Winter is almost over, but not quite! Don’t trade out your Roadside Emergency Kit for your ExtraTuffs just yet. Hopefully you’ve had your mid-winter inspection, but have you also checked through your Winter Emergency Car Kit recently? Taking a few minutes to run through a checklist and properly outfit your kit can mean all the difference in a real emergency situation.

Most of our team here at METRO have lived the majority of our lives in Alaska’s interior, experiencing our fair share of roadside emergencies. We’ve also been around for some 25 years worth of stories about all the mishaps and mayhem that can happen on these cold, dark Alaskan roads. 

If you know anything about us, you know we’re all about prevention and proactive care. We want all our friends, family, neighbors and visitors to be safe and prepared all throughout this winter. So, we’ve churned out a list of must-haves you should keep on hand in your vehicle for various situations. We’ve divided this list into two main categories — In-Town Trips and Winter Excursions — because different distances require different resources. Read on for a list of items we think are essential to have on hand when driving in Alaska during the winter.

(If you just want to get to the list of items without all the explanations, feel free to skip to the bulleted list at the end of this blog. It won’t hurt our feelings. In fact, we’re flattered that you trust our opinion so much!)

The In-Town Trips Winter Emergency Kit

A Trusty Tow Strap (1)

This item makes the top of our list every single time. Although tow chains are heavy duty and durable, we prefer tow straps over chains since they take up less space, are lighter and easier to maneuver, especially in the bitter cold. 

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to choosing a tow strap, but here’s an example to get you started.

Anchor Shackles (2)

Anchor shackles easily install on the end of a tow strap with loops on both ends (like the example above), which creates a simple, quick fit with the anchor points for your car. This makes hooking a vehicle up for a tow fairly easy and fast.

If you’re wondering what exactly you should look for, here’s an example of an anchor shackle.  

Equipment isn’t the only thing you need in an emergency situation. You also need to tuck away a bit of know-how. Check out this how-to video for using a tow strap and two anchor shackles: How to use a tow strap

Road Flares (at least 5)

Flares are a must-have for safety reasons. In the event of an accident or breakdown, they can serve to protect the occupants, warn other drivers and signal for help. Always set up a flare when you’re involved in a roadside emergency or accident, and keep extras on hand to give out if you come across an accident.

Light Down Blanket or Sleeping Bag (1 or more)

Light down offers practical preparation without a lot of bulk. You can pack a small down comforter into a stuff sack or keep a compact, temperature-appropriate sleeping bag on hand, instead. You’ll be thankful for the added warmth if you’re ever without heat, for instance, or if you simply decide to set up for an impromptu viewing of the Northern Lights!

Lightweight Gloves (1 pair)

To change a tire or perform other manual-intensive tasks in extreme cold temperatures, you need a trusty set of gloves. Keep an extra set of gloves stashed away with your spare tire, just in case. Lightweight, weatherproof gloves are ideal as they provide protection while allowing you to maintain dexterity, but even an inexpensive pair of cotton gloves will be better than no protection at all. 

Jump or Power Pack

A jump pack or power pack can be a real lifesaver when you’re looking at a dead cell phone or dead car battery. No need for jumper cables or shimmying cars up next to each other (just to find the batteries are on opposite sides). All you have to do is hook up the lead from the power pack to your battery and voila! You’re on your way.

Be sure to keep your jump pack charged. If you keep it in your car’s emergency kit (which we obviously recommend), set a reminder on your phone to check the pack’s charge once a month. If you’re looking to purchase a power pack, here’s one we like.

Chemically Activated Hand Warmers (Several)

Chemically activated hand warmers can, of course, keep your hands warm and supple, but they can also be used to revive a frozen phone. In addition to being able to make phone calls, your phone may also be critical for its flashlight feature. (You won’t find headlamps and flashlights on this list because their batteries will not work after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures. We only include items that will still be functional after months of exposure to extreme cold.) 

Traction Plates (1 set)

Simple. Effective. Lightweight. Compact. What’s not to love? 

Speaking from personal experience, this item simply must make the list. Before these little beauties were even on the market, I knew I needed them after an incident involving all-season tires, the first slippery snow storm of the year, and a formidable ditch. After several futile attempts to back out using brush and sticks for traction, I finally had the idea to use my floor mats, and it worked like a dream!

Traction plates are designed specifically for this purpose, but they work better than floor mats (and your car’s interior stays clean and dry)! Want to see an example? Check these out.

The Winter Excursion Emergency Kit

First of all, keep everything from the In-Town Trips Kit list, and let’s just add a few essentials for extra safety and security when you’re a little (or a lot) further away from home.

Breaker Bar

You should always carry an aired-up spare tire and lug nut tool in your vehicle, but for winter travel, a breaker bar can also be an essential tool to have on hand. 

What’s a breaker bar? Glad you asked! A breaker bar is an inexpensive tool used to break free seized lug nuts from the wheel studs. Seized lug nuts are a common issue, but the tools that come with your vehicle often won’t provide enough leverage for the job. A breaker bar helps you change a tire without superhero strength.

Never seen one in action? Check out this quick tutorial.

Shovel

No, we’re not doomsday prepping. A shovel is actually quite practical and necessary if you suddenly find yourself in a snowbank on a road that’s seldomly traversed (except for that moose you were dodging). If you find yourself in this sort of situation, a shovel might be your ticket out of that snowbank, and it IS possible to dig yourself out (again, speaking from experience here). As a bonus, all that shoveling snow will keep you warm until you’re home free!

We recommend a small, easily stored but durable shovel to add to your winter roadside emergency kit. Here’s a good example of one that’s reasonably priced.

Fire and Water

In an emergency situation, you need to stay hydrated, but to stay hydrated you also need to stay warm. (Frozen water won’t do you any good!) Most roadways in Alaska are situated near wooded areas where it’s easy enough to find fuel for your fire. But, you need a way to start the fire.

Firestarters

A firestarter uses a chemical compound that nearly guarantees you’ll get your fire going. Firestarter rope, for instance, has a burn time of about 2 to 5 hours, giving you plenty of time to build your fire with wood that will burn. 

Lighters

Keep a pack of cigarette lighters in your emergency kit — not matches. Matches have to stay dry to work, but in freeze-thaw cycles, they’ll inevitably become moist over time. Lighters don’t have this disadvantage. However, the butane in lighters can leak over long periods of time (years); so check them every fall to be sure they’re still in working condition.

Stowaway Pot

In a real emergency situation, you’re going to need water, but storing water in your emergency kit is not an option here in Alaska. Instead, opt for a pot you can use for melting snow or ice over a fire. Here’s one good example of a stowaway pot.

Miso Soup

Yep. That’s right. Miso soup makes the cut for our emergency kit! Packets of miso travel well, never go bad, and can provide essential salt and the pick-me-up you need when you’re miserably cold and hungry. Keep a stash of several packets in your emergency kit for yourself and for your passengers.

The In-Town Trips Winter Emergency Kit (at a Glance)

• 1 Tow Strap 
• 2 Anchor Shackles
• 5 Flares
• Down Blanket or Sleeping Bag
• Jump or Power Pack
• Gloves, lightweight
• Hand Warmers (several)
• Traction Plates (1 set)

The Winter Excursion Emergency Kit (at a Glance)

• Everything from the “In-Town Trips Kit,” plus 
• 1 Breaker Bar
• 1 Shovel
• Firestarters (several)
• 1 Pack of Lighters
• 1 Stowaway Pot
• Miso Soup Packets (several)