Fort Simpson (Jan 14/05) - When the mercury plummets, the relentless wind howls and skin can be frostbitten within minutes.

Having your vehicle break down in the middle of nowhere is just about the last thing you want to happen.

Steven Vandell can remember standing desperately at roadside between Fort Simpson and Fort Providence, underdressed for the bone-chilling weather.

"I froze up in running shoes and whatnot," he recalled, adding that somebody happened to come along not too long afterwards. "But that was when I was young and foolish."

Today, Vandell works for Enbridge Pipelines NW and couldn't be better equipped for an emergency. When he's on the road to Wrigley or Zama, Alta., he's outfitted with the company's radio, satellite phone and survival pack consisting of candles, dry food, a blanket, an axe, a sleeping bag and winter gear.

He has also taken winter survival courses, through which he's honed his ability to make a snow hut.

It's not just during work hours that he's prepared. In his own vehicle, Vandell said he's sure to carry a snow shovel, a sleeping bag, booster cables, an axe and even some firewood.

He said he has two children and he wouldn't take any chances.

Harold Burrill, who drives a 1996 Kenworth truck and his own half-tonne pickup, said he always has a first-aid kit on board. He said it's also a good idea to pack extra food, blankets and surplus fuel.

"You can carry an extra jerry can because you never know when somebody is broken down on the road and you can help them out," he said.

He and Vandell have helped many a stranded motorist over the years.

When it gets bitterly cold, say -40C and below, it doesn't take much for mechanical failure. "Just a little bit of ice in your gas tank and you're down. Carry gas line anti-freeze," Burrill advised, adding that chains for tires, a tow rope and a shovel can come in handy.

Vandell said when it drops to -40C or colder, he curtails his own travel according to company policy.

"Things get brittle after a while," he said.

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