In my locale, we have about two months until we can expect any real cold weather. I started working on my winter preps this past weekend.
I ran my portable generator until all of the old gas was out. I’m glad I did, too. It took several pulls to get it to crank. While doing so, I could smell the strange, sweet smell of old gas trying to ignite. I would have had a few much larger problems if that gas sat for a few more weeks; clogged carburetor, blocked fuel lines, etc. Getting that gas out allows me to get fresh gas and mix stabilizer before I fill the tank and run the new gas through the lines. I also found that the choke on the engine must be lined up just right (not on the indicated “choke” mark) to get it just right. Once I get ready to run the engine with fresh gas, I’ll mark the true choke position with a permanent marker for future reference. With the winter storms we have had in the past few years, I’m fairly certain that we will be needing it again this year. Being a portable generator, it is not large enough to supply power to more than a couple of appliances (i.e. a refrigerator and freezer) and nothing more. But, when you have deer meat and other items to keep frozen, keeping a refrigerator and freezer powered is a big deal. Or I can run some lights if the need arises.
I have several 5-gallon gas jugs that I need to fill up and add stabilizer. There are 6 jugs and they each hold a bit over 5 gallons. Basically, I need to get the 30+ gallons of fuel to keep over the winter. That’s not a cheap buy so I while likely get one filled every couple of weeks. That stabilized gas can be stored for several months and used in equipment and vehicles if needed.
I checked the vehicle Get Home Bags (GHBs) to make sure they were ready for action. I swapped out a couple of items, but other than that, everything was ready to go. I put one in each vehicle. There is no cold weather gear in these bags, just the bare necessities. The cold-weather gear will go straight into vehicles in their own bags.
We had several trees cut down in the last couple days. Last year, we had an ice storm that lasted over a week before any real mobility was possible. The trees and limbs that fell during that storm took weeks to get cleaned up. I’m sure that if another similar storm comes this winter, we will have more clean-up to do. There are a few limbs that need some tending to before winter weather hits. If I can get ahead of the mess, it shouldn’t be as bad when it does come. Once I’m done with preemptive work, I’ll need to check the chainsaw chain, oil, and other associated supplies to make sure I have what I need before winter arrives. This will include mixed gas and bar/chain oil.
I checked my vehicles to get an idea of what needs to be done. My daily driving truck is due for an oil change. That will be happening in the morning. The windshield will also have to be replaced due to a rock hitting it and causing a bad crack. Any accumulation of ice will certainly shatter the glass and allow rain/ice/etc. to fall into the cab. That little project will have to wait about another month or so until a few other things get lined out first. My work truck is a diesel that only needs to be filled up. That also will have to wait a little while to see if diesel prices go down a little. $5.50/per gallon is ridiculously high. Hopefully the prices will drop in the next few weeks. If they don’t, I’ll fill up at whatever the price is when I deem necessary.
The camp (a tiny little secondary location where I used to live) will need some attention. There’s not much to do there to prepare for winter but a little goes a long way. I just need to make a quick check of everything to make sure it is all in working order. I try to stay there once or twice a month, so it gets checked regularly. Blankets are well stocked in case of a power outage. Since I don’t stay there very often, there is not much food on hand. I will need to stock up the freezer for long term food storage. When I do stay out there, I take enough food to get me through the one or two nights I stay. I may also start to take my Buddy space heater each time I go out there, just incase the power is out and I need to warm a room. There are also a few trees and limbs that need to be cleaned up there as well.
I’m sure there are plenty of other things that will need to be addressed along the way. With just this short list, I’ll have plenty to keep me busy. The main concern is getting as far ahead as I can so that anything that pops up won’t have to wait for long.
Don’t just prepare. Prepare to thrive.
