Before the storm hits, get equipped. If you’re one of 100,000,000 Americans who is about to get smashed with this frozen blast, here’s a list of supplies you should have on hand before you get snowed in.
Publishing sibling Consumer Reports Home and Garden blog recommends you have:
- 1 gallon of water/person/day
- No-cooking required food
- Zero-electricity can opener
- First-aid kit
- Battery-powered radio
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Fuel for stoves
- Extension cords
- Wrenches and pliers for turning off utilities and shutting water pipes
- Fire extinguishers
- Battery-powered smoke and CO alarms
- Fuel for snow blower
- Snow shovels
- Rock salt, calcium chloride, and sand for melting snow
- Hat, scarf, mittens
- Can of Yeti-Off
- Flares
- Car jack
- Lug wrench
- Jumper cables
‘Megastorm’ storm to affect 100 million Americans [Consumer Reports Home & Garden Blog]
More From Consumerist
-
USPS Doesn’t Notice That My Package Is Now 32 Lbs. Lighter — And No Longer Contains My Stuff
-
Dress Like A Cow On July 13, Get Free Chick-Fil-A
-
Survey: We’d Rather Buy New Stuff From Familiar Brands Than New Stuff From Those Other Guys
-
My Storage Facility Didn’t Have My Stuff Ready When My Mover Came. Do They Owe Me Anything?
-
Help Us Help You: One Company’s Social Media Rep Explains How To Get Complaints Resolved
“and sand for melting snow”
yeah? how does that work?
Can I get Yeti-Off on Amazon?
Well, if you’re going to list car supplies for cold weather, where’s the blanket, food and water to carry in the trunk? Along with the extra scarf, cap, and gloves in the car as well, if you are like me and don’t have to bundle up b/c you have a short walk from the car to your workplace. They are flashlights with magnetic mounts that plug into the 12V socket for cars, so you don’t have to worry about batteries going bad – I lost a nice Sabrelight I used to carry in the trunk to corroded batteries. The batteries I carry in my emergency kit are kept out of the devices in case of corrosion, and I rotate them out annually.
Wrenches and pliers? Better yet a small tool kit – my hot water heater holds 40 gallons, so it’s a great water backup, but it takes a flat head screwdriver to open the drain valve.
The best thing is to sit down with a notebook and play “What if?” What if the power went out for 3 days, what would I need? What if I had to evacuate for a storm, what do I bring with me?(we had family evacuate for hurricanes for the first time in 50+ years this past decade, so it was a new thing) What if the police/Hazmat/fire dept beat on my door and said I had 5 mins to evacuate due to a chemical spill?
You may get stranded like some did evacuating for hurricane Rita – what would you need with you in the car to make it less stressful if you had to sleep in it on the side of the road?
And for those of you who do not have access to a decent Kerosene heater during the expected power failure, here is an alternative for emergency use:
The candle safe heater.
Here’s how it works.
Locate a large empty *metal* can, (like a 3 pound coffee can)
and place a large candle inside it.
Add about a half inch of water to the can and then light the candle.
The reason for the water is safety, it makes the thing self-extinguishing in case the candle gets too short.
I have sucessfully used all types of candles in this device without a single problem.
The single candle will provide both light and heat at night in the coldest of rooms, usually bringing room temp up to at least 40-45 degrees when it’s below 30 outside. Not fantastic but liveable with extra clothing. Two or three candles will bump the temp to 55-60 degrees (or even higher).
Plus, an added value: you can get rid of all those crappy “mood” candles your spouse likes to buy and inflict on you.
Word of caution. Those gel-type candles that come in their own container are NOT recommended for use. Most of the time, they make them with glass containers, and as people have noticed, glass cracks rather easily when it’s hot. Runny liquid fuel with lighted wicks spells housefire!!
I don’t see a case of beer and a playstation on this list.
Ugh, this storm decided to bypass DC once again.
My garage door decided to jam up today – just before the storm is supposed to it. My snow blower is trapped.
Can of Yeti-Off? Please. I don’t need- AHHHHH! GET IT OFF!!!!
Oh damn, I forgot the Yeti-Off.
I hope this can of Sasquatch-B-Gone will take care of it.
What in the world is Yeti-Off?
Don’t forget the milk, bread, and eggs!
Add to the list a corded regular not cordless phone. If your electricity goes out your phone may still work, but cordless phones will not work with no electricity.
Oh please. I won’t even get a snow day out of this tomorrow. Sometimes I think Central New Yorkers would die before they admit conditions aren’t safe for driving.
Please don’t let your cats or any other animals stay outside.
I just saw a picture on Facebook of a cat that looked like he had been sleeping and now incased in ice.
I’m pissed that anyone would share a picture like this. It makes me sick!
If you’re on Facebook the page is SNOWPOCALYPSE 2011 and the kitty is in the photo section. I hope it is faked, but I don’t believe it is.
I never knew sand was capable of melting snow!
And an extension cord?? Yeah let’s connect it to your generator or a neighbor’s house and burn down your house when the cord becomes overloaded.