Emergency Car Break Down Supplies For Winter Travel

If you don't want to purchase a pre-made travel kit then you can always make one yourself with what you've got in your home or can easily pick up from the corner store. 

When thinking about surviving in severe weather there are several aspects you need to consider: food and water; extra layers for warmth and weatherproof gear; light sources, first aid kits and sundries; tools to fix the problem yourself.

 Take a look at the following aspects and see if you're already prepared to venture into the horrible weather.

Food and water essentials can easily be prepared and packed from your home. You should always take these supplies even if you're only going on a short journey as you never know what will happen when you step out that front door.

An easy item to always have with you is chocolate because it will last for a long time if kept in the wrapper and it has enough calories to keep you going while you are waiting for help to arrive. Other items you will want to consider are:

• Bottled water
• Flask of your hot beverage of choice
• Some sandwiches for long journeys
• Snacks of your choice to keep you going

I always have a bottle of water in my boot and a chocolate bar stashed away all year round for such an eventuality. I have to say it has come in handy from time to time especially when I have been stuck in really bad traffic due to an accident or something like that.

As long as your engine is still working then you'll likely to still have heat. However, if you have no heat or a busted engine then you'll be needing some extra layers to keep warm. When you need to venture outside of your vehicle and the weather is awful I'd recommend also getting some waterproofs to keep you dry as well.

Here are the items I recommend for your travel kit:

• A spare blanket
• A spare sweater
• Gloves, hat, scarf
• Boots for trekking through the snow
• Waders (waterproof trousers)
• Jacket
• High-Viz jacket - we need to see you in the dark!

With these items you should be able to keep warm and dry enough until help arrives or the problem is fixed and you can be on your way again.

Apart from food, drink, extra layers, and waterproofs you might find that you need some extra sundries such as cleaning wipes, toilet roll, flash lights and first aid kits.

Sundries are useful when traveling. I would recommend getting some travel/baby wipes to help you clean up after you've been fixing your engine and to also clean up messy fingers from lunch or snack time. Toilet roll is also good for if you're caught short on the road, blowing noses, checking oil in the car (wiping the dip-stick), and pretty much anything that needs to be absorbed.

Flashlights are really useful if you get stuck out when it's dark or if you're in a tunnel. It's all very well and good having your headlights working but it wont help you see around the back of the car, underneath or even in the engine as headlights only point ahead of you. Always make sure that you have a flashlight with you and some spare batteries as well.

First aid kits are a must and you should always have one in your car no matter where you're going. They are great for little nicks but also as your first point of reference if you get into a serious accident as the larger first aid boxes will come with bandages, slings, and small splints for broken bones; some even have manuals to talk you through really serious injuries. Either way, you should have one.

Having a small selection of tools available to you can really help you out in a tight spot. One of the simplest tools is a shovel; if you get snowed in you can dig yourself out and clear a path onto the main road to make it easier to drive. 

Other tools I would recommend are:

• Spanner
• Wrench
• Hammer
• Screwdriver Set
• Protective Gloves (for the messy work)
• A Jack (for those spare tires)
• Air Pump (for flat tires)
• A Small Saw or Axe
• A general multi-tool will also get the job done
• Windscreen scraper to clear off ice and snow
• Jerry can to carry extra fuel

When traveling you should always check your engine fluid levels before you go and if necessary top them up. I would recommend that you also take some spare oil, coolant, clean water, and WD40 just in case - you never know.

I know it seems like there is a lot to take with you even just for small journeys during the winter. If you were to get stuck though you would soon appreciate every single item that is here, or if you didn't pack them you would very quickly regret that decision.

If you don't want to go to the hassle of making up your own kit then you can purchase some very good pre-made ones. There are lots on the internet but I have selected three good ones in my opinion that will do the job for you when called upon.

Bear in mind though that you will still need to pack fresh food and water and also still be responsible for the engine fluid levels in the car.

Now that you are prepared for the winter months you can be safe in the knowledge that should you break down you will be able to keep warm, have nourishment, stay hydrated, dig yourself out of trouble, and potential fix any minor problems yourself.

Once you've got your basic kit sorted out you can pretty much chop and change items to suit the current season. For example, instead of the snow boots and hat/glove/scarf combination in the summer months you can easily swap that out for sunscreen, a sun hat and sun glasses. Just use your common sense with the weather and all will be fine and you'll enjoy your journeys each and every time. 

Happy travels!