Items to Include in Your Car during Cold Weather
The ease of fall will soon give way to the harsh of winter and because weather can change so quickly, it’s smart to prep your car now. If you’ve battled through a harsh winter before, you know that you need to be hauling a “winter survival kit” that includes items to protect and help you in an emergency.
Learn More: Cold weather maintenance tips
According to the experts at Ready Wisconsin, your winter survival kit should include a flashlight with extra batteries, shovel, battery-powered radio, windshield wiper scraper, small broom, water, matches, first aid kit, tow chain or rope, booster cables, emergency reflectors and flares, medicine, booster cables, cell phone adapter, sleeping bag or blankets, hats, socks, and fluorescent distress flag and whistle for signaling others for help.
In addition to these winter survival kits, Better Homes and Gardens writer Hannah Bruneman suggests including a few more items to make winter travel easier, especially since inclement weather can cause drive times to be longer.
Protect your skin from the elements. “Always keep a spare pair of gloves in your car,” advises Bruneman. “We all know the pain of having to grasp onto an ice-cold wheel, and tucking your sleeves over your palms just isn’t going to cut it this year. Mittens are best, even for adults, because the mitts trap the body heat, unlike gloves.”
Since winter is also known and cold and flu season, Bruneman suggests stocking your car with an easy to access box of tissues.
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To combat slippery surfaces, keep a bag of sand in your trunk, a more environmentally-friendly alternative to salt, according to Bruneman.
“Sprinkle a bit on icy patches as you walk from your car to your front door for extra traction. On particularly slick days, sand could very well be your lifesaver,” Bruneman said.
Extra drive time can send your appetite into overdrive, so Bruneman recommends keeping granola bars on hand to combat cravings.
News Source: Better Homes and Garden, Ready Wisconsin
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