#winter safety

[geezerwench]

Always drive with cake.

[mountrainiernps]

The shift from fall to winter conditions happens quickly on Mount Rainier. Paradise and other subalpine areas have already seen some snow, and more is likely this weekend. When visiting, plan ahead and remember you are responsible for your safety.

Before leaving home, check the current trail conditions and heed local weather forecasts, realizing weather can change for the worse in a very short period of time. Before starting your hike, stop by the Longmire Museum or Jackson Visitor Center in the southwest part of the park, or the Carbon River Ranger Station in the northwest, for the latest trail conditions. Note: While SR410/123 on the east side of the park are still open, all eastside visitor facilities have closed for the season.

Always carry survival gear with you in case you have to spend the night out, including the 10 Essentials: food, water, warm clothing, emergency shelter, stove/fuel, flashlight, avalanche transceiver/probe/shovel, map/compass/GPS, first aide kit, & repair kit for any equipment.

Wear footwear with good tread to minimize risks from slipping. Consider using traction devices like shoe chains or hiking poles for extra stability.

You may need a reliable map and compass skills to traverse snow-covered trails, which can be difficult to follow, particularly in backcountry areas.

Know your limits. Know your experience and ability to survive in an alpine environment and don’t exceed them. A trail that is easy in summer can be challenging in winter.

Find more safety tips at https://go.nps.gov/MORAWinterSafety

NPS Photo of snow on the Tatoosh Range, 10/23/24.

[cripberry-pie]

crutches update!!

so i got my new crutch tips in the mail and the difference between these and my old ones is insane. i am so excited to use them, and especially to trial them in different weather. i will post about how it goes if i remember.

i got the supergear and KMINA wide base tips for everyday and winter/sand and i am very impressed. or maybe the ones i had before just really sucked. theyre also about a year old which is my mistake not getting new ones sooner.

ID in alt.

[dimitrippy]

it's that time of year:

don't put your baby in their car seat while they're wearing a snow suit

the chest clasp is supposed to be flush to the body and the puffiness of the suit prevents that from happening

bundle your baby up in a bunch of blankets and make sure they got their socks on and they'll be plenty warm

snow suits and car seats do not mix

[empty-cryptid]

To the folks in southern Manitoba, stay safe and please stay off the roads! It's not worth it, just stay home today!

Manitoba 511

Provides up to the minute traffic and transit information for Manitoba. View the real time traffic map with travel times, traffic accident d

[spontaneousmusicalnumber]

Safety with non-electric heating, aka "Don’t Fuck Around with Carbon Monoxide”

If you don’t have to deal with this kind of cold normally you might be tempted to use what you have for heat, but you might not know what’s safe. This is non-exhaustive and I’ll link as many resources as I can, but the bottom line is you gotta be extremely careful when burning anything for heat because even with ventilation carbon monoxide can easily build up and that shit can kill you fast if you don’t notice.

-Never idle a car in an enclosed space. If your garage is attached to your house, never warm up the car in your garage even with the door open. If your garage is detached, you can warm up the car in the garage as long as the garage door is wide open.

-Don’t sleep in an idling car, especially during a snowstorm. A few reasons: First, if it runs out of gas during the night you’re stuck with no heat AND no fuel to get anywhere. If it snows overnight it could block your exhaust pipe and allow CO to flood the cabin. And this last one is rarer but even with a perfectly clear exhaust pipe, there could be a leak in your exhaust system that allows CO to build up.

If the car is the only warmth available, idle it for brief periods to warm up and then turn it off and set an alarm to idle it later. Open the windows every once in a while to vent the air.

-Never pile up snow around your car. Either you got snowed in, or you're stranded off the side of the road. You’d think that snow will insulate the car and let you stay warm longer- DO NOT. Snow makes it harder for rescuers to find you. It gets your car even more stuck and it’s really easy to damage your car in the process of digging it back out. Finally if you block the exhaust system too much then CO will quickly build up in the cabin. 

-Never start a car when the tailpipe is blocked by snow. Even in the short time it takes to dig out the car, CO can reach deadly levels. Dig the car out first, THEN start it.

-Never use propane or charcoal (like a grill) for heat indoors. I get it, it’s available, but it’s incredibly dangerous. People have already been hospitalized in Houston this week from using their grills for heat. These grills are made to be used outside, where there’s no way for dangerous gases to build up. Also, it’s a huge fire risk.

-Never use an oven or gas range for heat. Same reasons as propane.

-If your house has a fireplace and chimney, don’t use it unless you know it’s been inspected and deemed safe. Just like a blocked exhaust pipe on your car, a blocked chimney won’t vent CO properly and it can build up in your home. Also, if it hasn’t been inspected in a long time, it may be structurally unsound or full of stuff like twigs or squirrel nests that are a serious fire risk.

-If you have a gas generator, make sure it’s far enough away from your house. Never run it inside, or in a basement or garage.

-Get a battery-powered CO detector.

Click2Houston: Carbon Monoxide Safety Primer

NSC: Basic CO Safety

CPSC: CO Information Center and Resources

[wormeats]

snow advice for florida boy who moved to wisocnsin and has 0 snow experience ?? today was my first time seeing it :o and i am trying to look stuff up but idek what to consider and worry about bc i havent had a chance to run into issues yet or grow up with it knowing what to do for certain things

like ice in dangerous spots like stairs? is it polite or rude to clear all the snow off the balcony thing outside our second story appartments and the stairs ? is it rude to leave a little snow guy on the balcony thing railing ? any advice??? google is so unhelpful for this it just keeps suggesting ppl asking about how many ppl havent seen snow or if it doesnt snow some places or a story about someone seeing snow for the first time and no Basic Beginner Advice for someone who knows nothing but i am scared of cold and layering is important

any advice is welcome please pls pls !!!

[miamaimania]

Winter's Silent Seekers: A Gentle Reminder to Share the Warmth Safely