with another car if at all possible. You run a risk of disabling your car, and it will certainly sustain some damage. Keep some distance and you will have room to maneuver.

Let's talk about breakdowns. Cars are machines and as such from time to time they can fail. As I stated earlier the best investment you can make in regards to your car is regular maintenance. Should the unexpected happen, and you have a flat tire or the engine stops while you are driving pull as far off to the side of the road as you can. Raise your hood and turn on the emergency flashers and then (if you are alone) go and sit in the passengers seat. This will give the impression that you are not the only one with the car and that the driver is somewhere nearby.

The last scenario that I want to cover is what to do if you are pulled over by “law enforcement”. In every state that I know of there are small towns with volunteer fire departments. These volunteers sometimes are allowed to place flashing red or blue lights on their cars and trucks when responding to calls. What this means is that from time to time regular citizens are allowed to have flashing lights on their vehicle that could be mistaken for law enforcement.

As I have stated I live in South Dakota and while it is rare, there have been instances where a person has used these lights to pull over a motorist and then attempted to rob or rape them. If you see a flashing red or blue light in your mirror, try to recall if you have done something to warrant being pulled over. Have you been going just a little too fast or rolled through a stop sign? Slow down to a safe speed, and look for the first opportunity to pull over in a safe spot. If you doubt that the person that is pulling you over is legitimate get on the phone and call 911 right away and do what the 911 dispatcher says. If you are pulled over by ANY law enforcement do not get out of the vehicle. Sit still in the drivers seat and leave both hands on the steering wheel. Leave the engine running until you are certain that you are safe. Roll down the drivers window just enough that you can slide your drivers license through. If you are not sure that the person approaching your car is legitimate ask to see some ID. They have to show it to you, not just flash it. If you are still not certain, you can ask for another unit to respond as well. Any legitimate law enforcement officer will not have a problem with these things as long as you are not doing it to be a smart ass. Do not get out of your car even if asked if you are not sure that they are who they claim to be, and for sure do not get in theirs.

Well I guess I have burned up enough of your time for now, and I want to thank you for your attention.

Until next time, stay safe and happy motoring!  

Winter driving essentials

First I suppose I should introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me, My name is Paul, I have been a truck driver for 9 years and a volunteer firefighter and EMT for the last 22 years. I live in South Dakota and have experienced winter conditions all over the country. I have been on the rescuing end of things and have hunkered down through some really ugly weather.

Being a truck driver and also being from South Dakota, if there is one thing that I can say with a fair degree of certainty, it is that I know how to prepare, and drive in, adverse winter conditions. That being said, I would like to take this opportunity to write down a few things to help some others along the way.

Preparing to drive in winter conditions should start quite some time before grabbing your keys. Before you even debate going over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house in Montana, Minnesota, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri or Michigan you need to think of several things. I am going to start with the assumption that you live in Miami and have your whole life. Another assumption is that the farthest north that you have been is Mississippi.

In this effort I am not going to get into how to drive in the winter in less than ideal conditions. I will likely do this at another time. For now we are going to assume that you have had some additional training in your driving skills and are capable of driving safely in a little bit of snow.

I am also assuming that your car is in good repair and has at least all season tires. If you are stuck in a blizzard your car is your lifeline, and if your vehicle fails your chances of dying just doubled. I don't want to be an alarmist here, and forgive me if I go a little overboard, but being stuck in winter can get you killed. A temperature of 5 degrees with a wind of 30mph gives a wind chill of -19 and can be deadly in under an hour. Add significant snow to that and you have a blizzard.

The first thing that you need to have to plan your trip is information. Go online and get the 10 day forecast for the area that you are traveling to, then pack for the record low that you see in that forecast during the time that you are going to be there. We all like to make fun of weathermen and how we wish we had a job where we can be wrong 50% of the time and be considered a success, but they are REALLY good at recording what happened yesterday, ten days ago and on out to the last 100 years or so (at least in the US).

Pack clothing assuming that you must remain outdoors for 2 to 3 hours in the record lows. I am hoping that you do not have to, but it is far better to have a little more than you need than not enough. If it can get REALLY cold there, plan on dressing in layers, something that should be self-evident but I will likely cover at another time.

Some other things that you should pack if you have them and STRONGLY consider getting if you do not have include,

1. A small folding camping shovel. This can be used to clear snow from around your exhaust system in case you are going to be stranded in your car for an extended period of time, and can be used to get your car un-stuck.
2. Kitty litter. It is cheap and if you are stuck you can spread some around your tires to help with traction.
3. A good pair of sunglasses, there is a good reason that when you see pictures of mountain climbers they are wearing them. If you are in a snowy circumstance and the sun comes out it is easy to get snow-blinded.
4. A D/C charger for your cell phone.
5. A GPS device if you do not have one on your phone. Not only can it tell you how to get there, if you are stuck and able to call for help it can help you tell rescuers EXACTLY where you are. If you have a smart phone that does have GPS make sure you can get your longitude/latitude location from it, if you cannot there are a number of free apps for both the android and apple systems that can get that information for you. Also, do not take the routing of these things as gospel. I have had GPS try to send me down roads that do not exist and the wrong way down one way streets.
6. At least 1 blanket and 1 pillow for every person that will be in the vehicle.
7. 9 to 12 energy bars per person, usually 300 to 500 calories each. These can provide sustenance if you are going to be stuck in the car for a few days. Try to make these a flavor that you are not so fond of so that you do not snack away at them out of boredom. (I haven't found any Brussels Sprouts flavored bars yet, but you get the picture)
8. A large multi-wicked candle. With this and a tin cup you can melt snow and the candle can provide a surprising amount of heat in a small enclosed space such as a car or pickup truck. With this you need either matches or 2 butane cigarette lighters.
9. Fore mentioned tin cup, 8 to 10 ounces is a good size.
10. Water, a gallon per person.
11. Paper towels (always useful and can double as toilet paper.)
12. A reliable flashlight with fresh batteries and if it is anything other than a LED flashlight a spare set of batteries.
13. Chemical hand warmers. These are cheap little packets that once you break the plastic seal that wraps them heat up and warm your hands (or any other skin they are placed against) for a few hours.
14. A LOUD whistle. If you are trying to get someones attention over a distance and the wind is blowing forget using your voice, you car's horn might get it done, but a loud whistle seems to carry better in the wind in my experience. (besides you can use it to hail taxis in a big city)
15. Road flares. (more on this later)
16. A hand-held CB radio. Truckers routinely tell one another what road conditions are like on the road and that information can be vital to you. One bit of advice, The language on these can get a bit rough and if you have young children in the car I would listen sparingly, or with an earpiece. Truckers are generally on channel 19.
17. A weather band radio with weather alert. (if you have a hand-held CB it may already have this.)

I would keep all of these in a tote in the trunk or the cargo area of your pickup or SUV, most of these things can freeze without an issue, however keep the water in a heated area of the vehicle, and I would just go ahead and plug the D/C charger into your cigarette lighter of your vehicle before you leave. Also I would advise that every time you stop to empty your bladder you fill your tank! I mentioned earlier that your car is your lifeline and it will serve you much better if you have fuel in the tank to keep the engine running. If you are in an area where it snows, treat ½ tank as empty between October 15^th and April 30^th.

Ok, so we are packed and we are moving north. Once you get into the area where snow and ice can occur you need to check the forecast daily before the start of your drive. If you have reached an area where you could get significant snowfall call someone and let them know your route for the day and when you plan on being done for the day. Then call them at the end of the drive so that they do not worry about you. This is crucial if you get in to trouble and there is no cell signal, so that rescuers know where to start looking for you.

If there is a winter storm watch or warning within a hundred or so miles of your days planned route I would recommend not listening to your Ipod that day and instead listening to a local radio station as you drive. I know that it is a pain switching to a new station every half hour or so as they fade out, but you are going to get good local conditions. I would also recommend listening to AM radio as much as possible as they are usually news oriented and have people that can get on the air even if they are playing a syndicated show and give you up to date information. Your music and favorite podcasts will still be there the next day waiting for you. (The Gun Dudes and the Un-named Trucker really wont mind that much if you listen a day late).

Another resource that quite a few states have is 511. While they are all different and some MUCH better than others, all states that have this can give you vital information regarding conditions on the roads that you will be traveling. Another safety tip here, the time to call 511 is when you are stopped. One of my biggest pet peeves is people that are driving down the road staring at their phone. When you are moving at 65 mph you travel 95 feet/second. In just looking down to dial your phone or entering the highway number of the road that you are looking for information about you are covering at least a third of a football field BLIND! Do yourself and everyone around you a favor, have your passenger call or pull over to make this call.

A few things about weather reports and road conditions. A winter storm watch is something that you seriously want to pay attention to. It means that conditions are favorable over the next 24 to 48 hours for a significant snow storm. Consider this a tap on the shoulder from good old mother nature. A winter storm warning means that there is a significant snow storm headed your way and conditions will be really tough over the warned time period, think of this as Mother nature giving you a good shake. A blizzard watch should make the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up if you are in the watch area, this is like a good old back hand slap. A blizzard warning is a Louisville Slugger to the groin A blizzard is when significant snowfall is expected, a visibility reduction to ¼ mile or less and sustained winds of 35mph or greater for more than a 3 hour period. I will still drive my 18 wheeler depending on conditions,with weather reports that say that a winter storm warning is in the area, and in certain instances in a blizzard watch. But if there is a blizzard warning out and I cannot avoid that area of travel it is hunker down time.

Next is when to pull over and call it a day. There are several things that can indicate this, If you feel tired, you cannot remember the last several miles that you drove, you seem to be having problems paying attention, or you are THE LEAST BIT nervous about the driving conditions. If you think that you might be in over your head, chances are that you went past that stage a long time ago.

If you encounter a roadway that is closed, heed the warning. It is there for a reason. A lot of states have BIG fines for ignoring these closures and you can be billed for the cost to rescue your sorry butt. Also, if you call for road conditions or are listening to the radio and they tell you that no travel is advised, heed this warning as well, just because you have the very latest super duper SUV with full time smart all wheel drive and anti lock brakes and heated seats and a seat-belt specially designed for Fluffy the poodle in the back seat doesn't mean that you can handle what is ahead. This is ESPECIALLY true if you do not have a lot of experience driving in adverse conditions. When I see people in the ditch it is more SUVs and pickups with for wheel drive than anything. I do often see semi trucks in the ditch, but 4 wheel drives outnumber them usually 1.5/1 to 2/1.

Another caution that I would like to throw your way is ice on the roadway, I do not care if you are the re-incarnation of Dale Earnhardt, you CANNOT drive safely on ice in any vehicle that doesn't have chains on all of the wheels, and even then your top speed needs to be 15 to 20 MPH. Ice is the one condition that no matter what I am driving shuts me down right away. A few patches here or there can be dealt with, but under no circumstances should you ever drive in an ice storm. If you are in danger of dying and need to get to the hospital call an ambulance and let someone who is equipped to handle the situation deal with it. (better that than getting into a wreck and giving the doctor more injuries to deal with)

One last thing before we get down to what to do if things go wrong. When choosing my routes in the winter my preference of roadways is as follows.

1. Interstate roadways. These are state maintained and are always the first to get worked on. The states usually try to keep the Interstate open if at all possible.
2. Other 4 or more lane devided state highways with on and off ramps. These interstate-like roads also are usually among the first to get attention.
3. 4 lane regular roads
4. 2 lane paved roads.

Any road that is not paved if conditions are bad I will avoid no matter what I am driving. It could be several days before someone comes along to open an unpaved road.

Alright, you didn't check the weather forecast and were really wrapped up in the last 2 hours of the Cam Edwards podcast from last night, you went whizzing by your exit and then took one a few exits down and GPS shows you this GREAT shortcut! You cut down this 2 lane road and are now on that last 50 mile stretch of road that leads to Granny's place. WHAM you hit the snowdrift around the bend and high side your 1983 Chevette, the front wheels are in the air, and you ain't goin' nowhere Bubba. NOW WHAT?!?

Don't panic and STAY WITH YOUR CAR!.Unless you can clearly see that there is an occupied structure that is within 100 yards or so, you are better off where you are at. Get out your camping shovel and kitty litter and see if you can get the car freed up. If you can't get the car moving again get on your cell phone and get help on the way.

No cell signal or help is more than a few hours away? Roll down a down-wind window a crack (1 to 1 ½ inches is enough) leave the engine running and the heater going. Get out and make sure that your exhaust is not obstructed by snow. If you have an external antenna on the car tie some brightly colored cloth to it, and then get back in and warm up.

The reason that you need to crack your window is to avoid carbon monoxide buildup in the car. As stated earlier you should have your car in good running order, even so if your exhaust becomes obstructed and cannot leave from behind your car it will go underneath and seep up through any cracks it can find. That is why you need to clear the exhaust every few hours and keep that window cracked so you get some fresh air.

If help is going to be a day or 2 you should still be alright if you packed well and did not run yourself out of fuel getting to where you are now. You are going to want to conserve fuel as much as possible and this means turning the your car off for a while. I would suggest running the car for 15 minutes on 45 minutes off. Use your candle for heat when the car is turned off, making sure that is is on a level surface and YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EVEN THINK ABOUT SLEEPING WITH A LIT CANDLE!!!!!!!! (was I clear on that?) I am not going to go into every make and model of car, but it generally takes about 1/3 to ½ of a gallon of gas to idle a 6 cylinder car for an hour. If you have a 16 gallon tank that is half full that leaves you 8 gallons of gas. At ½ gallon per hour that is 16 hours, at running 15 minutes per hour that is 64 hours of heat.

Use your energy bars sparingly for sustenance. In an emergency you can live on 900 calories a day for quite a while. Use water a little more liberally as you have all kinds of snow outside to melt should you need more .

Why did I tell you to pack those blasted road flares and then not mention them at all?!?! Well the fact is that you should not use them unless you see or hear something that can help you, such as a snow plow, a helicopter or airplane, a snowmobile or anything else that can get word out that that you need help. A flag can be missed, a flashlight works better than a flag, but in my experience nothing grabs your eye in low light conditions quite like a road flare (except maybe a muzzle flash from a gun, and if you are seeing these we have a whole other set of problems to deal with). Also this is the time to use your whistle, even Michael Buffer cannot get louder than a good loud whistle.

One more thing to bring up is abandonment. Should the worst of the worst happen and you have been stuck for several days and you run out of fuel so no more heat from the car, you are almost out of energy bars and you have not been able to get anyone on the cell phone and no one knows where you are. At this point ONLY would I think about abandoning the vehicle to get help, and ONLY if I knew where to go to get that help. You are about to leave your windbreak, your bed, your protection from wild animals, and a really big sore thumb sticking out saying that you need help. Leave a note on the steering wheel stating where you are going and how you plan to get there. Put on as much clothing as you can get on and still walk,bring your matches or lighters and any remaining food and your cup for water. If you have a weapon for God's sake bring that and spare ammo!Get a GPS fix and direction and move at a steady pace. Most GPS and cell phone batteries last only for about 5 to 6 hours constant use so use them sparingly, and always be looking for shelter as you move.

As mentioned in the beginning of this now rater lengthy discussion I drive truck for a living, and as such have a few more advantages than almost anyone in a car does. However if you have a vehicle that has multiple batteries (some diesel pickups and cars and many RV's) there are a few more things that can help you be more comfortable. Please be aware that these things all take power from your alternator or batteries and as such ARE NOT FREE, you will have to burn more fuel to recharge your batteries or turn the alternator when you use them.

1. A 12 volt electric blanket. These cost about $20 to $30 and can be found in the winter months at most truck stops. I can stay warm in my truck under one of these blankets down to an outdoor temperature of about 5 degrees.
2. A 12 volt crock pot, while a little messy for cleanup, a can of beef stew and an hour or so in the crock pot is a great lunch!
3. A portable jump start pack with a 12 volt receptacle. I have seen these at most department stores and will power your 12 volt accessories for a while without draining your battery, so that you have the best chance of starting your car.

Keeping your head about you and staying with your vehicle are by far the 2 things that are more likely to get you out of this than anything else. I cannot stress enough that you should not drive in any conditions that you are not prepared for.

That is it for now, thanks for reading and safe motoring!