With a potential storm banging on the door for this Thursday, you should start making sure you are prepared for auto related emergencies now. One of the most important things you can have in your vehicle for winter preparedness is an emergency kit. The first snow of the year is always a challenge to drive in and even with only an inch or 2, there is still a potential for emergencies. To help you prepare, we have a list of 7 must have car emergency kit items for winter.

1.Portable Jumper Pack: It is a proven fact that batteries die more commonly in the winter. Having a portable jump pack can save you a lot of cold and miserable frustration if your battery dies. It is also useful in case there is no one around to give your battery a manual jump.

2.Snow Removal Tool: Police are cracking down on drivers that refuse to clean off their cars after snow falls. Be sure to keep a snow brush or broom in your car to ensure that you have a clear field of vision and that no snow is flying off your vehicle and creating a hazard for other drivers.

3.Emergency Blanket: If you are stranded in the middle of nowhere with no heat available from, your vehicle, you’ll want to keep a blanket in your car for extra warmth. If you can, try to purchase a blanket that retains heat.

4.Shovel: Nothing is worse than being stuck in a ditch and unable to dig yourself out. Keeping a shovel in the car can ensure you can escape if you’ve run into a snowbank. You can also use it to move snow in your driveway if you are running late to work.

5.First Aid Kit: Working on a stranded vehicle can be a dangerous endeavor. Cuts, burns, and more can occur when trying to get the vehicle running again. Keeping a first aid kit in the vehicle will ensure that you have some essentials on hand until you can reach medical help.

6.Good Quality Flashlight: A lot of people opt to use their cellphone flashlights in emergencies, but in cold weather, cellphones die quickly. Flashlights can be a huge help if you are stranded at night. 

7.Back Up Cell Phone Charger: Nothing is worse than having a perfectly useful cellphone to call for help for a car emergency and then finding out it is dead. You should have a portable back up cell phone charger for emergencies in case you can’t utilize you car charger.