Winter Driving Gear

What kinds of specific seasonal things do you carry in your truck to prepare for Winter driving?

I’ve found cat litter to be most unexpected but indispensable suggestion for ice/snow pack traction, but was curious what y’all up North carry to prepare.

 

This is standard in all my vehicles when i go on a long drive, usually if the drive under normal conditions is 5-6 hours or more:

-gloves
-change of clothes (pants, shirt, socks and shoes -usually a pair of boots will work- and a light jacket/hoodie I can spare to leave in the car. all it takes is you having to change a tire or help someone in the rain or snow and it is nice to have a fresh pair of pants and shoes to change into.
-blanket... i carry a moving blanket but i have about 5 more i will bring with me if i know i am going on a long drive or expect to carry something or just feel like i would rather have them with me.
-a tarp
-straps, simple 1" ones, i have about 8 with me
-flashlight
-headlamp
-set of walkie talkies
-tools. just a small set of sockets and 1/4" ratchet, a gerber multitool and a set of hex sockets
-power inverter (12v to 110) 400 amp is what i have.
-portable jump pack (900 amps) with inflator
-tire patch kit, the one you stab and pull out leaving the strip plugging the hole
-about 20 feet of speaker wire. can be used for so many things---ask me how i know lol
-about 100 feet of paracord
-first aid kit, includes the basics and then some to include a tourniquet, scissors, mole skin.

that is pretty much what i carry with me, winter or summer if i am going to be on the road away from home.

even though my truck is a 2021 and i dont expect to have any issues, you never know when you can help someone change a tire or bridge a damage wire. I think i have used all my items on other people at least once. I have given out blankets, gloves, wire, tools... the items have been added to the list out of experiences and lessons learned. you can tell I never pack light :-O lol

 

This is amazing- thank you for sharing!

 

i will be taking some hints from this thread... some good items in there i didnt think of but would be beneficial to have.

 

On the regular I carry a heated blanket, some tools, cargo straps, first aid kit, oil, coolant, duct tape, extension chord (for plugging into outlets when parking outside for long periods of time), ice scrapper, and my obd2 reader. If going on a long trip, like the gentleman mentioned above, I add a flashlight, snow boots, winter overalls , water and an extra blanket.

Hope that helps.

Oscar

 

I have a power inverter on hand also. What I ve found out though is if I use it too long with engine off it effects the electrical system some how. There have been several times where I ran it with engine off for a time, and the next time I start the truck it kicks over once, and dies. It doesn t sound that bad, but when it happens it s surprising as hell considering the truck always starts right up. It s doing something. Just don t know what. Anyway, I narrowed it down to the inverter, and running it with engine off. So I just run it with engine on, and it s all good

 

havent experienced that. thank you for the heds up.

 

Hmm. Have to think about this.

• S&W 12V to USB adapter - also has a carbide tip to break a window and a seatbelt strap cutter in it.
• Jump pack.
• Jumper cables
• "T" handle tire iron
• $61 VIAIR 85P - 00085 Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor for Car, Truck & SUV 12V On/Offroad Tire Pump Air Compressor Portable Heavy Duty 60 PSI, Cigarette Plug, Twist Chuck
  Viair 85P tire inflator . This actually WILL inflate my tires from empty, and I'm running oversized 10ply 265/70R16 tires. There's one in ALL my vehicles.
• Spare hitch pin, spare receiver pin.
• at least half a dozen ratchet straps
• Haynes repair manual
• 12V handheld spotlight
• Breaker bar with properly sized socket for the lug nuts
• quart of oil
• gallon of washer fluid
• Blanket
• moving blanket
• Usually some water and snacks - have to be careful or the critters WILL smell them and crawl in and feast. And crap all over the cab. I think I'm going to bolt in an ammo can and use it for food storage. Let the little bastards break their teeth on THAT.
• Couple of pieces of 4x4 for chocks.
• Full set of open end wrenches, both metric and SAE (might help someone with a Ford, you never know!)
• 16oz ball pein hammer
• Claw hammer
• Antique screwdriver (the kind that's ALL steel with a couple of wood scales on the sides - doubles as a pry bar.)
• Duct tape, zip ties.
• Tow strap
• D-shackle receiver hitch (to put the tow strap on!)
• BIG wrench to undo hitch balls if needed

That's all I can think of right now.

 

All good ideas. This will help me add things in the decked system.


I have a machete, 2 camping chairs, washer fluid, tie down straps, water, lighters, flashlights, tarps, box of .45 acp rounds, copies of my medical cards.

fire extinguisher and a battery pack are on the short list.

 

Year round stuff: small tool kit, all in one emergency kit (can't remember what all is in there), tire pump, battery booster pack

Winter stuff: Bag of warm clothes, short shovel, snow brushes, long extension cord

 

Being in MT, this is my life. I'll go for a rip. Most of these things I have all the time but I'll label a few things in Orange that have saved my ass and I would strongly encourage you add that most likely don't have.

• Garmin InReach
• Extra boots, hiking and insulated Muck boots
• GoreTex jacket and pants
• Extra synthetic puffy jacket - 2
• Socks - 2
• Wool beanie - 2
• Heavy Black Diamond ski gloves & leather work gloves
• Hot Hands packs - a lot
• Sleeping pad
• 0 degree bag
• Med Kit with quikclot, KT tape, needle and thread, iodine tabs, gauze, and various tab meds for sickness/pain
• Chemical fire starter
• Various tools: wrenches, sockets, hammer, pliers, etc.
• Folding shovel
• Rachet straps - 4
• 30k # tow strap
• D shackles - 2
• MaxTrax boards - 2
• Headlamps - 2
• MSR stove and isobutane
• Freeze dried meals - 4
• Various pocket snacks - Honey Stingers, Fat Bombs, etc
• 128oz of water in several double walled YETI bottles
• HiLift jack
• Several panels of cardboard (for laying on underneath the truck working if it comes to that)
• Jumper cables
• Butane torch - for melting ice from frozen solid calipers, winch fairleads, bolt heads, etc.
• Glock 10mm w/ 210gr solids and spare mags (G bears)

Probably a few other odds and ends that I am forgetting.

 

Uhhh, the only extra thing i use in winter that i dont have in summer is winter tires. Some of you guys packing 10 days of survival gear. Not necessary unless you are doing winter expeditions. Correct me if i am wrong - op just wanted regular every day things to carry in winter?

 

Single Barrel Jack Daniels.

 

I guess it depends where you regularly commute/drive.

 

Zero degree bag
Extra clothes
Water
2 French toast MRE's
Bourbon

Most important is full tank of fuel.

 

Much has been listed above, and I probably carry more in the truck than I remember (and definitely more than "necessary"), but between the DECKED drawers and pouches in the interior, I've got the room for it.

For Winter specific stuff, I have a "winter bag" (medium packing cube really) that gets tossed in the back seat from Oct-Apr which has (everything is doubled for his/hers)

• Winter gloves
• Beanie
• Pair of thick socks
• 18hr hand warmers
• Body warmers

Other stuff that could be considered Winter related that lives in the truck all the time include

• Emergency Bivvy (x2)
• Emergency blanket (a number of them in assorted kits)
• Fire starting materials (lighter, flint, fire cubes, fire starter, etc)
• Waterproof jackets
• All of our camp kitchen stuff (Isobutane stove/fuel, coffee, etc)
• Days worth of dehydrated meals (breakfast, lunch/dinner, and desserts)
• Plenty of snacks
• 1-2 gallons of water
• Red Bull/Misc beverages in the fridge
• Tarp
• Flashlights/headlamps
• Jump box
• Recovery gear
• Tire repair kit/on board air
• Tools
• Pillow/blanket
• First aid stuff + "second aid" bag
• Chairs
• Paracord
• All of our camp setup stuff (more paracord, stakes, lighting, bug spray, sunscreen, etc)
• Bathroom supplies (you never know when you need to use nature's toilet, or forget your toiletries bag at home and need mouthwash or a tooth brush!)
• Portable radios (usually 2-3 Baofeng UV-5Rs, a couple batteries, different antennas and a couple Midland GMRS' in a pouch)
• Knives, you can never have too many blades around
• Hatchet/Machete (see above line)

I know there's more that I'm forgetting, but this was asking about Winter specifically.

At the same time, my GF's Tacoma, without drawers in the bed, and with a backseat area that is smaller, carries gloves/hat/socks/handwarmers, a jumpbox, roadside kit, flashlights/headlamps, a few blades, and hose/inflator for her OBA; and I wouldn't hesitate to take her truck over mine on a snowy day trip

 

Pictures show what is always under my rear seat. Hi-lift, Extinguisher and shovel live in the bed. Rain gear lives behind my seat.

When I start running around the country hunting pheasant and duck I add a jumbo tupperware with sleeping bag, old school Peak 1 Coleman, COFFEE, a little canned/dry food and snacks, etc. I always have water and clothing with me. Every year I unpack all this stuff unused. The superstitious side of me feels like it did its job. Like bringing an umbrella to keep it from raining.

 

He doesn't say anything about "every day" things but what I listed never leaves my truck. One man's every day load out is another man's "dammit I wish I was prepared."

Choose your character!

 

Fair enough. Most of these types of threads turn into manly man who can be the best and carry the most. Like the EDC threads where people claim to walk around with ankle back up guns and three different knives strategically strapped to different parts of their body.

 

You don't? LOL

 

Exactly what I was thinking. If you're city driving, you don't need an axe and a buncha BS. The lists I see... the whole truck is slammed full of emergency gear. these big lists are good where I live and actually, I have condensed versions of these lists.

 

You can tell all us old boy scouts... What is that organizer box and will it fit my 2010?

 

Search ESP under seat storage.

 

A pretty good mix of everything that was already mentioned here, only thing i didnt really see was tire chains, since i spend alot of time in the mountains in the winter.

 

I own a set and throw them in my truck. I figure if I have them I'll never need them...and now someone will chime in to say you'll never need them anyway.

 

I have definitely needed them in the past, going up the mountain its nice and sunny and couple days later there is a blizzard! Not sure about other parts of the country, but in Ca, if your in the mountains in the winter, they will MAKE you put on chains unless you have a 4x4 and snow rated tires, but even with that, if its really bad, everyone has to put on chains, unless your driving a snow cat or something lol.

I have heard from people that were from back east that say they never had to use chains, they simply just drove on the ice. I guess practice makes perfect.

 

Regularly in my truck:

Mil issue trigger finger mittens with wool liners
Work gloves
Winter hat
Fiskers Axe mounted in bed
Shovel mounted in bed
Recovery ramps mounted in bed
Swing case tool box: Hand tools, ratchet straps, viar compressor, tire plug kit, 1 quart oil, oil filter socket, paracord, etc.
First-Aid kit
Toilet paper
Power inverter
Fixed blade full tang knife
Fire starters and lighters
Jump pack (Gooloo)
Recovery strap
D-ring shackles
Flashlight with spare batteries
Food in small hard case to keep mice away

 

Only thing I specifically add for winter is a sand/grain shovel. I won’t go through the list of what stays in my truck all the time, but like many above, it is extensive. People have literally laughed at me one day for having “all this junk” and then been grateful the next day that I was able to get their ass out of a sling with “that stupid ice axe” or something similar. Only thing I carry that I’ve never needed on some random rez road 28 miles from nowhere is a tow strap. But, I still keep a couple in there.

 

Remember when packing your extra clothes to keep it fleece or wool. Cotton kills. Another benefit of wool is it’s nearly silent and you can sneak up on a deer or something