Storing water in vehicles.

[2008f450]

Ok looking for help onthis one. I keep a pack in my vehicle and 1 in the wifes for just in case scenarios. Part of the kit is 2 1 liter bottles of water. Problem is this time of year they freeze. For me its not a big deal to bring pack in everynight. But for wife its hard to grab the bag everytime she goes in and out of house with 2 little ones. Anyone have any ideas for material to wrap them with or a way to keep them from freezing completely?

[gnihcraes]

Try different items than water. I usually have Propel in my car, it freezes, but not completely all the time. Just a thought. Gatorade is about the same. So there are probably some others I haven't tried that won't freeze completely. Items with some sugar or sucrolose (sp). Tried just wrapping it up in several layers of blanket? I'll have to do some experimenting.

[BuffCyclist]

You could always try a larger volume of water. I keep at least 1 unopened gallon of spring water in my truck at all times. I live at 9000ft and its been getting down to the low 20s at night lately and the gallon still hasn't frozen solid.

[2008f450]

Try different items than water. I usually have Propel in my car, it freezes, but not completely all the time. Just a thought. Gatorade is about the same. So there are probably some others I haven't tried that won't freeze completely. Items with some sugar or sucrolose (sp). Tried just wrapping it up in several layers of blanket? I'll have to do some experimenting.


Really dont want my 1 year old drinking gatorade or that type of drink. I am going to try wrapping them in the extra wool blankets we keep in the cars and see if that works.

[earplug]

Its better to have hard water then none.
If you have to move using the automobile the heater will melt the water.
And if you park the car in the sun the interior temperature will be higher then the outside temperature. Its a mobile green house.
I use my wagon as a mini epoxy curing, spray paint drying paint booth.
For a mini person needing water, just sit on a frozen water bottle. It will melt.

[kidicarus13]

I use a thermos.

[Not_A_Llama]

Really dont want my 1 year old drinking gatorade or that type of drink.

Try Pedialyte, if it makes you feel better. It's all pretty much the same thing - sugars and electrolytes.

Space Blankets and regular blankets are things you'd need anyway (arguably more than you'd need the water); might as well compact your kit.

[jscwerve]

Really dont want my 1 year old drinking gatorade or that type of drink. I am going to try wrapping them in the extra wool blankets we keep in the cars and see if that works.

*disclaimer: I do not have children, so I may simply be ignorant to this*


In a type of emergency scenario, what would it matter if your 1 year old had to drink a little Gatorade? I can't think of anywhere in town that you would be more than a few blocks away from a gas station or house. Even stuck on the side of the road in a snowstorm waiting for a tow wouldn't be more than an hour or two. In a true "emergency situation" I.E. surviving for a day or three lost somewhere, wouldn't something like gatorade or the like be more beneficial to have?

[StagLefty]

Part of my winter truck pack is a compact Coleman 440 stove for heating up the truck,heating food,or thawing out water or melting snow. I'm probably talking extreme situation but better to have it than not. JMHO [Beer]

[Beprepared]

*Gatorade is a good idea for a less freezing liquid. Although I would be very careful using (or too much) it in a survival situation, especially with little ones. More than half gallon a day can give you some serious kidney problems and pain.

[KevDen2005]

Just to point out, wrapping it in blankets probably wont help since it doesn't produce any heat, blankets retain heat. For example when you have a ton of blankets on your bed but you get in and it is still "freezing" cold while your furnace is on...then you are in the blankets a while and you need to kick them off because you are too hot.

I like the stove idea. I also like wide mouth nalgene bottles-not filled up completely...they will rarely freeze solid (depending on where you are).

[TEAMRICO]

I'm running into the same issue with storing water, don't want to lug it in and out all the time.
Anything in my truck freezes, wife's car is safe in the garage at night and she still has me warm it up for her in the morn so it is nice and toasty!
Me and the boy have our teeth chattering all the way to his day care!
My truck is a rolling Panic Room anyway so I never get caught in a tight spot.
My favorite game is "What If?"
I will think of a scenario then add to the tool box in back.
Right now if a fishing derby broke out, Im in!~

Liquids are kicking my ass this time of year.
Thought about a small heater with an extension cord. Just enough to keep light heat. Anyone try this?

[ldmaster]

I don't have a puppy in this race, because I just put gallon water jugs and LET them freeze. But A Goldenrod dehumidifier pulls something like 12 watts and heats to 150 degrees. It's not a source for fire, but I'd imagine you'll want to protect it somehow. Folks put a core heater in their cars for icy mornings, why not put a goldenrod in your truck amongst your BOB bags? Cover them with a couple of blankets and the water should stay liquid.

As far as insulating things. The issue is ALWAYS heat, either it's in a heatsink (like water) or it's ambient. You are trying to keep your heatsink (water) from releasing the heat to the ambient. Without active involvement you have a win/lose situation. You WANT ambient to bathe your heatsink when you're warm (like when the car is running) but you want to insulate it when ambient falls below freezing, either way takes active intervention (like uncovering it when the car is running). I'd put a goldenrod in a plywood enclosure and pop it in my trunk, plug it in at night. Wouldn't kill your electric bill and wouldn't catch things on fire.

But remember, the more liquid water you have, the more cold it takes to convert it to frozen. So a gallon water jug takes more to freeze than a quart one, and gallon water jugs are very flexible - if they freeze they just expand to fit the water.

[gnihcraes]

I've been saving the Arizona Ice Tea jugs, those are some thick polypropylene jugs! It will freeze, but won't burst if they are not filled more than 3/4 full. I'll stick one in my car and see how it does over the next few cold days we have.

My normal propel bottles are frozen in the morning, but usually thawed by noon, while parked in normal outside daylight. I would think this would be normal unless there is a total whiteout for days on end. (doubtful)

[Beprepared]

Or maybe a portable baby bottle warmer to thaw those water bottles.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BOLLJE/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000GB3FZU&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1YG27ZD5JC2K42T68WS4

[Wulf202]

park city water bags don't crack or loose water when they freeze. albertsons carries them. You can do the same with platypus bladders though the caps aren't that great.

Your water stored in your vehicle will freeze and will go flat unless you want to spend thousands to ensure it doesn't happen. Just keep some of the powdered single serving flavors for the kiddos and deal with it for yourself. A hot hands and a sack will thaw a bottled water.

Flat water is still water, i've drank 3 year old water without problems and the storage conditions for it were anything but ideal

Keeping them separate has several advantages, you can change out flat water and not loose the money on the electrolytes, if you have a puncture you don't have a sticky mess, you would have a hard time washing an eye/wound out with gatoraide, if your giving aid to a stranded person and they are diabetic it could do harm, adding a sugary solution to your radiator/battery will cause problems if you have a vehicle emergency.

Water bottles will sweat so keep that in mind with where you put them otherwise you wind up with moldy blankets.

[2008f450]

Flat water is still water, i've drank 3 year old water without problems and the storage conditions for it were anything but ideal

Keeping them separate has several advantages, you can change out flat water and not loose the money on the electrolytes, if you have a puncture you don't have a sticky mess, you would have a hard time washing an eye/wound out with gatoraide, if your giving aid to a stranded person and they are diabetic it could do harm, adding a sugary solution to your radiator/battery will cause problems if you have a vehicle emergency.

Water bottles will sweat so keep that in mind with where you put them otherwise you wind up with moldy blankets.


The main reason I have always used liter bottles is portability. Our packs were originaly put together for mobility and 3-4 days of 1-2 person survival. We lived in CA and always had them in our vehicles for earthquakes. Having been through the Northridge 1994 earthquake (2 blocks from the epicenter) being ready for the next one was far more real than any other disaster scenario. Now that we are here I modified them some and think I will put a larger 2 gallon jug in her car. I also used water for the above reasons. I liked water because you can drink or use it to cook. I will keep liter bottles in mine because I like to go for hikes when i get the urge.

[jerrymrc]

I'm running into the same issue with storing water, don't want to lug it in and out all the time.
Anything in my truck freezes, wife's car is safe in the garage at night and she still has me warm it up for her in the morn so it is nice and toasty!
Me and the boy have our teeth chattering all the way to his day care!
My truck is a rolling Panic Room anyway so I never get caught in a tight spot.
My favorite game is "What If?"
I will think of a scenario then add to the tool box in back.
Right now if a fishing derby broke out, Im in!~

Liquids are kicking my ass this time of year.
Thought about a small heater with an extension cord. Just enough to keep light heat. Anyone try this?

Two ways to go. Block heater or interior heater. Block heater helps with starting and you get heat faster from the truck. they range from 400W to 1200W depending on what ya have. takes 20-60 min to install. When my diesel was my daily driver and I only had 8 miles to go to work it was the way to go. I had mine on a timer so it came on at 3AM and warmed for two hours.

You will not like your bill if you leave it on all night. The interior heater just blows warm air and does nothing for the heater but it does make the interior toasty for the short trip. Here again it needs to be on a timer.

Have not tried my block heater in my 06 GP because it has a remote start. :) but it did have one from the mfg.(rare option) I may start trying it out with the timer just to see how it acts. Some thoughts.

[gnihcraes]

these are the jugs I'm talking about. (don't turn this into a porn thread)

extremely thick plastic, very tough.
http://jakepatrick.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/diet-green-tea.jpg

[Beprepared]

Or for "money is no option" dreamer,
http://www.espar.com/html/applications/automotive.html
This is an independent air/coolant heater tapped into the fuel system. Uses minuscule amounts of fuel. Last I checked they where like a grand.

[Ah Pook]

I have a 5gal water jug in the truck. It was frozen solid last week and probably still is.

I've been trying to figure out a way to keep water from freezing, in my winter car bags, for several years. No luck yet.

[Irving]

If it is only a liter, can you put it inside a cooler at a warmer ambient temp? Like when it is inside the house maybe?

Along the same lines, a very large thermos is probably your answer.

[2008f450]

I decided to put a 2.5 gallon jug in wifes car. So far so good. For my pack i put 2 1.5 liter bottles in and placed them in the center of pack with other items around them . Maybe it will help some. We shall see. Makes it a little harder to get to them if im hiking but hopefully they wont be solid ice if and when I need them.

[thecatsfan]

I live between Fort Collins and Greeley right on the Poudre River. Our overnight temperatures in this little river valley are frequently 15 to 20 degrees colder than Denver. Some mornings we even rival Gunnison and Craig. Below zero is frequent, 15 below is occasional, and almost every night this time of year it gets well below 20 degrees.

It doesn't matter what type of water or other drinks I leave in my car, or what container it is in, or what's wrapped around it. It will be frozen solid most mornings. Some days it never thaws out. So, I just make sure to use containers that won't break and don't fill them all the way. 2 liter bottles work great. Have done that for more than 20 years and have needed them a couple of times. So far it has always worked out.

If SHTF, I would rather have frozen water than nothing at all. If I end up bugging out on foot in January, I am going to be looking for heat and shelter pretty fast anyway.

[Irving]

Older thread, but here is an idea. Not as much water as you'd like to store, but probably enough to hold you over while you melt the other stuff.

http://www.countycomm.com/militarycanteen.htm

[ChunkyMonkey]

FYI, in Canada, folks are using engine heater and battery heater to prevent water/oil etc from freezing. I have seen a jerry can bracket with a battery heat pad on the bottom, and I have seen canteens being stored where the spare tire was in the trunk along with the 2nd battery on top of a heating pad. Obviously you plug in your car every night.