At some point your car will strand you. Wrong time, wrong weather, wrong place. What’s in your trunk when that happens is the difference between an inconvenience and a serious situation.
This isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about being prepared once so you never have to think about it again.
Jumper cables
Good ones. Not the thin ones that came in a kit. Heavy gauge, at least 10 feet long. You need enough cable to reach another car parked facing yours or beside you. Know how to use them before you need to. Red to red, black to black on the dead car, black to ground on the running car.
A small folding shovel
Winnipeg. Enough said. When your back tires are buried in a drift at 7am, a shovel is the only thing that helps.
Traction aid
A bag of kitty litter or sand. Pour it under the drive wheels when you’re spinning on ice. Weighs almost nothing. Works.
A blanket
If your car dies in the cold and you’re waiting for help, you need to stay warm. A cheap moving blanket takes up almost no space.
A flashlight and extra batteries
Not your phone. A real flashlight. Your phone battery is the first thing that goes in the cold.
Snacks and water
If you’re stuck for more than an hour, you’ll be glad you have them. A granola bar and a small water bottle. That’s all.
A phone charger
Either a car charger or a small power bank. Dead phone plus dead car is a bad combination.