Notes from JWR:

We’ve completed the judging!

The first prize winner for Round 23 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest is Mike S., for his article GPS for Day-to-Day Use and Survival. He will receive: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.)

The second prize winner is Extraman, for his article Going the Extra Mile in Amateur Communications. He will receive a “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $350.

The third prize winner is Carla, for her article Savings and Self-Sufficiency with Homemade Laundry Detergent. She will receive a copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing.

Runner-up prizes go to four writers:

Chris M., for It Will Be Skills, Not Gear That Will Count in TEOTWAWKI

Skyrat, for The Jump Kit

Bill in Chicagoland, for Escape From (Fill in Your City Here), 2009

Tall Sally, for Three Rules for Persuading the Sheeple

They will each receive a $30 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Note to prize winners: Please e-mail me your snail mail addresses (both UPS and US mail), and I’ll get your prizes out, right away.

Today we begin Round 24 of the writing contest. Round 24 will end on September 30th, and will feature even more prizes! Get busy writing, and e-mail us your entry.

City Data as a Retreat Locale Search Tool

SurvivalBlog Readers:
Are you trying to find small towns to evaluate for potential relocation? I’ve been wrestling with the process and have found it tedious at best. There is a web site, however, that can be a valuable resource: City Data. If you follow this link you will come to a page that has the states listed. Click on the state you are interested in Idaho, for example. This link takes you to a list of cities with a population over 6,000. There is a link at the top of the page that lists towns and villages with a population between 1,000 and 6,000. Follow that link and your are presented with a list of towns and their population (Bovill and Troy are under 1,000). When you select a town it will display detailed demographics (try Orofino). While the amount of detail varies, it contains a wealth of data that we are interested in. In general you will at least find population, gender, age, ethnicity, education, and income statistics. Some pages also contain information about occupation (is this a farming town?) the nearest medical facilities, population density, distance to major population centers, crime, climate, local government and more. It is a fantastic starting place to refine the search for your ideal location. – Scrod

JWR Replies: It has been several years since City Data web site has been mentioned in SurvivalBlog. It is still a good one! I also like the Moving.com web site’s relative cost comparison calculator.

OBTW, take a look at this population density map of the US, Mexico, and Canada. Sometimes a picture truly does tell a thousand words. And on a global scale, The Human Footprint Composite Map hosted by NASA’s web site is similarly enlightening.

See my Recommended Retreat Areas static page for some detailed retreat locale suggestions. And even greater detail (including some useful maps) is available in my book “Rawles on Retreats and Relocation“. OBTW, although it is now a bit dated, I also recommend the book Strategic Relocation by Joel Skousen.

Choosing a retreat locale is a not a “one size fits all” process. A lot of your decision making will be predicated on your work and family situation, your stage in life, and your preference for a particular climate. Differences in gun laws are important to many SurvivalBlog readers. (See Boston’s Gun Bible by Boston T. Party, for a detailed state-by-state comparison.) Taxes are another determining factor. For some of us, property taxes are more important than income taxes.
I suggest prayer and extensive study before traveling to look for retreat property.

Letter Re: Sterling Silver Flatware for Barter?

Mister Rawles:
We know having a supply of junk silver is a good idea, and we’re working slowly toward that goal. What would you suggest for those that have inherited sterling flatware or serving pieces? Not many people seem to use them anymore, we sure don’t, but it’s hard to sell them for cash in today’s economic climate. Do they have any value as trade items in a SHTF scenario? What would you suggest doing with these old family items that don’t hold sentimental value for us? Thanks! – Susan W.

JWR Replies: Unless they have sentimental value, I recommend selling (or trading) silverware, and getting a like value of pre-1965 quarters. Those 90% silver quarters will be much more recognizable and trusted for barter–not to mention that they will be in much more convenient divisible units.

Letter Re: One Way to Visualize Inflation and Dollar Devaluation

Jim,
CRW points out that:
If you had $1,000 in 1900, you could have bought 50 ounces of gold with it, yet today, a thousand bucks will buy only about one ounce of gold Clearly, gold has held its value better than numbers on paper. Fine, but that’s a fairly useless observation.

Consider: gold doesn’t hold its value as well as other things. The overall consumer price index has increased by a factor of only about 32:1 during the same time; that is, gold has failed to hold its value relative to consumer products, primarily because refined gold was already as good as it could get but other products have increased in intrinsic quality and value.

And consider this: you could also have invested your money in 1900 in an interest-bearing savings account at an average rate of return of four percent per year (conservatively less than the actual historical average), and today you’d have almost $72,000. You could get about 72 ounces of gold with that. In other words, keeping your money in gold would have lost you some of your money relative to investing it even at a low, reliable interest rate.

Or you could have invested your money in stocks.

From January 1900 to June 2009, stocks in the Dow Jones Industrial Average appreciated from an index value of 66.1 to 8,447, a ratio of 12s8 to 1. If you’d given up your gold in 1900, you could have turned it into 128 ounces of gold today, in spite of all the stock-market crashes between then and now.

Over the same time, the S&P composite index appreciated from 6.1 to 921.9, a ratio of 151 to 1. Even better. (And I note that even this result represents an average rate of return of only a little over 4.7%– which shows that the stock market isn’t necessarily better in the long run than safe interest-bearing accounts. This conclusion should not surprise anyone, since the returns from these accounts tend to come from the same kinds of business investments that underlie the stock markets, but it’s not generally well understood.)

Inflation isn’t even in the top 20 of things people need to worry about or prepare for today.

You already correctly advise people to buy durable goods instead of gold. Naive comments like CRW’s only distract people from that message.

– PNG

JWR Replies: While his premise does disregard the macro-level investing world, it does illustrate gold’s relative stability versus non-invested paper currency. (What is commonly termed “mattress money.”) It is often mentioned by Austrian School economists that a century ago, one ounce of gold would buy a good men’s suit. It still will, but a $20 bill certainly won’t. Nor will a German 20 Papiermark note. (And the later Mark notes went to almost zero in 1923.)

I cannot over-emphasize this: Gold is not an “investment”. It is merely a safe store of value in times of monetary crisis. Neither I, nor writer CRW have suggested “investing” in gold. For absolute safety, there are very few stores of wealth that can match gold. Granted, on average, stocks would have gained more than gold. But diversified risk wasn’t an option until advent of the first mutual fund in 1928. (The Wellington Fund.) Countless individual stocks have gone bust, and their certificates are now only good for wallpaper. And, granted, savings compounded in an interest-bearing bank account would have also gained more than gold. But until the advent of the FDIC, lots of individual investors lost money in bank failures, too.

I believe a balanced investing portfolio should include some precious metals, but only after key logistics have been secured. To clarify: hedging with some silver and gold is only appropriate after you have your beans, bullets and Band-Aids set aside.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Laura H. spotted this: Congressman: Smart Grid Can be Wiped Out by Electromagnetic Weapons

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S.T. highlighted this: The Bed Bunker. I suppose that if two modules were bolted together, then it might be fairly hard to tote away. But I’d feel a lot better if the entire unit were bolted to the floor or to a wall. The “up on legs” design makes it far too convenient for a miscreant to apply leverage via a large iron bar, or perhaps even a pallet jack, if they planned ahead. (Far too many gun safes get hauled away by burglars!) I suppose that this design might have some utility for someone that is short on storage space. Note: I assume that the locks use double-cut keys. (tamper-resistant), but that is no substitute for a proper vault lock with multiple locking bars and a re-locking mechanism. (Technically, this is a gun locker–not a proper vault.) I’d only recommend buying these lockers if space were at a premium.

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Reader Krys W. advises: “Read between the lines in this article”: Power Shifts in Plan for Capital Calamity

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Thanks to the several readers that answered my query on finding unleaded fuel spouts for Scepter military fuel cans (MFCs). This source in British Columbia sells the small-diameter variety: D.S. Tactical

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Oh, I have lost some of the fights I’ve been in, some sudden little dustups for which I wasn’t well-prepared and a couple of larger ones in which I was mostly just involved as a bit player. If you really want to win you can always be certain to pick in advance a much weaker opponent and crush him, but that’s bullying. Or you can take on someone who outclasses you and really deserves a good beating, and wait for a chance when he’s not in his best shape, though you may have a long wait.

But I’ve never lost a scrap with an opponent whose pants were on fire, while he was swatting at angry hornets buzzing around his mouth and eyes, and while rattlesnakes nipped at his ankles. The trick is to be ready for the hornets, snakes and assorted secondary fires yourself.

By the way: this also applies to political fights on a national scale as much as it does to one in the parking lot behind the local roadhouse….” – H.J. Halterman, Along the Way, 2009

Letter Re: One Way to Visualize Inflation and Dollar Devaluation

Sir,
Let’s look at a way to visualize inflation. Let’s say you had a $1,000 bill in 1900. At that time, this would be the equivalent of letting the government safeguard [about] 50 ounces of gold for you.

In 1933, Franklin D Roosevelt devalued the dollar, and as a result gold’s price rose from $20/ounce to $35/ounce. Equivalently, you could also say the 50 ounces of gold the government held for you now became 28.57 ounces of gold. The government stole 21.43 ounces of gold from you overnight!

In 1971, Richard Nixon ended the Bretton-Woods gold standard for good, and by 1974, gold had risen to $200/ounce. You now had 5 ounces of gold. Thus, between 1971 and 1974, the government stole 16.43 ounces of gold from you.

In 1999, gold bottomed out at $250/ounce. You now had 4 ounces.

With gold nearing $1,000/ounce today, you are down to 1 ounce. Over the last 10 years, the government has stolen roughly 3 ounces of what little gold you have left.

Now instead of paper money, visualize that you did indeed have 50 ounces of gold in your safe in 1900 and that year after year the government broke into your home and stole gold from your safe at this rate. Would you find that acceptable? – CRW

Letter Re: Thoughts on Accumulating Silver

Mr. Rawles,
I would first like you to know your family is in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you and your family for opening our eyes to what is happening all around us and for helping to prepare us for what could happen. To borrow a phrase, “The sleeper has awakened”.

On to my topic. I am what may be described as a prepper and after reading many of the countless articles by investors on the accumulation of silver, I began to take your advice as well as their advice and have been purchasing silver whenever the budget allows. With a family with two small boys (2 and 4) and both my wife and I working, it is hard to justify the expense of obtaining silver or gold for that matter. My point is this, I was purchasing Silver Eagles and after reading many posts on SurvivalBlog, I have turned to buying pre-1965 silver coins as “junk silver”. The going rate right now on auction web sites is 10 or more times face value of the coins. I cannot afford to buy even a quarter bag of silver at a time let alone the half bag ($500) recommended. I work in commodities and watch most very closely along with the weather and the US dollar, but silver and gold are not our main trading. My concern is that there is such a great demand for silver right now. For this example I will use the 1 oz. Silver Eagle. Recently the price over spot to obtain eagles was over $5 (now it is around $2.50 per Eagle). This means that if the going rate [per ounce] in the spot month (the month closest to the month we are in at the time) is for example $14, then you would have to pay $19 dollars per Silver Eagle. All because of high demand. The U.S. Mint has suspended the production of the proof and the uncirculated Silver Eagle because by law, the mint has to satisfy the demand for the bullion Silver Eagle. The same thing goes for the proof gold coins. I am writing this because I am afraid that most people are waiting for silver to return to the $5 area. With the demand for a hedge against inflation, the demand for silver could continue for some time. My advice is to be prepared as possible and don’t count on precious metals to return to previous low levels anytime in the near future. Thank you for all that you do to keep us informed. – Traveller

Letter Re: Distance Traveling by Waterways

Jim,
Thanks for your work. I have been a faithful reader for quite a while (and a 10-Cent Challenge subscriber).

After reading LDM in Colorado’s post, I had to e-mail and correct a few problems. While I know little of white water rafting, I do know about Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs). I was a Coast Guard Boarding Officer for many years, and I would like to correct some of his terminology. Unfortunately, some of his comments could place someone in danger.

The rating system for PFDs is based on capabilities. Specifically,

Type I: Provides 22 lbs of buoyancy and turns most unconscious victims face up in the water. The old “Mae West” PFDs referred to are not rated PFDs and do not meet the requirements for any type of PFD.

Type II: 15.5 lbs of buoyancy turns some unconscious victims up in the water. These provide less buoyancy than Type Is, but they are less bulky and easier to work in.

Type III: 15.5 lbs of buoyancy but does not make any effort to upright an unconscious victim. They are easier to wear than either type Is or IIs.

Type IV: Throwable PFDs such as life rings and seat cushions.

Type V: These are special purpose PFDs. They are usually either hybrid (meaning some buoyancy that can be augmented by an inflation), or automatically inflating PFDs, or even full-coveralls for working in stormy conditions.

Type Vs have many advantages, but they have many drawbacks. First of all – use the right Type V for the task. A Type V PFD that requires manual inflation (by pulling a cord) is of little value to an unconscious person. Also – any PFD that can be inflated also has a greater incidence of failure. In regards to PFDs simpler is often better.

If it is simply a matter of floating in the water, a Type I provides the most closed-call foam, keeps most victims upright, and keeps them floating high in the water – and they do it very simply. However, white water rafting requires more freedom of movement than what Type Is allow. That is why Type Vs are so popular. Hybrids are the easiest to wear for an extended period or time.

Thanks for allowing me to make this correction. If you have a boat – you should have at least one Type IV, and one Type III (or II or I) for each person. In fact, Type Vs are only permitted on boats for specific circumstances – that’s why they are Type Vs. They are designed for water skiing, or work coveralls, or white water rafting. But they are poor substitutes for general PFD needs.

Here’s a couple of links that might provide some clarification:

From the Texas Department of of Parks and Wildlife
From the American Association of Pediatrics
From Boating Safety Sidekicks

Regards, – BES in Washington

Economics and Investing:

I found this linked over at the Total Investor blog: After the fall; The collapse in world trade has stopped, but there is no sign of a recovery

Thanks to Rebecca S. for this news link: Weak Treasury Auctions Raise Worries About US Debt Burden

Reader Greg C. suggested this: Adrian Douglas: CFTC Conceals the Real Problem, the Infinite Dollar

Items from The Economatrix:

Weak US 5-Year Debt Auction Raises Worries

Bernanke on the Record (video)

The Hole in Our Universe (The Mogambo Guru)

Commentary by John Browne: Dead Banks Walking

Fed Report Suggests Recession May be Bottoming Out. [In related news: Pigs seen flying over Chicago]

Big Banks Cashing in on Rash of Smaller Bank Failures

Copper Peaking as Inventories Signal Market Top

Detroit Area Jobless Rate Tops 17%

Notes from JWR:

We have received more than 120 kind e-mails in the past 24 hours, in response to The Memsahib’s “Bucket List” post on Wednesday. Thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. This verse sums up the sentiment: “Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise Him!” – Psalm 64:10

We feel tremendously uplifted by your prayers. And for those that have asked: We are not seeking any funds for medical expenses. Instead, please send gifts to our favorite charity: Compassion International.

Here Comes Winter!, by Peter H.

My brother wrote me recently to ask what we do to prepare for our winters here in the inland Pacific Northwest. He lives in a warmer climate but has been reading about the global cooling underway. For the last two years our area has been colder longer and this last winter we had the most snow in over 100 years.

Remembering that Boy Scout slogan, “Be prepared,” prudent people are already looking ahead for the winter soon to come. Here are my odds and ends to get your thinking processes going:

Dress to Save Your Life
Our heaviest coats are rarely used, unless the temps get below about 20. Important that they shed snow (slick, synthetic outside layer). Whether its actually snowing, or snow falls on you from the trees, or you get snow on you from scraping the car or the roof of your house you’re going to get snow on you.

Knit caps keep your head comfortable. If you are working outdoors and wear a really heavy fur Russian-type hat your head will probably sweat. Our winters aren’t usually very cold, so something moderate is all we need. I keep my cap, gloves, Gargoyles (folding ear muffs), Yaktrax traction cleats (in a ZipLoc bag), and scarf (rarely used) all tucked away in my heavy coat at all times, and I can add them or put them away in the pockets as needed (your coat needs to have lots of pockets). I look like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, but I’m comfortable.

The cap I keep in my heavy coat has a nylon shell and ear flaps that can snap down. And it has a brim, to help keep snow out of my eyes and glasses.

When it’s snowing hard you’re going to want some kind of eye protection. Ski goggles would be great (all I have are some polycarbonate eye protection glasses). Try to avoid working outdoors while it’s snowing, but you can’t avoid it all the time. Be sure they’re fog-proof (double-layer, vented). I’ve done without goggles all these years, but they sure would have been nice.

Mostly we layer up: shirt, sweatshirt, windbreaker or shell. My really expensive jacket that Joy bought for me turns out to not be warm, but to be a good outer layer (breathable and all that). Not particularly durable, but otherwise good. (I’m looking to buy a denim insulated work coat this winter to replace mine that has holes.)

Warm socks are a must. I’ve been buying GI-style socks from the local General store so I have enough for a whole week. They’re quite thick. The warm socks I bought last year (not the GI-style) wore holes that I still need to darn. You can’t have too many durable, warm socks.

Warm gloves are a must, but they have to be waterproof. I use insulated leather work gloves that I’ve treated with SnowSeal or something like that (paraffin or seal oil) to protect the leather (I wouldn’t use anything that sprays on). The “ski gloves” I have are warm and shed snow, but many of them aren’t waterproof and the ones I’ve tried are definitely not durable. If you’re going to ski they’re fine. If you’re going to work you need leather or an insulated synthetic that is durable.

You’ll also want glove liners (so get your gloves big enough). I bought some cheapo military-surplus-type wool liners. They give my gloves extra warmth and I can pull them out of the gloves to help them dry quicker. I have some really warm mittens, but I can’t work in them. Putting liners in my regular insulated work gloves works better.

Waterproof, high boots are essential. I used cheapo $9 rubber boots most of the winter. They’re tall, taller than the snow usually, and absolutely waterproof. And they have really aggressive treads. I don’t think breathable fabric is all that important. With each step the boots breathe up your pant leg… I also don’t do a lot of walking in them, but working around the homestead, around fences and barbed wire, and turkey manure the inexpensive boots work great.

Snow bibs (look like farmer’s bib overalls) are cheap. You wear them under your coat. They’re not so much warm as they are slick and the snow doesn’t stick. They’re not waterproof, so you CAN get them wet (which is bad) if you’re not careful. But the snow falls off and keeps your legs dry, and they’re an extra layer on your legs. I think I wore mine once or twice last year. I can easily tolerate cooler legs when my core is warm.

I don’t have leggings or whatever they’re called. I just pull my pants over the tops of the boots, or pull the snow bib legs over my boots. YakTrax are essential. Falls are devastating.

Working in cold weather, unless you keep changing clothes as your chores change, you’re probably going to get at least a little sweaty. Some chores make you hot, some don’t. Unless you’re going to be going in and out (which would not be energy efficient) to continuously change clothes, then at some point your clothes are going to get wet and / or sweaty. You must have a plan for hanging the clothes over or near some heat source to dry them. Having a second set of socks and gloves and pants is important in case you have to go outside before everything’s dry.

You have to plan your excursions outside. Take all the tools you need, etc. so you’re not going in and out. You also have to have a plan to time yourself outside. You’ll be warm but wet and not realize it. An hour of chores outside is probably plenty, then come in to hydrate and dry out. Plan to hydrate while you’re outdoors too if you’re working hard (don’t eat the snow – it lowers your core temp).

With thick socks the rubber boots are comfortable, not very heavy, absolutely waterproof, have great tread, durable, and quick to get on and off when I do have to go in and out of the house (very nice). I have a pair of very heavy winter boots, rated to below zero. But they’re heavy and hard to lace on. I’ve got them if I ever need to climb Mount Everest…

We keep the boots in a little plastic “boot tray” near the door so that the melting snow doesn’t get everywhere and make a mess.

The rubber boots are also essential in the spring melt-off when there’s four inches of slush everywhere… Regular snow boots with tiny holes that doesn’t matter in snow will spring leaks in slush…

I Sno Seal my gloves and my work boots (cheapo Big 5 high-tops). You rub the stuff all over them and put them in a warm oven or run a hair dryer over them to melt the sealant into the leather. Just rubbing it in isn’t enough. Read the instructions!

You should be able to find wool socks and glove liners at many Internet shops. I reserve my wool gear for the really cold weather.

I also have a full heavy rain suit (in case we ever get monsoon-type weather – which happened once! – and I have to care for the livestock). You could put on some fairly warm clothes and the rain suit over it and be great in the snow. The biggest issue with snow is not having it melt on you and get you wet. And the rain suit would be an extra insulating layer.

I have a set of YakTrax that I leave on my rubber boots (extra large), and a set I keep in my jacket I wear to the office if the ground gets treacherous. The deluxe Yaktrax have a strap over the top that definitely helps keep them on in heavy snow. You can improvise a strap like that with baling wire or cord or velcro. You probably need more than one strap over the top. A second strap that goes from the heel up and around the top of the foot will help in the back.

Have the Right Tools Ready
You need to have a snow shovel for the house and one for each vehicle. I’d go by the local feed store and buy a 50 pound sack of poultry grit and use that instead of the stupid sand. The weight will help with traction and if you have to sprinkle it under your tires or on your driveway it will grip better than sand. Price isn’t too bad.

I strongly recommend having a hoe with a shortened handle in each vehicle. Vehicles get in trouble two ways – slide-offs and high-centering. You can’t effectively dig the snow out from under your vehicle with a snow shovel. You have to lay on your side and dig it out with the hoe. It works and it doesn’t take too long.

If you slide off into a ditch you’re just going to need a tow. If you have a winch you might be able to winch yourself out.

If you slide off and you have a good tow strap (not a chain) you might be able to get pulled out. The strap is springy and allows the towing vehicle to get a little inertia going before the strap pulls tight. They may not be able to get enough traction to pull you out, but that bit of inertia might be enough to do the job. I would never try a questionable tow unless I did my best to dig the car out first. Even a tow truck might have trouble pulling a vehicle out of a snow-filled ditch unless the car was dug out first. Compacted snow is very hard and heavy.

You really never know when a really bad snowstorm is going to hit. The weather service is terrible about being accurate, especially regards timing. We’ve been warned that bad weather was coming and it is often early or late by 8 or more hours. We pack a winter survival bag with extra coats, a blanket, food, water, and a small catalytic heater and extra propane canisters. We carry water in a mylar bag (old wine bag) packed in a box so it can expand and contract as it freezes and thaws.

We’ve never had to use chains, but we have a set of cable chains if we need them. Only one of our cars is fully equipped and we stop using the other car unless the roads are clear.

I’ve seen traction strips that look like plastic trellis that you put under your tires to get traction. I fabbed up something like that and it helped once or twice when I got stuck.

With your hill you might consider parking somewhere else nearby. Unless you can keep your driveway ice-free you might not like sliding down the driveway and into the street uncontrollably. Have a good supply of de-ice in advance (which was hard to find around here when all the trouble started). Some are better than others.

We use a lot of plain unscented clay cat litter on the steps and sidewalk. It works very well. Better than de-ice for concrete and wood. And cheap!

We buy windshield wiper fluid that also contains de-ice. It works really well unless the temps are very low. You should keep a spray bottle of it in the house and take it outside to spray any vehicle windows that got snow or ice on them.

If you think there could be lots of snow then you might want to consider the rating of your home’s roof. I’m guessing that no homes in your area can take much snow (why should they?). Getting on the roof to shovel it off is bloody dangerous. It’s not worth dying for, or being crippled for. If you’ve got the money, buy a Snow Razor from MinnSnowta ($150) – they’ll last forever.

We mainly use plastic snow shovels with straight handles. Snow gets to be very heavy and the fancy curved handles fail sooner (I think). The plastic blade is strong enough for most uses. We use a little plastic snow shovel (probably made for kids) to shovel the stairs because a regular shovel is too big.

Get a plastic sled so you can drag the snow away from your driveway and house. Many years we started with a snow pile by the driveway, but by the end of winter it was huge and in the way! Just drag it a little distance, and it won’t be in your way or the snowplow’s way if you have to get your driveway plowed.

We also have steel square tip shovels (2 sizes) to dig up the ice that inevitably forms in places when the snow gets too deep. We also use the mattock to break up ice on the ground (you should have a mattock anyway, good for lots of things). Many years we’ve had 2 – 4″ of hard ice that forms under the snow from cycles of melting and snowing…

|We keep a big coffee can of cat litter and a can of deice in the house by the front door. Many days we couldn’t safely get out of the house or get to the garage to spread the cat litter. We also have some car lock de-icer sprays, but have only needed them once or twice in 21 years.

If the forecast is for heavy snow, you can park your car at the end of your driveway. You’ll only need to shovel maybe 6 feet of driveway, instead of 40 or 50 (or 250 in our case). It’s also a good way to avoid having to pay to have your driveway plowed (it’s $50 for a long driveway like ours, every time). You’ll want to have your plastic sled on hand so that you can sled your groceries up to the house or the garbage out to the road.

Parking your vehicle in your garage has a lot of benefits when it comes to not having to scrape windows (oh, yea, have more than one good ice scraper…). But in heavy snow your wheel wells will be full of compacted snow (the whole undercarriage, grill, bumpers, etc., actually). When you drive into your garage you’ll be bringing maybe 3 – 5 gallons of water into the garage. The warm engine then slowly warms the room and much of the ice melts. Each time you drive in.

Five gallons maybe you can handle, but over and over and you start to get a moisture problem in the garage. We’ve actually had it rain inside – the moisture condensed on the Tyvek lining of the roof and rained out on everything – not just where the car was, but all over the inside of the garage.

Our “solution” is to only drive one car in the winter when the weather’s really bad and to use a floor squeegee to push the water and slush back outside. (While we’re on the subject, one winter the ice formed a dam on both sides of the driveway in front of the garage and the water level of melting snow actually started to come in the garage. I had to take the mattock and dig a trench – in the cold and snow after work – down one side of the garage to drain the water away! Try that with a regular steel shovel!)

Shovel the snow early and often. Better 10 minutes several times a day than to try to dig out from an 8 inch accumulation.

Snow blowers around here are generally too small for our use with a 250′-long driveway. And they take gas and oil to run. A capable snow blower is expensive.

When we’ve had a bunch of snow, with more on the way, I often drive up and down the driveway compacting it. I drive to the left, to the right, and in the center to make as wide of a compacted area as possible (taking maybe 10 minutes). Our front wheel drive cars can drive in snow up to the undercarriage. You can drive on compacted snow, but if you’ve got snow that is deeper than your undercarriage it tends to build up in front of your vehicle while you’re trying to get to the road and will probably high-center you. You can shovel / snow blow it out of the way or compact it down so you can drive on it. The next time your driveway’s plowed they’ll get most of the ice that forms from the compacting so it won’t get too deep.

If you start to slide on ice let off the brake. You won’t be able to slow yourself down anyway, and with the front wheels turning you might actually have a bit of steering control and be able to miss the really expensive / dangerous things on the road. (Hit something cheap.) Turns in the road are bad. Shaded areas are bad. The key is to slow down. That’s all you usually need to do. (I’ve slide nearly a mile down a hill. I’ve spun around in the middle of our road and not left the roadway. I’ve slid to a stop just inches from the car ahead of me. I’ve also lost control and crossed the oncoming lanes and onto the opposite shoulder. Going slow is the secret to avoiding these events.)

Everything Else
Needless to say we have over a month’s supply of food and water stored. If we’re snowed in, or have the sniffles (or worse) we can ride it out at home. And of course, as Christians we pray early and often. We want to be in a position to help others, but we also realize it’s prudent to prepare for “such a time as this.”

Be Prepared. Trust God. We can do both. – Peter H.