At home, keeping a first aid kit or storm kit is a great way to keep your household safe. An emergency kit for the car is no different, especially if you live in regions with heft winters. In fact, prepping an emergency kit for your car can also act as a backup kit if you can’t access the larger one within your home; many of the primary ingredients should still be the same.
Here are a few simple yet critical elements every winter car emergency kit should have:
While tire tread and tire traction should prevent you from needing first aid, keeping some basic supplies could help if the weather turns turbulent fast. Bandages, gauze, antiseptic and splints are customary in many of the most basic kits, but many kits have glow sticks and thermal blankets for just an occasion.
Kits with thermal elements like hand warmers and foil blankets can be purchased at most sporting goods stores. You may even find them online for a bargain.
If you have to pull off the road for some reason, it’s imperative that you have food and water to accompany you. You may want to keep individually wrapped bars and methods of creating potable water, if you didn’t bring any with you on the drive, available. You can easily store these items with your owner’s manual in the glove compartment of the vehicle.
If you do have water with you, be sure to keep it with you and use sparingly, especially if you’re in a situation that may take a while to resolve.
As cold weather slips in, staying warm will be one of the most important things you could do in that situation. Keep a few blankets in your winter survival kit and store them in your car’s interior to make them more accessible. After all, you want to avoid exiting the vehicle if you’re caught in a severe winter storm.
What better way to survive an emergency than avoiding it completely? Just as you’d prepare your home for winter, you’ll want to prepare your car for winter. Be sure to swap out your regular tires for winter tires, make sure your wiper blades are clean, and you have the correct windshield wiper fluid in your reservoir.
You may also want to invest in winter grade oil to give your engine a fighting chance against the winter weather. It’s also a great idea to check your tire pressure before engaging in any winter driving.
While these are just a few things to remember when preparing your mobile winter emergency kit, they are some of the most important. Preparation can make all the difference in a situation, especially during times of harsh weather.
