Thanks gang. I'm glad that this thread is back where it should be.

This story has made me reflect on my two vehicle malfunctions last winter. (Lost the interior heater blower fan on the first, and the catalytic converter the on second.) My family (DH, DD and DS) were lucky that both happened close to home, relative to where we were planning on travelling during those trips, and also on major well-travel roadways. If either happened later in the trip we could easily have been somewhere with no cel phone coverage and hardly any vehicles passing by. We didn't get stuck but both trips were slow and cold, and resulted in chilly diagnostic jerry-rigging time spent on the side of the road.

My family has always poked fun at my preparedness, especially the gear in my trunk, but not on those trips. It's easy to have a "it can't happen to me" attitude or to simply not think about it. Winter weather can be unpredictable and even if the worst doesn't happen, it's always preferrable to wait out whatever it is in comfort. My dad has always said "Travel not just to arrive but to survive!"

Also, filing a trip plan, including route and ETA is super important. If we had of broken down in the the middle of nowhere and weren't able to call them, key people knew what route we were taking and when we were expected. Even then we may have had to wait a while before a search started and found us so, again, waiting in comfort would have been preferable.

Blankets, extra hats, mitts and sweaters, water, food, a way to heat water, warm drinks, chemical warmers, flashlights, flares, etc... are all vital components of my witner car kit. I also tent, tarp, sleeping bag, paracord, fire starters, candles, shovel, etc. onboard in case we need to overnight, and on long trips we add snowpants for everyone too!

It's so easy to get started: Just go stand in your driveway on a cold day and think about what you wish you had with you and throw that in a bag in the trunk along with some snacks and water.