How many things can you do wrong at once?

[Hawkmoon]

A few years back, SWMBO needed to go home (near Buffalo, N.Y.) in winter, and I could not go along.  So, I packed her car for the trip.  Keep in mind, she was going to be driving major interstate highways most of the way.  Still, I packed canned food, candy, sleeping bag, water bottles, a small pot, several candles, multiple lighters and matches, shovel, orange plastic poncho, 100 feet of paracord, multi-tool, small supply of dry firewood, a folding saw, and a fixed blade knife.  This was along with the normal tool bag, jumper cables, first aid supplies, etc.  I can't imagine intentionally driving through remote areas with no survival gear.  But, I guess that's why we'll be surviving the zombies, not becoming walkers.  

By contrast, the year after I married my late wife (in Chile) she bought a Kia Sportage here in the U.S. and had it shipped to Chile for us to use when we visited there. The car was shipped to the port of Iquique, all the way at the north end of Chile. Her family was in Santiago, which is two or three days drive from Iquique. On top of that, she wanted to detour easterly to visit an old friend, and to show me San Pedro de Atacama, a quaint little town -- in the middle of the Atacama desert. This was a vehicle entirely new to us, mind you. Before we set out from Iquique, I suggested that we should stock up with some water, oil, and a few hand tools. She wouldn't hear of it.

Naturally, the car broke down outside of San Pedro and we were stuck there for two days until we jury rigged a way to get it moving, and limped back to Iquique. It's a very good thing I don't know how to say "I told you so" in Spanish.

[K Frame]

Actually if eat snow as snow you will cool your core temp quickly.  To eat snow properly, you should melt it and actually drink the water.

This. Eating snow is a BAD idea. You can melt it in your mouth, but you'll be hard pressed to get enough water out of it before you drop your core temp.

[K Frame]

A few years back, SWMBO needed to go home (near Buffalo, N.Y.) in winter, and I could not go along.  So, I packed her car for the trip.  Keep in mind, she was going to be driving major interstate highways most of the way.  Still, I packed canned food, candy, sleeping bag, water bottles, a small pot, several candles, multiple lighters and matches, shovel, orange plastic poncho, 100 feet of paracord, multi-tool, small supply of dry firewood, a folding saw, and a fixed blade knife.  This was along with the normal tool bag, jumper cables, first aid supplies, etc.  I can't imagine intentionally driving through remote areas with no survival gear.  But, I guess that's why we'll be surviving the zombies, not becoming walkers.   

Smart man. I used to keep something of a winter emergency kit in my car, but since I moved to DC metro the chances of me being stranded somewhere where I'm cut off from basic necessities for more than a few hours is very slim.

[Mannlicher]

it's a wonder any of them lived.  People today think the entire world is DisneyLand.

[grampster]

It's amazing to me why people blindly follow the directions of a GPS in an automobile, especially when out exploring in the wilderness in bad weather.  There are many stories about how people have been led into the wilderness by them.  Oh, wait.  Did someone say they were college professors?

Heck, half the time when I'm travelling south in the winter and north in the spring, I'm skeptical of some of the directions given by GPS.  Fortunately, my GPS is installed in the vehicle with a map on the dashboard screen that can be zoomed in and out and moved around to check for alternate routes or to see where particular roads lead.

[Neemi]

There's a reason the North Rim is closed in the winter... I'm glad these people made it out okay, but every road that leads to the North Rim clearly indicates that it's closed for the winter. If you want to see the Grand Canyon in the winter, go to the South Rim. Just follow the signs.

Winters on the plateau around the Grand Canyon are COLD - mostly due to the wind. When there is snow, it's not usually more than a couple of inches, if that much. It gets filthy fast. It is after all, still a desert.

And because it's a desert, you pack in lots of water.

Lots of things should have been done differently.... But I'm glad the family had a relatively happy ending.

I wonder if they'll come back to visit... Probably not.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[HeroHog]

I always used to at least toss a good blanket in the car in the winter if we were going anywhere out of town. It really "saved" us one winter on a road trip to visit my parents when the heater core in the 66 Dodge Van plugged up while we were stuck on highway 90 in the swamps waiting for a wreck that was blocking the road to be cleared. Terri was very thankful I was "paranoid" and made sure we had some sandwiches/snacks and that blanket before we left the house that trip!

Mine was like this only orange.

[KD5NRH]

There's a reason the North Rim is closed in the winter... I'm glad these people made it out okay, but every road that leads to the North Rim clearly indicates that it's closed for the winter. If you want to see the Grand Canyon in the winter, go to the South Rim. Just follow the signs.

You wouldn't think they'd make such a big deal about which side of the ditch you go to, especially since they're too cheap to bridge it at regular intervals.

[Doggy Daddy]

Mine was like this only orange.

Didja scrape off the "Free Candy" sign, or just primer over it?

[wmenorr67]

Actually looks like the Scooby Doo machine incognito.

[Jamisjockey]

You wouldn't think they'd make such a big deal about which side of the ditch you go to, especially since they're too cheap to bridge it at regular intervals.

This time of year you can expect enough snow to make traveling to the north rim dangerous at best.

[freakazoid]

Actually looks like the Scooby Doo machine incognito.

I was thinking the same thing. 

[Boomhauer]

Just follow the signs

7 years as a park ranger taught me that people are too *expletive deleted*ing stupid to read signs, much less follow directions, read maps, plan ahead, or any number of common sense things

But by God if the GPS tells them to do something that is the one thing the dumb *expletive deleted*s will obey.

[Ben]

7 years as a park ranger taught me that people are too *expletive deleted*ing stupid to read signs, much less follow directions, read maps, plan ahead, or any number of common sense things

But by God if the GPS tells them to do something that is the one thing the dumb *expletive deleted*s will obey.

https://vimeo.com/15390422

[HeroHog]

Actually looks like the Scooby Doo machine incognito.

The Mystery Machine was similar to the big 3's vans of this time period as the Chevy, Ford and Dodge vans were pretty dang similar.

66 Ford Econoline


66 Chevy Van


Mine was an Ex-phone company van IIRC. It had a heater and an add-on vent in the roof in the rear of the van. 3-on-the-tree with a 225 slant 6 engine.

[grampster]

Speaking of 6 cyl engines.  Ford had the 300 inline 6 that was bulletproof.  I had a pickup that had that engine and had way over 200,000 miles and still going strong when I sold it.  At idle, you couldn't hear the thing running.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Speaking of 6 cyl engines.  Ford had the 300 inline 6 that was bulletproof.  I had a pickup that had that engine and had way over 200,000 miles and still going strong when I sold it.  At idle, you couldn't hear the thing running.

I have an 88 f250 with that motor. Let it sit for 5 years dropped in a battery and it fired right up

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[HeroHog]

By first van, the 66 E-100 Ford, had the 170 Cu In engine. (wimpy wimpy wimpy!)

[bedlamite]

Speaking of 6 cyl engines.  Ford had the 300 inline 6 that was bulletproof.  I had a pickup that had that engine and had way over 200,000 miles and still going strong when I sold it.  At idle, you couldn't hear the thing running.

Dad had a 300 in an F250 that kept cracking the intake. It was covered under warranty, but after the third one he sold it.

[zahc]

Later 6's also used paper (sorry, "fiber composite") timing gears which tend to strip out at high mileage. I'm sure it was an attempt to reduce noise from the otherwise bulletproof gear-driven cam drive.

Gear driven cam, plus non-interference motor: how times have changed. My Subaru was an interference motor with timing belt! Yet they use Subaru engines in airplanes...

[Fly320s]

You mean some planes have horizontally opposed piston engines?  That is correct, but I don't think Subaru makes any of them.

[230RN]

^  Yes, there are a substantial number of Subaru engines converted to aircraft use... ignition,  bla-bla, etc.  Of course, they're liquid-cooled.

http://www.sdsefi.com/air51.htm

2. The EJ series Subaru has proven itself capable in the real world of sustained high rpm/ WOT operation with the 1989 world speed record of 100,000 km by three Legacy RS turbos over 447 hours of 138.78 mph and an estimated 250,000 flight hours by over 1000 Subaru EJ powered aircraft including gyroplanes from RAF and Groen, fixed wing conversions such as those from Eggenfellner Aircraft and hundreds of other private conversions worldwide. One high time gyro operator in Australia reported 3800 hours on an EJ engine without overhaul!
(Slight correction in grammar by me.)

They're great little engines until (in cars) you blow the lead-based head gasket* or have to change spark plug #1.  Of course, in an aircraft, that #1 plug is easy to get to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pDB9bAns0g

^ That one shows the radiator, too.

https://youtu.be/UUzURMUe0MU

^ That one has the pilot explaining some of the mods he's played with.  (Long, 26:23.):  

"...and I'm burnin' 91 Octane from Costco..."  

Pros/cons of engine and prop system at 21:00ff.
 
Terry, 230RN

* Later gaskets are more conventional.

[Fly320s]

Ah, I thought you meant OEM not conversions.

[230RN]

I'm wondering what "sustained high rpm/ WOT operation " in my above long quote means.  What's WOT?

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm pretty sure you can't take just any old automotive engine and just stick it in a plane.  Conversions for aero use are mandatory.

Only if you get caught, or want to be in compliance with regulations, or actually, you know, want to live...