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Ruben Fidalgo
January 18, 2023
Surely you have heard many times that “prevention is better…” Well, write down these tips that can save your life at any given time.
The Gérard and Fien storms fiercely whip a large part of the Peninsula, leaving strong gusts of wind and significant snowfall at low levels. Without a doubt, the harshest winter has arrived. That is why it is better to be cautious and anticipate possible unforeseen events that could ruin a trip by car. Take paper and pencil; very attentive to the advice we give you about what to take in the car in winter. These gadgets could be very useful when it comes to getting stuck or having a breakdown in the middle of a storm with adverse weather…
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10 things that cannot be missing in the trunk of the car in winter
one.- A blanket: does not take up much space and does not weigh much. Trust me, there is nothing worse than being stranded in a car with no heating on a winter day and waiting for someone to come and rescue us. In Spain it is rare that there is a risk of frostbite or death due to this problem, but it is not the same to stay frozen (especially if we travel with children or with the family) than to be warm. Keep in mind that any engine failure will leave us without heating.
2.- a flashlight: in winter the visibility conditions are minimal and there are very few hours of daylight. Carrying a flashlight in the car will allow us to be more visible and also see better. My advice is to take a mining type that we can place on the forehead and leave our hands free. Of course, make sure it has batteries.
3.- Gloves: with frozen hands we lose all sensitivity. Something as simple as deploying the breakdown triangle becomes impossible. He wears gloves to keep his hands warm and also to protect them. With the cold, the skin becomes more sensitive and it is easier to cut and wound our hands when placing the chains, for example.
4.- ice scraper: It doesn’t hurt to have a squeegee and antifreeze window cleaning fluid to be able to remove the ice from the windows and headlights of the car to be able to see. They are cheap and hardly take up space.
5.- a big plastic: if we have to put the chains on the car, kneeling on the snow is not the same as doing it on a piece of plastic (the blanket would also be fine, but we would get it wet and it would not provide us with shelter afterwards) to avoid wetting our pants and getting colder the rest of the trip. A simple plastic or the typical gold thermal blanket from the first aid kit will keep our pants dry and it can also be fun for the kids to turn them into a makeshift sled in a safe place.
6.- mobile charger: It is essential to have a mobile phone at all times in case we need to make an emergency call, be located, etc.
7.- The chains: if we do not have winter tires and we drive in areas where it snows, it is essential to always carry a set of chains in the trunk. Do not forget to always carry them in a part of the trunk where you have them at hand. If you leave them at the bottom you will have to take out all the luggage to get to them.
8.- A small folding shovel: something as simple as placing the car jack to change a wheel can be very dangerous if we do not seat it well and remove the snow that is under the car. A folding shovel like the ones used by sappers does not take up space or weigh and will make it much easier for us to remove snow to change a tire or even to get out of the ditch.
9.- a sling: sometimes a little jerk can allow us to continue a journey if we have been stuck in the snow that accumulates on the edge of the road. It is forbidden to tow a car, but we can throw a cable and get out of trouble or help another to do it.
10.- Some food and drink: if you are going to travel, take some food and drink in the car in case the road is closed due to snow and you are going to spend hours in the car.
