Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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Keith McCord Reporting If you were to get stranded in your car-- say in the mountains-- for an extended period of time, are you prepared to wait for hours or even days before help gets to you?
It's something we all should take very seriously, especially with this cold weather. You don't even have be in the mountains to get into serious trouble.
For example, two weeks ago, a woman ran her car off the road due to a medical condition, and ended up partially submerged in a canal. She was forced to spend the night in freezing temperatures. She crawled into the back seat to get out of the water.
The next day, a motorist found her. She's OK. Accidents like this can happen anytime and any place.
What if a drive on one of our mountain roads turned into a nightmare? Say you got stuck in the snow, and couldn't get out; no cell phone service to call anyone. Could you survive for a few hours, or a few days?
Brian Brawdy/ Outdoor Recreation Specialist: "There's a lot of things that you and I can do, and our viewers can do long before we're ever in that emergency situation."
I asked outdoor recreation enthusiast Brian Brawdy for some basic survival tips--for the car! Specifically mine! I have boots; some extra clothes and a blanket in the trunk.
Brian Brawdy/ Outdoor Recreation Specialist: "As much as I love the blanket, if it gets wet, it's not going to block the wind, and it's not going to do anything to trap your body heat."
So he showed us a thermalite blanket-- weighs 6 ounces, strong; blocks the wind. You climb right into it like a sleeping bag. It traps your body heat.
Brian Brawdy/ Outdoor Recreation Specialist: "It's designed to reflect 90 percent of our body's heat right back into us."
You can also keep the chill off with smaller thermal blankets.
If running the car heater, do so for only 10 minutes per hour, and slightly crack a window to make sure you're getting some fresh air.
Gloves are most important! Brawdy suggests Gore-Tex. They'll stay dry, no matter what.
Brian Brawdy/ Outdoor Recreation Specialist: "If my hands get wet, they'll donate their heat to the environment 23 times faster than if they're dry. You can't use them. You start to shake, you develop hypothermia."
And, always have light. One battery-powered unit has several settings. And the key with this one-- it's hands free.
Brian Brawdy/ Outdoor Recreation Specialist: "I don't want to take a flashlight and hold it in my mouth and try to shovel out, or change a flat tire."
Emergency situations will happen when we least expect them to, so preparation is key. Brian Brawdy says just make sure your emergency plan is more than just your cell phone!
Brian Brawdy/ Outdoor Recreation Specialist: "If that's your emergency backup plan, you could find yourself in a really bad way."
