Beat the cold and keep working this winter
As temperatures plummet after the unseasonably warm autumn, construction workers and contractors start piling on the layers to keep the chill at bay. But as well as an extra pair of socks or two there are a few smart ways to beat the cold on site this winter. We’ve put a list of seven of the most sensible ways to get ready for the next ice age. Most of these chill beating ideas are cheap as chips - even the most expensive is just small change compared to the cost of a nasty bash you could get from skidding across an icy road, that could easily end up with higher van insurance premiums.
Stay cool and connected – put some gloves on that work with your touch screen
Ever had to take your gloves off and freeze your fingers just to use your phone? Fingers and touch screens work because our fingers are slightly moist and conduct electricity. You don’t need a GCSE in physics to work out that gloves aren’t great conductors and so trying to text with your mittens on is pointless. Until now that is. With some gloves with conductive finger tips and even the most frost bitten builder will be able to text to their heart’s content even in blizzard conditions. And van drivers won’t have to worry about de-mitting before tapping a new destination into their Sat Nav either. We found some of these clever mitties at the online gadget store firebox but take a look around, there are bound to be plenty to choose from.
Prepare for the worst – put a survival pack in your van (no, we’re not talking about a six pack and a packet of mince pies...)
If you are white van man, make sure you don’t become blue van man by getting stranded in the middle of nowhere by weather bad enough to bring traffic to a standstill. It happened last year and it can happen again. You’ve probably got a load of kit in the back of the van that will get you out of most fixes, but have you got what you need if you do find yourself snowed up for a while? Simple things like making sure you have a bottle of water and some food are obvious, but a wind up radio and thermal blanket might not be. Someone’s already done all the thinking for you and put a winter car kit with all you need to survive an unexpected ice age. It’s in a box marked ‘survival’. Not a bad idea.
Buy a few of these and put them in your coat pockets – reusable heat pads
Yes, your kids have them on bonfire night but if you need to use your phone, write or work with small items outdoors, it’s a good idea to have warm fingers. Its no joke if you’ve got work to do outside as dexterity reduces as fingers get chilled. Fingerless gloves seem like a good idea just let the tips of your fingers ice over at the expense of having warm palms. If you’re working on site supervising contractors or tradesmen, and need to hold a pen/phone/tool or do anything that demands some dexterous control, there’s no shame in having reusable heat pads in your coat pockets as a secret weapon. You’ll find them just about everywhere and they cost pennies (although they may come in some less than manly shapes) we found these no nonsense reusable heatpads in a reasonably boyish blue on Amazon, but if you want cutesy, you’ll have plenty of choice online and elsewhere.
Snowed in or snowed out? A little bit of salt will sort it out.
If you were stuck on a side road or car-park the last time the world iced over, you’ll know how frustrating it can be to watch traffic buzzing along the main roads. You don’t have to wait for the thaw to get moving again though if you have your own handy supply of salt to hand. A few sacks of road grade salt grit can keep your front door free from killer ice and snow or clear the car-park so your staff can drive in safely every morning, then home again at night. Municipal gritters won’t keep your business forecourt clear and grit bins on kerbsides empty faster than you can say ‘jack frost’ when the buckets come out, so you’ll have to find a private supplier, like this one who caters for all size of business with ready to use salting kits. There are plenty of companies out there, so compare prices and bargain hard.
On the road and feeling peckish but don’t fancy a sandwich? Have a nice hot dinner instead
If you’re out on site or doing deliveries in a far-flung corner of mid Wales the usual curly sandwich from the petrol station is less than appetising in the freezing cold. Now you can have a self heating hot meal whenever you need (or should we say want) one, if you’re out in your van, keep one in the glove compartment. Take a look at hotboxfood although there are others, including cans of soup that self heat. The Japanese have been using this technology for years, it’s a wonder why we’ve taken so long to figure it out. Maybe we thought pot noodles were as good as it was ever going to get?
Get a grip! Some snow and ice grips for your own boots make great sense
Rigger boots are great on site, but what if you’ve got a client visit or have to go in and out of the office/car and onto site, but don’t want to coat your world in mud? Grippy add-ons for your own shoes may be the answer. We’ve seen these advertised in those funny box ads at the back of the weekend papers next to granny style foot warmers, but don’t let that stop you getting this serious bit of cold weather kit. They don’t cost the earth either you can find them here.
And last, but not least keep your van from dancing across the road with a pair of Snowsocks Stop fretting about the cost of winter tyres – you don’t need them. A new fabric sock for your tyres will give your van extra grip on ice and snow without the expense of deep tread tyres.
A review by the consumer champions Which? took a look and found them easy to use, practical and grippy although they couldn’t test them for real in the snow at the time. There’s no easier way of avoiding that awful ice induced collision with another vehicle, even though you’re in second and the speedometer hasn’t even touched 5mph. So snowsocks have to be one of the most cost effective ways of making sure your insurance premiums stay the same next year. The technology is relatively new and you only need a pair as they work off the driving wheels of your van/car and cost around £50. Snowsocks fold up, don’t take up any space so you can keep them in the back of the van or in the boot of your car. Brilliant.