Winter Car Emergency Kit for Ice Storms: What to Keep in the Trunk in the Southeast

The car kit that gets you through a night stuck on I-77 in an ice storm is mostly about staying warm and being able to call for help, not about digging out. Start with a real wool blanket and a box of hand warmers, add a lithium jump pack so a dead battery does not strand you in the first place, and keep a power bank and a weather radio in the glove box so your phone and your information do not die together. A folding shovel, LED flares and an ice scraper round it out. If you only buy two things from this list, make them the Arcturus wool blanket and the NOCO GB40.

Why the Southeast needs a different kit

Most of North Carolina sees a few inches of snow a year at best, so people skip the winter kit. The problem here is ice. Freezing rain glazes the interstates between Charlotte and the Triad faster than crews can treat them, bridges freeze first, and a jackknifed truck on I-40 or I-77 can hold traffic still for hours. During the December 2018 storm the state had more than 200,000 customers without power and the Highway Patrol worked over 500 crashes in a single day, with freezing rain the main concern along the I-85 corridor and Charlotte. The state's own press release that day told people to keep a scraper, jumper cables, a tow chain, sand or salt, blankets, a flashlight and a first aid kit in the car.

For the house end of the same storm, a lantern that runs for days on low matters more than any flashlight; those are in our power outage lantern guide.

So the realistic scenario is sitting in a stopped car at 28 degrees for six or eight hours, engine off part of the time to save fuel, phone at 30 percent. Build the kit for that.

Warmth comes first

A car loses its heat fast once the engine is off. The National Weather Service advice for a stranded vehicle is to stay with it, run the engine about 10 minutes per hour for heat, crack a window for fresh air, and keep the tailpipe clear of snow so exhaust does not back up into the cabin. That schedule only works if you can stay warm during the 50 minutes the engine is off.

• Wool blanket. Not a fleece throw and not only a mylar sheet. Wool stays warm when damp and does not melt near a heat source. One twin-size blanket per two people is a good target.
• Hand warmers. Air-activated iron packets that run for hours. Drop one in each boot and one in a chest pocket. A box of 40 pairs in the trunk covers a family.
• Dry layers. A wool hat, gloves and a pair of dry socks in a gallon zip bag. Wet socks are the fastest way to get cold feet, and you will get wet if you have to step out onto a slushy shoulder.
• Mylar blanket as a second layer. Cheap and small; put it over the wool to trap heat, not instead of it. See our emergency blanket guide for the reusable options.

The candle and can trick, with a warning

An old technique is to burn a candle inside an empty coffee can on the floorboard. One candle gives real heat and light in a closed car. It also uses oxygen and makes a little carbon monoxide, so crack a window, set it where it cannot tip, and do not fall asleep with it lit. Keep tea lights and a lighter in the kit for it, as a backup to the blanket and warmers.

The checklist

1. Wool blanket (one per two people)
2. Hand warmers, at least 10 pairs per person
3. Hat, gloves, dry socks in a zip bag
4. Lithium jump starter, charged every few months
5. Power bank for phones, plus a car charger and cable
6. NOAA weather radio with hand crank
7. Flashlight or headlamp with spare batteries
8. LED road flares or a reflective triangle
9. Folding shovel
10. Ice scraper and snow brush
11. Bag of cat litter or sand for traction
12. Water: a few bottles, rotated, stored where they will not freeze solid and split
13. Food that survives heat and cold: nuts, jerky, granola bars
14. Tow strap, basic first aid kit (and take a class; the kit is not the training)
15. Paper map, a red cloth for the antenna, a whistle
16. Full tank. Ready.gov says to keep the tank topped up in winter, which also helps keep the fuel line from freezing.

Jump pack or jumper cables

Cables need a second car willing to pull up nose to nose on an icy shoulder. In a long stall nobody is moving, so a lithium jump starter is the better tool. Cold hurts lithium capacity, so keep the pack in the cabin rather than the trunk, and top it up every three months. Keep a set of cables too; they never need charging.

Getting unstuck: traction and a shovel

On glaze ice the trick is not power, it is grip. Ready.gov lists cat litter or sand in the car kit for exactly this, and a 10 pound bag of clay litter under the drive wheels works. Traction mats (ribbed plastic boards you wedge under the tire) do the same job without the mess and are worth it if you drive rural roads with soft shoulders. A folding shovel clears packed slush from in front of the tires and from the tailpipe. The military style entrenching tool is small enough to live under a seat.

Light and being seen

A stopped car on a dark icy road is a target. LED road flares run on batteries and do not set anything on fire; look for ones with a magnetic base. Put one 50 feet behind the car and one on the roof, and carry a headlamp so your hands are free at a tire.

Phone power and a radio

Even when cell service holds up through a storm, the phone battery does not. A 20,000 mAh power bank gives most phones three or four full charges. Keep a cable in the kit as well as in the house. A crank weather radio covers the case where cell towers go down with the power: NOAA weather radio carries the warnings and, during a declared emergency, road and shelter information. It also charges a phone a little in a pinch, and the crank means it never has a dead battery. If you want the longer-range option for staying in touch with family when cell service drops, see the GMRS radio guide.

The gear, item by item

NOCO Boost Plus GB40

The GB40 is the jump pack for any gas car or small SUV. NOCO rates it at 1,000 peak amps, up to 20 jump starts on a charge, and engines up to 6.0 liters gas or 3.0 liters diesel. It weighs 2.4 pounds, is rated IP65, and has a 100 lumen flashlight with seven light modes. It recharges in about 3 hours at 2.1 amps from a powered USB port, with a lithium-ion battery. What it does badly: the engine limits are real, so check yours against 6.0 liters gas or 3.0 liters diesel before you rely on it.

SOG Entrenching Tool

SOG's model F08-N is an all steel folding entrenching tool with a serrated blade and a triangular handle, and SOG says it folds to about the space of a stack of paper plates. SOG gives a lifetime warranty. SOG's page lists no open length or weight, so it is a short shovel; for scraping packed slush from a tire and clearing a tailpipe it is the right size to live under a seat. Any decent folding shovel does the job. Sold by Amazon.com.

HotHands Hand Warmers, 40 pairs

Air-activated warmers that HotHands rates at up to 10 hours of natural heat; the heat starts when the warmer is exposed to air, with no charging. HotHands lists iron powder, water, salt, activated charcoal and vermiculite as the ingredients. Buy the 40 pair box, split it between the car and the house, and write the purchase year on the box. They are also the easiest thing in the kit to hand to the family in the car behind you.

Arcturus Military Wool Blanket

Twin size, 64 by 88 inches, about 4.5 pounds, 80 percent wool at 550 GSM with 20 percent hypoallergenic synthetic fibers. Heavy enough to feel like warmth, not so heavy it eats the trunk. Arcturus says wool is naturally fire retardant, with no added flame-retardant chemicals, which matters if you do use a candle. Arcturus advises a wool detergent, cold water and a delicate cycle, and says the blanket sheds during the first few washes. Keep it in a trash bag in the trunk so it stays dry. Sold by Arcturus Gear, the maker.

Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Radio

The ER310 has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that charges from the hand crank, the solar panel on top, or micro USB, with a backup for six AA cells (not included). Midland's page lists the battery as 3,500 mAh and its FAQ says 2,600 mAh, so it states both. It receives NOAA weather alerts and AM/FM, has a flashlight with an SOS beacon, and an ultrasonic whistle meant for search and rescue dogs. Midland rates it at up to 45 hours of normal use on a charge and says it may not charge newer smartphones or tablets, so bring the power bank for that. Sold by Midland Radio, the maker.

Anker 20,000 mAh Power Bank with built-in USB-C cable

The built-in cable is the reason to pick this one for a car kit: nothing to forget. Anker rates it at 20,000 mAh and 87 watts total shared across three devices, up to 65 watts to one device, recharging in about 1.5 hours from a 65 watt charger, with an 18 month warranty. Anker's page lists no weight. Keep it in the console, not the trunk, and check it twice a year. For a glove box, Anker's 10,000 mAh slim bank is covered in our get home bag guide.

AstroAI 27 inch Snow Brush and Ice Scraper

Nothing fancy, and that is the point: a 27 inch snow brush and ice scraper with a detachable design, made of ABS and PVC according to AstroAI's page. In an ice storm the scraper matters more than the brush. Buy one for every car; the household one always ends up in the wrong vehicle.

Everything in one table

Item	Key figure	Power or fuel	Best for
NOCO Boost Plus GB40	1,000 A peak, up to 20 starts	Lithium, USB recharge	Not getting stranded in the first place
SOG Entrenching Tool	All steel, folds compact	None	Clearing slush and the tailpipe
HotHands, 40 pairs	Up to 10 hours per pair	Air-activated, single use	Hands, feet, chest while the engine is off
Arcturus Wool Blanket	64 x 88 in, 80% wool	None	Overnight warmth for two
Midland ER310	Up to 45 h per charge	Crank, solar, USB, 6 AA	Weather alerts when towers are down
Anker 20,000 mAh	87 W total, cable built in	Lithium	Keeping phones alive overnight
AstroAI Scraper	27 in, detachable	None	Glaze ice on the windshield

What we left out, and why

Tire chains: most NC drivers will never mount them. Snow tires: good above 2,500 feet, overkill in the Piedmont. A propane heater in the car: no. Carbon monoxide in a closed cabin is what kills people in stranded cars, and a candle with a cracked window is the most we would do. Pre-packed roadside kits: they pad the count with a poncho and 12 cable ties and skimp on the blanket. Build your own and put the money into the blanket and the jump pack. Heating the house during the same outage is a separate question, covered on our sister site at garageshoplawn.com.

If you commute more than 20 miles, the car kit and a get-home bag overlap; the bag is what you carry if you have to leave the car, the kit is what keeps you in it. More kit ideas live on the go bags and kits page.

Questions people ask

Should I stay in the car or walk?

Stay. The National Weather Service says people who leave a stranded vehicle get disoriented fast in wind-driven snow and cold, and in an ice storm the walking surface is worse than the driving surface. Tie a red cloth to the antenna, run the engine 10 minutes an hour, and wait.

Will water bottles freeze and burst?

Fully frozen plastic bottles can split. Store them two-thirds full, or in the cabin instead of the trunk. Frozen water is still water once it sits on the dash in the sun.

Does a jump starter survive the cold?

Lithium packs lose capacity when very cold and will not charge below freezing. Keep the pack in the cabin, charge it every three months, and warm it inside your coat for 10 minutes before a cold-weather start if it has been sitting.

Our pick, and why

If the budget is tight, buy the Arcturus wool blanket and the NOCO GB40 first: one keeps you alive in a stopped car, the other keeps the car from stopping. Add hand warmers and the power bank next, then the radio and flares. Everything else is a trip to the hardware store.