The first rule of winter is always be safe. If you cancel shops, just trust that it's better to be alive and warm than stress those few extra bucks... But a few of us are going to be the winter warriors and here's my list of survival gear I have in my car for winter. This sounds like a lot of stuff, but honestly you can get small versions that will take up the minimalist of spaces... plus many mystery shops require us to go alone so we usually have some space I have a back storage under my mat and a large cooler tote too.

A couple of thick quilts--not the bed in a bag special, but of course pack what you have! Every little bit helps.
A pack of flares--you never know! You can also get glow sticks for under $10.
A pack of foil blankets-- $10 for a 4 pack of "nasa" thermal blankets
A couple of 2x6 pieces to put under my tires for extra traction in case I go down into a ditch and need a little help. Pop them under your tires to help avoid the mud slinging.
A back of rock salt--never know when the extra help may come in handy.
Extra socks, gloves, hats and a pair of waterproof boots. I wear sneakers in the car but keep the boots handy.
A cooler with some water and snacks inside. Helps keep things from freezing if you break down.
A flash light.
Ice scraper and car brush. Extra washer fluid.
Matches, lighters, fire sources.
Charger for your phone! Also a watch-- phone batteries die I also have a hand held radio but my guy and I have a HAM license.
Jumper cables, flat tire kit--jack, wrench, spare, and possible a portable air compressor.
A back pack! You may have to pack up and hoof it.
a small first aid kit.

This sounds like a lot, even by winter warrior standards but most of it can be compacted down to take up minimal space. Be safe out there and be prepared (:

A plastic bag or bucket for personal hygiene emergencies.

Bikini. You will be noticed by male drivers quicker and they will probably offer their assistance...in more ways than one!

I believe my honey would rather I freeze or starve to death inside my dark vehicle all alone than take help from another male driver, bwahahaha. I jest, sort of

A folding shovel to dig yourself out.

Roll of duct tape to go with the shovel.

In Orlando I put a long sleeved shirt in my car for days like today when the high is only around 60. Yesterday was terrible.. windy and 55. I stayed inside all day.

I always keep a portable charger for my phone in my bag. Phone batteries die... But you can always revive them.

My AAA card.

Temp is even balmier right now at 2 degree. About to go crank my engine and make a Benjamin. I just wanted to rhyme

Whoa! This thread makes me grateful that I moved back to Texas from New Hampshire!

These suggestions are for those times and situations when not even AAA can reach you and are essentially immobilized:

- Tent or collapsible tree. See walesmaven above and remember that plains and deserts provide no shelter. (And cacti hurt!) Pray for no wind. If it's wintry, bring a small hammer to knock down the icicles.

- Always have water, food, t.p., and sunscreen with you. If you wear makeup, consider bringing makeup remover pads, Noxema, or similar products so that you can care for your skin and preserve your water supply, at any time of night or day. Biodegradable products might be helpful in preserving your water supply for drinking.

- Cards, books, games, music... whatever you like on or off of devices... might help to pass the time if you are stuck long enough to enough to use them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2017 12:51AM by Shop-et-al.

Stay home!

@bgriffin wrote:

Stay home!

That is so not fun. Wouldn't you rather be out there, braving the elements, and defying mother nature?

no.

I always pack heavy. You never know what may happen. My biggest issue when being a winter warrior is other cars not being careful. I can take my time and drive 25 mph in the 55 zones and get home just fine... but folks doing 60 and passing on solid lines are the ones you gotta watch out for. I did about 35 today in the 55 zones on the way home and saw several cars that I was determined I would just drive on by if they were in a ditch further up the road. The kind of driving some folks do baffles me. Other people try to fly through red lights or are going way too fast to get stopped in time if a deer or elk were to come out on them.

A couple of years ago it took us 14 1/2 hours to make a 90 minute drive because of the traffic, accidents, trees/lines down, and just silly folks out. We were in a 21 inch lifted 4x4 Silverado extended crew cab and people were out on mopeds! No joke, saw a couple of mopeds, motorcycles, a limo, a few Geo's, and even some people in power wheel chairs being dug out -_- It was the longest, most strange drive. We were in stop and go traffic for much of it. Thankfully, full tank, weighted back end, and good company

Apparently I forgot to use the sarcasm font. As a former government employee, I won't get on the roads during inclement weather. I know how hard it is for road crews to do their job without unnecessary traffic out during winter storms or any other act of nature such as the flooding we get on a semi-regular basis. So far I have not found mystery shops qualifying as important enough to risk my safety which then risks the safety of first responders. I have also not found an MSC yet who did not agree.

@LisaSTL wrote:

Apparently I forgot to use the sarcasm font. As a former government employee, I won't get on the roads during inclement weather. I know how hard it is for road crews to do their job without unnecessary traffic out during winter storms or any other act of nature such as the flooding we get on a semi-regular basis. So far I have not found mystery shops qualifying as important enough to risk my safety which then risks the safety of first responders. I have also not found an MSC yet who did not agree.

No offense was intended.

I wasn't offended, just pointing out it was a one-liner.

I live about 2 or 3 miles from the interstate. The trouble with my area isn't usually the locals. Most folks have been here decades and dealt with 6-36 inches of snow on a yearly basis. Road crews are excellent with two depots of state road workers within a 15 minute drive of my home. The issue is the two interstates/highways that run nearby and bring in out of state travelers who aren't used to the snow. Most of the accidents happen with warm weather state travelers. I say that not to be cruel, but to be factual that often times Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana plates are the ones on the cars in accidents. Low & Slow in 2nd or 3rd gear is my go to plan when I travel... but if there is an accident that causes a pile up, I could be in traffic for hours.. while snow piles up and road crews are unable to get out. I definitely pack the Equinox and Frontier full of travel goodies for these times. I followed a Florida car home today doing 18 mph. Good for that guy for being safe. At one point we got up to 24 mph and I was ready to drive in NASCAR I'm being playful. The northern folks know all about some snow time, though! Those folks get out on snowmobiles and travel or on the larger vehicles with tracks.

What great advice here! I'm a former Michigander, so I can talk about this forever. My biggest advice is to practice. If you're not used to snow or you haven't seen it since last year, take your car to a snow-filled parking lot and practice. Do a donut or two, slam on your brakes, and know how your car handles on the snow (and don't hit and lightpoles).

@LisaSTL wrote:

As a former government employee, I won't get on the roads during inclement weather.

When I lived in Michigan, I had no choice a lot of the time. We were expected to be at work as long the interstates were open. They closed once in 13 years of my working there!

Yes, the empty, snow-filled parking lot is definitely the way I learned how to handle snow and each year to learn how my vehicle was responding that particular year. Church parking lots were especially good since they could be used in daylight most days of the week and tended to have fewer light poles and parked vehicles.

I learned the old-fashioned way. No drive-y, no work-y. No work-y, no money. No money, no eat-y. It was necessary to drive to the job. I needed the job. So, I learned on-the-way-to-the-job, haha, how to drive in severest wintry conditions.

That's the mindset here. I was a key holder to my building for four years and it was expected that my tailend was there every day, regardless, even if I didn't have enough employees to open the business. I cannot count the times last winter I got to work at 4am only to be told not to open until 8 or 10 and close it back down at 11... But I got paid for being there all that time. It's a strange feeling opening and closing the building in one shift HAHA but at least I knew what I was walking into the next day.