For Thanksgiving, my wife and I are driving to my in-laws in Bend, Oregon. There is a good chance I am going to hit ice and snow. What should I bring to minimize problems. Here is my list so far:

I need to:
-Change oil and check other fluids.
-Change windshield fluid to the ice melting fluid
-Buy chains (2)
-Buy new wiper blades.
-Replace broken fog light and get new bulbs.
-Balance and rotate tires

I have:
-2 tow straps
-Taking my dad's Magellian GPS
-Michelin AT's with 90% tread left
-First aid kit, extra gloves, hand warmers.
-Jumper cables
-1,000,000 candle power spot light
-2 d-cell maglights

What else should I do?

 

check your battery and connections

 

I will be sure to do that Rob!!

 

Throw in a couple of sleeping bags. If you get stranded you can never be too warm.

A cell phone obviously and a CB if you have one.

 

This might sound corny...but take bottled water! Even though you might be surrounded by snow, I wouldn't drink it! And if you are stuck any length of time, it could get ugly.

Also, take any prescription medications (extra) that you may need daily. Getting stuck in a storm w/o meds is dangerous.

Have fun...I am envious. I have been through that part of the country many times, I-80, Hwy. 50 (through Delta, UT). Really desolate in places and amazing views. Bend, Ore is cool. That is where they have the Shakespeare Festival including S. Oregon college.

And a small bag of kitty litter.....black ice traction.

After everything is said and done you will enjoy 7 mpg with all this stuff loaded. :pig:

 

Dont forget your ski's, especially if you are going to Mt Bachelor!

 

I'd also take a shovel and an ice scraper.

Something like this could be useful:



Have a good trip. I've done that drive a few times myself.

(BTW SOU and the Shakespeare Festival are in Ashland, OR, which is maybe 4 hours SW of Bend off I-5 near the CA border. )

 

Are MT/R's good for such a road trip or the regular Dunlop Grand Treks. I also am going road trippin' this winter

 

I've driven to Bend many times in the winter. The highways are usually in pretty good shape. In the Spring they thaw and can be FULL of potholes.

Be sure to keep your speed down. Oregon is notorious for handing out very expensive speeding tickets to out-of-state visitors (Oregon doesn't have any sales tax, so they need to get the revenue somehow.)

 

hey man, we're poor! Our governer wants to raise 800 million in taxes!

Like anywhere expect to drive slow in the line of trucks you can't pass because of the line of trucks going the other way . Which way are you planning on going, up I 80 and across hwy 20 through Burns to Bend?

Your too far east to come up Hwy 97, but it took me 8 hours to get back to school because of all those slow semi's in each direction. It usually takes me 4.75 hours.

 

id also take some MRE`s some kind of food just in case..

 

This is exactly what I was going to recommend. You can get them at army surplus stores, and nowadays, I think you can even get them at sporting goods stores.

Basically, you need warm clothes, food and water, meds and some napkins or TP would be helpful! Things you would like are entertainment items. If you get stuck waiting for hours on the interstate, you will want a few things along to keep you entertained.

The kitty litter is also a very good suggestion. I carry a used apple juice container of pea gravel. The juice container is a thick, plastic jug with a carry handle. When I lived in Colorado, I swept some of the pea gravel the DOT trucks would spread on the roads and collected it in the jug.

Maybe you could just stop by Great Salt Lake and harvest your own traction aid!

Have fun!

-Scott

 

MT/Rs are not good for such a trip, but if that is what you've got, then go with them. Why are they not good? Well, they do have a fair amount of road noise, have a reputation of not being very round (vibration issues), are heavy, and probably have a high rolling resistance. In other words, I wouldn't buy them just to travel.

On the other hand, I have heard very good things about their treadlife and they offer great traction. I am definitely going to purchase them when my current tires wear out.


-Scott

 

Oh yeah,

I don't know much about the Dunlops. Check out www.TireRack.com

-S

 

I drive those highways in and out of bend all the time, i would say that you wont have any problem with your trip, except of course you get one of the horrible nights that happen a few times a year. if that happens the best recommendation i would make is a cb, and a very good map, because if the main highways close, knowing all the roads that go along and in and out o the towns by the freeways will get you out of a stopped traffic sitaution due to blizzards/wrecks. oh yeah and a radar detector!

 

I thought kitty litter was mostly clay, so a bag of sand will provide more traction.

The emergency kit we take on ski trips includes:

- Empty coffee can (in case you run out of water, you need to have something to conduct heat to melt snow)
- Couple of candles (heat source for melting snow)
- Battery-powered radio
- Extra batteries for any flashlights and radios (you don't want to run down the truck battery so it won't start)
- Space blankets (take up a tiny amount of space)

Proud to say that we have never had to use the kit.


In addition, the toolbox always has flares. And, we keep one of the portable battery jumpers in the truck.

 

Wow thanks for your help guys. I will definately add your recommendations to the list!

When I drove up there during the summer, I noticed a ton of cops in Oregon! Luckly I had borrowed my mom's 2002 ES300 so the cops didn't look twice.

That's the plan. The strecth from Burns to Bend takes so long and its boring. I almost fell asleep on that stretch on my way home last summer.

That's good to know. With the weather we have had in SLC, it looks like its going to be a stormy winter!

 

Chris already mentioned watching the speed. I'll add that slowing down when conditions are bad is the best way to avoid many problems besides getting a ticket. But carry the emergency gear just in case. You never know when you might need it despite everything.

I carry coveralls in my vehicles so I can stay a little cleaner changing a tire or chaining up or whatever. Something to lay on like a piece of old carpet is handy too. Plastic works, but it could be super slick if you accidentally step on it on snow or ice so be careful there.

Alan