Emergency Equipment, Water in freezing temperatures

[jasondavidmann]

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is the right section or not, I didn't see anything about emergency equipment, first aide etc..

Anyway the recent warm weather here has got me thinking about carrying some emergency food and fluids. I can figure out the food, a couple of energy bars, trail mix, chocolate bars whatever.

In terms of fluids, what do you guys carry when your vehicle is in freezing temperatures? Water would not work because it would freeze and expand. I'm not opposed to something freezing because I do carry matches and candles that could thaw the ice. Should I maybe be looking for a different type of container that is suitable for freezing? I want to carry enough for 2-3 people and a dog.

I won't have any trouble carrying water until winter, oh sweet cold winter .


What do you guys think.
Jason

 

[Firetacoma]

I carry water bottles year round in my wildland firefighting gear. In the winter I just make sure they are only between 1/2 to 3/4 full to allow room for expansion when they freeze. Never had a problem!

 

[grntrdtaco]

i have a jerry can that i painted black that i put on my roofrack. the water in it can get pretty hot and generally wont freeze overnight like normal green/blue cans that i use in the summer.

sometimes i take it along in the summer for a hot water supply

if you get one with no liner you can chuck it on the campfire for a few min to thaw out.

 

[Hill Bill E.]

I do the same as Firetacoma, and carry bottles that are only 3/4 full.

I use washed out 2 liter soda bottles, fill them 3/4 full, then squeeze most of the air out, and cap them tight, then freeze them.

Then I use them in the cooler as ice. As they melt, you have ice cold water to drink!

I do the same in winter, and keep a metal canteen cup and canle in the 'winter emergency' kit. If needed, you can cut the bottle, chip some ice into the canteen cup, and melt it with the candle.

Good drinking water, or better yet, mix in the raman noodles with it, and make soup. Easy to carry, and gives both water and nutririon if stranded.

 

[Mtn Mike]

Me too. With our winters there's no way to keep water from freezing in a vehicle (unless you've got a heated garage of course). This is an issue with my first aid kit because I carry saline and other freezable liquids, and also my fire extinguisher, which apparently isn't supposed to get below 20 degrees. It also get hot in the summer here, so the same thing is true with those delicate liquids.

So basically my strategy has been to have a "go bag" stored in my house. I take it with me whenever I make a trip in the car. It's got my first aid kit, fire extinguisher, food, and sometimes potable water.

 

[sargeek]

1) Pack drinking water in Nalgene type bottls. Wide mouth are better in the winter, and store upside down. Water freezes from the top down.
2) Pack a small stove - If freezing temps you can melt ice/snow to make water.

 

[skysix]

I use a black NATO water can by Spectre - ex Canadian military.

Yes it will freeze eventually but usually it will pick up enough heat from the sun during the day / retain enough heat from the boiling water poured into it at every stop (we pour out what isn't frozen and boil it at the end of cooking while we eat and return it hot). Even when full and 100% frozen it doesn't burst. I've driven over one in an MLVW (2.5 ton 6x6) when empty and still used it.

The above regime woks even when winter camping by snowshow/manually pulled sled (pulk) for a week at a time at -40...

 

[lowenbrau]

If we are talking about small enough quantities of water to provide drinking water to a couple people and a dog I just carry some 500 ml water bottles, factory sealed. They still seal when frozen and are much easier to thaw than larger containers. ( ie 30 mins on the dash with the defroster on)

If you are camping in sub freezing conditions you can put boiling water in a Nalgene and use it as a sleeping bag warmer and then in the morning you have water to make coffee with and don't waste all kinds of time and fuel to melt ice.

 

[yaknowthatguy]

I do the 3/4 Nalgene thing too, and wash/rotate them every 2 months or so. Fire service habit I suppose.

Candles to warm up a nalgene, or similar, are a bit of a challenge, takes a lot of BTUs to melt that volume of water.... but MRE heaters work pretty well, and only require a tiny bit of water - enough that you could melt it with body heat or in your hands, then start up the MRE heater. Something to think about if you dont want to carry sterno, propane, etc.

might think twice about chocolate bars in warm weather; with cocoa butter melting right about body temp, unless your rig stays under 95F all the time you may end up with a gooey mess! And the sodium content from the ramen soup may be an issue, but if you hold back on some of the flavor packet it should help.

 

[SunTzuNephew]

I keep store-bought water in 1 liter bottles in my vehicles, and while they may freeze, they've never split or leaked even in the winter.

 

[jasondavidmann]

Thanks for all the replies, it sounds like I may be over thinking this a little. I'll pick up a few HD plastic bottles like the Nalgene and fill to 3/4 full.

I've thought about the idea of a bag to grab on the way out the door, but I want something that I will not forget, or intentionally leave at home because I'm not going far.

I agree about rethinking the chocolate bars, they are even melting in my house without ac now.

What got me thinking about this the other day is that I carry so many tools and recovery equipment with me, how foolish would I be if I got stuck in a situation without basic survival gear. I'm making up a bag/box to leave in the car at all times.

Thanks again
Jason

 

[JohnMcD348]

I usually carry 2-3 Zephyrhills sport bottles in the armrest or under seat storage area in my truck and during the recent winter long freeze over we had in Florida they got nice and cold but never frozen or burst. Also, even when the truck interior gets into the 120*+ the bottles are never overly warm to drink. I would wonder if placing your bottles in a small insulated container under a seat would help to keep the water from freezing or getting too hot in other climates.

 

[adi]

I had 4 LCI water cans in the bed of my pickup all winter, and they handled it just fine (gets around -10f here). I also had one in the cab, and while it froze most nights, I could hear it thaw out as I drove and the heater on.

In addition I have some Datrex 4oz water pouches in various bags, and they handled the temperature just fine (and I keep some in my freezer for misc use).

 

[Co-opski]

I'm in the camp of 3/4 Nalgenes and I rotate them out now and then. Before trips I pack a thermos with hot coffee or water depending on how awake I am.

 

[Fireman78]

Lots of BPA laced Nalgene bottle here too. Used em' for years. Ran one over with a Tacoma, didn't break. Ran one over with a firetruck.... well, I found the lid at least. I am thinking of doing the black Scepter can though.