Winter Driving Kit
In South East VA, we are fortunate that we don’t get a lot of snow. Municipalities however don’t invest a lot of money in snowplows etc and as such when we do get it, it’s only the main roads that get treatment. This means that if you must go (which I recommend you don’t if you can help it), you should consider a winter “kit” for your car.
Having grown up in central New York, in a very rural area in the Finger Lakes, we always had emergency kit in the vehicle. In case we went off the road, it might be a couple days before anyone found us or we might have to walk out. If you remember the winter Storm a couple years ago that basically shut down 95 for a day with people stuck on it – it can happen here.
The following is a general list of winter supplies that I keep in my vehicle:
Blankets – I keep several blankets in my truck. They can be used if the truck breaks down and I lose heat to help keep warm. They can also be used if you find someone that has been outside and freezing, and they can be used to put on the ground to isolate you and keep you dry if you must change a tire. I typically keep at least one blanket for each potential passenger.
Water – I keep a couple bottles or small jugs of water in my truck all year long. They are BPA free and plastic. If they freeze, I don’t want them cracking the plastic, so they are not filled to the top. Water is always important no matter the time of year and can be used for drinking, washing hands/wounds as well as eating if you have some dehydrated food and a fire.
Food/Snacks – I have a baggie that I carry a couple Payday and Kind Bars. I don’t do chocolate as I don’t want them to melt. It is enough to give me some energy if needed and keep people from getting “Hangry”.
Fire Starter – I carry multiple means to start a fire: waterproof matches, lighter, flint & knife as well as some Vaseline-soaked cotton balls. Fire can be used for keeping warm, cooking food, heating water, and signaling if needed.
Winter Jackets & accessories – I carry a couple different winter jackets in my truck because many times due to the mild winters I may be going out with a light jacket because the truck has a heater, I don’t want to sweat to death. This means if I break down, I won’t have clothing appropriate for being outside in the weather. I also have gloves, scarf and a winter hat.
Ice Scraper – Having an ice scraper with a brush attachment allows you to clean off your windows. Many people don’t have the patience to allow the defroster to de-ice the windshield and they don’t work on the side windows. Be sure all the windows are cleaned off before driving. If you have a bunch of snow on top of your vehicle, I recommend that you be kind to other drivers and brush that off as it becomes a white out condition for cars behind you if you don’t.
Flashlight – Problems for some reason never occur in the bright day light so always carry a flashlight in the vehicle and make sure the batteries are good. This is an ideal situation for the flashlights that use the 123 batteries as they have an incredible shelf life, and they are not affected by cold temperatures.
Handwarmers – It is a nice to have, but I carry the chemical hand warmers that you shake up to activate. These work if you lost heat or it just a cold day and you are out on the range.
Folding Shovel – I carry a military style folding shovel, so it is nice and small. I can use it if I get stuck in an area to break up ice to allow tires to get traction, remove snow mounds etc that are stopping the truck. It also can be used as a self-defense tool.
Tow strap – A tow strap can be used to get me out of a jam or someone else. Be sure that you know how to use one, so you don’t damage your or someone else’s car.
Flares – Road flares are great for a bunch of uses. Warning other drivers of an accident ahead, especially if it is on a hill or blind curve. It can also be used as a fire starter if worse comes to worse. You might also consider “electric” road flares, they won’t start a fire, but they probably will last longer.
Cell Phone Charger – You must be able to ask for help and a dead cell phone won’t allow you to do that, so carry a portable charger. They are super cheap but oh so handy. Keep in mind that car batteries don’t like cold – just ask Tesla owners so you car battery maybe dead so don’t rely on it.
Jumper Cables – Car batteries that die in the winter normally aren’t super bad, but the cold just pushes them over the edge so they normally can be brought back to life with a jump. Know how to use jumper cables or at least keep the instruction tag on them. Or better yet you can get these portable battery jumping systems, so you don’t have to have a second car. Just be sure the amperage of the jumping system is sufficient for your vehicle. If you have a truck the Cold Cranking amps of the battery is pretty large.
There other items that you can carry to help manage risk in an emergency, but these are what I use. I also always have a “bug out” or “get home” bag in the vehicle with even more stuff, but that is another article. Stay warm and safe.
Hope to see you in class!