Winter Car Travel KIt

As the weather turns worse and snow is on the horizon I like to make sure that my car or truck has a survival kit. As for myself, I live in the Pacific Northwest and one never knows what problems one might encounter on the roads. Now that the days are getting shorter and the rain and wind are a normal occurrence, I feel better having some good supplies in my truck.

I actually have several kits that I keep in my truck to ensure that I can make it home okay. First, I have a small tool kit. Next, I have a water tight storage bin where I keep things like an extra jacket, blanket, etc. More on the details of this kit. Finally, I have a small food kit that I like to keep with me just in case I am stranded. Last of all I usually have a cell phone on my with enough power cords to recharge everything.

For tools I try to carry the following during the winter:

• Screw Drivers

• Pliers

• Foldable Tree Saw

• Can of Tire Inflator

• Tire pump

• Tow Strap

• Sand tubes

• Foldable shovel

• In addition, my Tow Hitch.

One can do a lot with just a few basics. For example, I have come across times when the road was blocked by a tree. I was not able to pull it out of the way, but I was able to pull out my foldable saw and cut my way through. Yes, it took sometime, but if it were the only option, then it is better than being stranded. The same goes for a nice foldable shovel. It is amazing how much one can do with a small shovel when one needs to get out of a snow bank, etc. Every year I also put sand tubes in the back of my truck. First, because a little extra weight over the tires helps to keep the vehicle from losing traction. Second because I can use these sand tubes on ice to gain traction. I would rather go home missing a sand tube or two than being stuck somewhere.

Second, I have a watertight tough box where I keep a blanket, an extra jacket, knit hat, red cloth pieces, a tarp, matched, flares, rope, plastic garbage bags, some plastic cups, a pen or sharpie, zip lock bags, Duct Tape a flashlight, and a good Thomas Guide Map, finally a good first aid kit.

The map serves as two purposes. One I want a good up to date map in case I need to find a new route or in case I need to know what services are around me. Another good thing about the map is that if I need to make a fire I have some paper. Normally, I would not burn my map, but if it came down to me surviving or burning my map book, well sorry the map book is going to suffer. A couple of other good uses for the map book if stranded could be, you can write a note and leave on your vehicle if you are going to try to walk out. Alternatively, if desperate you have some TP and can take care of business.

If I know that the weather is suppose to be bad or the chances of snow are high, or I am going to the mountains, I toss in a small duffle bag with some extra clothes and I will store my snow boots in the truck. There is nothing better than digging your truck out of the snow and the once you are on solid ground and safe changing into some dry clothes. I have found that even if I am soaking wet, just being able to put dry socks on makes it all worthwhile.

Finally, I keep a small kit of food, beef jerky does well, crackers, some bottles of water. I also like things like trail mix. With small kids in the car, I like to make sure that I have enough snacks and food to last if I were stuck in traffic for 6 to 8 hours. One can always stretch the portions out if stuck longer, but this gives you a good approximation of how much food to keep at one time when traveling during the winter.

I also like to keep a full tank of gas. I find when driving through passes and the like that I prefer to have a half tank of gas or better. Therefore, when I am close to the half tank mark I start looking for that fuel station. This way if I am stuck I can idle for a while and not worry about running out of gas. Another thing to consider when fueling up is to refill your windshield washer fluid. When doing a lot of now driving you will be surprised how often you are using your fluid to clean your windows. There is nothing worse then coming down the pass and having the spray from other cars and trucks blinding you with muddy water and you cannot clean it enough to see.

Some final thoughts, here are some alternative uses of the equipment mentioned above that can help save your life. A large outdoor trash bag, cut holes in them for arms and your head, where as a poncho, not only keeps you dry but also will help keep your heat. If your jacket is wet, place bag over you and the wet jacket, your body heat can dry the jacket, the bag will keep you warmer. I have used zip lock bags to gather clean snow, allowing the snow to melt so I have some water. I have used rope and tow straps to pull rocks and trees out of my way. I used a tarp just the other day along with a blanket to look under my truck to fix something. Place the tarp down, then position the blanket on the tarp about where you need to lay down. Now you have a padded dry area to get on the ground and work on your vehicle. I did, I stayed clean and dry and fixed the problem without feeling cold from lying on the ground.