and a snow shovel, jumper cables, flashy light, etc.

The most important single item would be a sleeping bag, by far. Then some food and an FAK, plus other items to suit the situation.

Even here is the benign climate of SoCal (it is going to hit 81 degrees today), our car always has a sleeping bag in the trunk, plus water, at a very minimum.

At 60,000, your wheels are just getting broken in.....

The scenario that often comes to mind is the debacle of January 2011, when the GW Parkway was paralyzed for several hours during a relatively modest snowstorm. I believe that event became known as "Carmageddon."

Yes, it matters little how snow-worthy your vehicle is when you are caught in gridlock.

I've been considering throwing a sleeping bag in the car. This thread is proving persuasive.

Agreed, however some things time out regardless of mileage, chemical reactions and all that. Vehicles today can go a long ways, but they still need maintenance and a low mileage vehicle should have some things checked closely or simply replaced based on time rather than miles.

Dagny's Element is probably in great shape, but the tire sidewalls may be cracking due to age regardless of tread thickness. Her radiator may have build-up not noticeable until stuck in slow traffic in August -- then the temp starts to climb. That's what happened to me with the temp gauge flirting with the red mark up by the "H". Lots of little things that are normally of no concern until they put you on the side of the road waiting for AAA.

Yep, I had a 10-year old Miata with 44,000 miles on it and one night at work I went to drive home and a gasket in the clutch slave cylinder had failed so no-go on the clutch.

Time alone is tough on a vehicle.

FWIW, the (original) battery on my 2004 Jeep Liberty died last week. (No, I didn't pull a baby brain move. It was about 10 years old so probably overdue to be changed.)

It wasn't a survival situation by any stretch of the imagination. I was in a retail parking lot so had easy access to shelter, but I decided to wait it out, as sort of an experiment. I was shopping for maybe 10 mins before I tried to head home, so the Jeep had time to cool down before I got back in it. After that I wasn't stuck for more than maybe 45 mins before my hubby came and rescued me, but it was a very windy sub-zero day and it got cold in there fast. I was really glad that I dressed for the weather (insulated boots, Merino wool socks, LS thermal top, fleece jacket, thinsulate hat And gloves), and also for the extra down jacket and mitts I keep in there. (To be fair, I do have my own personal internal heater right now, so wasn't wearing thermal long johns as I would be any other winter.)

Expanding on Russ's post above, my Jeep now has a brand new sub-zero battery as well as a brand new alternator.

In addition to a standard GHB and spare clothes (including rain gear and a pair of boots) I always carry two wool blankets, space blanket tarp, small ax, shovel, saw, small pot with alcohol stove . . .

In the winter I'll throw in a sleeping bag, parka, heavy hat, etc just for season.

If I'm going to the mountains or longer distance a few other things get added like the snow shovel and snow shoes. Just depends on the environment I'm going to be in that day. Just around town I've still got the previous gear all the time.

I'm sure this is gonna raise the hackles for quite a few here but I see a lot of "I'm helpless come save me" type thinking going on here.

TeacherRO is the only one so far who touched on the right direction... snow shovel, jumper cables, flashy light, etc

Doesn't anyone prep for self-rescue anymore?

How about tire chains, a satellite phone, a tow rope, tools, shovel, tree saw, shoe spikes. Think self-rescue - Don't just sit on the side of the road and pray the government will save you before your little candle burns out and you freeze to death.

Just to clarify: hubby rescuing me meant him bringing a new battery and alternator and changing them himself. (Thankfully it didn't turn out to be computer problem.) One of my best preps is the benefit of having an amature mechanic and retail parts store manager as a partner. . Saved us a bunch of $$$ on a tow and mechanic. (I can change a tire, jump a battery, change a fuse, wiper, etc. on my own, BTW.)

To Nugget's point, I don't get the sense that anyone here is planning to rely solely on the powers that be to rescue us. It is wise to carry the means for self rescue - shovel, chains, fuses, cables, tools, etc... just like it's wise to check the weather forecast and plan your trip accordingly. it's also wise to prep to be stuck for a while, even, perhaps, maybe, while those steps are being taken.

Had I been driving, 9 months pregnant, on a blustry winter day, to visit my friend In the boonies... my report, including the supplies I regularly keep in my Jeep, would be entirely different - and it would have been caused a not very wise move to begin with.

Speaking of tools. Quite a leap in your thinking, NH, and inappropriate snark.

There is no "I'm helpless come save me type thinking" in this thread. There is plenty of "I'd like to prepare for being stranded with the car for some period of time" thinking in this thread.

My car is stocked with jumper cables, shovel, Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Axe, etcetera, and I'm among the few in the mid-Atlantic who carry tire chains during the winter. I even carry duct tape.

Perhaps if you would think more you could imagine a scenario that cannot be remedied with jumper cables, tire chains, shovel, tree saw, shoe spikes, tow rope, a sat phone or even a well-equipped tool box.

Unless you are Mr. Goodwrench and have an automotive diagnostic computer and auto parts store in the trunk of your car, situations may arise in which you may not be able to "self-rescue." In the event of being stuck in a major traffic jam on a major highway during a winter storm, staying with the vehicle may be the wisest and only feasible course of action -- whether or not you have a super-duper tow rope and wench on your high-clearence 4x4.

So instead of presuming that every situation lends itself to "self-rescue," are you capable of constructively adding to a discussion about staying safely and comfortably with the vehicle for several hours, or longer?