Winter Travel Advisory
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With all of the severe weather we have been having this winter, the Department of Transportation issued a travel warning. They suggest that anyone traveling in the current icy conditions should have the following:

Shovel
Blankets or sleeping bag
Extra clothing including coats, hats and gloves
24 hours worth of food
De-icier
Sand
Flashlight and spare batteries
Road flares or reflective triangles
5 gallon gas can full of gas
Tire chains
Jumper cables

I looked like an idiot on the bus this morning!

You owe me a new keyboard. And some screen wipes.

! !

O my

LOL!!! But, seriously, anyone else note something critical missing?

As an old desert rat, I would never go anywhere without a full canteen, and I usually throw in some means of heating, an alcohol or canister stove,so I can convert that water into a nice cup of tea, as well as for other ourposes. My car is so equipped right now, even siting here in balmy soCal.

I am not so sure that five gallons of gas in a container of unknown specification is a very good idea. Better to be sure that the gas tank is full when embarking on a trip.

As long as you are equipping yourself, throw in a tow strap.

Liquid refreshment.

Exactly! No Water, no Food!

One problem with carrying water in your kit for winter travel is that water tends to freeze (at least in places that have real winter).

I suppose it's OK to do that if you plan to drive from your warm garage, and park in a warm garage at your destination. Or if you plan to bring your travel kit indoors when not driving. Or if your "winter weather" really doesn't go below freezing much.

As I type this it is a balmy -5F (-20C) at my house this morning. If you had parked your vehicle last night in front of my house, this morning your water would be frozen solid as a rock.

Depending on what sort of container you had it in, the container might also have split when it froze. One time after shopping we inadvertently left a couple of bottles of club soda overnight in the SUV. When they burst during the night, the carbonation blew ice chips all over the inside of the vehicle! Quite entertaining, but fortunately not a serious mess to clean up.

I'm with you on this. I have a few extra bottles of water left over from the summer in my vehicle right now but they wouldn't do me any good since they are rock solid (I park outside year round).

The only thing I try to do is bring along a water bottle when I'm out & about, but that only provides so much water (less than a litre). I guess a true winter kit really needs a stove or some other method to turn your ice-blocks into something drinkable.