What to Keep in your Car during Winter
During winter, it’s worth keeping your car stocked with a few key items. That way, you’ll be prepared when disaster strikes, and you’ll be better equipped to prevent disaster from striking in the first place.
Blankets
If you’ve ever stepped into your car on a cold winter’s morning, you might have realised that they’re not particularly well-insulated. When the engine isn’t running, you might find that the interior of your car cools down extremely quickly. This goes for both newer cars and older ones. A preowned Lexus might be many things, but a safe haven from the elements isn’t one of them.
As such, it’s worth keeping your car stocked with blankets and sleeping bags. That way, if you become stranded, you won’t need to keep the engine running in order to stay comfortable. The same applies to spare pairs of gloves, hats, and winter socks. Socks can also be used to stop your side mirrors from icing up in sub-zero temperatures.
Finally, you might include a set of hand warmers. These come in many styles and shapes, some of which are more affordable and environmentally friendly than others.
Shovel
If you anticipate snowfall, it’s a good idea to have a shovel in the car. This goes especially if you’re traveling to an alpine or mountainous location. Larger shovels will make the job of dealing with snow much easier.
Ice-scraper
By the same token, you’ll want to be able to tackle ice when it builds up on your windscreen overnight. This means having access to a good ice scraper. While you might use a credit card in a pinch, having something more robust will make your life easier.
Jumper leads
It might be that you need to provide a jump-start to another motorist – or ask the same favour in the other direction. Keep the appropriate cables in your boot, where they can stay until called for.
A power bank
If you’re out in the countryside at night time, then it might be that there’s no readily available source of power. This can make life uncomfortable if you need to charge your phone, or to choose between seeing what you’re doing and having the battery you need to make and receive calls. Keep a power bank in your car, and plug it into the USB socket in the dashboard. You might also consider a wind-up torch whose batteries never need to be replaced!
Thermos flask
Sometimes, you’re taken by surprise by cold weather. In other instances, you can see it coming, and plan accordingly. Packing a flask of tea, coffee, or soup might help to make your life in the driver’s seat that little bit more comfortable.
