Pack these things in your car before winter comes!

Winter trips can be magical, but also terrifying. Depending on what happens (or doesn't) during them and what you pack for the trip. And as they say, the devil never sleeps. What important equipment should you always carry with you in the autumn and winter months in case you "freeze" somewhere for a few hours?

First aid kit and other mandatory equipment

Mandatory equipment needs to be carried with you at all times. What does it include in 2024?

• First aid kit. Having a first aid kit in the car is not only convenient, but also mandatory. And that regardless of the season. The contents of the car first aid kit are prescribed and consist of different types of bandages, a coil with plaster, a rubber tourniquet, latex gloves, isothermal foil and curved scissors. This is very basic equipment, so you can expand your first aid kit with, for example, additional pairs of gloves (if the primary one tears or if someone helps you with the treatment), spare thermofoil (it has a very versatile use, but also tears easily), a tourniquet, tweezers, disinfection, etc. Be very careful in the case of medicines, they can quickly degrade in the variable temperatures that prevail in the car.
  

ATTENTION: Always place the first aid kit so that you have easy and quick access to it! A first aid kit at the bottom of the trunk, additionally packed with heavy luggage, shopping or ski equipment, can deprive you of precious seconds that can be lost in saving a life.

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• Warning triangle.
  

• Reflective vest for drivers. Ideally, however, also pack reflective vests for all passengers - in some EU countries it is mandatory, and good visibility can also save their lives, especially in gloomy winter weather.
• Tire repair kit or spare wheel. There are a few exceptions to this. They are vehicles with tires that allow emergency driving distance, indicate a defect, vehicles with tools for non-assembly repair that allow driving distance and with a guaranteed assistance service for changing the tire. If you carry "only" a glue set, definitely add a portable compressor to it, at least to a 12V outlet.
  
• Wheel wrench and jack.
• Documents. Your driver's license, vehicle registration certificate and the green (insurance) card.
  

Freezing weather is approaching. Don't forget to pack important equipment in your car that will make it easier for you to deal with emergency situations.

Other recommended equipment

What other equipment is good to carry with you at all times, even if it is not mandatory in your country?

• Fire extinguisher. In some EU countries, e.g. in Poland, it belongs to mandatory equipment.
• Pull rope.
• Starter cables or starter box.
• Headlamp. Ideally with an emergency signal.
• Multitool with knife for cutting seat belts.
• Traffic accident record form.
  

Before the winter hits, pack some extra…

Then we have equipment that is specific to the winter season. This includes:

• Snow chains. In many mountain areas, their use is mandatory under the threat of a fine, and in the event of an accident due to unfitted chains, the insurance company may deny you insurance coverage. You can tell when it's time to put the chains on by the command mark with the symbol of a white wheel with chains on a blue background, and you can take them off only when you reach a similar mark to the one you started at, but crossed out. Car chains should be used where you can expect a continuous layer of snow and/or ice in a given section and the use of winter tires alone is not sufficient.
  

• Folding shovel. A shovel will make your life easier when you get stuck with your car. One of the tricks for this situation is to pack a smaller bag of sand, say weighing around ten kilograms. This can come in handy if get stuck with the car and need it to slide less. If you don't have sand with you, you can alternatively use rubber mats from your car or collected branches.
• Headlamp. We already mentioned this above, but let's come back to it one more time. In winter, you will still meet many drivers on the road who have broken down with their car or need something repaired and are using their mobile phones for lighting. This deprives them of a means of communication (they have to either have a light on or make a phone call), free hands, and mobile phones drain very quickly in winter.
  
• Cigarette lighter electronics charger and charging cables. And precisely because electronics can run down lightning fast in the winter (and of course we also google, surf the net and play navigation and music), get a charger for the cigarette lighter and keep recharging it while driving. If you have an extra power bank at home, pack it in the car.
• Work gloves. You just don't want to pick up dropped chains with frail fingers or in wet and frozen knitted gloves, ideally in the light of a fast-draining cell phone with no signal.
• Window scraper and broom. Of course...
  

Warmth and enough food

However, in addition to the car, you also have to take care of yourself and other crew members. That's why you need to equip yourself with something to keep you warm in an emergency. Chances are, if your car is going to suddenly stop somewhere, it's going to be somewhere outside of civilization. It's called Murphy's Law. Well, you will be prepared for such a situation (on the other hand, Murphy's Law also says that if you prepare, you won't even need the extra equipment).

Anyway, keep in mind that the heating in the car doesn't have to work forever either. Therefore, also pack in your trunk:

• An extra layer of clothing for each crew member.
• Several warm blankets or sleeping bags.
• Food and water. It is also important to eat enough so that you have the energy to seek help if necessary. So keep a special luggage with durable, ready-made food in the trunk, which will provide the entire car crew with enough energy until help arrives. Chocolate or candies will also boost your morale, especially if your traveling companions are children.
  

Conclusion

Fortunately, in our conditions, tragedies caused by being stuck in the winter landscape rarely happen. It is also thanks to the relatively dense population. No matter where you are, you will always have a maximum of a few kilometers to the nearest buildings. That is, unless you are on the ridges of the mountains – and you can't get there by car anyway. Nevertheless, you can mitigate the consequences of a possible involuntary overnight stay in the field by preparing for a similar unexpected situation. For fortune favors the prepared.