[Swamp Shuck]

Two men froze to death this last weekend because of the bitter cold. Living in the cold means that you have to be prepared. I can't imagine why at least the guy who delivers papers wouldn't have kept his car stocked with what he needed to survive in the cold.

http://www.channel3000.com/news/18340470/detail.html

 

[Humungus]

yeah its shocking how little people prepare for even the things that are very likely. It said the one guy was only a mile from his house.

On the news the other day they were showing images from the areas that were experiencing blackouts and somebody had hung a sign that said "help! my kids are cold"
seeing that actually made me angry. They were going through something that is not just likely, but practically guaranteed to happen at some point during ones life, and had done nothing to prepare. Simple preparations that anyone could afford would turn a life threatening event into an inconvenience. Instead they just tug on the proverbial pant leg of the government, and then act like it isn't their fault when their kids aren't being taken care of.

 

[Kregener]

They should have called Al Gore to chauffeur them around in his stretch limo...

God rest their souls.

 

[WSierra]

That's sad. Easily preventable by using a few items they already had around the house.

 

[MarkJones]

yeah its shocking how little people prepare for even the things that are very likely. It said the one guy was only a mile from his house.

On the news the other day they were showing images from the areas that were experiencing blackouts and somebody had hung a sign that said "help! my kids are cold"
seeing that actually made me angry. They were going through something that is not just likely, but practically guaranteed to happen at some point during ones life, and had done nothing to prepare. Simple preparations that anyone could afford would turn a life threatening event into an inconvenience. Instead they just tug on the proverbial pant leg of the government, and then act like it isn't their fault when their kids aren't being taken care of.

You know the funny part is there was a time when the community would have responded by shaming the parents into action. Prior to Americans gaining the misguided certainty that someone will take care of them if they don't that sign would NEVER have been hung. There is such a feeling today of instant gratification based in getting what one wants with credit that most people tend to ignore the necessities in life. I just get a kick out of someone living in a run down house in a bad neighborhood driving a 30,000 brand new car or wearing the newest designer clothes. The country needs a swift kick in the butt to wake up. Unfortunately they may be about to get it. :xeye:

 

[Kalifornia Guy]

I don't understand why people living in an area that gets snow not having a BOB in thier vehicle. But then again just last week three girls went to ski and spent the night in thier car, The next morning they found them dead from carbon monoxide. http://www.khsltv.com/content/topst...und-Dead-At-Squaw/k6KgtonuIEOEHtkK37lEjQ.cspx

It's real sad when just a few simple items would have kept people alive or some common knowledge would have saved them.

MarkJones you are 100% right I've seen the same stuff, They can't feed all there kids but they're driving a brand new Acolade SUV wearing $200 tennis shoes etc. I've seen people in the store pay with food stamps (welfare credit card) and go out and see them loading thier grocery in a 2008 SUV and the husband/boyfriend (lazy SOB) sitting thier looking cool while she's loading up the kids and grocery. Why work when you can be paid to sit on your behind and produce kid after kid? I'm scared that people think like this woman and that the Gov will pay her bills. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x...forum/showthread.php?t=130663&highlight=obama

 

[Darkleaf]

We just had a lady go missing in -30 temps for 3 days and turn up alive..Go figure.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_30376.aspx

 

[trixie]

survival of the fittest.

 

[Two Rivers]

I cant tell you how many times over the years The word "STUPID" has run through my mind. Seeing people get out of thier cars in cold weather without even a coat or jacket. People dont even think they even have the need for one. "Im just going to the store", "The car has a heater in it", Its just a stupid thing to do they dont even have the most basic of prevention equipment. A coat. Oh Well, I got no use for STUPID.

 

[JohnP]

I'll never understand why people aren't more prepared. Way back when I was young we never went anywhere without a jacket, even in the summer. I grew up in the mountains and even a little shower could drop the temp significantly. I always had a Levi jacket close by.

~John

 

[d3athp3nguin]

I've been putting together a GHB for my car- I keep some of those extra-big disposable heat packs in there, in the event I have to spend the night in the car. They're about $1 at your local Wally World. Also, I keep a sleeping bag in the backseat, because...well... why not?
http://www.heatmax.com/HotHands/survivalheat.htm

The weather in VA has been weird this year... It goes from 55 degrees to 18.

 

[62bravo]

I rescued a guy and his girlfriend one night who buried an old Ford LTD on a minumum maintainance country road. The car did not have a functioning heater. It was January in North Dakota. The girl didn't have gloves. She was wearing highheel shoes and a short uninsulated leather jacket with a pair of blue jeans she must have used a winch to get into. No hat, no gloves. The closest town was 4 miles the closest farm was probably 2 miles away. It was around 20 below that night. If they had tried to walk they would have been dead before they made the first mile. People never think they will be the victim.

 

[Survive14]

i have learned firsthand the immense threat that below zero temps can pose. moving from texas to north dakota i was unaware of the winters but i shortly learned the importance of being prepared at all times for the weather.

 

[brutalsun]

learned this lesson living in the Dakotas.
1. Empty tin coffee can
2. toilet paper roll (full please)
3. Isopropyl alcohol
4. lighter
store it in your trunk, when you get stuck break out the can, put the roll of tp in, dump the alchy and light, tp acts like a wick and burns for a good while keeping you warm. Be sure to crack window as carbon monoxide will get you before the cold does.

 

[Viking Josh]

When I lived in Anchorage, I learned to always have what you need, even if you think you don't need it, because chances are, you will.

 

[Texas mom]

When living in a wretchedly cold place, I always had a wool blanket rolled up in the car, an emergency reflective blanket, snack food, a bottle of water, candles and matches, and a couple of emergency flares. And to this day I always have a flashlight in my purse.

 

[mitw44]

One thing to take from this is: Stay with the vehicle. One of the men's would-be-rescuers found the car before they found the man. Also,if you do need to be rescued, how can you help your rescuers? Again, stay with the car. A car is a lot easier to find than a person.

It pays to think through the likely scenarios for winter driving, and to keep supplies in the vehicle. A sleeping bag, food, water, flashlight, cell phone, warm coat, boots, gloves, hat. Even if you will only be gone a short distance.

This event would be a great learning tool to review with your family, especially young drivers.

:

 

[smcb]

yeah its shocking how little people prepare for even the things that are very likely. It said the one guy was only a mile from his house.

On the news the other day they were showing images from the areas that were experiencing blackouts and somebody had hung a sign that said "help! my kids are cold"
seeing that actually made me angry. They were going through something that is not just likely, but practically guaranteed to happen at some point during ones life, and had done nothing to prepare. Simple preparations that anyone could afford would turn a life threatening event into an inconvenience. Instead they just tug on the proverbial pant leg of the government, and then act like it isn't their fault when their kids aren't being taken care of.

i can't see how anybody could die of the cold in their house. if you can winter camp in comfort then you should survive if you stay in your bed.

 

[Hilda]

i can't see how anybody could die of the cold in their house. if you can winter camp in comfort then you should survive if you stay in your bed.

If you can winter camp in comfort, you've got the gear for it. Without a source of heat, if we all huddled into one room, we might be able to achieve maybe 0.F on a sub 20 night by body heat alone. Better-off 20 degrees warmer by jumping into the deepfreezer. You'd die in our home without heat or ingenuity of some sort.

I've said it elsewhere, but I sure can't believe how many people live on the "hope plan". Take no measure of precaution, make no effort to prepare or to secure their family's safety, just "hope it will be OK". I guess some people really never think about it, but I wonder if a larger percentage of folks today are just too lazy or apathetic to apply the effort.

 

[62bravo]

I agree with brutalsun. Those things work. A trucker showed me how to do this. He used antifreeze not gas line antifreeze but they both work.