A winter car kit that needs no open flame

Older winter kit lists often include a candle. The National Weather Service’s winter storm survival kit still does, with matches, as light and “lifesaving heat.” The kit below leaves the candle out, along with road flares and anything else that burns. A flame inside a closed car adds carbon monoxide and a fire risk to a cabin where people may fall asleep, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns never to use fuel-burning heaters or lanterns while sleeping in enclosed spaces, vehicles included. Light and warmth, the two jobs a flame would do, come more safely from a battery, a blanket and the engine.

Warmth

Heat comes from the engine in short runs and from what keeps body heat in between them. Pack for every seat, not just the driver:

• Blankets or a sleeping bag for each person, wool where possible.
• A full change of dry clothing: wool hat, mittens, socks and a warm layer.
• Newspapers. The American Red Cross lists them for insulation, and in a stuck car suggests wrapping up in them, along with maps and even the floor mats.
• A thermos of warm broth on a long trip, which the Red Cross also suggests, and several bottles of water.
• High-calorie food that keeps, such as nuts and energy bars.

Light and power

• A flashlight with spare batteries. Swap in fresh ones each autumn when the kit goes back in the car.
• A car phone charger and a charged battery pack.
• Glow sticks. The University of Kentucky’s extension service lists them beside flares as a roadside signal, and they work inside the car as a night light without a flame.

Signals and getting free

• A reflective warning triangle instead of flares. Ready.gov’s car list offers it as the alternative.
• A bright cloth, red if possible, to tie to the antenna or a door handle.
• Sand or cat litter to spread under spinning wheels, a small shovel and an ice scraper.
• Jumper cables or a battery-powered jump starter, a tow rope and a basic tool kit.
• A first-aid kit, a paper road map and a compass, which still work when the phone does not.

Keep the fuel tank close to full through the winter. It gives more hours of engine heat if the car is stuck, and Ready.gov notes that a full tank also keeps the fuel line from freezing.

If the car is stuck

Stay in it. The Weather Service warns that people who leave their vehicle quickly become disoriented in wind-driven snow. The Red Cross puts a number on it: do not leave to look for help unless help can be seen within 100 yards.

For heat, the two organizations give nearly the same routine:

1. Before starting the engine, dig the snow out from around the tailpipe. Check it again before every run if snow is still falling.
2. Run the engine for about 10 minutes each hour, with the heater on.
3. While it runs, open a window slightly, on the side away from the wind.
4. At night, switch on the dome light while the engine runs so the car can be seen.

Between runs, move arms and legs to keep blood flowing, share blankets and body heat when two or more people are in the car, and drink water. Go easy on digging. The Red Cross warns that shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack, and the Weather Service notes that sweating can bring on a chill. Once the snow stops, raise the hood as a signal that the car needs help.