Being prepared for winter travel can save lives

Every Christmas-New Year's holiday seems to involve a story of a survival crisis, so it's a good occasion to revisit safety measures that can be taken by travelers, skiers, hikers and/or boaters gone astray.

It can start when travelers wipe out while driving in snow and ice; or when skiers and boarders head out of bounds from ski resorts; or when or hikers in national forests get confused, lost and become marooned as darkness takes over; or when boaters face catastrophe on the high seas, usually out to retrieve crab pots.

The victims who survive often say they were caught in a chain of events from which there was no escape. But accident investigators say the "chain of events" is usually a series of separate, independent incidents. During many of these incidents, a disaster can be averted with the correct decision and action.

The real disasters usually start at home, with a lack of planning and readiness, plus improper equipment and training.

After a week of big storms, with more on the way, the stage has been set once again for a dangerous holiday season in California. It's already started. On Tuesday in the mountains, my son and I saw a small car lose control in ice and snow and nearly slide into a ravine. Another skidded off a road and snapped a wood fence. Earlier, I towed a pickup truck out of a ditch; the teenager driving thanked me with the classic confession, "If my dad found out I ran his truck into the ditch, he'd have killed me." Heh, heh. At one time, been there myself.

Here are the rules for making it through the holidays in one piece:

Driving

Trip prep: Check the weather forecast, verify directions with a current hard-copy map, tell a loved-one of your plans and route, and call for updated highway conditions at (800) 427-7623. For your vehicle, check the tire tread and pressure, carry chains and feel comfortable using them. Fill your gas tank before hitting snow country.

Skill tip: It isn't speed that gets you in trouble; it's the amount of torque you're generating where your tires meet the pavement. That is why, in ice and snow, a heavy foot on the brake going downhill is just as dangerous as driving uphill with a heavy foot.

Car survival kit: Keep a box in your vehicle with a bag of dry clothes and a ski cap, sleeping bag, snacks (jerky, energy bar, candy bar), bottled water, flashlight, emergency flasher, lighter, candle, can, knife and duct tape.

After you screw up: Do not leave your vehicle. Call a tow truck. At night, light the candle and place it in the small can (providing small heat and comforting light for youngsters). Share your sleeping bag.

Improvise: If you are stuck and stranded, out of cell phone range, no help is imminent and you are freezing cold, cut your seat cushions and wear them under your clothes for insulation and warmth. If stuck off road in a national forest and you see a helicopter, burn your spare tire for a smoke signal (but not if there is no sign of a search team).

In the snow

Trip prep: See must-dos for driving. For clothing wear synthetic layers, poly-knit-based underwear, fleece pants and jacket, 100-percent waterproof shell, waterproof boots, Gore-Tex gloves and a water-repellent hat. Remember: "Cotton kills."

Skill tip: Some of the most fun you can have is trekking in snow, even in a blizzard, especially tracking wildlife, where the tracks tell a story. Be trained or go with someone who is. Regardless of your skill, never go long distances solo.

Survival kit: Carry a daypack with water, energy snacks, instant soup, a lightweight pot, a detailed topo map, a compass, an altimeter, a fire-starter, a candle and a lighter. Some bring a lightweight bivy bag; mine weighs less than 2 pounds. If heading into deep wilderness, carry a lightweight shovel (to dig up firewood, and we'll get to that).