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- [00:01]
A
Did you know that leaving your vehicle during a winter storm is the number one mistake stranded drivers make? It turns out your car is your best survival tool if you know how to use it. From hidden dangers of carbon monoxide to the surprising reason you should never eat snow raw, we're covering the essential survival protocols you need to know before you hit the road this winter.
- [00:36]
B
Welcome to practical prepping. Today is December 22, 2025, and this is episode 536. This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters and crises. And we're here to help you get prepar. Hi, I'm Krista.
- [01:05]
A
And I'm Mark. If you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practicalprepping.info 536. This episode is sponsored by 1791 gunleather.com. you want a comfortable, high quality holster? Get a handmade American made leather holster from 1791gunleather.com. I wear one daily and you should too. The link is in the show notes or you can go to 1791 gunleather.com and use the discount code prep15 for a 15% discount.
- [01:42]
B
Now, what are we supposed to do if our car gets stuck in a snowy blizzard?
- [01:47]
A
Well, let's start with the mindset. We need a mindset to be prepared for this kind of thing. Whiteouts can cause a rapid disorientation and your car is the safest shelter. It's visible and it gives you wind protection. Now, hypothermia can develop in under an hour and much quicker if you happen to be wet. So our priorities if we're stuck in the snow is warmth, visibility, air safety, energy conservation and calm decision making.
- [02:25]
B
So what should our immediate actions, the type of things we need to do within the first five to ten minutes.
- [02:31]
A
For example, stay with the vehicle.
- [02:33]
B
Oh, that's very good because some people are immediately want to jump out and start wandering. But there's a rule, do not wander. Even if you think you see lights out there, stay with your vehicle. There's only really one clear exception and that is if you can see shelter that's clearly visible and it's close and you are absolutely certain that you can reach it safely.
- [02:56]
A
And we want to establish visibility right away. Turn on the hazard lights, light a flare if you have one. And the conditions allow. Tie a bright cloth, a scarf or a bandana to the antenna or to the door handle. But at night there's some visibility options. You can use the dome light when the engine's running. You can use a flashlight at intervals. Don't turn it on continuously, but turn it on and off. Especially if you think you see another vehicle. You just want to get attention. And some of those magnetic emergency lights that will stick to the back of your car. If you have a steel car, it won't work on aluminum and it won't work on plastic. If a magnet will stick to your car, those are great.
- [03:44]
B
Could they put it on the license plate?
- [03:45]
A
You could put it on the license plate. Hadn't thought of that. So even if you have a fiberglass vehicle, it would go on the license plate. Good idea. Right there. And then call for help, if that's possible. You can call 911 in the US or whatever the country code is that you have for emergency services and do that immediately. If you have service and you want to give them your location, give them the last known cross street or mile marker. Tell them the number of people there, give them your fuel level and any medical needs in the vehicle.
- [04:26]
B
Now we need to talk about some heat management without running out of fuel in the car. So you want to run your engine in short cycles. The rule of thumb there is run it for around 10 minutes per hour in order to maintain some heat in the car and to recharge your devices if you're using a car battery pack. And that helps to preserve your fuel if you're in for a long haul. I mean, we've known of people that have been stranded at the 24 plus hours mark. That's an entire full day or more.
- [04:58]
A
One of my nieces was stuck on I41 time for about 36 hours.
- [05:03]
B
Gosh. That's just.
- [05:05]
A
The other side was running fine. But there had been a wreck. They all got stopped for the wreck. And then it started snowing. And it snowed enough that nobody's going anywhere.
- [05:15]
B
Wow.
- [05:16]
A
So thankfully, she had some emergency provisions in her vehicle that got her through that. But one of the things that we want to consider there is carbon monoxide. That's a silent killer. If it's snowing and you're running that engine off and on, you need to check and clear the exhaust pipe before every engine run.
- [05:38]
B
Right.
- [05:39]
A
What happens there is snow blocked tailpipes can force the carbon monoxide back into the cabin.
- [05:47]
B
Yes, indeed. You can't really smell it or feel it. It's just part of the air system.
- [05:53]
A
It's a silent killer.
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B
Exactly.
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A
But you do want to crack a window slightly and use a downwind window while the engine's running so that you get a little bit of fresh air in there. You're getting heat, but you're also getting some fresh air.
- [06:09]
B
You also want to think about building some insulation for yourself inside the vehicle. So layering that clothing, your priority is going to be a hat for your head, gloves for your hands, dry layers for your torso, blankets if possible. If you've got blankets, maybe you could even pull up the floor mats if you wanted to use that for extra cover or the seat covers, even some newspapers, some magazines or extra fabrics as insulation. And if there's other people in the car with you, huddle up. That shared body heat can make a difference.
- [06:42]
A
Yeah. I hope it's somebody you like.
- [06:43]
B
Yeah, well, that's true.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Yeah.
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A
But when it comes down to staying.
- [06:47]
B
On at this point, if I don't like them, we're still huddling up. Yeah.
- [06:50]
A
And we'll talk about staying warm without overexertion in just a minute. But are you tired of those plastic holsters that are always digging into your side?
- [06:59]
B
Sure are.
- [06:59]
A
You do what I did get a handmade American made leather holster from 1791gunleather.com. This is undoubtedly the best holster I've ever had for comfort and concealability. Seriously, I wear one daily and you should too. The link is in the show notes. Or go to 1791gunleather.com and use the discount code prep15 for a 15% discount. Now let's get back to our blizzard.
- [07:30]
B
You want to stay warm without overexerting. Gentle movements, like every 20 minutes or so, just gently move, wiggling toes and fingers. Rotate your ankles, flex your legs and arms, maybe even clap your hands just to keep some circulation, especially in those extremities because that's where frostbite can really do the most damage. Try to avoid sweating because that will chill you. Actually later on, if at all possible. If you're in for a long extended stranding event, if there's more than one of you, try to keep one of you awake while the other one sleeps and then vice versa to keep an on watch if possible. And definitely monitor conditions like listen or scan for any kind of rescue vehicles. Track the engine cycles. If you're alone, try to keep track of how many times you've run the engine. Be quite aware of your fuel amount and do try to stay awake enough to manage that engine timing and to check that exhaust pipe.
- [08:28]
A
We need to hydrate. We need some hydration, some food and alertness. Dehydration increases cold stress. So drink water if you have it and ration it if you need it. If you're going to be in there for 24 hours, one bottle may not be enough. I mean, this is the time to carry that cooler with several bottles of water and snacks and carry it in and out so it doesn't freeze. But now let's talk about eating snow, drinking snow. Don't eat raw snow because it lowers the core temperature.
- [09:02]
B
I mean, yeah, you're ingesting ice that's naturally going to chill you and that's not really what you want happening right now.
- [09:08]
A
You want to melt the snow if you have a heat source in a container. I mean, it's not a bad source of water if you're out there. But melt it inside the vehicle and heat it up if you possibly can.
- [09:23]
B
And possibly, if you have thought ahead and were the type of prepper we're hoping you are, you'll bring some small amounts of non perishable food and that helps your body generate some heat. Something like, you know, granola snacks, candy bars, fruit and nut bars, beef jerky. Beef jerky. You know, you know, crackers, cookies, things that you can snack on to just kind of keep your body systems, your metabolism, well going because that does help to generate some heat as well and just obviously keeps you from feeling like you're starving to death.
- [09:52]
A
Now here's a while you wait checklist. This is kind of an ongoing routine. While you're there, every hour, check those vents and windows to prevent snow from sealing you in.
- [10:05]
B
Oh, good call.
- [10:06]
A
And if you're getting in and out every hour or so, you should be. If the snow is falling very heavily, as we've seen it in many parts of the country right now, opening that door kind of keeps it where you can open that door.
- [10:21]
B
Yeah. Kind of keeps the way clear. Right.
- [10:23]
A
If you don't, it's going to pile up and you're not going to be able to exit that vehicle. So check the vents and the windows and keep the snow from sealing you in. And before each engine run go confirm that that tailpipe is clear. When it comes to your phone battery, we need a strategy here. We can use airplane mode or a low power mode. But here's a tip. Keep that phone warm. If you put it in a shirt pocket or inside of a jacket pocket, keep it near your body and only use it when it's necessary. And that way you can send location updates to friends or folks who may be looking for you or getting help.
- [11:09]
B
To come to you let me just insert here. We've talked about this from storm damage. But rather than try to make a voice phone call, send text messaging. Because text messaging will keep trying to get through until it gets through. It doesn't take as much bandwidth. You can let somebody know in real time what your situation is and to the best of your ability, describe where you are. Because they may be trying to also communicate with rescue vehicles. So text messaging can be the real king here at a time like this.
- [11:41]
A
And we also want to maintain visibility. If you've put that bright cloth on the antenna or on a door or out a window, you may need to reposition that. If it gets buried in the snow, you want it to be visible and you want to use those intermittent light signals to conserve power. When you see another vehicle, that's a good time to start flashing that flashlight, which you should already have in the vehicle with. With you anyway, and use that to signal for help. Now, after the storm, and this is when help arrives. Okay. And it might not be after the storm. It could be during it. But be careful getting out of that vehicle. The snow may have stopped or the visibility may have improved or the help is visible. In approaching your vehicle, be careful getting out of that vehicle. Some of that snow may have turned to ice. We don't want to be falling. And along the lines of something that Krista mentioned a minute ago, avoid overexertion. Shoveling in extreme cold can trigger heart attacks.
- [12:51]
B
Oh, that's a very common thing to happen. Not just stranded on the road, but even in your home. If. If you're a sedentary person and all of a sudden you've decided you need to move 19ft of snow off of your sidewalk.
- [13:02]
A
Right.
- [13:03]
B
That can be a bit much for.
- [13:04]
A
You, shoveling snow, even inches, shoveling that snow heavy in the cold, and you're not prepared for it physically, you're going to need to go slow and you're going to need to take breaks if you have to dig out.
- [13:19]
B
Yeah.
- [13:19]
A
But stay cautious around traffic and especially the snow plows that might be coming along. You want to maintain that visibility, and those are slippery roads. So really stay cautious around. Around those.
- [13:34]
B
So let's talk about what you can have in your car. This is really particularly those of you that know for a certainty that you're going to be dealing with snow in your area. And we're talking about the kind of snow that might strand you. So most of you pretty well know. I mean, if you're in Miami, the likelihood is it's never Zero. But it's pretty low. But if you're in International Falls, was it Minnesota? This is going to happen. North Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Upper Seattle, Washington, you know all of that in Pacific Northwest and some of the Midwestern, you're going to be dealing with snow. So here's some things to consider for your winter kit. We'll call these the winter kit essentials. First of all, you're going to want to have maybe more than one blanket. And the kind of blanket that can do a lot of good, like a wool blend is going to keep you very, very warm.
- [14:25]
A
Or my favorite, the Wooby.
- [14:27]
B
The Wooby, yes. It's like the poncho liner because it can reflect a lot of heat back to you as well.
- [14:33]
A
And you want some water and non perishable food. We made mention of that while ago. But keep some granola bars, keep some mixed nuts, keep some trail mix, but not the trail mix with the chocolate chips in it. Although it's very good, it'll do fine in the wintertime, but in the summer when it heats up, it becomes a big glob.
- [14:53]
B
Yeah, that chocolate would melt. Also keep a flashlight or two and some extra batteries because you know the batteries in your flashlight may already be halfway done. So you're going to want to have extras as well. And keep a phone charger and a power bank, something that is applicable in a vehicle situation. You know, a lot of times we have that 12 volt insert and so we need to use a car power bank to charge up.
- [15:18]
A
Yeah. And consider a shovel. Now this doesn't have to be a full length shovel.
- [15:23]
B
Maybe one of those little folding hiking shovels.
- [15:25]
A
Folding shovel, little small shovel, even down to a hand trowel type, you could even use it.
- [15:33]
B
You could use a metal dustpan. Well, something like that too.
- [15:36]
A
But I'm. I'm thinking the one like grandma dug in the garden.
- [15:39]
B
Oh yeah, like a little spade. Yeah, Handheld.
- [15:42]
A
And what you want the shovel for is one you might need to be digging out to get some traction. But if you're stuck there, you may need to that shovel to move the snow away from that tailpipe.
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B
Exactly.
- [15:58]
A
If you shovel out around the tires, you could use some cat litter for traction.
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B
The clay type litter.
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A
The clay type cat litter. Or even oil dry.
- [16:09]
B
Yeah, something like that. That give a little bit of grip when you're trying to move those tires. Also you can drop by your local department store or camping store and pick up some hand warmers. They make them for hands. They make them for feet. It just might be a Nice add on to have particularly in those minutes that you're not running the heat in order to maintain heat in your hands and your fingers and toes. Because we've got to be especially careful about frostbite in our extremities.
- [16:35]
A
Now let's look at some of our planning as we start to go. And I'm talking about even if you're making a 20 minute trip, if you're making a 20 minute trip, it's not a bad idea to let the person know where you're headed and about, you know, you're leaving and expect us about such and such. We went to the grandchildren over the weekend, we went to see them and when we started to leave and we do this pretty much when we're pulling out of the driveway, we're leaving home and you can expect us around such and such time. So if we're not there within about 20 or 30 minutes of when we said we are, one of them is getting on the telephone or getting on the text message and finding out if we're okay and where we are. This could be extremely important if we are stuck in a blizzard.
- [17:27]
B
Well, and something else that we have on our phones as a family, we have the Life360 app and that's really good for other family members to just take a quick look on the screen and get a pretty good idea about where exactly you are on a roadway, anywhere on the map.
- [17:43]
A
And the fact that we are moving, we're not stationed exactly.
- [17:46]
B
So you know, if you don't have it, get life 360. They have a free version which we have and then they have an upgraded standard premium version that you can pay for. But either way, this will give you real information on the whereabouts of the other person inside that group.
- [18:03]
A
Another thing you can do if you know that there are blizzard warnings that are active is consider postponing that travel.
- [18:10]
B
Might be the best decision overall.
- [18:12]
A
Do you need to go now or would it be okay to wait till tomorrow? So that that's just something to consider there. Let's do a quick recap. Number one, stay with the vehicle.
- [18:25]
B
That is the safest option for you, bar none.
- [18:28]
A
And it's easier for people to find a vehicle than it is to find somebody out wandering around trying to find help.
- [18:36]
B
Right. Also, you want to be visible and make your presence visible. Have a bandana, have a scarf, tie it onto the outside of the vehicle as high up as possible if you can. Or have those lights, maybe a flashing light you can stick onto the license plate or to a metal area of the car just to make yourself visible.
- [18:55]
A
And seen, which if you stick it to the license plate, you may need to dig around that at times for that be able to be seen. Now, run your engine sparingly. We don't want to run out of fuel and we don't want to introduce any more carbon monoxide into the cabin than absolutely necessary, which is why we.
- [19:19]
B
Admonish you to clear that exhaust pipe every time you're running that engine. You've got to make certain that it is not blocked. And you want to crack a window just a little bit when you're running the engine. And that will allow fresh air to invade the cabin of your vehicle so that you won't have any co problems.
- [19:37]
A
And you want to insulate whether that's you putting on more clothing, you getting under blankets, whether it's even using the floor mats to insulate a window, to put it up against the window, but you can insulate that, you want to hydrate, you want to eat calories, equal heat in that situation, and you want to conserve battery power as much as possible.
- [20:03]
B
And above all, stay calm in this situation. Help is more likely to find a car than a person on foot. And if you'll just have the mindset that you're going to be able to get through this, if you've brought your preps and your necessary resources and you have them with you, if you've communicated to the best of your ability, then just trust in the system, have some hope and realize it's going to be fine. You will be found, you will get help. It's going to be okay. Keep a positive mindset.
- [20:31]
A
Now, today's cup of coffee comes from Mike in North Carolina. Mike, we really do enjoy our coffee and we really appreciate your continued support of the show.
- [20:42]
B
And if you receive value from the podcast, how about helping us by giving back a little? Doing so helps cover costs associated with bringing you the podcast. You can go to practicalprepping.info support, where you'll find ways, including buying us a cup of coffee like Mike did, and where you can also support the show in other areas.
- [21:03]
A
And we appreciate you being here with us today, and Krista and I want to wish you a very merry Christmas. And as Christa always says, stuff happens. Stay prepared and we'll see you next time.