It’s likely that you have a few emergency items in your car–jumpers, a jack, pliers, a tool kit. But with snow and ice bearing down on us any minute, what items should you keep on-hand for an unexpectedly dangerous commute or car trouble on a frigid day?
Again, a first aid kit and a basic car tool kit are terrific ideas, assuming you’ve some idea to use what’s inside. You can purchase pre-fab kits at lots of hardware stores or online. If you don’t really know how to use the tools, better to spend that cash on a AAA membership and stock a car kit to keep you safe if you are ever in the position of waiting for help in the ice, snow, or cold.
Here are a few items you might consider supplementing your kit with in winter months:
Ice scraper with a metal blade–one winter with one like this, and I’ll never go back to plastic.
Shovel
Sand
Salt
Burner phone
Cell phone charger to plug into your lighter or car console
Emergency blankets (one per family member). Wool is warmer, but emergency blankets take up little space, store flat, are sometimes reflective and often inexpensive (under $5).
LED flashlights for signaling or lighting your way if you have to leave the car
Batteries
Handwarmers–these sound like a small comfort, but to those with pain from chronic or allergic responses to cold, they can be crucial
Spare boots/gloves–face it: the emergency will arise the ONE DAY you leave your gloves on the dining room table
Jerky, nuts, crackers
Hand sanitizer or wet wipes
Water–in winter months, it’s better to carry small bottles of water you could thaw with body heat and sip, rather than a larger container of water that will leave you with a block of ice. Not the best way to quench your thirst!
Collapsible fuel container
Consider the physical health of your family. Anyone have medical needs that will be exacerbated by cold, missing a dose of medicine, or low blood sugar? Make sure to have what you need in the car to address those issues.
Store your kit somewhere accessible like under the passenger seat or secured in the backseat rather than the trunk; this way you’ll be able to get to what you need in the event the trunk is damaged or you’re stuck in snowbank.
It’s especially important to keep your vehicle tuned up and topped off in winter months, as the weather in this region can be unpredictable. You’ll also want to measure how to keep safe if you’re stranded rather than comfortable; it’s possible to be both, of course, but if you have to choose, it’s better to be chilly and alert than too warm and sleepy, so keep the windows cracked and rely on moving around when possible.