For extreme cold, this is the best optionIF
You got stuck
AND
You ran out of gasoline
AND
it was -20°F outside
YOU would die of hypothermia inside your unheated car even with all your clothes on.
Bring a super warm sleeping bag
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For extreme cold, this is the best optionIF
You got stuck
AND
You ran out of gasoline
AND
it was -20°F outside
YOU would die of hypothermia inside your unheated car even with all your clothes on.
Bring a super warm sleeping bag
Can you elucidate this some?And obviously, anything carbonated will become a ticking time bomb at around that temp.
The 0W-16 is for the Prius I believe.I honestly believe all the auto makers specify the lighter weight oils to increase fuel economy, even though that increase is negligible. No different from making the front droop on many vehicles and trucks, just like the 200-series for the US market.
Last time I purchased oil, I noticed that they now offer a synthetic 0W-16.
Newer hondas use it as well.The 0W-16 is for the Prius I believe.
For water, it’s better to have a flexible container than a solid one. Plastic can snap/crack very quickly if it’s really cold (-32). And obviously, anything carbonated will become a ticking time bomb at around that temp.
I have been dumb enough (on multiple occasions) to leave full cans of Diet Coke in my truck overnight. Minnesota winters don’t forgive that mistake.Can you elucidate this some?
Like a soda can would explode if frozen?
Not needed for those temps and for a short duration trip. Fairbanks Alaska is one thing. A trip to the cold part of Illinois does not warrant It.Anyone running a block heater?
How about one of those oil pan heaters? the 3UR oil pan is tiny.
I live in Illinois. My parents and sister live west (my sis is about 2 hours from me, closer to Iowa).
Unless it's blizzard conditions of snow, you'll be fine with your truck as-is and a cell phone. Maybe try to avoid running too low on gas. I'm not going to say you shouldn't keep emergency gear with you, but if you break down you can call for a tow truck and/or someone will pass you by at most hours of the day wherever you are. Illinois is just not remote like Alaska. The main roads get salted and plowed before the snow even starts to fall, and will stay clear unless it's snowing so badly they just can't keep up (and even then you'll find the crews work all night).
Now that said if you're going out in heavy snow or ice or blizzard/white out conditions, you should plan on getting stuck for an extended period of time, and in that case some blankets in particular would be a good idea.
The main things I would recommend are:
If you've not spent time in sub zero temps before, bring enough clothes to layer up if you're going to spend any time outside beyond walking from the truck to the house or mall entrance.
- check your battery and if it's weak you might want to replace it, because when the temps get to -20F you'll be surprised how slow the vehicle seems to crank as compared to normal (my old 4Runner would struggle to start even with a new battery once the temps dropped around -20F), and
- a spare set of jumper cables and/or a lithium jump pack aren't bad to keep in the vehicle in case you do need a bit of a boost due to #1
So basically the key to staying warm is to wear 2 days of clothes at once...
- I have flannel-lined jeans and khakis for when this kind of polar vortex hits, but you can get by if you put a pair of sweat pants over top of your jeans when you're outside (or a pair of pajama pants underneath)
- t-shirt, sweater, fleece, coat. I'm serious about layering up. If you don't have a fleece and heavy coat, put a light (spring season) jack on and then the heaviest one you have on top. You can always remove layers if you're moving around a hot, but you can't add layers you don't have
- mittens work better than gloves. I have double-thick gloves and my fingers still get cold if I'm waiting on the train platform unless I put my gloved hands in my pockets
- wool hat and a scarf long enough to wrap around and cover your face
- double socks
I wasn't asking if it was necessary, I was asking if anyone ran either.Not needed for those temps and for a short duration trip. Fairbanks Alaska is one thing. A trip to the cold part of Illinois does not warrant It.
Formerly from rural Nebraska. I'm of the belief that most people just don't realize what rural driving or cross country driving is like when you have to take routes that aren't on the interstate. My route back home this winter will have a good 300 miles of single lane highway driving that doesn't hit the interstate. On that highway I'll see few people, especially if this cyclone is as bad as they say it will be, and a snow plow isn't coming fast - hell some parts it'll be a road grader. Plus you get those midwest states where snow is generally falling sidways instead of down, things get bad fast and in a deceptive way.Im always amazed when folks take off on a winter road-trip like it’s a summer trip to the mall. I grew up in the cornfields of Illinois and wouldn’t think of heading out without a full emergency survival kit in my vehicle. Lots of good advice in this thread, but I’m like you, my vehicle (running or not) is stocked for a good 48+ hours of relatively comfortable survival. The Kaon shelf is perfect for stuffing all the warm layers, sleeping bags and food.