For some, winter brings dicey road conditions and nervous driving. For others, winter weather doesn’t alter their desire for a road trip. On the East Coast, people travel to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and other northern destinations. They don’t want to be prevented from skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, ice climbing, or partaking in any other fun winter activities.
While driving in the winter can be a little more hazardous, it doesn’t mean you have to cancel your plans. You just need to do a little more planning ahead. First, you’ll need to ensure your car is ready for winter. Then, you’ll want to think about what to bring in your winter car kit. If you do run into trouble, you’ll want to make sure you have the right tools available in your car.
Prepare Your Own Winter Car Kit – 4 Choices:
Emergency Roadside Kit
- Jumper Cables
- Gloves
- Flares
- Car Care Guide
- General Tools
If you’d rather purchase one that’s already been organized for you, make sure you shop around and find the one that best fits your needs. They’re generally fairly inexpensive.
Winter Roadside Kit
- Ice Scrapers (Get 2 – It’s a good idea to have an extra!)
- Can of De-Icer
- Extra Wiper Blades
- Snow Brush
- Small Snow Shovel (If you live somewhere where you could be snowed in!)
This kit includes the basic equipment you should have with you during everyday winter driving. Your winter roadside kit will be your best friend when those flakes start to fall.
Survival Kit
- Water
- Extra Food (Ideally something high in protein)
- Flashlight & Batteries
- Blankets & Warm Clothes
- Hat & Gloves
- Snow Boots
- Hand Warmers
- GPS Device (It’s good to have a backup if you lose cell service)
Out of everything you pack for your trip, a basic survival kit is the most important. There really are an endless number of things that can go into this kind of kit, in addition to those listed above. For example, it doesn’t hurt to bring matches and a candle to keep warm in case you break down.
“Dig Out” Kit
- Small Shovel (If you don’t already have one in the Roadside Kit)
- Cat Litter (Or pieces of old carpet)
- Tow Rope
Getting stuck in snow can be one of the most stressful things in the world, but it’s pretty common for those of us used to snowy winters. Without the right tools, it can be near impossible to get out of. The shovel will help you clear snow from around the tires. The cat litter or carpet can be put under your tires to give you some necessary traction.
Whether you need one winter car kit, or all 4, we hope you stay safe out there! Ideally, you won’t need to use them, but if you get caught in a blizzard, or if your battery dies, they’ll certainly come in handy.
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