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:
First aid
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.
Water & food
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.
Warmth
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.
Car essentials
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.
About the Author
Kimberly Hering
Kimberly Hering's devotion to helping people achieve their real estate goals stems from her genuine enjoyment of the process. Whatever the task, Kimberly makes it her mission to get it done, however she can, without compromising her client's needs. Often, that means thinking outside the box. After working with Kimberly, clients describe her as being Trustworthy, Creative, Patient, Highly Skilled, Attentive to the Process and having a lot of Integrity.
After spending more than 15 successful years working on Wall Street, Kimberly transitioned into Real Estate, joining Alain Pinel Realtors, then moving to Zephyr, now Corcoran Global Living, in 2018. During her career on Wall Street, Kimberly was a Vice President working as an Institutional Equity Salesperson for Montgomery Securities for 10 years. She covered the top money managers throughout the US and Canada. She joined Jefferies & Co as a Senior Vice President managing the Western Region Institutional Sales group, while continuing to cover the top money managers.
Kimberly leverages her extensive experience selling equities to top money managers throughout the US and Canada, to successfully negotiating any Real Estate transaction seamlessly for her clients. Kimberly is well versed in Marin's neighborhoods, towns, cities, and education system.
Living in the Bay Area for 35 years, 25 years in Marin and having 2 sons in local Marin schools, Kimberly spends a lot of time volunteering in the community and serving on various local Boards. Kimberly has a collection of resources ranging from the best local breakfast spots to vetted contractors. With her reliable list of valuable resources, Real Estate experience and unsurpassed knowledge of Marin's many communities, Kimberly can guide her clients through every aspect of a Real Estate transaction seamlessly.
Relocating to Marin, downsizing, upsizing, first time home buying, final home purchase or sale, or a lot to build a dream home, no matter the undertaking, Kimberly works seamlessly until the job at hand is completed with 100% satisfaction.