According to the Prius website, the 2017 Prius Prime has approximately 7 cubic feet less of packing space than my old 2006 Prius. In the winter, trying to be a responsible and safe citizen, I try to pack a survival bag, shovel, broom, gear, blankets, snow boots, routine tools, towing straps, reflectors, first-aid and lighting, protein bars/water...……..the list goes on. Something to keep me from freezing to death between midnight and 7a if I slide off the road. No configuration has yet to come close to what I need. Remember, if the car is off the road, the chance of getting out of the car, walking out and raising the trunk then to retract the cargo cover to access supplies may be impossible. Injuries, sleet, ice, deep snow, trees/boulders against the car..... I've tried various configuration including long narrow gift wrap boxes, daypacks, plastic boxes, etc. None of these packing configurations are safe or effective. Heavy objects are thrown with violent force during a crash. Does anyone have a photo of a workable winter survival packing hack? I put most of the instruction books in the rear-seat console.
Step 1: Procure winter tires. 2: The Prime Advanced has a Verizon cell modem that can be used to call emergency services. If that doesn't work, any modern cellphone will connect to ANY available cell network for 911, even if it displays No Service for your primary carrier, or even if it's not activated at all. So, you'd have to be in a 100% deadzone for all four carriers to not be able to call for help. Sorry.... I'm too young to have the common sense to pack properly for an emergency. If you're stranded for 7 hours and can't call for help and can't leave your car, you're probably screwed anyways.
The thought occurs that maybe you could modify or hack a child safety seat to strap in with a seatbelt in the rear seat and hold a duffel bag full of gear
Trust ME if this car is anywhere close to offroad there is NO chance of you getting it out urself beacause of how LOW IT IS! it can hardly stand my DRIVEWAY!
I can't believe that anyone would pack all those things in their car in the off chance that they might slide off the road in the winter. If you feel that threatened, you shouldn't be driving a Prius. I suggest you be a safe and responsible citizen and stay home if the roads are that bad.
Having a few emergency supplies doesn't mean someone feels threatened or cant handle driving a prius, it's insurance. Someone who refuses to take a few precautions is placing a burden on everyone else. I've been in a few situations where my life was not in danger, but having some emergency supplies came in very handy. Stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in NM during a snow storm for about 6 hours. I was glad to have a blanket, couple bottles of water, snacks, etc. Did I "need" any of it, nope, but turned a uncomfortable situation into nap/book reading time. Never used my first aid kit to save a life but have used it many times for minor burns, cuts, pain medication, etc, and most of the time it was a friend, family, or random motorist. less than 2 miles from my house, a steep, curvy road is the only way into our housing area. Every year some one with zero common sense tries crawling up the hill as slowly as possible with only a few inches of snow on the ground. Once they are stuck we end up with dozens of people having to wait hours in our cars for a tow truck. So yes I pack emergency supplies, and during the winter months I add to it. This isn't about surviving for days in the wilderness, it's about being able to handle the much more likely minor emergencies. My basic supplies include water, snacks, first aid kit, some tools. In the winter I have a backpack with long underwear, extra gloves and hat, couple of candles and matches, emergency blanket and a regular blanket. I work in a office just 10 miles from home so 95% of the time I'll be able to walk home if I have to. But how much nicer will that walk be if I have long johns on under my office clothes, or a pair of gloves/hat if I happen to forget mine that day, or a few snacks along the way to keep my energy up. In a real emergency if I DO happen to slide off the road and can't reach help for whatever reason, I'm much more likely to survive with those supplies. I dont honestly expect that will ever happen, but no reason not to have some insurance if it does.
But a cell phone can only connect to a system that it is technologically compatible with. Until fairly recently, that meant that a Verizon cell phone, which uses CDMA technology, could not connect to a T-Mobile or at&t cell site, which use GSM technology. And a T-Mobile or at&t phone could not connect to a Verizon cell site, for the same reason. This was not a matter of how the phone was programmed; entirely different radio circuits are required. But two things have changed recently: (1) Verizon smartphones now all also include GSM technology (mainly to support roaming overseas, which is pretty much all GSM technology). (2) all carriers are moving to the same LTE technology, so they are all compatible. Verizon is in the process of phasing out its CDMA technology completely, and the "GSM" carriers are also moving toward supporting only LTE, and are decommissioning some of the older variants of the GSM family of technology.
There are times, and I've been in them, when you can't rely on tech to help. Sometimes you just have to be prepared the old school way and plan for adverse conditions and what you "may" need if you get into trouble depending on what you're doing. How "far" you take it is a personal thing. It could be as simple as taking along a pair of insulated bibs in cold weather in case you should need to be outside the car in an unplanned situation (flat, wreak, etc.) Some take it a lot farther. It depends a lot on "where" you are and the weather conditions. To the OP, try packing your stuff in a duffel back and place in the back seat or floor board for easy unrestricted access.
I keep all my emergency gear in an old carry-on suitcase in the trunk. The zipper is broken, so it's not useful for anything else. Some of the things in there: Jumper Cables Tow strap Shackles for tow strap Hitch pin to be used as a place to connect tow strap Ratchet straps for securing cargo Bungee cords Folding shovel (one for dirt in the summer and one for snow in the winter) A folding saw (in case a tree is blocking the road, or for cutting wood at camp) Flares (can be used for emergency fire starting or signaling) hand warmers An old towel or blanket Tire chains It all fits, except only the tire chains or towel will fit (not both). I have used all this stuff except the flares. I should probably add some food and water, but I usually pack some for whatever trip I'm going on, along with my first aid kit, Personal Locator Beacon (emergency satellite call-for-help button), etc. I wouldn't worry about not being able to get in the trunk, that seems pretty unlikely. Just fold the back seat down if you can't get out of the car. If you remove the passenger seat headrest, slide the seat all the way forward, and fold the seatback all the way back, it will go level with the back seat so you can climb back there more easily. I think Toyota calls this "relaxation mode". People who say to just push the emergency button are crazy (or haven't lived somewhere remote). In the mountains in Colorado there are lots of places with no cell phone service at all (no matter what carrier). And roads often close for snow, avalanches, rock slides, fires, accidents, etc. so it's nice to be self-sufficient and not have to stop for food or water along with thousands of other people trying to get home on the same road. And in parts of Utah help is likely to be more than an hour away. The farthest I've driven that I can think of is 2.5 hours from the nearest town, 30 minutes on the highway and 2 hours into a maze of dirt roads. Help would likely get lost in the network of dirt roads on the way out there, too.
I have a fleece blanket under the passenger seat. I have a first aid kit including a mylar thermal blanket in the glove box. I have various types of food in both consoles including bars, nuts, and candy. I always have at least a bottle of water. A jug is added if I'm leaving town. I have backup gloves next to the driver's seat. I wear appropriate clothes for the conditions. I have a cell phone in my pocket and several chargers in the car. I have more than half a tank of gas. I have suitable tires of sufficient tread. I have jumper cables under the driver's seat. I have two tracking apps on my phone so my family can see where I am and have been. I find this sufficient for emergencies.
You will get a better opportunity to use your survival kit if you do not have a spare tire mounted on a rim. Just saying... Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
And out west, there is a considerable amount of 100% dead zone. Look for 'white space' on the coverage maps. Drivers who never venture off the U.S. Interstate Highway System may be in luck.
