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[Bubs]

While we have managed to get by thus far without any major snow, apparently Mother Nature is going to take a huge steaming dump of a snowstorm on us starting tonight. Which meant it was once again time to convert my general emergency kit into my winter emergency kit.

Living up here for all these years, even before I was old enough to drive, it's commonplace to find people with car trouble or worse once the snow starts piling up. Whether they slid off the road, have a flat tire or a dead battery, or other general car trouble, I know I should have what they need. This stuff has saved the day for many people regardless of the season - it's amazing how many people aren't prepared.

Here's what I carry during the winter:

In the trunk:
Battery jump pack - I like it better than jumper cables because there is no awkward car positioning to deal with. It also has a built in power socket and tire pump.
Drop light with plug for auxiliary power socket (cig lighter) plug.
Snow brush, ice scraper, spray windshield de-icer.
Extra pair of light gloves.
Basic tool kit - back when I was driving shitboxes everywhere this saved my ass a lot too.
Other basic tools; Vise-grips, duct tape, etc.
Old newspaper...for light reading I guess? Nah, just keep forgetting to throw it out.
Edit: I also tend to carry a tow cable. Either in case I get stuck, or to lend it someone else in case a truck or something capable of pulling them out shows up.

In the back seat:
Heavy blanket, folded neatly under the front passenger seat.
Extra jacket
Extra heavy gloves

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The first year I had my license I can't tell you how many people I ran into who didn't have what they needed in a bad situation. Cool thing is, I'm not only helping myself, but also helping others since the number of people I run into with car trouble has dropped significantly ever since I started packing a winter emergency kit. Thanks, Murphy's Law!

This post has been edited by Bubs on Dec 26 2010, 12:15 PM

[Kiroshino]

Reminds me of a post on MR2OC:

SPOILER

Long story, but worth it. Originally posted here (not by me): http://www.reddit.com/r/AskRed...8z0z2 Just about every time I see someone I stop. I kind of got out of the habit in the last couple of years, moved to a big city and all that, my girlfriend wasn't too stoked on the practice. Then some **** happened to me that changed me and I am back to offering rides habitually. If you would indulge me, it is long story and has almost nothing to do with hitch hiking other than happening on a road. This past year I have had 3 instances of car trouble. A blow out on a freeway, a bunch of blown fuses and an out of gas situation. All of them were while driving other people's cars which, for some reason, makes it worse on an emotional level. It makes it worse on a practical level as well, what with the fact that I carry things like a jack and extra fuses in my car, and know enough not to park, facing downhill, on a steep incline with less than a gallon of fuel. Anyway, each of these times this **** happened I was DISGUSTED with how people would not bother to help me. I spent hours on the side of the freeway waiting, watching roadside assistance vehicles blow past me, for AAA to show. The 4 gas stations I asked for a gas can at told me that they couldn't loan them out "for my safety" but I could buy a really ***** 1-gallon one with no cap for $15. It was enough, each time, to make you say **** like "this country is going to hell in a handbasket." But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke a lick of the language. But one of those dudes had a profound affect on me. He was the guy that stopped to help me with a blow out with his whole family of 6 in tow. I was on the side of the road for close to 4 hours. Big jeep, blown rear tire, had a spare but no jack. I had signs in the windows of the car, big signs that said NEED A JACK and offered money. No dice. Right as I am about to give up and just hitch out there a van pulls over and dude bounds out. He sizes the situation up and calls for his youngest daughter who speaks english. He conveys through her that he has a jack but it is too small for the Jeep so we will need to brace it. He produces a saw from the van and cuts a log out of a downed tree on the side of the road. We rolled it over, put his jack on top, and bam, in business. I start taking the wheel off and, if you can believe it, I broke his tire iron. It was one of those collapsible ones and I wasn't careful and I snapped the head I needed clean off. ****. No worries, he runs to the van, gives it to his wife and she is gone in a flash, down the road to buy a tire iron. She is back in 15 minutes, we finish the job with a little sweat and cussing (stupid log was starting to give), and I am a very happy man. We are both filthy and sweaty. The wife produces a large water jug for us to wash our hands in. I tried to put a 20 in the man's hand but he wouldn't take it so I instead gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl where they lived, thinking maybe I could send them a gift for being so awesome. She says they live in Mexico. They are here so mommy and daddy can pick peaches for the next few weeks. After that they are going to pick cherries then go back home. She asks if I have had lunch and when I told her no she gave me a tamale from their cooler, the best ***** tamale I have ever had. So, to clarify, a family that is undoubtedly poorer than you, me, and just about everyone else on that stretch of road, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took an hour or two out of their day to help some strange dude on the side of the road when people in tow trucks were just passing me by. Wow... But we aren't done yet. I thank them again and walk back to my car and open the foil on the tamale cause I am starving at this point and what do I find inside? My ***** $20 bill! I whirl around and run up to the van and the guy rolls his window down. He sees the $20 in my hand and just shaking his head no like he won't take it. All I can think to say is "Por Favor, Por Favor, Por Favor" with my hands out. Dude just smiles, shakes his head and, with what looked like great concentration, tried his hardest to speak to me in English: "Today you.... tomorrow me." Rolled up his window, drove away, his daughter waving to me in the rear view. I sat in my car eating the best ***** tamale of all time and I just cried. Like a little girl. It has been a rough year and nothing has broke my way. This was so out of left field I just couldn't deal. In the 5 months since I have changed a couple of tires, given a few rides to gas stations and, once, went 50 miles out of my way to get a girl to an airport. I won't accept money. Every time I tell them the same thing when we are through: "Today you.... tomorrow me." tl;dr: long rambling story about how the kindness of strangers, particularly folks from south of the border, forced me to be more helpful on the road and in life in general. I am sure it won't be as meaningful to anyone else but it was seriously the highlight of my 2010.

All I have is gloves and a snow brush/ice scraper combo. Probably should pack my jack just in case. Otherwise, I'm never really too far from home to call for help.

It's nice that you're helping others out.

[Bubs]

I am so glad I posted this, just because it caused you to post that awesome story. Seriously, that was amazing. I hope that that guy and his family are still doing well in Mexico. Hats off to them for helping a stranger out and being so incredibly kind, and hats off to the guy who posted his story for being so appreciative. Like he said, you don't see that a lot anymore.

[Spaz]

Spazzy's Winter Emergency Survival Kit:

1 Evo





Yep, that's it.

[MetalMan777]

AAA card, BMW tools, tow strap, air compressor, glow sticks, emergency triangle, jumper cables, paper towels, spare set of gloves, shitty factory scissor jack.

Very often I have some additional tools on me, and I think I have a few spare fuses, albeit the German cylinder variety. I stop and help people all the time, unless I'm in a hurry, which is a lot these days, I'll pull over. I've pulled one guy out of a snowbank just to get caught in another one myself, jumped dozens, fixed a couple of flats, solved surging idles, timing problems, all sorts of other things. Haven't accepted money for any of it.

[Ayako Watanabe]

Z31:

Tow hook, Bits of wood, brush/scrapper, small shovel.

Grand Cherokee:

Tow Hook

That's pretty much it.

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Keep in mind that I live where the worst weather is rain, so obviously I won't have a "winter" kit. Anyway...

2 (maybe 3) extra quarts of Mobil 1 synthetic oil
Funnel
Tool kit (ratchets and stuff)
First aid kit
Tire foam (to temporarily seal a punctured tire if I can't get to my spare for some reason)
Bottles of water
Energy drink
Food
Gloves
Better lug wrench (and a breaker bar)
Skateboard (quick transportation!)
Spare umbrella
Spare clothes

[MetalMan777]

Oh yeah, I forgot, but I carry tire plugs, as well. I hate the foam crap, but I've successfully plugged more than one tire. And I'll almost never drive past a house that's having roofing work done because of it.

This post has been edited by Cactus on Dec 27 2010, 08:30 PM