COLD: Extreme Weather Preparation

[Scott Brady]

With my Arctic Ocean Expedition research underway, I wanted a place to record my findings and preparation. Please feel free to add comments from your experience, as I can use all of the insight I can get.


COLD:

 

[Pskhaat]

I did an article many years ago on snow condition travelling (as Scott I told you about). Total satellite overview:

The primary preparation gear includes:

• Chains (amazing benefits)
• Block, battery, and cabin heaters,
• Tire recommendations (it's the MT for a suprise); studding and siping,
• Radiator canvas or skirts.
• Benefits of older engine design on cold conditions (exhaust and intake manifold on same side)

And particularly, it was important to note the benefits of having open differentials front rear and center in most driving and backroad situations.

Techniques for driving can be summed in

• Cadence braking, accelerator, and turning.
• Vehicle warming procedures (shift tcase into N for the evening to facilitate tranny warm in the morn)
• Don't engage parking brake, and keep hubs engaged (each can freeze)
• Ice, snow, and rut placement for tires (stay on top of snow ruts, even on highways)
• Snow is good, ice is bad.

Oils are primarily engine at 0-30, 5-30, or 0-40 (0-20 with newer vehicles) engine weight oils. Gear was all the obvious, plus:

• Steel toed boots,
• ``Eskimo hoods'',
• tons of Rain-X

 

[bigreen505]

For those of you with external water tanks, they should be heated and insulated. Water freezes very quickly at -20F, which is not a totally unusual nighttime temperture. Also all valving and hoses need to be insulated as well if they are external.

 

[91xlt]

be prepared...shiver me timbers!

have done a bunch of winter camping, but nothing of arctic magnitude...a friend of mine has done the...get dropped of by a plane on a frozen lake in the middle of Alaska thing! he now is a PH in Africa, will contact him for any advice. but good luck:exclaim:

 

[bigreen505]

My experience is that you will need more cooking fuel than you need in hot weather. Iso fuel canisters are more adversely effected than liquid fuel (propane, white gas, diesel).

 

[18seeds]

I did a lot of winter camping in my 4x4 van. I had a honda eu2000i generator to power a small household space heater and I was toasty warm at night.

 

[Life_in_4Lo]

To you guys who use chains alot:

What is your opinion of the rubber tire chains? While I understand how regular steel chains can grip like a ********, I don't see how rubber ones do.

The rubber ones look like a criss-cross, flat rubber strips w/ traction molded into it... I like the idea of them but am skeptical on performance.

 

[Pskhaat]

What is your opinion of the rubber tire chains?

I wish I could say that I've used them

 

[Seldom Seen]

When I lived in Fairbanks this was standard equipment http://www.alaskatent.com/products/covers/winter_fronts.htm They were even a dealer installed option on new cars. Quality is 1st class and they can make them for any vehicle.

*edit* Check out the "Arctic Oven" on that site. Spent the night in one once. At -20* I was sleeping on top of, instead of in, my sleeping bag.

 

[Willman]

Great list!! Never thought about shifting my Tcase into "N"! Thanks for sharing!!

Steel toed boots

With living in this extreme weather....whats the need for steel toe boots??

The steel shank is going to freeze your toes off!!! Normal cool temp. snow boots will do fine!

I lived in northern Alberta, Canada for a year or so in Ft. McMurray!! In the winter...it got down to -40!!! Your eyes and skin freeze on contact!! Not very fun!

Great thread Scott!

 

[bigreen505]

With living in this extreme weather....whats the need for steel toe boots??

Crampons?

If it is really cold you can't beat Sorrels. The rest of the time Salomon snow clogs or similar Merrills are wonderful. Haflingers or Birks are good too, thouugh neither have any traction.

 

[Willman]

Crampons?

Funny!!....Hummm...The sole of your boot is thick in most cases! Whereas, in most cases..there is only a thin piece of leather between your foot and steel shank! :yikes:

 

[Seldom Seen]

With living in this extreme weather....whats the need for steel toe boots??

Crampons?

:xxrotflma

Naw, ya need steel toes to kick the "fenderburgs" off. Ya know, the ice that builds up on the rocker panels and mud flaps

:hehe:

 

[Scott Brady]

When I lived in Fairbanks this was standard equipment http://www.alaskatent.com/products/covers/winter_fronts.htm They were even a dealer installed option on new cars. Quality is 1st class and they can make them for any vehicle.

Very nice, thanks. This is now on the list!

 

[jeffryscott]

synthetic lubricants all around.

When I graduated from college I lived in NW Colorado (Craig) and it routinely got to minus 40 (no wind chill factored in) and with Mobil 1 in the crankcase the car started up every time - it took half an hour before the heater worked, but the engine started fine.

Can't beat Sorrells.

Neoprene gloves like scuba gloves and some fly fishing gloves - grippy in the cold and warm. Used them to photograph outdoors and they were much better than similar wool gloves.