Winter Weather Survival - 10 Essentials You Should Never Leave Home Without!

Below are the 10 Essentials for winter weather survival that you should never leave home without! These 10 items should be in your car.

1) Clothing . You should always have fleece or pile socks, pants, shirts, jackets and hats in your car. A fleece blanket and goose down jacket and sleeping bag will ensure your comfort should you be stranded for any length of time without power or assistance.

2) Non-perishable food. You should have three days worth of food storage in your vehicle during the winter. Store MRE's or other dehydrated foods and power bars to stave off the hunger in the event of a prolonged stay in your car.

3) Water and/or water filtration capability. When you are surrounded by snow, you are surrounded by water, assuming you have a means to melt and purify the water. Water purifiers and purification tablets are a must for the climber, and you should have both in your car emergency kit. Remember, the human body can last weeks without food, but only a matter of days without water.

4) Knife, lighter, duct tape, utility tool and string. The simplest tools are always the ones that are the most missed in an emergency. Remember Cast Away with Tom Hanks? A simple knife and lighter would have changed his circumstances considerably and you should have both in your car at all times. Also, duck tape in an emergency is a must, you can manufacture any number of inventions with a little duct tape.

5) Communication. Your cell phone is vital. Make sure you have the means to recharge your phone with a crank device in the event you are without battery power. If you can't communicate with the outside world, you are really on your own.


6) Heat and stove. Your car emergency kit should include a camp stove and fuel for melting water and cooking food. A warm meal or drink soothes the soul in a long winter emergency, and will provide an indirect source of heat to boot. (Remember that a camp stove emits dangerous carbon monoxide, so you should only use one in a well-ventilated space. Open the car windows or cook outside when you use one.)

7) GPS. If you don't know where you are...you are truly lost. A good GPS unit will give you a sense of direction, but more importantly, it will give you a position for rescue. A portable GPS unit is a great addition to your car emergency kit.

8) Light. You should always carry a crank operated light and/or lantern for those unforeseen emergencies. Flash lights are good, but they rely on batteries that run out of power. Crank operated lights and snap lights for those long dark knights are the best companion you can buy in a winter emergency.

9 ) Hygiene & first aid. Don't forget to take care of yourself. Sanitation wipe for those wilderness privy's and cleaning needs are a must, and there is nothing better than brushing your teeth with real toothpaste after a long day in the wilderness. Basic cleaning soaps, gloves, lotion, essential medications (Benadryl, Tylenol, etc.), and basic first aid tools should be key ingredients in your safety kit.

10) Survival Book. There are many out there and I recommend you research them. Find your favorite and make sure you keep it in your car emergency kit. You never know, one day you may need to make fire from sticks...without a how-to guide, you may never see the glow or warmth of fire.