Winter is coming.

[TeeDee]

Winter is coming.

What pre-winter safety check do you perform and what does it entail?

When do you start ( if at all ) to implement some proactive preparation?

Car check up?
Change of items placed in the car?
Central heating checked for pressure , radiators bled and topped out?
Black out kit checked or battery life?


What do you do?

 

[Kadushu]

I always get fresh tyres around now, if needed, partly for the MOT but mostly because of leaves on the road. Woolly hat, gloves and coat live in my van year round. If it's icy weather then I put 100Kg of rock salt in the back of the van for improved traction. Rope, shovels, etc also live in there year round for work.

At home my log stores were refilled months ago. It makes sense to have the logs cut and drying through the summer rather than cut on demand and only semi dry - a point I can't seem to impress upon my parents.

 

[Wayland]

I have a bag of spare winter kit that I usually chuck into the van in November and take out again in March.

It's mainly just gear for staying warm, preparing a meal or potentially walking out of a threatening situation if the vehicle is stranded.

The one thing that has been used from that bag is a pair of "Autosocks" for snow bound roads. They have got me through bad conditions a number of times.

 

[MikeLA]

Winter tyres put on
Spare coat, 2 pairs of gloves (always have trouble with cold hands). I think you recommend a old pair for me in a post last year but I couldn’t get any and always a warm hat in the car
Snow shovel, usual baseball cap for low sunlight quicker to put on that sunglasses. Extra screen wash.

 

[bobnewboy]

Like Kadushu, home comes first. We’ve just had our roof inspected and repaired for an ongoing issue. All good now. We got our log and oil deliveries sorted back in April, while the heating oil prices were low, and also to give the logs a further six months to fully dry in our log store. I suppose I’d better get some kindling splitting done as well in the coming week or so. I will soon check all of the gutters and drains too, as they sometimes get filled with leaves and then back up unexpectedly.

I keep my checks on my bike and our cars up to date anyway, but I will add some extra antifreeze in any coolant top up, and add a bit more windscreen wash concentrate to the washer bottles. I double check our torches in the house, in the cars, and in the workshop, and bung my Sarma fleece hoody jacket in the back of the car along with a wool beanie (I’m a baldy ).

That will keep me busy…

 

[Van-Wild]

I've got 3* snow tyres on my van year round. Serviced every 10k. Spare vehicle bag to last me min 12hrs is always in the van, containing water, food, clothing, gas cooker, med etc. I don't need to add anything. It's always in there.

The garage has enough stuff in there to get me through a min of 3 days without external help. Generator included.

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[TeeDee]

Winter tyres put on
Spare coat, 2 pairs of gloves (always have trouble with cold hands). I think you recommend a old pair for me in a post last year but I couldn’t get any and always a warm hat in the car
Snow shovel, usual baseball cap for low sunlight quicker to put on that sunglasses. Extra screen wash.

I'd throw a reflective hi-viz bib in there and a headtorch for changing tyres i think.

 

[Nice65]

Winter check:

I suspect there is a sort of Paramo coat and some new boots. I’m in a pair of Bates boots I bought years ago, still holding up ok, but I don’t like the Goretex liner.

Main old winter coat is an ancient Keela Ventile that’s looking a bit ragged, still works well with a Keela Belay underneath, but it’s all getting quite ‘well worn’.

Put 4 new Grabber AT3 tyres on the car during the summer.

 

[TeeDee]

Any more non car stuff people should be thinking of checking?

 

[TLM]

A proper bed for hibernation ...

 

[TLM]

A check on winter shoes, gloves and hats.

 

[Van-Wild]

Any more non car stuff people should be thinking of checking?

Ah yeah of course. Winter veg has now gone in. Everything else I routinely check throughout the year, so no need for special 'winter only' checking ...

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[Broch]

I took out winter power-fail insurance years ago by buying a decent generator - we've not had a power cut since (before that we'd have several a year some lasting over a day) - money well spent

I'll be doing the annual gap-filling rounds - living in a 350+ year old barn means that the beams and wood around the windows move every year and gales blow through the resultant gaps.

I need to start bringing the fuel up from the wood where it's been seasoning; check the oil level and order if necessary; and get the fuel tanks filled up so I can use the ATV to get in and out if we're snowed in.

Oh, and make sure we've got plenty of wine in

 

[slowworm]

Not much really. We tend to be fairly prepared all year round and are reasonably self sufficent so there's always a pile of seasoned logs, a few months provisions and fuel and oil for the chainsaws etc.

Thinking about it we tend to get more emergencies around here during the rest of the year - lightening, flooding and high winds - rather than the depths of winter.

 

[MikeLA]

I'd throw a reflective hi-viz bib in there and a headtorch for changing tyres i think.

Yep handy to have as well

 

[eraaij]

Not much, snow chains travel always in the Landcruiser as well as a crate with goodies that might come in handy.

 

[Billy-o]

Winter tyres .. but not til start of November, really. Pull the salt trug out from the back of the shed, and the snow shovels. Summer clothes and shoes go into big blue RubberMaids. Swap out shoes for boots. Put summer jackets etc on the back row in the wardrobe and bring the heavier ones to the front. Find Kahtoolas. Put the garden to bed.

Start drinking more Islay and cooking more stews.

 

[Wayland]

I've lived through a few winters without heating so it doesn't worry me too much. I have some decent knitwear.

I grew up through the sixties so I have a different perspective on most to winter. I can't believe how much heating people use. I usually swelter in most peoples houses.

 

[Robson Valley]

Summer clothes all put away last week.
Laid my hands on all the lined and flannel clothing. Knitted sweaters.
Got the Carhartt coats out of the closet and on the rack of pegs.
Light-weight jackets all put away.

Decided that I won't sharpen the ice claws on my Sherpa shoes.
The 60" trail breakers badly need new bindings (and spar varnishing).
Snow removal service organized.

Checked furnace fuel tank, need 800 liters for a fill, ordered that.
Organized the bartering set-up for my grape crop.
Shotguns clean and oiled for grouse hunting, must get a license this week.
Found all the keys to the trigger locks (that can dampen your spirits in a hurry).

Genuine Alpine tires on the GMC Suburban, crushed walnut shell traction compound. Legal requirement here from early October to the end of April.
Block heater power line set up.

I need to lay in lots of wine and a few bottles of rye.
Just did a little each day for the past couple of weeks. Think I'm ready.

 

[Billy-o]

I've lived through a few winters without heating so it doesn't worry me too much. I have some decent knitwear.

I grew up through the sixties so I have a different perspective on most to winter. I can't believe how much heating people use. I usually swelter in most peoples houses.

True enough. Often used to wake up with frost inside the windows, and getting into a cold bed involved gritted teeth and a lot of wriggling about to get warm. The outdoor bog wasn't marvellous in winter either.