With the winter conditions expected this weekend, it's smart to be ready. The Boy Scouts, also known as Scouting America, recommends packing every car with items that could mean the difference between comfortably waiting out a storm and becoming stranded in wintery conditions.
“Donner Pass gets shut down an average of 20 days a year,” said Anthony Zuniga, a Life Scout. “There's many cases every year of people not having the correct equipment and suffering from hypothermia or even dying from it.”
While Zuniga is only 15 years old, he's passionate about the mission to be prepared, which is the Boy Scouts’ motto.
He says anyone heading out this time of year should first check the weather, then make sure they have several items with them in the car. That includes a portable jump box and jumper cables, non-perishable food items, a shovel, a blanket, at least a liter of water per person, and a first aid kit.
Zuniga learned these skills from his leaders, and now it's his turn to pass on that knowledge.
“When you teach it, there's a whole other level that Scouts learn because they have to really understand what the what the subject is in order to teach it to someone else.” said Hannah Zuniga, District Executive for Sierra Nevada & Great Basin Districts.
The Boy Scouts also recommend a pocketknife, gloves and a coat, phone cords and portable chargers, an ice scraper, a shovel, and a flashlight.
They say the safest way to handle a situation like this is to check the weather before making plans, and again right before leaving. If someone does become stranded, they should stay in their car with it off but the radio on and wait out the storm.
Learn more about the Boy Scouts, follow this link.
