How to Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Travel Safety

Do you live in an area where the wintry landscape can be beautiful one minute and very hazardous the next? Make sure you are prepared with this well-rounded winter safety travel kit and tips that will help you get ready for winter and possible hazardous weather situations.

DON’T Find yourself STRANDED OUT IN THE COLD!

Today, I am going to share with you my simple pre-winter vehicle maintenance checklist, a few winter travel tips, and a DIY vehicle winter preparedness travel safety kit that you can easily put together.

Here in the North Country, we can experience a lake effect snow blizzard, ice storm, 20-30* below wind chill, and pouring rain all within a 24 hour period! Don’t let the gorgeous scenery fool you! It can go from clear, bright skies to whiteout conditions in the blink of an eye.

Each autumn as we pull out our winter clothing from storage, we also top off our vehicle emergency kit and place it back in our vehicles. In this post, I’ll share with you what supplies we store in our kit along with a simple pre-winter vehicle maintenance checklist, and a few other helpful travel tips!

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PIN & SAVE FOR LATER!

How can I prepare my VEHICLE for winter?

• Radiator- check levels of anti-freeze and top off but only check when the engine is COLD
• Battery- check your battery for corrosion on the terminals and test battery voltage
• Tires- Check your tire pressure (recommended pressure is stamped on the sidewall of your tire) Check tire tread, they may need to be rotated or replaced for better traction in snow. (another option may be to install snow tires)
• Engine- change your oil and air filter (check owner manual if a thinner oil weight is recommended for colder months)
• Wiper blades- winter wiper fluid topped off & install a good quality set of wiper blades
• Gas tank- have at least a half tank of gas (keep a can of dry gas on hand in case of condensation in the tank)
• Under the hood- inspect all belts and hoses. Replace any showing flaws or signs of wear.
• Make sure your phone charger port is working properly & you have a charger in your glove box

READINESS FOR DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS

In some areas where harsh winter weather happens on a daily basis, it can be nearly impossible to just stay home during the entire 6-month duration. Especially, if you have a long commute to work, daily errands, and appointments, or urgent travels. Planning trips and travels around the weather forecast are not always realistic as the weather can change quickly without much warning! If you have ever lived in an area that experiences a band of lake effect snow, then you understand.

It’s typical in heavy storm areas to drive to work with clear morning skies and leave for home with a blinding snowstorm in the evening. In some sections, you can have clear roads and a few miles down you can have heavy drifting and white-out conditions, then in another few miles, it clears up again! If you travel the same route often, I would recommend noting (prior to winter) any “safe” places to pull over or areas you could stay at if needed.

Deciding what items you need in your travel safety KIT

Some of these items you may have stored in your vehicle already or packed in your camping or hiking supplies. Most of these items are compact and can fit into a small plastic tote. Be sure to secure your items so they don’t become flying projectiles in case of an impact. What you pack in your kit will depend on what weather conditions your area experiences.

Depending on the surrounding conditions you may not be able to rely on running your vehicle for a source of heat. Make sure if you are running your vehicle in a parked position that your exhaust pipe is free and clear from any obstructions. Here’s a list of some compact items to store in your travel safety kit to help keep you warm.

WHAT DO I PACK IN MY EMERGENCY Travel Safety kit?

HAND/FOOT WARMERS (place inside gloves and boots for added warmth)
DRY WOOL SOCKS (to help prevent frostbite & can be used as gloves if need be)
SLEEPING BAG or WOOL BLANKET (for heat conservation) – Check out the reviews on the Bivy!
5 in 1 SAFETY FLASHLIGHT
REFLECTIVE HEAT BLANKET (these are good to have in your glove box year-round in case you arrive on the scene of an accident)
Winter hats & gloves (extra warm and waterproof) – I recommend BALACLAVAS!
WATERPROOF PONCHO (excellent product with great reviews, we have these on hand year-round)
Extra set of snow bibs or snow pants
CHEM LIGHTSTICK (set of 12)
Sunglasses (due to snow or light glare)
Bottled water or juice packs
Snacks like trail mix, dried fruit, or granola (for energy)
Pencils & Notebook (for entertainment)
Deck of cards
Extra set of outerwear (in case you have a travel companion or yours get wet)

iTEMS TO HELP YOU GET UNSTUCK OR MAKE A REPAIR

Bungee cords
FIRST AID KIT
JUMPER CABLE or PORTABLE BATTERY CHARGER
Spare fuses
FOLDING SHOVEL (to shovel away snow or chisel away ice in tire path)
ICE SCRAPER/SNOW BRUSH (this one is extendable up to 46.5 inches)
Waterproof matches or STRIKER (for dire emergencies)
Cardboard (to place under tires for traction on ice, snow, or mud)
Bag of ice melt (to melt snow/ice under tires)
Reflector or flares (place 300 feet behind your vehicle for better visibility, use safety caution with flares)
Tool kit (wrench, wire cutters, tire changing tools, screwdrivers, zip ties, duct tape, work gloves & knife)
TOW STRAP provides emergency off-road towing

Do I really need an emergency travel safety car kit?

It’s common to think when running a quick errand that you won’t run into any challenging weather conditions. Try to be prepared for your and your passenger’s safety in the cold winter months. It’s not only the snow and ice conditions that are a concern for safety. The freezing temps and wind chill can also pose a challenge to drivers and passengers.

Even on those quick trips be sure to leave with a charged cell phone & car charger. You can attach a de-icing spray on your keychain to unlock frozen door locks fast. If you don’t want to wear your boots and winter coat, just throw them in the backseat so you’ll have them on hand. Even when heading down the street for errands or running to work just in case it takes longer to return home than you planned. Better to be safe than sorry.

DIY vehicle emergency KIT VS STORE BOUGHT kits

If you don’t have time to put a DIY kit together there is a variety of kits available for purchase. It really depends on your needs and how many items you may already have on hand. Here are a few I found online that you could use along with adding a few items to our list.

This Emergency Roadside Kit has 124 pieces & includes tools! Here’s a 66 pc. SEVERE WEATHER TRAVEL KIT. This Roadside Emergency Car set offers a 116pc variety with a small first aid kit.

STAY WARM, SAFE & TOASTY! – travel safety

As you probably guessed from my post we are in the North Country right near the Great Lakes. We can receive up to 6 feet of snow in just one storm! When I moved here from Texas I learned real quick that the weather can change very quickly and you can find yourself in a life-threatening position, just driving home from work! In any kind of situation from finding yourself stranded in a whiteout on side of the road to being the first on the scene of an accident. You’ll never regret taking the time or investing the money into a well-rounded vehicle emergency kit. Be sure to share with us any of your must-have winter travel item ideas! Share with me what area you experience winter from?

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