How To Make A Winter Car Emergency Kit (With A Free Printable Checklist)
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Are you ready if your car breaks down on a cold, snowy road? A winter car emergency kit helps you stay warm and safe, and it can help you get moving again. Here’s what to pack, where to keep it, and what to do if you get stuck.
I started keeping a car emergency kit when my kids were babies, and I’ve changed it many times since then. We live in a rural area with many spots that have bad cell service, so you can’t always count on calling for help right away.
Thankfully, I don’t remember ever having a winter breakdown with the kids in the car. But one bitterly cold night, my husband was on his way home from work in our van when a tire blew. The weather was bad, and he couldn’t get any cell reception. He was only about half a mile from home, so he ended up walking home to call for a tow truck.
He had extra warm insulated gloves and an extra winter coat in the van, and he used them to layer up. It was still a cold trip, but those extra layers helped him a lot.
A breakdown is stressful at any time of year. In the winter, the cold makes it more serious, especially when you have kids in the car. Having the right supplies with you makes a long wait much easier.
If you don’t have a basic kit yet, start with my DIY car emergency kit checklist. Then add the winter items below.
What To Put In A Winter Car Emergency Kit
You don’t need everything on this list. Start with the things that fit your family and the roads you drive.
Tools And Traction
- Folding shovel: Buy a good quality one. Ours has helped more than once, and I’ll tell you how below.
- Jug of cat litter: I keep a jug of cat litter in the car for traction. It can help when your tires are spinning on ice or snow. A small bag of sand also works.
- Traction mats: These are another option for getting unstuck.
- Ice scraper and de-icer: You need to be able to see clearly before you drive.
- Jumper cables or a portable jump starter: We’ve had batteries die suddenly, and jumper cables have helped us get going again.
- Tire pump and tire pressure gauge: I keep an air pump that plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter, and it has come in handy many times.
- Tow chain or tow strap: These can help pull a car out of a ditch.
- Work gloves or insulated work gloves: A good pair protects your hands, and insulated gloves help when you’re working out in the cold.
I gave my husband a good quality folding emergency shovel as a gift. Not long after, he had to stop and help dig someone out of the ditch. They had gotten stuck in the snow and mud.
Other times, he has used it to dig his own car out of snow drifts. It’s a small thing to keep in the car, and it has been worth having.
Warmth
- Emergency blankets: We’ve always kept these in our kit. They’re compact, so pack one for each person who usually rides with you.
- Extra fleece blankets: I add these to my kit for the winter, along with the emergency blankets.
- Wool blanket or sleeping bag: These take up more room, but they give you more warmth during a long wait.
- Spare hats, gloves, and boots: You may have left home in a warm car without dressing for the weather. Pack sizes for everyone who usually rides with you.
- Extra warm clothes: I change out the clothes in my kit at the start of each season, so there are extra warm clothes in it for the winter.
- Hand and foot warmers: I keep hand warmers in my winter kit. They’re small and easy to tuck in.
- Survival candles and matches or a lighter: I keep survival candles in my kit too. If you light one in the car, open a window slightly, set it somewhere stable away from blankets and clothes, and never leave it unattended.
Visibility
- Flashlight and extra batteries: It gets dark early in the winter. Cold can also shorten battery life, so check them often.
- High-visibility safety vest: This helps other drivers see you if you have to get out of the car.
- Reflective warning triangle: Place it behind your car to warn other drivers.
- Emergency whistle: This can help you attract attention.
Food, Water, And Communication
- Non-perishable snacks: Choose things like granola bars, nuts, and jerky. We’ve always kept snacks in our kit.
- Bottled water: Water can freeze and burst in a cold car, so don’t fill your kit too tightly. Check the bottles and swap them out often.
- Phone charger or power bank: Cold can drain your phone faster, so keep a way to charge it.
- Paper map: A paper map still works when you lose your signal.
- Printed phone numbers: Keep your emergency contacts, your mechanic, a towing service, and your roadside assistance number written down.
- Basic first aid kit: Include bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, and pain relievers.
How To Pack Your Winter Kit
Choose A Container
I use a large duffel bag for my kit. It fits under the seat or in the trunk well, depending on what vehicle we had at the time. A duffel bag can squeeze into small spaces, which is handy when your trunk is full.
A sturdy plastic tote with a lid is another good choice. It keeps everything dry, but it does take up more room.
I don’t keep a separate winter kit. Each fall, I just add my winter items to the same bag.
Divide It Into Two Bags
Try packing a “stay warm” bag and a “get unstuck” bag inside your container. The first holds your blankets, warm clothes, hand warmers, and candles. The second holds your tools and other things for getting unstuck. Then you can grab what you need quickly, even with cold hands.
Know Where To Store It
Keep bulky items like your shovel, cat litter, and blankets in the trunk. Make sure heavy items are secure so they can’t fly around in an accident.
Your trunk could also get buried in snow or be hard to reach. So keep a small pouch within reach of the driver’s seat, with your phone charger, gloves, and some snacks.
How To Change Your Kit For Your Family
Babies And Kids
When my kids were little, I kept extra diapers, a change of clothes, wipes, and other baby items in the car. A change of clothes, extra wipes, and bags to clean up messes were a big help if one of them got sick.
For winter, add an extra blanket and warm clothes in their current sizes. If you use formula or need medication, bring it with you from home for each trip, because freezing can damage it.
Pets
If your pets ride along, add some food, water, and a leash for them.
Rural Roads
Help can take longer to reach you on rural roads. And even though cell service has gotten better over the years in our area, there are still many spots without it. If you drive roads like ours, pack more food, water, and warm things than you think you’ll need.
If you have a second vehicle, it’s a good idea to give it a kit too.
What To Do If You Get Stuck In The Snow
- Stay with your car: Unless help is very close and you can see it, your car gives you shelter and makes you easier to find.
- Call for help if you can: Let someone know where you are. We use a roadside assistance membership now, and it has been a big help when our car has broken down.
- Keep the tailpipe clear: Check it before you run the engine, and clear away any snow so exhaust can’t build up inside the car.
- Run the engine for short periods: Run it for about 10 minutes each hour for heat, and open a window slightly while it’s running.
- Make your car easy to see: Turn on the dome light when the engine is running at night, and use your hazard lights.
- Bundle up and move around: Use your blankets and warm layers, and move your arms and legs to help you stay warm.
How To Keep Your Kit Ready
I check my emergency kits at the start of each season. Before winter, make sure to:
- Swap in warm clothes, boots, and gloves in the right sizes.
- Replace any expired food and first aid supplies.
- Test your flashlight, tire pump, and power bank, and replace batteries if needed.
- Add your winter items, and make sure your shovel, scraper, and cat litter are in the car.
If we use something during a breakdown, I replace it as soon as possible after we get home.
It also helps to keep your gas tank at least half full during the winter.
The Full Winter Car Emergency Kit Checklist
Tools and traction
- Folding shovel
- Jug of cat litter or a bag of sand
- Traction mats
- Ice scraper and de-icer
- Jumper cables or portable jump starter
- Tire pump and tire pressure gauge
- Tow chain or tow strap
- Work gloves or insulated work gloves
Warmth
- Emergency blankets
- Extra fleece blankets
- Wool blanket or sleeping bag
- Spare hats, gloves, and boots
- Extra warm clothes
- Hand and foot warmers
- Survival candles and matches or a lighter
Visibility
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- High-visibility safety vest
- Reflective warning triangle
- Emergency whistle
Food, water, and communication
- Non-perishable snacks
- Bottled water
- Phone charger or power bank
- Paper map
- Printed phone numbers
- Basic first aid kit
For your family
- Diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes
- Bags to clean up messes
- Warm clothes in the right sizes
- Pet food, water, and a leash
FAQ’s
Related Posts
Free Printable Winter Car Emergency Kit Checklist
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
