Keeping water from freezing
Posted by Cold_Smell_3431@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 37 comments
I live in a country where the winter sometimes becomes cold enough to freeze everything. And with the first snow falling in a couple of days I placed my winter kit in the car (shovel, jetboil, gas, extra food and clothes)
One of the things I also keep in my car is a couple of bottles of water. For now I have filled them 2/3 up to leave room for expansion when freezing but it isn’t optimal.
As far as I (ChatGPT) could calculate the amount of alcohol needed to make the water unfreeze able was so larger that is shouldn’t be combined with driving so what tips an techniques have you discovered. Simply bringing the water in and out every time is a possibility but not optimal when it is easily forgotten. Especially as I am a volunteer at the fire department and sometimes have to leave in a hurry
Acceptable_Net_9545@reddit
put cup holders in front of your vents....keep/make a small alcohol stove/heater or buy one from amazon... or use Sterno OE...you should have Sterno in your car anyways....Alcohol does not produce Carbon Monoxide....
havocinc@reddit
Or fill your bottles only half or so
havocinc@reddit
Put salt in it 😁
Maleficent_Mix_8739@reddit
I live in northern Minnesota where it reliably gets down to -30°F during the winter. A) Folding Shovel B) Kitty Litter C) isopropyl alcohol (it’s an excellent deicer for locks and door jambs assuming you didn’t silicone them before winter) D) Snow Brush / ice scraper / squeegee combo tool E) PEANUT BUTTER! and something to eat it with F) Slim Jim monster G) Sandwich crackers. H) 3-4 bottles of water per passenger. Kept in an insulated container rated for 24hrs. If you loose heat in your vehicle you’ll simply tuck the bottles inside your jacket to prevent it from freezing. I) -50°F rated insulated boots, coveralls, jacket, gloves and head gear of your choice, 3 pairs of winters “boot” socks per passenger…..in case you need to walk away. It’s a real pain but I vacuum seal my emergency clothing, thinsulate compresses incredibly well. J) Compass and learn how to use it K) Battery bank capable of jumping your car and to recharge or power 1 mobile phone
If you’re real ambitious you’ll toss a pair of snow shoes in somewhere as well.
Every bit of this will fit in your glove box and if properly packed a medium bag.
Mala_Suerte1@reddit
I lived in South America for a while and we didn't have heat - it got cold for a month or two, but rarely dropped below freezing. We would take isopropyl alcohol, pour about 1/4" in a #10 metal can and light it. It put out a surprising amount of heat. It burned cleanly, but I'd still crack a window.
Maleficent_Mix_8739@reddit
IPA is one of those 101+ usage things to always keep plenty of.
Mala_Suerte1@reddit
Definitely.
Interesting-Pop-9599@reddit
why are you asking chatgpt when you can ask real humans ffs
Cold_Smell_3431@reddit (OP)
Because the calculations was beyond the simple chemistry i know. So ChatGPT was an easy way to test an idea before committing an hour or more to get an answer.
Brudegan@reddit
I use the classic blue 5L or 10L plastic canisters that i only fill up half and treat it with an iodine water treatment pill. That should be enough so that the canister doesnt burst. And even if the lid pops open due to the increased pressure (what i doubt that it will happen) the opening is on top so it doesnt leak into my car.
In addition i always have a 1L metal bottle with water on me.
Wonderful_Edge5674@reddit
pone las botellas en una concerbadora . embolve las botellas en mantas termicas las tipicas de supervivencia son muy baratas metelas en mochilas con ropa dentro . no llenes del todo la notella. deja las botellas en la parte del suelo del auto en la parte mas baja ojala te sirva algo saludos
EnergyLantern@reddit
Our parents use to put a couple of logs in the pool during the winter because it would rain and freeze, so they didn't want the pool to become damaged.
USB heating rods. Fish tank warmers that would run on a USB power bank.
You get the idea.
You can't get lithium batteries or power banks wet because that becomes dangerous.
The big box hardware stores have cords that you can wrap around pipes in the winter to keep them from freezing and some are recommended for diesel tanks, but the problem is that if the inside your house temperature is warm, the heating element probably won't come on which defeats the whole purpose. If you have something outside, it may work but we had winters where even our oil tank froze from water being in regular diesel fuel.
I'm not really sure how much water (quantities) you have to keep warm though because a 10-watt fish tank heater probably isn't going to keep 50 gallons from freezing during the winter.
joshak3@reddit
How did the logs help prevent the pool from freezing?
EnergyLantern@reddit
Logs take the immense pressure to keep the pool from breaking.
There is a solar component because a lot of wood is brown and bark can be black. You can also paint logs.
If you ask google, you will get the same answere.
Did you ever notice metal fences with the snow around them? The snow around metal fence posts melt first because there is a solar component.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
So the logs act as a heat sink. Smart idea.
Mala_Suerte1@reddit
The logs would function as an expansion joint, absorbing the pressure of the ice, preventing the ice from cracking cement.
joshak3@reddit
Great, thank you.
Traditional-Leader54@reddit
The wires are called heat tracing FYI. That’s a pretty good idea.
TyrKiyote@reddit
I can't think of anything you would want to add to keep the water liquid. Salt makes the water useless, alcohol gets you drunk, chemicals arent good.
You could use a pressurized container, but then your water freezes as soon as it opens.
Using body heat, rotating out the bottles, or using the car's electrics to thaw the bottle in a pinch seem like the options.
Coolers can keep things warm. It would reduce the frequency of you needing to cycle bottles.
Soff10@reddit
I used to have a fully loaded vehicle. One of those features was an insulated cooler. In winter there was a small black heating pad glued to the inside. It was able to be adjusted from 70-100 degrees. The truck had duel batteries, computers, radios, and ran everything until the batteries got low. But not so low you couldn’t start the truck. This is the one.
VIVOSUN Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat 10" x 20.75" UL & MET-Certified Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad
It was setup to a thermostat. Not sure of that one. But my bottles of water and other liquids never froze.
Mala_Suerte1@reddit
Along these same lines, you can buy battery blankets made to keep your car batteries warm. Some models are just a metal plate that sits under the battery. But the same exact idea, they keep things warm - some are adjustable, and they stop when the battery voltage gets too low.
616c@reddit
Water bladders/bags are flexible, and you can remove the air, reducing pressure from headspace. I have 2L polyethylene bags that take up a lot less space than two 32oz nalgene bottles.
On long hikes they are great for carrying spare water for refilling, filtering, etc. I've refilled water bottles for hikers who only had a 20oz soda bottle for the whole family. (Keep your empties...you never know when a pack mule might have spare water!)
HazMatsMan@reddit
Put a few bottles of water in a bag on a coat hook next to the door and grab it on your way out. If you're going out the door so fast you can't remember to grab the bag hanging next to it, you may want to slow down a bit. Remember "it's not your emergency" and "you're not doing anyone any good if you don't get there".
NorthernPrepz@reddit
How much water we talking about?
PrimmSlimShady@reddit
Bottles could still burst, getting everything wet and subsequently covered in ice. I recommend just always carrying a metal water bottle and keep it topped off as much as possible, if you're concerned about getting stuck somewhere and needing access to water.
You said you'll have your jetboil (I'm assuming this is some sort of propane stove thing), if you run out of your water, you can gather snow and boil it in your metal water bottle using that.
Make sure the water bottle is single-wlled, not a double wall insulated one, if you want to be able to boil water in it directly.
Backsight-Foreskin@reddit
I keep the water bottles in a plastic bag just in case they bottle splits.
Imagirl48@reddit
Yes. I keep my plastic water bottles in a plastic tote just in case.
Hot_Librarian_8748@reddit
I can’t think of a better idea than what has already been posted but I also don’t understand the need to keep water liquid as it can be thawed with body heat or a metal cup and a candle.
Overall-Tailor8949@reddit
What you might try is using something like LMNT in your bottled water. I do NOT know if the salt concentration will be enough to hold off freezing.
Children_Of_Atom@reddit
That gets you a half degree lower freezing point given a 500ml bottle of water.
Paranormal_Lemon@reddit
Throw some extra large hand warmers in the vehicle. Just remember they need air to work.
smsff2@reddit
Plastic water bottles can freeze and thaw without any issues.
Sometimes I bring an insulated bottle full of tea, and I use cold water to cool down my cup. I don’t drink ice-cold water in the winter.
Personally, I always keep extra clothes in the car—specifically puffer vests and puffer jackets. You never know when you’ll need extra warmth.
To keep water from freezing, I wrap the bottle in a jacket. I do the same with my Thermos to keep it warm so I can still have hot tea the next morning.
WarProper3733@reddit
Why isn't it optimal do you live in the desert. Otherwise I think you're probably over shooting the need for hydration if you get stuck somewhere in the snow unless you're traveling back country etc and if that's the case you would make more preps before you left.
silasmoeckel@reddit
Life boat water rations are designed to freeze and be in extreme heat.
Not-a-Cranky-Panda@reddit
A Insulated Ice Cooler Box would help.
If you remove some of the water also remove some of the air.
axotrax@reddit
You might be able to put it in a down bag. Otherwise, I’m not sure. Some sort of insulating container.
KizzyTheExorcist@reddit
Car ones store in the body of the car not the trunk so that when the heat kicks on while u drive it can help, wrap up in a towel or some other way to insulate against the cold.
Do you have other water preps ? Outdoor storage tanks, rainwater tanks ? They would need more serious measures to ensure liquidity.