Cold Weather Chase Preparation

Has any of this ever happened to you? It's winter. You're in charge of the chase vehicle. Inside the cab of your truck it's a couple of degrees above zero. You and your partner are stomping your feet on the floorboards to get some blood circulating down into your soggy running shoes as the heater pumps out a few paltry molecules of warm air. Outside it's colder than a well diggers heenie. In the distance, you watch a balloon go down into a farmer's field. Grateful for the opportunity to be moving, you fire up the engine and ease it into first to avoid skidding on the icy road. Pulling into the snowy field, where the pilot you crew for is waving madly, you feel the truck sink into a deep well of snow and mud. Tires spin as the vehicle settles into a position it won't leave until the spring thaw. You're stuck and stuck good.

Improper planning for cold winter weather can make the above scenario sound pretty good. Especially if you end up far from town, and help, with a broken down vehicle and no food, water, and dry clothes. In preparing for winter, consider the worst and ask lots of "what if" questions. What if I get hungry? What if it starts to rain or snow? What if I get cold? What if I break a fan belt? What if I break a tire chain? What if I get a flat? What if there's an emergency with the balloon? Are you ready for anything that comes up? Are you prepared?

Even if you have no plans for winter flying, the following checklist should help you prepare for everything that winter has to throw at you. Remember, though, that no equipment list is a substitute for experience and pre-planning. You've got a brain. Use it!

Car battery: If it has been weak, making it hard to start your car on cold mornings, get your battery replaced. For the price of getting towed you can buy lots of batteries. If you own an unsealed battery, check the water level and insure the battery is fully charged. Electricity hates winter weather and cold temperatures can really draw down power. If you have more than idiot lights, check to see that your alternator is charging properly. Also, did you take those jumper cables out of the garage and put them in the car?

Heater: Does it work? How about the blower motor? If the hood vent, that open grill area just in front of the windshield, is clogged with snow, you'll never warm up. That's where the air comes from for your heater.

Tires: If you live in a state that allows snow tires, do you have them on your vehicle or are they still under the house with the spiders, waiting for summer? If you have regular M+S (mud and snow) tires, how's the tread? Where are your tire chains? Do you chain tighteners too? Lastly, do you and the rest of the chase crew know how to install the chains?

Anti-sticking devices: It's easy to slide off roads when they're wet and icy. Carrying a bucket of sand, for extra traction, and a short handled shovel, to clear snow from around the wheels, will save you a lot of grief. Avoid using kitty leader. Yeah, sure; it's cheap and not messy like sand and your brother-in-law says it works great. Don't believe him. When kitty litter gets wet it turns into oatmeal mush. Don't you know, that's where oatmeal mush comes from.

Scrapers: credit cards are fine for scraping snow and ice from your windshield. But bent credit cards don't pass through those dealies at the store very well. Invest in a plastic windshield scrapper that has a long handle so your fingers stay warm. A whisk broom or a bench brush works well to sweep off snow.

Door locks: spray a little silicone lube into your door locks to keep them from freezing.

Fluids: make sure your water/antifreeze mixture is at the right ratio to survive temperatures cold enough to stop Superman. Check other fluids, breaks, transmission, window washer, as well. Think about running a multi-viscosity oil like 5- 10-30 WT to help start the engine on real cold mornings.

Lights: winter days are dark and the sun goes down early. Carry extra fuses and a large flashlight. Make sure the flashlight batteries are fresh.

Emergencies: do you have road flares or triangle reflectors? What about an extra blanket, water, and food? Don't assume someone will always be around to help you.

Now that the chase vehicle is ready to go, what about the crew?

Shoes: if they aren't waterproof, leave them at home. Boots, if properly prepared, are great. They keep your feet protected from the cold and give good traction if you're pulling heavy loads through snowy or muddy fields. Moon boots (insulated, lightweight critters used by skiers) are great but you want to keep them out of the mud and water. Sorels or duck boots are great. Check your outdoor equipment retailer or any of the catalog companies out of the Pacific Northwest or Atlantic states.

Clothing: layers work best but avoid bulk. It's a difficult trade-off but you want to be able to move about. Avoid anything that is tight fitting or binding; restricting blood flow will make you colder. Avoid cotton pants and shirts, as cotton absorbs water. That's why they use it to make towels. Start with a long-john layer and work outward. Polypropylene or wool are still the stand-bys for cold weather. A leather jacket or a pile coat with nylon wind shell are good outer layers. Ski clothing is bright and fashionable but not rugged enough for ballooning.

A word of caution regarding synthetic fiber for clothing. Should the clothing come in contact with heat it will melt. If the synthetic fibers are in contact with your body they will fuse to the skin.

Secondly, never wear synthetic clothing during refueling. Particularly in dry winter conditions the probability for a static electricity discharge is high. A couple of years ago a balloonist was rolling up a web dropline while refueling. The pilot was standing outside of the basket holding the line inside the basket. The action of rolling up the line alone caused a static electricity spark that started a fire in the basket. Fortunately the fire was extinguished quickly with only minor damage.

Hats and gloves: you lose most of your body heat through the backs of your hands or the top of your head. An old mountaineer saying is, "If you're cold, put on a hat." Get something that will pull down over your ears. Leave the ballcaps, with the name of your favorite fertilizer, beer, or sport team, at home. For your hands, mittens are warmer than gloves but gloves give you some measure of digit dexterity. A thin liner with a nylon outer glove is a good compromise.

Sunglasses: the winter sun can be very bright, especially when reflecting off a ground layer of snow or a cloudy sky. Get sunglasses that offer the most extreme amount of ultra-violet protection. Read the labels because dark glass will not protect your eyes from UV unless it is specially treated to do so.

Food and water: don't forget to eat and drink. Cold weather makes us lethargic, but we need food in order to produce body heat. Without body heat, no amount of clothing will keep you warm. Winter air is so cold that it draws moisture out from our lungs so it is actually possible to become dehydrated. A thermos of hot soup is warming and nourishing. Leave caffeinated drinks at home as they are dehydrating.

What types of cold-related emergencies are you most likely to experience?

Frostbite: extremities are the most likely to be affected. If your fingers and toes or nose and ears numb out, you might be affected. Warm the areas gradually, do not rub, and seek professional help. They've done wonders in recent years in avoiding amputations.

Hypothermia: "Killer of the Unprepared." Also known as "exposure," hypothermia results from the core body temperature sinking below 98.6 F. Disorientation and uncontrolled shivering are the first symptoms and things start getting worse right after that. Warm the person and seek professional help immediately!

Winter flying, and chasing, offer new vistas of experience for balloonists of every level. As long as you are properly prepared and equipped, winter flying should be just as exciting, challenging, and interesting as the rest of the year.