General Principles

Even if you never take your 4x4 off-road, you?ll be glad you have it when the snow falls and the roads get slippery. The extra traction you get when all four wheels are pulling gives you a margin of safety a two wheel drive sedan just can?t deliver. But keep these points in mind:

4-wheel drive helps you go but it doesn?t help you stop. Don?t get complacent just because you?ve got a 4x4. When roads get slick, slow down. Anticipate problems in plenty of time so you can brake under control.

Be familiar with the type of 4-wheel drive system your vehicle has. There are so-called "part-time" and "full-time" systems. A part-time system gives you better traction on slippery surfaces because the front and rear sets of wheels are locked together, but you shouldn?t keep a part-time system in 4WD on dry pavement. This creates too much wear on the drivetrain. A full-time system lets a little slip occur between the front and rear wheels, so running it on dry pavement is ok. A full-time system is more convenient when you?re driving on a road with intermittent patches of ice and snow, with dry pavement in between, because you can just put it in 4WD and leave it there. A part-time system gives you more traction when the surfaces are covered with solid snow or ice.

Vehicle Prep and Maintenance

When the weather turns cool, think about getting your rig ready for winter. Don?t wait until the asphalt turns white to prep your vehicle.

Tires ? If you?re planning to spend any significant time driving in snow, invest in a set of snow tires. They?ll help you avoid the hassle of chains in most situations. Whatever tires you use, you?ll get more traction and better stopping power if you have them siped ? the process of cutting tiny slits in the tread. Tire stores will do this for you with a special siping machine.

Put dedicated snow tires on your vehicle well before the first snowfall. Recent tests by Michelin show that the special tire compounds used in the tread of high-end snow tires need to be conditioned after you mount them each year by about 600 miles of dry highway driving before they develop maximum traction in snow.

You can also use studded snow tires, with small match-stick-sized metal projections sticking out of the tread about an eighth of an inch. Studded tires give superior traction on icy surfaces, but they give less traction on dry pavement because they keep the tread from fully gripping the surface.

If you live in a super-cold climate, you probably know people who parked their vehicles on a snowy surface and ripped the tires right off the rims when they tried to drive away the next morning. The heat from the recently-driven tires melted a thin layer of snow when they parked, but the night-time sub-zero temperatures froze this layer again, effectively welding the tire treads to the ground.

Fluids ? Check the potency of your antifreeze before the first frost, and be sure to change your oil to lower viscosity winter-weight. Invest in an oil pan heater if you live in an especially cold climate. Don?t forget to change the windshield washer fluid to an antifreeze type. Then be sure to wash the windshield before freezing temperatures arrive, so you have the antifreeze solution in the washer lines, or else they?ll freeze solid and you won?t be able to squirt the winter grime off your windshield until they thaw in the spring.

Vision ? Be sure your windshield wipers are up to par. Carry windshield deicer and an ice scraper. Plan ahead so you can start your engine a few minutes before you have to leave and get the heater and defroster going. Don?t risk driving with the windows frosted over, peering through a little peephole you?ve managed to scrape clear in the middle of the windshield.

Heater ? A functioning heater and defroster provide more than just comfort. They provide safety by keeping the windows clear. Check them thoroughly as part of your winter prep.

Miscellaneous ? Keep the door locks and rear hatch locks well lubricated and deiced. Make sure your headlights, tail lights, and brake lights are all functioning well. You need to see and be seen as much as possible when driving in the mist and fog. Consider carrying a yellow flashing light with a magnetic base. Plug it into the cigarette lighter and put it on your roof to increase visibilty in bad weather. (Check your local laws first to be sure that?s legal in your locale.)

Battery ? Don?t take a chance driving in winter weather with a marginal battery. Your battery won?t be nearly as efficient in cold temperatures anyway, and has to work a lot harder to turn the engine over when the oil?s stiffened by the cold. A dead battery in a blizzard or remote location can be life-threatening. If you?re not sure about your battery, invest in a high end new one and make sure it has plenty of CCAs. Install dual batteries if you?re going to travel to remote backcountry, especially if you anticipate having to use your winch.

Know the Weather

If you?re going to be driving any distance at all, check the weather first. Be sure you know what the weather is going to be doing all along your route. Are you going to be crossing mountain passes? A light rain in the valleys may be a raging blizzard at higher altitudes. A scenic shortcut in the summer may turn into an impassable death trap in snowy weather. Call your local automobile or travel club, or check with the highway departments or highway patrols of the states through which you?ll be traveling.

File a "Flight Plan"

An experienced pilot, taking off in a private plane, files a flight plan before he or she leaves the runway, informing the FAA of the intended route and the expected time of arrival. If the plane doesn?t show up at the destination on time, people know where to start looking. Take a hint from the pilots. It?s a good idea any time you take a trip anywhere to let friends and family know where you?re going and when you expect to be back. Also let theem know what route you intend to take. This is especially important in the winter, particularly if you?re going to be traveling off the beaten path.

On-Highway Equipment

Even if you?re not planning to be driving off-highway, winter driving demands that you carry equipment to get you moving if you get stuck on a slippery road. You also need emergency survival gear in case you get bogged down in a blizzard or if you get caught in miles of traffic brought to a stand-still by an accident. I can recall several occasions when I had to spend an entire winter night in my vehicle on the way to Lake Tahoe from San Francisco. Traffic stopped moving one time because of a jack-knifed semi on Interstate 80 out of Sacramento and another time because of a sudden blizzard on route 50 between Placerville and South Lake Tahoe. It can take hours to get out of situations like those.

Here?s a minimal list of equipment and supplies to bring along on snowy highways:

General stuff: CB radio to call for help if necessary (don?t count on a cellular phone if you?re out in the country), windshield deicing fluid, extra windshield washer/antifreeze solution, a waterproof tarp to lie on in the snow if you have to put on chains or make repairs. Be sure you leave home with a full tank of gas, and if you know you?re heading into bad weather, fill up anytime you get below ? full. Don?t forget to bring at least two flashlights with extra batteries for each.

Unstuck stuff: Tire chains, spare tire with a lug wrench and jack, Safety Seal Kit to seal flat tires, a tire gauge, an electric air pump to reinflate flats, a Hi-Lift jack with a bumper-lift accessory, a shovel, a hand winch (a "come-along"), traction strips to put under wheels that are slipping, a nylon tow strap, a buck saw to cut brush to put under spinning wheels and to cut firewood if necessary.

Food and water: At least a gallon of drinking water for each person, emergency food to last each person at least one day.

Protection from the cold: A warm sleeping bag for each person, several extra blankets. Bring along fire-making equipment in case your impromptu stay in the outdoors lasts longer than a few hours ? waterproof matches, gelled alcohol fire starter, Duraflame-type fire logs to get a fire started.

Warm clothing: Warm coats or parkas, sweaters, and winter boots, along with a change of gloves, boots, socks, underwear, and pants in case your basic clothes get wet. Bring along waterproof foul weather gear for anyone who may have to be working outside on the vehicle in cold, sloppy weather.