Put yourself in this situation: You head out with a couple of friends on Saturday and go skiing. Say you head out to PLPP, not even far from civilization or backcountry. The parking lots are packed, lots of people around, and it's warm and sunny. All it takes is someone to get sick (say you had a bad lunch) or have a minor injury. You're delayed completing your ski trip, it gets dark, temperatures drop, and because you're out longer than expected, you ate all your food in your pack. You return to an empty parking lot (except for your car), realize the battery is dead (it is possible to forget turning off the lights), and have a foot of snow. You're not getting out of that parking lot any time soon and an unexpected blizzard rolls in, so what do you do? My theory is that you can't rely on others (assume the friend who had the bad lunch is still throwing up and would be useless changing a tire or something anyway). There's no cell phone reception, and chances are that if you were to get a signal, help like AMA would be backed up. In any case, you'll be spending some time out there.
I'm the first to admit that my summer and winter car emergency kits are a bit different, but at this time of year I like to remind friends to plan for the unexpected in winter. I like to always carry the following key items in my car. Note that there's lots more and how much you take depends on how many situations you'd like to get yourself our of. Packing these items is also a good way of 'recycling' some of your camping/backpacking gear during the winter:
Items to keep you warm:
- Sleeping bag - throw in your lowest temperature rated bag
- Fleece blanket
- Space blanket
- Down jacket (along with toque, mitts, hand warmers)
- Extra shoes that you could wear if you're in a place where you could walk for help
The best way to get out of an emergency situation is to fix things yourself and drive out. You may not be able to fix every problem, but at least prepare for the most likely. Make sure that you have:
- Shovel
- Spare tire (and if you haven't checked the pressure in a while, chances are it would be useless; spares lose air quickly)
- Tire iron and jack
- Jumper cables and/or battery starter
- Basic fluids like antifreeze
Being cold and hungry obviously don't mix well, so make sure you always have extra food-related items:
- High energy snacks - enough for a couple of days. If others travel in your vehicle, they'd also require similar amounts. Have enoigh variety that you're not eating the same granola bar for two days as you're stuck in a ditch.
- Water
- Stove - I just started keeping this in my winter kit. You can boil snow if need be and could provide a small amount of emergency heat (just don't use the thing inside your vehicle).
There's lots more, but a few key items to remember:
- Lamp source with spare batteries
- Emergency markers for vehicle - this should include a flare or similar item to warn of your vehicle and the typical emergency flag that can be tired to your antenna or stuck in a side window indicating that you need help.
- Candles, matches
- Multi-function items - Swiss Army knife, duct tape
- Pen and paper - to leave a note, etc.
- A book may be a 'nice to have' item, though most of us can be entertained by remaining battery life in electronic devices. If that fails, read your car's manual and try to figure out how to get yourself out of the situation.
- Backpack - sometimes I take this, sometimes I don't. If you have to walk, it would come in handy.
No, the cat litter is not for a cat. Think multi-function items.
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