Winter Emergency Car Kit – Essential Supplies for Your Car
When winter approaches, it’s crucial to prepare your vehicle for potential emergencies. A well-stocked winter car kit can make a significant difference in ensuring your safety during unexpected situations.
Start with basic tools such as a flashlight and extra batteries. Visibility is key during winter storms, and a reliable light source can help you signal for assistance or navigate in the dark.
But there is so much more to consider to be ready for a sudden emergency. Here you will find a more comprehensive list of ready-at-hand supplies to keep in your car for winter road emergencies should they arise.
Emergency Winter Car Kit Basics
- Blankets: Keep warm if you get stuck.
- Flashlight: Use it to see in the dark and signal for help.
- First Aid Kit: Be ready for minor injuries.
- Food and Water: Pack non-perishable snacks and bottled water.
- Shovel: Dig your car out of snow.
- Ice Scraper: Clear ice off your windows.
- Jumper Cables: Start your car if the battery dies.
- Road Flares or Reflective Triangles: Alert other drivers if you’re stranded.
- Extra Clothes: Stay warm with hats, gloves, and socks.
Having these supplies can help you handle emergencies during winter driving.
Icy and slippery roads, deep snow, bitter cold, and reduced visibility make driving in winters extremely dangerous. Each year, we hear countless stories of drivers getting stranded in blizzards. Make sure to prepare by making a emergency winter car kit today!
So, it is extremely important to keep your winter emergency car kit in your vehicle at all times!
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”
Benjamin franklin
Things to Keep in the Winter Emergency Car Kit
Therefore, keeping a winter emergency kit in your car is something you must take seriously.
It can drastically improve your odds of surviving stranded in a winter blizzard dealing with a roadside breakdown.
Read on to learn how to prepare an emergency kit for your car during winters.
Here’s a list of things you need to be prepared for winter roadside car breakdowns.
You May Also Enjoy:
- Create an Emergency Kit for the Unexpected Emergency!
- 35+ Delicious & Easy Dinner Ideas for Healthy Meals!
- 35 + Things to Do At Home {easy & fun activities!}
- Homesteading Skills Challenge: Practical Ideas for Simple Living
- Welcome to Original Homesteading | Hand Crafted Living
1. Snow Shovel
A sturdy snow shovel is an absolute necessity for your winter car kit. Some quick digging is often all you need to get unstuck.
And even if you can’t get unstuck completely, a shovel will help you keep your car from getting buried under if you get caught in a snowstorm.
If buried deep in snow, your chances of getting spotted by a rescue team also decrease significantly.
So, by having a shovel you may be able to dig around your car to help the rescue teams spot you easier.
Get Started with an Emergency Car Kit with Shovel
2. Snow Brush and Ice Scraper
This is another very crucial tool that you need to carry in your car during winter.
Even if the weather forecast doesn’t say it’s going to snow, there’s always the possibility that flurries end up piling a few inches of snow on your car—especially on the windshield.
In such cases, people often huddle in their cars for as long as an hour waiting for the car defroster to warm the windshield because that’s the only option they have.
Therefore, a heavy-duty scraper and snow brush with a long handle will save you from a lot of hassle and will make it easier to efficiently clean up the windshield and start your journey.
3. Flashlight
If stranded at night, you will need a flashlight for additional lighting. Always go for a model that has a wide beam and adjustable brightness control along with rechargeable batteries.
Some flashlights can even get charged by your car battery through a USB cable. But, regardless remember to always keep a set of spare batteries with you, too.
Take a look at this Fos Power Emergency Solar Hand Crank Portable Radio, NOAA Weather Radio for Household and Outdoor Emergency with Phone Charger.
4. Traction Mats
Often times, when your car is stuck in the snow, all you need to get going again is a little extra car tire traction.
A lot of people use coarse materials such as rock salt, kitty litter, or sand and spread it around the tires to get moving.
However, the problem with these items is that they can only help you once, and when you run out of them or they get buried in the snow, you’re stuck again.
Get Started: Traction Mats
We suggest you buy reusable traction mats that are easy to move. They will help you get your vehicle moving again.
Pro Tip: Keep rock salt or kitty litter in your car along with the traction mats.
5. Water and Non-Perishable Food
Always have food and water in your car in case you get stuck for a long time and need to wait for help.
Storing water and some quick snacks will be useful in these situations.
Keep a water bottle that holds at least one liter.
Get Started: Emergency Car Kit: Food and Water. Emergency First Aid Kit
Red Cross Information on Being Prepared for Emergencies
In addition, you should have some snacks like granola bars and canned food. If you have kids, keeping some of their favorite snacks will help keep them from panicking.
6. Extra Winter Clothing and Blankets
Wearing gloves and having sufficient warm clothing can make the task of clearing your car or getting it out of the snow easier.
It gets really cold really fast when you’re stranded, so it’s better to keep some warm blankets in your car to prevent frostbite.
Keeping reflective blankets is even better, as they’re super effective in trapping your body’s heat and keeping you warm.
7. Jumper Cables
It’s easy to find yourself unable to start your car’s engine, as cold weather can affect your battery as well.
If the battery is dead, you won’t even be able to use the car’s heater. In such cases, having a self-contained battery jumper can be very useful.
It can help you jump-start your car without having to wait for another motorist to come to your aid.
IMPORTANT POINT: Do NOT keep your car’s engine running, especially if the snow has piled up and plugged the exhaust pipe. This is vitally important.
Always cycle the engine on for just a few minutes and then turn your car OFF to maintain the interior air and oxygen quality.
Better yet, just keep warm with your reflective blanket and the extra blankets in your emergency kit!
Get Started: Jumper Cables
8. Heat Packets: These are a Must!
These little heat packs are incredible. Furthermore, these little heat packs are inexpensive and can really be a lifesaver! We have used heat packs for many years. They come in handy to warm fingers and toes.
Amazingly enough, thermal heat packs are lightweight to carry or store. They activate by simply being exposed to the air.
These hand warmers have a very BIG plus…they last for 8 hours! This is an amazing feature of these little heats. Grab a bunch today!
Pssst…these make great stocking stuffers!
In Conclusion:
It’s not possible to completely avoid driving during the winter season. However, considering all the risky situations you can end up in, there’s no excuse for you to not prepare an emergency kit for your car. But, by assembling a comprehensive winter car kit, you enhance your preparedness for the unpredictable winter months ahead.
For an additional emergency item, consider a Kinetic ENERGY Towing Strap
Disclaimer: these suggestions are opinions so please do your own research. As with all products, it is your responsibility to read the manufacturers’ information on proper use of their products for your own safety.
The suggestions listed here are for products that might be useful but that also must be carefully evaluated by you for your particular situation and needs.
