73 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
73 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
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Taken from American Survival Guide 12/1988
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Subscription address is:
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American Survival Guide
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Subscription Dept.
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McMullen Publishing
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P.O. Box 70015
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Anaheim, CA 92825-0015
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714-635-9040
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Can be downloaded as WINTDRIV.ZIP
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10 Winter driving tips.
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1. The safest tires are studded mud and snow (M/S) tires on all four
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wheels. Some states do not permit studded tires, so check with your
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local dealer.
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2. Carry emergency clothing in the car. A stocking cap, snow boots,
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mittens, a pair of coveralls, and a blaze orange vest so you will be
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seen if you have to walk.
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3. If you get stuck, kitty litter is a good way to get traction under your
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wheels. Carry the litter in a couple of gallon plastic milk jugs.
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Sand and dirt are ok too, but they freeze solid if any moisture
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collects on them. Some people carry metal treads, but you have to stop
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and go back for them. Some carry a few evergreen branches.
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4. When driving on ice, always try to drive with 2 tires on the right
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shoulder of the road. It is usually gravel, and provides better
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traction than the smooth streets or highways. This won't work if there
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is snow.
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5. Plan your route to avoid stop signs and lights on the top of a hill.
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People spin their wheels to get started and this creates a bed of ice.
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6. To get home safely, you have to be able to see. Every November 1st,
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buy and install a new set of wiper blades. This is cheap insurance.
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7. Sometimes you will want a cold windshield, and sometimes you will want
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a warm windshield. If it's raining and ice is forming on the car, you
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want a warm windshield to melt the ice and let the wipers work. If
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it's cold and snowing, you want the windshield cold so the snow won't
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stick, and will just blow off with the wind and wipers..
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8. If you get stopped on and uphill slope, try this to get started again.
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Manual transmissions, take off in second gear. Try to get rolling as
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slowly as possible, if you can, get started without even using the gas
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pedal. Automatics, it's even easier. Never, ever, spin your wheels,
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just take off as slowly as possible. Spinning heats up the tires and
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just handicaps you further. If you can get rolling those first few
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inches, you can keep rolling.
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9. If it's snowing or blowing, put on your lights. If there's a blizzard,
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put on your flashers.
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10. Chains are best. They give more traction than anything else. Put a
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set of chains on the two driving tires, or better yet, keep a spare
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pair of tires in the trunk with chains on them. It's lots easier to
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change 2 tires than it is to install chains in the snow and muck.
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Plus, the chains on the spares are fiddle string tight, so they won't
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hammer the bottom of your car.
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EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST
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Long Handled Snow Brush Ice Scraper
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Jumper Cables Rags To Clean Slush Off Lights
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Chains Kitty Litter (see #3)
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Flashlight, with extra batteries HELP sign
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Work Gloves Emergency Clothes (see #2)
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Extra caps and mittens for passengers
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Though not mentioned in the ASG article, there is another tool that I would
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not be without during winter driving, or summer for that matter. It is
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commonly referred to as a Come-along winch. These are hand operated devices
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that can lift a ton about 8 to 12 feet. And yes Martha, most cars weigh
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considerabley more than a ton, but most of the time, you're not lifting them
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straight up either. They are available in hardware stores for $30 to $40.
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With one of these winches and some chain, or aircraft cable, you can winch
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yourself out of just about any situation. It's not as pretty, or as fast as
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the pretty winches on the big jeeps, but you can bet it's several hundred
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dollars less expensive too.
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