When you live in the Northeast there are certain things you always have with you in your car during the winter. I have a bag that stays packed for the most part year round and I throw it in the back seat once the first frost comes. I have a small pillow and blanket, candles, granola bars, a flashlight, and an emergency flare. I also have a portable charger for my cell phone. There is one thing that I added that I feel everyone should have as well. I purchased a small battery powered heater. That may sound crazy but it could be just enough heat to keep me alive if I am stranded for hours on the side of the road. It isn’t powerful enough to last longer than a few hours but that may make all the difference. There have been times when the roads are impassable. I remember a few years back when over thirty cars were stranded on the thruway for several days due to an unexpected storm that dropped several feet of snow. Those people had to find very creative ways to survive and many of the cars were left abandoned because they completely ran out of gas or the batteries were dead. I don’t want to be stuck in that position. I always try to remind family and friends to have their emergency kits ready too. I have even given many of them the link to purchase a portable heater of their own because I want them to be as prepared as I am. I hope that they take that advice because the small investment is nothing compared to their safety.
