The West has gotten plenty of snow this year, which is good for skiers, snowboarders, and the coming summer鈥檚 water supply. But it can also lead to some sketchy driving, with snow and ice coating roads and even . Here鈥檚 the kit that I put together and keep in my car to prevent it from getting stuck, help聽me get it unstuck if I end up in a snowbank, and aid me while I hunker down and call聽for help if I鈥檓 really in trouble.
BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 Tires ($145鈥$402 per tire)
The are聽without a doubt聽the most important item on this list. The best all-wheel-drive technology in the world wont鈥檛 do you any good in the snow if your tires can鈥檛 get any traction. (My wife and I learned that the hard way three years ago, after sending our all-wheel-drive Honda Element into a snowbank while heading down聽an access road with bald tires.) The aggressive tread and lugs actively bite into snow and dirt, while its siping聽draws moisture away from the rubber鈥檚 surface. I鈥檝e had the KO2s since January and haven鈥檛 fishtailed in the slightest.
Rumpl Jeremy Collins Puffy Down Blanket ($199)
I used to throw a zero-degree sleeping bag in the back of my car. But, while not as warm, the 600-fill down 聽is big enough for my wife, daughter, and me to huddle under should we have to wait for help after a crash or breakdown. It packs to the size of a cantaloupe.
SureCall N-Range Signal Booster ($200)
Even if road conditions are stellar, I get the heebie-jeebies driving through areas without any cell service. That AAA membership isn鈥檛 any good if you can鈥檛 actually reach anyone聽for a tow. The antenna affixes to the roof, while the phone mount attaches to the vents on the dash inside. The device is good for boosting cell service and data, and now I almost always have enough bars to guarantee a call for help in the most remote parts of my road trips through southern and central Oregon.
国产吃瓜黑料 Medical Kits Mountain Series Explorer Kit ($59)
It鈥檚 one of those things I hope I never have to use, but the robust has tools for bigger emergencies, like EMT shears, gauze, bandages, and a proper wound-irrigation syringe. And even if I don鈥檛 end up needing it, the $59 is worth the peace of mind.
Uncharted Supply Co. The Zeus Portable Jump Starter and Charger ($150)
With enough juice to start even big trucks, included jumper cables, the ability to power my phone ten times, and a built-in flashlight, has all of my potential power needs covered in a package no bigger than a lunch box.
Goal Zero Crush Light Chroma Collapsible Solar Lantern ($25)
This has six different color options, which can be strobed to make your vehicle more visible to rescuers (as well as distract and calm down freaked-out kiddos). It couldn鈥檛 be less obtrusive, about the size of a tea saucer, and runs for three hours on the high setting.
Kinco聽1927KW Pigskin Gloves ($18)
Digging yourself out of a snowbank or ditch sucks no matter what, but frozen, achy fingers will only make it suck more. These pigskin gloves have proved plenty warm for skiing and, at $17, are 聽for everyday use in the yard, too.
Mammut Alugator Pro Light Shovel ($75)
It makes sense that聽if an avalanche shovel is good for moving snow after a slide, it works perfectly well digging out stuck cars. I once used one to help extricate two 16-wheelers in a wild storm. The , with a hardened anodized blade and an ergonomic handle, does an excellent job chipping away at snowbanks on the highway. Is an ultralight $75 scoop the only option for an emergency kit? Of course not. But it鈥檚 already my backcountry shovel of choice, so I鈥檓 not going to spend the money on a separate one just for the car.