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Survival strategies: Pack light and pack right

February 1, 2002

Survival strategies: Pack light and pack right

For many across the country, winter got off to a slow start with near-springlike temperatures running well into November and, in some areas, into December.

While it made getting into the holiday spirit a bit more difficult, it also had the effect of lulling many of us into a false sense that winter’s bluster and cold might never arrive — a nice idea that many people around the country have now discovered certainly was not a realistic one.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says, "Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me." To avoid being caught as a fool out on the road in an unexpected blizzard, take a few tips from the Illinois State Police.

The Illinois State Police department in Spring-field uses the following emergency kit:

  • a two- or three-pound coffee can with three, evenly spaced holes punched in the top edge;
  • a 60-inch piece of twine cut into three equal pieces. These will be used to suspend the can;
  • two large safety pins to suspend the can;
  • a two-inch diameter candle, that will be placed under the suspended can to melt snow;
  • a sharp pocketknife or pair of scissors;
  • three pieces of bright cloth, roughly 2 inches by 36 inches, to tie to the antenna and door handles;
  • a small package of peanuts and a small package of fruit-flavored candy (avoid chocolate);
  • pair of cotton athletic socks;
  • pair of cotton glove liners;
  • two books of matches;
  • a sun-shield blanket or two large plastic leaf bags (the bags will reflect body heat and reduce heat loss from the wind);
  • a pen light and batteries (kept separately);
  • personal medications;
  • if space available, adhesive bandages, aspirin, and a small radio.