How to store water in vehicle during winter?

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Mysterious_Touch_454@reddit

Water is ice, ice is water. Rather store it so it can freeze and melt as much as it wants. Jugs that can handle freezing. much easier than constantly thinking if its going to frost and burst.

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itsjustausernam3@reddit (OP)

I’m not worried about it bursting. I’m worried that in a situation I need water that I’ll have ice instead.

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I mean you can chop some ice from it and put it in a bag or canteen under your jacket and it melts soon enough to be drinkable. Also if you know youre going to need to drink it, you can prepare it in advance.

Also you can melt ice in your mouth. Its not adviced only if you need your bodyheat for surviving, but if youre in warm car and need drinking water, it works.

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suckmyENTIREdick@reddit

The water in my city often tastes like mud, so I buy (reasonably) cheap 1.5 liter bottles of spring water to drink. The brand is Crystal Geyser, and the bottles are somewhat corrugated.

They freeze solid just fine. They thaw out just fine during a drive, too, just sitting in a cup holder in the center console. (And if the water here was half as good as it is in many other cities, they'd be fine refilled from the tap, too.)

No leaks or burst bottles to report. Been doing it for years. It's really only ideal for drinking, cooking, or cleaning since I'm a snob about not using anything but distilled water and/or antifreeze in engines. (Of course, I'll do what I must.)

Without extra help (a heater), a stock of water [even in a vacuum bottle that is inside of a very good cooler] is going to freeze in cold weather eventually unless there's an ongoing effort is made to rotate that stock into a warmer area.

(KISS suggests that just letting it freeze is perhaps best.)

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MaLTC@reddit

In regards to long term storage in the house- if I don’t want to use bleach (long story) is there another way to safely store in my containers? Something like an aquatab make sense?

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Anonymo123@reddit

I put gallon jugs into a cooler and put spare\crap blankets in there (from thrift stores or towels) for more insulation. In Colorado and never had one freeze.

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itsjustausernam3@reddit (OP)

Solid suggestion. Thanks

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Zestyclose_Cut_2110@reddit

Practical and organized

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biobennett@reddit

RTIC 1 gallon thermos

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rayrod911@reddit

Could you link the one you are referring to?

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biobennett@reddit

They don't make the same exact one I have anymore, but their outback jug is the most similar to what I have

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itsjustausernam3@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the link. I have an older style and the spout is way too small for the size of the jug. Going to pick one of these up as a replacement.

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rayrod911@reddit

Thanks I think I'll keep 2 of these in my vehicle for the wife and I

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Individual_Low_9204@reddit

If you train yourself to use these as your regular water bottles and always bring fresh water when you get in the car, it's a thoughtless process to always have fresh cool water in the car.

I live in a region in Canada where it's the norm to fill up your water bottle before you get into the car, whether it's for a 5 minute drive to the store or a road trip.

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biobennett@reddit

Just make sure to secure them, it's a large, heavy object (which can be dangerous in an accident)

I mounted some D rings in my car and use cargo nets to keep mine in place

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itsjustausernam3@reddit (OP)

I have one of these currently. I’ll fill it up and pull some data on how long it stays thawed in the coming week. Thanks for the suggestion.

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roberttheiii@reddit

I have that and switched to the Scepter can noted elsewhere in the comments. Reason being, if the RTIC fell over it was rounder and rolling around would cause the lid to come lose. I drive a wagon and I just couldn't find a good place to consistently keep it upright so I switched it out after a few years. That said, the thermal protection was nice in both summer and winter.

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captaindomon@reddit

Another thing to throw into your kit is an unused / new lifestraw. As long as they are "dry" and have never been used before, they can safely be stored in freezing temperatures (once they have been used they can't any more because freezing will break the internal filters)

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Grand-Corner1030@reddit

If the water bottle is frozen, all other water is frozen. A straw doesn't work with ice and snow.

If you have the ability to melt the snow, you have the ability to melt clean water in a bottle.

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captaindomon@reddit

The point is not that you are trying to drink frozen water. The problem is that it's difficult to store bottles of clean water in your car if you live in an area that frequently freezes and thaws in cycles - after several cycles the water will break the bottle. You can kind of get around this with some of the tricks other commenters are mentioning - using a bag instead of a bottle, using life boat certified foil water sachels, keeping it liquid in a thermos (which only works for a few hours), etc.

One way to get around all of that problem is just don't store water - store a filtration system instead. When you need water there is a good chance it's not below freezing outside. Or if it is, you can melt snow or ice inside your car, and then filter it before drinking it.

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Grand-Corner1030@reddit

I’m in Canada. I’m not looking for solutions, it’s not an issue at all.

As with all preps, have you field tested it?

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captaindomon@reddit

Yes, I have used life straws and other filter systems extensively in the field, and I have done a lot of winter camping.

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Grand-Corner1030@reddit

You go to the field and don’t pack a water bottle?

When I winter camp, I pack warm water. That’s extreme, you win!

For us regular folks, I recommend packing a simple water bottle.

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VegaStyles@reddit

Ive had a pack of nestle bottles in the car all winter. Havent even tried to freeze. Not sure its even real water.

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Grand-Corner1030@reddit

The most common sense approach is not let it freeze. Bring it inside.

If I hop into my car and I have a frozen water bottle, I toss it on the dash and let the heater thaw it out.

If your break down kit doesn't include a heat source to melt water and stay warm, what does it have? I can survive a couple days without water...I can't survive a day without staying warm.

I would focus on fixing the heat problem. That will solve the water problem as well.

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hellhound_wrangler@reddit

I'm in Alaska and I just keep a flat of small water bottles in my car. The plastic has enough flex (from all the crinkles) that they look weird but don't burst when frozen. I park in a garage at night, so they only sometimes get cold enough to freeze completely during long work days.

Gallon jugs will burst and leak though, found that out the hard way.

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DeafHeretic@reddit

I keep several liters of water in three separate Nalgene bottles and most of the time they do not freeze even in sub freezing temps. When they do freeze, it isn't solid, only partially froze at the top. Once I am driving along the inside temps of the car are warm and the water gets warmer too.

In short, I don't worry about it.

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PrisonerV@reddit

I just put cheap Walmart 16oz bottles of great value water in my vehicle. Been doing it for years. No issues. Also have a steel cup and candles to melt snow.

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After-Leopard@reddit

Yes, I leave a case of water in my trunk most of the year but if it gets under 15F I pull it out. I understand it’s not ideal in the summer but it’s a lot better than nothing if I need it

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PhantomNomad@reddit

I leave 4 to 6 500ml bottles of water in my truck all the time. Even at -40 it doesn't take long for them to start thawing out in the cab. I also keep a portable (120v 300 watt) kettle. If the water is 22c it will take about 10 minutes to boil. Not sure from frozen. Also carry a portable propane stove with a couple of those 1lbs bottles. Then there is the emergency candles. They are just tin cans filled with wax and two or three wicks. I can put a pot over top if needed (need side holes for air in the tin).

When my wife and I travel we usually bring our picnic basket which carries the propane stove (propane is in the bed of the truck), plates, silverware, small 1qt pot, 6" frying pan, coffee and mugs, powder creamer, sugar. We also usually make a lunch (just sandwiches) and other stuff and put in a lunch box with ice packs.

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Rip1072@reddit

Tried this last year while snowmobile riding. Put a gal of water,in a plastic jug, at room temp, with a chemical handwarmer placed into a wool glove inside a cooler. It never froze and was actually still warm at end of day. Also put two tablespoons of lemon juice in the water before placing in cooler.

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-zero-below-@reddit

We’ve received fresh food deliveries before and they regularly use the Kirkland brand cheap water bottles as ice packs — frozen solid. Never had one leak.

I’m a fan of water bottle flats for car storage — bigger containers are much messier if they break open, even if in secondary containment.

Also, with the smaller water bottles, we end up using (and cycling them a lot more) — easy to hand a friend a bottle or grab one for an unplanned park visit or whatever.

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Nathan-Stubblefield@reddit

I’ve had plastic bottles of water freeze and not burst, but just expand and stretch out the corrugating in the plastic. So I’d be able to take a small frozen water bottle and thaw it out in a heater car interior, or maybe in the sun on the dash, or worst case in a. Interior pocket at the cost of body heat. Sugar pop might stay liquid or turn to slush at a temp where diet pop would freeze and burst (freezing point depression, chemistry 101). I’ve seen it happen with pop left out in winter. You’d also get some calories. Same with fruit juice. But I’d keep it in something to contain the mess if it burst. Juice pouches might be a good bet.

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BenjaminAnthony@reddit

Only way I've found that works is to rotate it and just make it part of your every day that you grab some water on your way out the door. Worse comes to worse you got some ice you can throw on your dash and melt in an emergency lol

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languid-lemur@reddit

You don't. Even a vac insulated bottle will eventually freeze.

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Hot-Profession4091@reddit

Honestly, get yourself a 1 litre water bottle and fill it before leaving home and again before leaving work. Got a family? Everyone gets one. Water is an EDC.

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dushadow@reddit

Store bought pack of water and put it in a cooler. If it happens to burst, your car is still dry.

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Shoddy-Ingenuity7056@reddit

I use the lifeboat ration water packets. I found them on www.browsegear.com (I don’t think they sell them there though), anyhow I ordered a case and put several in the freezer and thawed and refrozen a few times and had no leakers. As part of my winter car kit I keep these along with a sterno stove so even if they are frozen when needed I could melt them.

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blindjoedeath@reddit

Water bags/pouches are the way to go. Lots of decent brands to choose from - SOS, Datrex, etc.

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dreadedowl@reddit

If it is that cold keep a lighter and can in the car. Use it to melt snow. And/or fill a re-heatable container 3/4 of the way with water and use fire source to melt it if frozen.

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roberttheiii@reddit

I have a 10L (~2.5g) Scepter Military Water can that I only keep partly filled. Supposedly they can freeze full and not crack but I don't intend to test that. https://www.scepter.com/products/military-products/military-fuel-water-containers/2-5-gallon-10-litre-military-water-can/

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l1thiumion@reddit

r/vedc

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ForwardPlantain2830@reddit

Small plastic water bottles in the front door pockets. The daily driving keeps them from being solid ice from the heat. And even if they freeze, they will melt enough to get water if set on the dash. A large single jug in the trunk would just be a block of ice.

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incruente@reddit

Keep a few smaller containers rather than one large one. Put them in a bag and bring it inside with you.