Winter car emergency kit
Winter is when cars fail to start and drivers get stuck. The list below follows the official advice in the US and UK, ordered by how often you will need each thing, and says what to look for rather than naming a model. Amazon US and UK links are both on every item.
Know this first
Why batteries die in the cold
A car battery is a lead-acid battery, and like every battery on this site it holds less in the cold: the chemistry slows down just as a cold engine needs more current to turn over. A battery that was fine in October can fail on the first frosty morning. The cold-weather guide has the numbers for lithium.
The official lists
NHTSA in the US recommends a snow shovel, scraper, sand or cat litter, jumper cables, a flashlight, warning devices, a first aid kit, blankets, a phone charger, water, food and medicine, and a tank kept near full. The UK Highway Code asks you to clear all windows and lights of ice and snow before setting off.
Electric cars
An electric car also loses range in the cold, and its 12 V battery can still go flat. Keep the main battery charged, and a jump starter still helps with the 12 V one.
Getting going
The things you will use most winters.
Portable jump starter
Cold weakens car batteries, and a pocket-sized lithium pack starts the car without another car or a stranger's help. Most double as a power bank for phones.
Look for: A peak current suited to your engine (diesels and big petrol engines need more), USB-C charging, and a reminder to top it up every few months.
Getting unstuck
For snow, ice and soft verges.
Folding snow shovel
Clears snow from around the wheels and exhaust if you get stuck.
Look for: Metal or strong plastic blade, and small enough to live in the boot or trunk.
If you are stuck
Waiting for help in a cold car.
Foil emergency blankets
They weigh nothing and keep in body heat if you are stuck in a car with the engine off.
Look for: A multipack, so there is one for every seat.
USB-C car charger and cable
A phone is how you call for help, and cold drains phone batteries faster.
Look for: USB-C Power Delivery, and a cable long enough to reach the back seats.
Head torch
Both hands free for the fuse box, the stairs and the kettle you cannot use.
Look for: USB-C charging or common AA batteries, and a red-light mode that does not dazzle everyone else.
Warning triangle and hi-vis vest
If you break down in the dark or in snow, other drivers need to see you well before they reach you.
Look for: A triangle that folds into a case, and a vest for each adult.
Checklist to print
- Jump starter, charged in the last three months
- Ice scraper, and de-icer in the UK
- Folding shovel, and traction mats or a bag of cat litter
- Foil blankets and a warm coat or blanket
- Car charger and cable for the phone
- Torch or headlamp
- Warning triangle and hi-vis vest
- First aid kit
- Water and snacks
- Tank at least half full, or the EV charged
Before the first frost
- Charge the jump starter and put it in the car, not the garage.
- If the car battery is over four or five years old, have it tested.
- Put the scraper, shovel and blankets in the boot or trunk now.
- Check the tyres, lights and screenwash.
Sources
Amazon links on this page are affiliate links; the site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. They are searches for a type of product, not endorsements of a particular model, and nothing here has been tested hands-on. Prices and stock change constantly.
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