What's in you winter car kit?

oldtoolie

As well as many mentioned items, I have waterproof boots and a 12v elec tire inflator. I carry a fire extingusher year round.

You don't have to go far to get stuck. A mate told me he set off from Southampton to London with 2 mates wearing tee-shirts. A storm blew up and it was over 24 hours before they got back. In the same storm, another mate needed six hours to commute about 12 miles.

goonarmy

motorguy wrote: »

In the context of the post we were actually commenting on, the poster said they had a pair of gloves in their car but they werent too concerned as their commute was only 3.5 miles.

Safe to assume they aint driving barefoot.

motorguy

goonarmy wrote: »

Safe to assume they aint driving barefoot.

I would have thought so yes.

And probably trousers and a top too. Maybe even socks and underwear.

If you've ever tried walking in the dark in snow and probably freezing conditions, then you'll maybe understand why it would be a good idea to be prepared, even if its "only" 3 miles.

goonarmy

motorguy wrote: »

I would have thought so yes.

And probably trousers and a top too. Maybe even socks and underwear.

If you've ever tried walking in the dark in snow and probably freezing conditions, then you'll maybe understand why it would be a good idea to be prepared, even if its "only" 3 miles.

Your assuming i havent.

womble12345

I take some old lumps of carpet to either put under the wheels for traction in snow or to kneel on when changing a wheel.

motorguy

goonarmy wrote: »

Your assuming i havent.

Well you mustnt have or you'd be advocating being better prepared than "wearing shoes".

penthouse89

I used to commute around 70 miles round trip, when I did, I had a small FWD hatchback, which had a few essentials (torch, food parcel, tyre inflator, gloves + hat, shovel, and drinking water).

Now, I'm travelling from one side of Sunderland city centre to the other, 3 miles. If it gets too bad, I'll be leaving the Accord at home, and walking or taking the bus. I'll still have some bits in the car incase there's I do get stuck, but I'm nowhere near as concerned as I was when doing Sunderland-Darlington on shifts...

As with many posters, I've never been stuck because of my own car or inability to drive in bad weather. I ran a very old-tech Mercedes 230E automatic through one bad winter (2011-12) and never had any problems.

goonarmy

motorguy wrote: »

Well you mustnt have or you'd be advocating being better prepared than "wearing shoes".

You are foolish to make this assumption. Sets a tone for your posts in my eyes.

WobblyDog

Walking boots
Box of Lifeboat Biscuits (5 year shelf life)
Blocks of wood to use as wheel chocks when changing wheel
Bottles of water (need to be replaced periodically)
Wet wipes
Toilet paper
Extra clothing
Wind-up torch (I find batteries go flat and leak when left in car)
Small toolkit (screwdrivers, pliers, socket set, etc.)
Cable ties
Steel wire
Small first aid kit
Foot pump
Shovel and sleeping bag (only in really bad weather because of weight and bulk).

I was once stranded on a flooded motorway overnight, so I try to be prepared.

aileth

At least you can be prepared with a car. A few winters ago when it was really bad and I was enroute home from work, the buses had all stopped but the trams hadn't. All of a sudden in the middle of nowhere (just on the edge of where the tram goes into a rural area), we are told the service is stopping and we are all kicked off. I had to walk about 4 miles in the middle of nowhere, pitch black and ankle deep in snow before my OH's boss eventually let him leave work to pick me up.

The only being prepared for that I do now is always having a book and £10-20 on me so I can divert to a pub!