Winter car kit checklist
Built for the boot rather than the garage — everything here needs to already be in the car by the first cold snap, not fetched once it's needed.
17 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Ice and visibility
- Ice scraper×2One in the car isn't enough once it's lost down the side of a seat at 7am — a second costs nothing.
- De-icer sprayFaster than a scraper alone on a properly frozen windscreen, and kinder to the glass.
- Screenwash rated for sub-zero temperaturesSummer screenwash freezes in the reservoir and the pipes, which is a worse problem than a dirty windscreen.
- SunglassesLow winter sun at windscreen height is a genuine hazard, not a comfort item.
- Torch and spare batteriesA phone torch is fine until the phone is also the thing calling for help.
- BlanketFor a breakdown in the cold, not for a working car — warmth while waiting matters more than it sounds.
- Warm gloves and a hat kept in the car, not just at homeScraping ice with bare hands at 7am is exactly the situation this is for.
- Hi-vis vestFor standing at the roadside in poor winter light — being seen matters more than being warm.
- Warning triangleSet out well behind the car on a fast or unlit road, not right next to it.
- Foil blanket or an extra layerCheap, small, and worth having for a longer wait than expected.
- Phone charger or power bank kept in the carA dead phone in the cold is the difference between a quick call and a long wait.
- Snacks and water that won't freeze solidA bottle of water left in a cold car overnight is often just ice by morning.
- Small folding shovelFor digging a wheel out of snow rather than spinning it deeper in.
- Traction mats or an old piece of carpetUnder a spinning wheel on ice or snow, gives it something to grip.
- Snow socks or chains, if you regularly drive somewhere steep or ruralOnly worth it for a specific route that actually gets caught out — most drivers in mild areas don't need them.
- Jump leads or a portable jump starterCold mornings are the single biggest cause of a flat battery — worth having before the first one, not after.
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- When should winter kit go in the car?
- By early November, before the first proper frost rather than after it. The kit is useless in the house on the morning the windscreen won't clear.
- Is a blanket really necessary if the heater works fine?
- Yes — it's not for a working car, it's for a breakdown in the cold. A heater that works today is no help if the car won't start.
- Do I need snow chains or socks if it rarely snows here?
- Only if you regularly drive somewhere it does — hills, rural roads, or a specific route that gets caught out. Most drivers in mild areas are better served by good tyres and caution.