Can We Guess Where You Grew Up Based on Your Winter Survival Skills?

By: Teresa McGlothlin

6 Min Quiz

Image: Paulo Amorim / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Forgive us for being blunt, but some of you probably couldn't survive a cold winter in New England! If you tried it after a lifetime spent at the tip of Florida, you might be in for a few chilling surprises. During this quiz, we want to see how you survive some of winter's more normal situations and how you fight your way through a few sets of unlikely circumstances. If you can survive it, it will tell us where you grew up!

In some parts of the country, winter takes a lot of preparation to stay safe. Feet of snow can fall within a few hours, and the cold can freeze even the warmest of pipes. Once you show us what you do to get ready, how you react to being outdoors and how you condition your home for the season, we'll see the skills that you naturally learned while you were young. And that will practically lead us to the front door of your childhood home.

Do you keep extra blankets and kitty litter in your car when the weather starts turning? Or do you park your car in the garage until spring? Show off your survival skills, and we'll take a well-rounded guess where we might find your home town! Will it be right?

Pixabay by Pankgraf

When do you usually break out the shorts and flip flops?

I wear them all year-round.

It's usually warm enough in March.
They don't come out until June.

It's never warm enough for that jazz.

Pixabay by Jill Wellington

How would you stop a draft from coming in a leaky window?

It's good fresh air!

I would stuff it with old socks.
They make plastic kits for that.

I would have the windows replaced.

Pixabay by Pexels

When your car skids on slush, which way should you steer the wheel?

Steer into the skid

Let go of the steering wheel
Steer in the direction you want the car to go

Hold the wheel straight

Unsplash by NeONBRAND

When you hear snow in the forecast, do you run out for milk and bread?

I always stock up ahead of time.

I don't get milk and bread, but I do get other adult necessities.
I go out for a month's worth of groceries.

No, they are always exaggerating.

Pexels by chatchawarn loetsupan

Why would you throw a bag of kitty litter into your trunk during the winter?

It helps to weigh the car down.

If you get stuck, it can help get you out.
I might find a stray cat.

It covers up the foul smell of my car.

Unsplash by Wesley Tingey

Uh oh! Your heat is out. How are you going to stay warm?

I'll put up my tent and crawl inside.

I'll burn some candles.
I think it's time to go sit in the car.

I'll seal off a room with blankets.

Unsplash by Jamie Street

If you were unfortunate enough to fall through the ice, how would you get out?

I would pull myself up like I'm getting out of the bath.

I would sort of swim out of the hole.
I would scream for help.

I would break the ice in front of me until I was on the shore.

Unsplash by Alex Geerts

Do you have a drawer full of long underwear?

No, it's too uncomfortable.

I'm wearing a set now.
I have a couple of drawers full of them.

No, but I have some thermal socks.

Pixabay by Pexels

Could you make a fire in the fireplace without using a lighter?

Yes, I would use matches.

I could make an ember by rubbing two sticks together.
It looks like I'm going without fire.

I have some of those fire-starting logs.

Pixabay by nickypung

If a blizzard knocked your power out, how would you charge your phone?

I can live without it for a few days.

I have a generator.
I'll charge it in my car.

Call the ambulance ... I'm not going to make it!

Unsplash by Alex Geerts

Do you turn your furnace down when you leave for the day?

I turn it completely off.

I turn it down, but I don't turn it off.
No, I want it to be warm when I get back.

I have a smart thermostat that does all that stuff for me.

Pixabay by Ioannis Ioannidis

Would you leave your disabled car to go get help when it's below zero outside?

I would stay put.

I couldn't just stay there.
I might get out and walk around a little.

No way! There could be bears out there.

Unsplash by Sarah Vilardo

What's the best way to keep warm while you're waiting outside in the winter?

Layers of clothing

Keep moving
The handwarmer things

Sit in the car

Wiki Commons by Jared C. Benedict

Do you have a snowblower hiding out in the garage?

I do!

No, but I have some snow shovels.
I don't, but I have salt to throw on the ice.

Will my lawnmower work?

Pixabay by uknowgayle

What do you use to scrape winter ice off your windshield?

I have a tool for that.

I've used a credit card in the past.
I don't leave home when there's ice.

I let the car warm up until it melts.

Unsplash by Matthew T Rader

Which one of these things is most important to store in case of a snowpocalypse?

Extra blankets

A flashlight or candles
Firewood

Extra water

Pexels by Maël Balland

What's the right way to walk through deep snow?

Walk as quickly as possible

Stomp your feet into it
Poke holes in it before you step down

It's better to crawl.

Unsplash by juan garcia

Are you the type who sleeps with the fan on in the dead of winter?

I can't live without it.

I prefer leaving a window open.
If the furnace is too hot, I'll put the fan out.

No, but I do turn the heat off at night.

Unsplash by Victoria Heath

Do you get cold when you watch shows that take place in the Antarctic?

It cools me down.

I think they're fascinating.
They are too cold to watch.

I'm not into that kind of stuff.

Pexels by Nico Brüggeboes

If you got caught outside in a snowstorm, what would you use to make a shelter?

I would dig a snow cave.

Mother Nature provides all you need.
I'll use a tarp or something.

I would never go outside in a snowstorm.

Wiki Commons by Anatomist / Bruce Blaus

Do you know how to diagnose the beginning stages of frostbite?

I know the symptoms well.

I think your fingers start burning.
Shivering is the first sign.

I think I read that being delirious is the way to tell.

Pixabay by analogicus

Should you eat snow to stay hydrated while you're lost outdoors?

You should melt it first so it doesn't lower your body temperature.

You would have to eat too much to make a difference.
Snow is too toxic to eat.

As long as it's not yellow, it's fine.

Wiki Commons by Suyash Dwivedi

How would you thaw out a frozen water pipe?

Heat tape works really well.

I would use a hairdryer.
I would wait until it warms up.

I would call a plumber.

Pixabay by Rudy and Peter Skitterians

Should you slam on the brakes when you think you're driving on black ice?

You should gradually slow down.

You're supposed to pump the brakes.
I would pull over until it gets warmer and melts the ice.

Yes. You need to hit your brakes to slow down.

Unsplash by Victória Kubiaki

What part of your body do you think loses heat the fastest?

Your head

It loses heat evenly.
Feet

Hands

Pixabay by Vlad Vasnetsov

How much snow is too much snow?

A dusting is really pretty, but it's enough.

There's never too much.
One snowflake is too much snow.

I like a little snow during the holidays.

Unsplash by kelvin balingit

Do you keep your curtains open during the winter months?

I can't wait to open them every spring.

I keep the south-facing curtains open, but I close the rest.
I never close my curtains.

I keep them closed in the summer months.

Unsplash by Emma Dau

Are you more likely to wear boots or sneakers in the middle of February?

I wear sneakers all year round.

It depends on what I'm wearing.
I'm more likely to be found wearing fuzzy slippers.

I wear boots all year round.

Unsplash by Isaac Wendland

Would you ever go for a jog in the snow?

I do it all the time!

Jogging's not my thing.
No, but I love going for a sled ride.

That's when I hit the gym.

Unsplash by Bethany Laird

What's your favorite thing to do when you're stuck at home on a snow day?

I like to bake things.

That's a day for pajamas!
I usually end up cleaning.

I like to catch up on stuff I have been putting off.

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

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