I think Tim was just looking for a few bits & bobs, not to transform his wife's car into an expedition vehicule 
Minimum for a car journey in winter...
- Thread starter tim_n
- Start date
Without getting carried away, in the winter I have the following in the car
Old sacks (for under the wheels)
Snow shovel
Sleeping bag
Torch
A couple of snack bars
Water
Plus of course four wheel drive and winter tyres...
Old sacks (for under the wheels)
Snow shovel
Sleeping bag
Torch
A couple of snack bars
Water
Plus of course four wheel drive and winter tyres...
In my van I have about two weeks worth of dried and packaged grub, always 5 litres of water, a stove and cook kit and also a whistle kettle, lots of different hot drink packets, a litre of meths and a sleeping bag. I doubt I will ever be stuck more than 24 hours at the most but I should be fine nutritionally along with anyone else stranded nearby?
Steve.
?Steve.
I'm just in the process of getting my wife's winter car kit together so found a lot of good ideas in this thread.
We generally keep some basic kit in the car all year round...bottled water, first aid kit, 2x reflective blankets, couple of torches/spare batteries, breakdown kit, 2 x reflective jackets, snacks, light sticks, shewee and a folding entrenching tool, and battery operated phone charger. We also have a couple of clip on bike style red strobe lights which can be handy if you're having to walk out in the dark or even getting out of the car to go to the boot/trunk.
For winter we add a folding snow shovel (quicker than digging out with an entrenching tool), a crusader cookset with fuel, coffee sachets, a flask (filled with hot water when she leaves in the morning and refilled when she leaves work), sleeping bag and bivvy bag and a couple of MRE kits.
Her winter walking boots then take up residence in the car along with a couple of spare fleeces, shell jacket, gloves, hat, shemagh scarf and a few pairs of socks. The spare clothes/footwear are something that a lot of people forget and the last thing anyone would want it to have to plod through snow in a pair of casual shoes or worse still high heels (admittedly not something I've ever had to do, honest.....!)
We generally keep some basic kit in the car all year round...bottled water, first aid kit, 2x reflective blankets, couple of torches/spare batteries, breakdown kit, 2 x reflective jackets, snacks, light sticks, shewee and a folding entrenching tool, and battery operated phone charger. We also have a couple of clip on bike style red strobe lights which can be handy if you're having to walk out in the dark or even getting out of the car to go to the boot/trunk.
For winter we add a folding snow shovel (quicker than digging out with an entrenching tool), a crusader cookset with fuel, coffee sachets, a flask (filled with hot water when she leaves in the morning and refilled when she leaves work), sleeping bag and bivvy bag and a couple of MRE kits.
Her winter walking boots then take up residence in the car along with a couple of spare fleeces, shell jacket, gloves, hat, shemagh scarf and a few pairs of socks. The spare clothes/footwear are something that a lot of people forget and the last thing anyone would want it to have to plod through snow in a pair of casual shoes or worse still high heels (admittedly not something I've ever had to do, honest.....!)
I think Tim was just looking for a few bits & bobs, not to transform his wife's car into an expedition vehicule
Yep I was wondering the make and model of the car in question and how big the boot might be....
Try and leave room for a bit of shopping ladsYep I was wondering the make and model of the car in question and how big the boot might be....
This is must have kit 
in the boot
Then tow one of these
With one on these on it
Then one of these
http://www.g-comm.co.uk/product/102_9555-prepaid-airtime-iridium-satphone.html
and
http://www.bentley-walker.com/mobile
and
http://www.powertoolworld.co.uk/dra...s-19753.html?gclid=CIr2trHT5KwCFVBTfAodvz0lNA
To go with
Should keep you going until the AA arrive
Last edited:
Several other things. Entertainment and light. A headtorch and a book are agodsend if you are scared of flattening the battery. A battery radio better yet. The wee battery poered emergency phone chargers are about £4 on e-bay.
They don't hae to be the best. But once you are warm you are bored. So prepare for that too. A hot drink (cup a soup is comforting) a blanket and a book are hugely reassuring.
They don't hae to be the best. But once you are warm you are bored. So prepare for that too. A hot drink (cup a soup is comforting) a blanket and a book are hugely reassuring.
Try and leave room for a bit of shopping lads
in the boot
Then tow one of these
With one on these on it
Rik you're just being silly now.....
One of these is the answer....
As seen on the A13 last winter....
One of these would see you right....
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I think Tim was just looking for a few bits & bobs, not to transform his wife's car into an expedition vehicule
It all depends on where you -- or she -- are going. A triangle, a day-glo waistcoat, scraper and brush, a headtorch, a shovel, winter work gloves, and some windshield washer fluid will do fine in suburbia, but if it is "not totally off the map" that she'll be stuck for few hours then adding a couple of Lidl "winter" sleeping bags will be a gift from a friendly deity, and if 24 hours is possible (sh*tty weather in remote Scotland?) then some way to melt snow will be appreciated.
And simple things, like a pair of oversized wellies and some wool socks (instant cold weather boots!), a thick beanie, and the decrepit but thick wool sweater from Goodwill is cheap, fits in a duffle bag in the boot and will be very nice if the driver has to walk some distance in cold weather unexpectely.
The advanced car stuff is handy if one is able to do anything with them, but some oil, extra glykol and windshield washer fluid is pretty basic. And the spray bottle with the conc. washer fluid is quite handy if things ice up; ice littlerally melts away.
If I was talking about an expedition vehicle I'd add more stuff, including skis/snowshoes, a pulk, a shelter, a heater for the shelter, food for a week, cookpots suitable for melting serious quantities of snow, etc.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Everytime I see snow at the side of the road its pretty grim looking stuff black or grey with road grime, salt and all sorts of crud in it....
Personally I think the OP has it pretty much nailed... The suggestion of books and a head torch is a really good one.
As is ensuring the car is upto date on servicing and is well prepped for regular winter uk driving, antifreeze, battery in good nick, washer bottle topped up, lights working, tyres in reasonable nick etc ad infinitum....
I guess you have to balance out your level of preparedness for getting stuck in snow with the likelyhood of:
1. Any snow occurring at all.
2. The severity of said snow fall.
3. The likelyhood of being trapped in it.
4. The timeframe you might be realistically 'trapped'.
The met service must still issue weather warnings so you would get a reasonable warning that a good dump of snow is on the way so you do get the option of staying tucked up under the duvet if it's really nasty...
Personally I'd stay clear of stoves in or around cars.... One of those self heating sachets things you get with MRE's might be the way to go if you really need a hot meal...
Last edited:
How about a Jet pack in the boot & a trailer with half a dozen Siberian Huskies & a sled tied to the car roof.
How about a Jet pack in the boot & a trailer with half a dozen Siberian Huskies & a sled tied to the car roof.
hahahaha!
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Well, if you are that "urban" just buy a bottle for the locval corner store. Or walk 50 m and find fairly fresh, clean snow.
Of course, my situation is different from most of you, if I get stuck it is either close to a village (walk to house, knock on door, ask who has a tractor and might be willing to pick up a few bob pulling me out), or out away from villages. Where the snow is clean just a few meters away from the road. And any water I left in the car would be a solid lump of ice anyway (we finally have cold! and this snow may stay!).
Yep you live in Sweden (chance of extremely low temps and snowfall high) not Essex ( low temps likely snow may or may not happen) as the op does....
An emergancy charger for her mobile may be good to have
Please read posts 31, 44 and 48.
Had a bit of a google and it seems that in the bad winter of 2009/2010 one person died from cold in his car in the UK, 310 died due to the cold across Europe. Be realistic in your planning.
Here!? In England!? Shocking. I know someone got killed when their car ran over them whilst they were scraping the ice off the windshield. They left the handbrake off...
Similar threads
