Its that time of year again and several people are hitting the roads to visit friends and family for the holidays.

While the holidays can be hectic, this is also the time the weather can get nasty. Its no time to forget about emergency preparedness. About two years ago, several cars were stuck on a local highway here for about three days due to the excessive snow. The people were cold, hungry and unfortunately some people did pass away.

I recommend keeping a kit in the car just in case. Some simple items can save your life.

In the kit I have:

basic first aid supplies (gloves, bandages, alcohol swabs, etc)

a wind up radio with extra batteries so I don’t kill the car battery

some easy foods(granola bars, tuna, fruit salad for the kids)

manual can opener

hand warmers (these can be put in your sweater if needed)

a survival blanket (easy, compact way to keep warm, can also be used to signal for help due to shine)

a mini camp stove to cook with (please don’t use inside the car!!)

hand sanitizer (both for hygiene and as a de-icer)

light sticks (comfort item for children, can be used to signal)

book for entertainment

garbage bags (hygiene… when there’s no toilet…. )

a zip bag of cat litter – for a few reasons. Cat litter can help your tires to gain traction if stuck on ice, but I keep my car kit in a cat litter bucket. This is because my car keeps getting broken into and everything gets stolen. No one has stolen my “cat litter”. They did once open the lid and this is what they saw:

a bucket of cat litter… not really worth stealing. But underneath that sneaky cat litter, lays the real prize.

This kit is light weight (about 7 lbs) so can be carried if you have to leave your vehicle.

Some additional things to keep in your car at all times are: basic tools (tire iron, jack and jumper cables and KNOW HOW TO USE THEM!), a case of bottled water (do not eat snow, it will lower your body temperature, let it melt first if you have no water) and a weapon that you are comfortable using.

All that aside, please take your time going where you need to go, don’t drink and drive and be safe!!