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The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

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Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#121

Post by olex »

johnbellone wrote: post #65
eigenvector wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most Android phones can receive AM/FM radio using the Bluetooth antenna with a custom ROM that enables that functionality. Most common ROMs include it. Dedicated antennae for that purpose are rare but that's no reason to go without.

I am pretty sure that one of my older phones used the headphones as an antenna? Again, my Galaxy Nexus doesn't seem to have this functionality, although that's merely me trying to locate the pre-baked application and not finding it. So you're probably right about the ISV not including it.

My last two HTC Android phones had this functionality (the Desire and now the One S). Never used it, but this would be a situation where it could be handy. Although if you're in a car, the car radio probably has better reception.

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#122

Post by eloisant »

eigenvector wrote: post #60
johnbellone wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have a phone you can make an emergency call from it as long as there is service. The different networks have different frequencies and if your phone doesn't have the antenna its not going to work. This is more than just CDMA vs. GSM, although not sure about GPRS. I was a big fan of the Android phones that had AM/FM radios awhile back. At least you'd be able to hear broadcasts to have a general idea of where th…

Most Android phones can receive AM/FM radio using the Bluetooth antenna with a custom ROM that enables that functionality. Most common ROMs include it. Dedicated antennae for that purpose are rare but that's no reason to go without.

Samsung phones (at least SGS and SGS2) have FM radio functionality, but it only works with earphones plugged as they serve as the antenna.

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#123

Post by debacle »

TheCapn wrote: post #99
debacle wrote: post #11

Being cold and being deathly cold are two different things. I've only gotten mild frostbite once, but I'd never want to have it again. The skin blackens and peels, and itches like nothing I've ever experienced before.

Mild frostbite != blackened skin. I'm curious of what situation you got yourself into because that sounded fairly serious.

My pants got stolen while I was attending life guard classes. I had to walk home in ~30 degree weather in the snow in wet swim trunks.

I sometimes make bad decisions.

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#124

Post by [deleted] »

rdl wrote: post #119
MichaelApproved wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That reminds me of the sad story of CNet editor James Kim. He got caught in a snow storm with his family. He left the car and died trying to get help. His family was rescued in good condition. Had he stayed with them, they all would have survived. http://news.cnet.com/2100-1028_3-6141498.html

The "family gets lost, guy goes off to find help, gets even more lost and dies, and then the rest of the family is rescued" is a pretty standard story.

[deleted]

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#125

Post by freehunter »

ars wrote: post #117
JulianMorrison wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get a hand operated winch you can sling around a tree at the top of the ditch, rather than being permanently anchored to the car? Bonus, it can live inside the car and it won't get dinged in the crash.

Get one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/1200-lb-capacity-cable-puller-3... http://www.harborfreight.com/4000-lb-capacity-cable-winch-pu... http://www.harborfreight.com/8000-lb-cable-winch-puller-543.... http://www.harborfreight.com/manual-strap-winch-95541.html It's only $15 for the cheapest one (they have other types too that mount to the car). Also get a long strap to go with it in case the nearest tree is n…

I've owned an 8000lb come-along in the past. Pulling my truck from the mud, the cable came off the pulley. I replaced it with a new come-along from a different brand, and again the cable hopped the pulley. This damages the pulley and bends the axle, rendering the winch useless. They're less than ideal for vehicle retrieval, especially if doing intense labor is not a great idea (like when you're at risk of hypothermia). Pulling a stuck car with a come-along is a very laborious and time-consuming task.

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#126

Post by freehunter »

JulianMorrison wrote: post #109
freehunter wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've actually been saving up for a winch. I'd need to get a new bumper to hold a winch though, or mount a hitch to the front end.

Get a hand operated winch you can sling around a tree at the top of the ditch, rather than being permanently anchored to the car? Bonus, it can live inside the car and it won't get dinged in the crash.

Bumper-mounted winches being used with a proper winch bumper won't take damage in a crash either; if they do, you're likely not driving away from the crash so easy retrieval is unimportant. Off-road and winch bumpers are not designed with crumple zones in mind, they're mounted directly to the frame and the winch itself is tucked behind a 3/16th steel plate and steel tubing surrounding it.

With a front-mounted hitch, though, you can keep the winch inside and just hook it to either the front or the back depending on the needs. The downside is there's one more thing in your car taking up space and becoming a projectile in a crash.

Come-alongs (hand winches) are less than ideal for many reasons I've listed in another reply to your comment. The better solution is to do your best to not need one.

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#127

Post by ricardobeat »

ars wrote: post #117
JulianMorrison wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get a hand operated winch you can sling around a tree at the top of the ditch, rather than being permanently anchored to the car? Bonus, it can live inside the car and it won't get dinged in the crash.

Get one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/1200-lb-capacity-cable-puller-3... http://www.harborfreight.com/4000-lb-capacity-cable-winch-pu... http://www.harborfreight.com/8000-lb-cable-winch-puller-543.... http://www.harborfreight.com/manual-strap-winch-95541.html It's only $15 for the cheapest one (they have other types too that mount to the car). Also get a long strap to go with it in case the nearest tree is n…

There are wheel-mounted winch pullers that are much better suited for the task, since they don't require standing out in the cold or as much physical effort.

http://www.bushwinch.com.au/recoverysystem.html

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#128

Post by raverbashing »

MichaelApproved wrote: post #118
rdl wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also: STAY WITH THE VEHICLE. In general, if you're driving somewhere remote and something goes wrong, you're almost always better off staying with your vehicle vs. setting out on foot for help. There are obviously exceptions, but as a general thing, it's true.

That reminds me of the sad story of CNet editor James Kim. He got caught in a snow storm with his family. He left the car and died trying to get help. His family was rescued in good condition. Had he stayed with them, they all would have survived. http://news.cnet.com/2100-1028_3-6141498.html

Today, in the age of gps enabled cell phones there is no reason to leave the car (unless there's a risk of explosion, car sliding off a cliff, etc, etc)

Get your position, call 911, wait.

If the signal is not good enough to make a call, send an SMS

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#129

Post by DanBC »

raverbashing wrote: post #128
MichaelApproved wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That reminds me of the sad story of CNet editor James Kim. He got caught in a snow storm with his family. He left the car and died trying to get help. His family was rescued in good condition. Had he stayed with them, they all would have survived. http://news.cnet.com/2100-1028_3-6141498.html

Today, in the age of gps enabled cell phones there is no reason to leave the car (unless there's a risk of explosion, car sliding off a cliff, etc, etc) Get your position, call 911, wait. If the signal is not good enough to make a call, send an SMS

What if the signal isn't good enough to send an SMS?

I'd tend to agree that staying with the car is sensible. Maybe with some bright orange tarpaulin / flag thing over the car (although that'd probably get buried in snow.)

At least if you're travelling in really bad weather you know you might get stuck and so you should prepare.

People in England were caught out when light snow was forecast; they left work early and joined the M25 at the same time as the road gritters, which caused a weird cascade effect and blocked a major motorway in the UK for 24 hours when there was only 1 or 2 cm of snow.

Re: The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death (1997)

#130

Post by fest »

astral303 wrote: post #32
freehunter wrote: post #8

Living in Michigan, this is one of my biggest fears. Due to the massive lakes that surround us, we frequently get a blast of warm, wet air that causes rain, and of course that warm wet air is being pushed off the lake by a cold front, causing high winds and sub-freezing temps. This combined with large stands of farmland and no trees for windrows means wind blows right across the road and freezes the rain instantly, s…

The conditions you describe are tough. Going off the road in an ice storm sucks. Love your CB and snow suit suggestions. The following is not commentary on your situation, but tips to reduce chance of getting stuck: 1. I strongly recommend running a set of good snow tires, no matter whether you have an AWD Subaru or a 4x4 truck or a FWD Corolla. Yes, truck snow tires exist. The reason is that the rubber compound is m…

> you will learn that it is "C", applying gas, which will get

> you back in line the soonest. You will notice that as soon

> as you give it gas, the spin will stop or slow down

> significantly.

That only helps with more common, oversteer situations (when the rear wheels are skidding). On the contrary, if you're experiencing an understeer (front wheels are skidding) applying more gas will only make matters worse. You want the front wheels to regain traction, and there are two ways to do so- countersteering and do nothing with accelerator. A tiny little bit of braking may be neccessary.

All this advice is rarely useful when driving a car (except in places where temperature is below freezing point) but it's extremely important when riding a motorcycle on every kind of terrain.

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