The current actual temperature where I live is -17. With wind chill, we are at a smoking 33 below. Today’s HIGH will be -2. NOTE: I speak in Fahrenheit.
About two or three hours north of me it is currently -30. The high there will rise to a balmy -9. The wind chill is -55.
So what does a discussion about the frosty land where I live have to do with technology? Lots. Think about it.
The technology that we live with on a daily basis is so pervasive that it is almost invisible until it stops working and therefore doing whatever it is that we wanted it for. But how happy are your electronic devices when they are in extreme weather?
Do you have a GPS device that is not built in to your vehicle? Do you leave it on the dash when you park your car? Do you live where there is extreme hot or extreme cold? Ever have your GPS go goofy on you after it has been subjected to extreme temperature? I have.
Since I live in extreme cold and used to live in extreme heat, I have had the opportunity to see what happens to a variety of electronic devices. Some manage the weather just fine while others suffer in silence. Silence that is the result of them powering off independently, refusing to turn on, or just plain breaking.
So what do you do when the weather is challenging? First, recognize that if you are miserable in the weather you’re having, your electronics may be even less thrilled and completely unable to put on a coat or move into the air conditioning all by themselves. Give them a hand.
Because I live in a state that experiences life threatening cold, I keep a winter survival kit in the trunk of my car. This kit includes things like battery jumper cables, bottled water, protein or energy bars, a flashlight, extra batteries, emergency flares, de-icing fluid, gloves, emergency blanket, towel, and a small first aid kit. It also contains an insulated bag that can be sealed reasonably well.
As many of you know, I drive a very small, fuel efficient Saturn. No, my kit does NOT occupy the entire trunk. Yes, it can be accessed from the interior of the vehicle without venturing outside.
In the event of an emergency, I can get to things like first aid, warmth that is independent of the car, food, and water. I can also protect my electronics by putting them into that insulated bag and sealing it. That will at least prolong the time that my cell phone will continue to work until help arrives. Since my GPS prefers to be plugged in but will run on battery power, I turn it off until I need to pinpoint my location to assist anyone trying to find me. It will stay reasonably warm in that insulated bag along with my other devices.
Were I feeling so adventurous as to step outside on a day like today, I would be carrying any needed electronics in a lined leather handbag with the compartment they are in carried closest to my body. In a pinch, I would carry them in my pockets where the down jacket I live in over the winters would provide them with some degree of protection and warmth.
Having lived in both Phoenix, AZ and the Twin Cities, I have seen both sides of the extreme weather thing. I have literally watched an egg fry on the sidewalk and I have gotten frostbite. I have learned through experience that many electronic devices don’t much care for extremes and that it is important to consider their health and well being when confronted by weather that even you don’t much care for.
If you are in the Midwest, I wish you luck starting your car at the end of the day, a supply of lock de-icer, and the warm or warming beverage of your choice. On a day like today, you will need it!
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