Discussion in my house.
I was always taught to have a “winter bag” in my car from about now until March/April. It’d contain a big coat, some walking boots, gloves, hat, a hi-viz jacket and something sugary to eat.
Wife thinks this is weird and I’m being overly cautious.
Anyone else do this? And if so, what other kit should I have in the bag? Bear in mind I live in a city and my journeys are not rural or away from main roads.

Seems entirely sensible to me and I think organisations like the AA recommend it. I also keep a full change of winter mtb stuff in the boot so I’m not stuck without it at the start of a ride if I rush out.

Both our cars have warm lumi jacket, old gloves and hat and likely some old mars bar or other (if the kids haven’t eaten it…) year round stuffed in the wheel well.

From November to March both cars have a spade shoved in there too (because years commuting around the Highlands).

On a longer journey in winter we will tend to have things bunged in there – but can’t say I pop them in for a nip to Perth or similar.

How many times have you needed this stuff? I could understand in a rural setting, but not in a town using main roads. Do you have a mobile? In bad weather you can call from the car, rather than trudge to look for a phone box. If you’re going out in winter, would you not have a hat/coat/gloves anyway?

My winter box also has a sturdy scraper, de-icer, tow rope, litre of oil, a seat cover. We are South East England though so it’s rarely that bad.

Only once have I driven in ‘stupid’ conditions, that was when we had to empty remaining bits from a house move, and I also took a shovel, rock salt, and a hot thermos. Needless to say I got stuck once and got it out with smashing frozen snow and liberal rock sock, and once stuck properly where someone needed to tow the POS RWD van I had borrowed out of a dip.

How many times have you needed this stuff?

This is the wife’s argument.
I’ve used the walking boots when I have dress shoes on and need to walk somewhere when the weather is bad. Not often, but occasionally.
I must have used the jacket at some point, though I can’t remember when.

Warm and waterproof clothes, gloves and a snow shovel are my usual items. Tend not to bother with food and water or drinks but then I’m in a city and generally no more than about 8 miles from home. So enough to get me home if I had to walk.

I have full winter hi-viz bib and brace and jacket, gloves, hat, snood, boots, four torches, two way radios, two hunting knives, four pen knives, nine Leatherman of varying guises, camping cutlerty set, fridge, blowtorch all in a Discovery that probably won’t get stuck (but may well break down)

Yes, it’s my work van 😉

My parents used to have a blanket, a spade and occasionally a thermos, but they grew up in snowy locations in the 60s/70s when it was snowier all round. Is it necessary now? Not sure. These days weather forecasting is much better, so you’re told when there’s a snow risk; and a lot of people now can WFH so it’s easy to just call in and not go to work. Also attitudes might’ve changed a bit. Even when I was at school in the 80s and 90s the busses had to guarantee to get kids home if they took them in, so at the first hint of snow they all came and everyone went home, so people should be less likely to be compelled to be out in the snow. Also, in the age of social media people who own 4x4s etc get together and offer lifts to essential workers e.g. health workers. So perhaps it’s not quite so necessary.

Do you have a mobile? In bad weather you can call from the car, rather than trudge to look for a phone box.

Call whom from the car? In bad weather it could take quite a while for help to arrive..
In answer to the OP’s question, yes I do always carry waterproofs, boots, warm jacket, a hat, a fleece blanket and a space blanket pretty much all year round, but then I grew up in a semi-rural area and my dad has always been of the ‘be prepared’ persuasion and I guess it rubbed off on me. As I live on a steep hill that is poorly gritted I also carry a folding shovel in the winter. All of the above, apart from the boots, the shovel and fleece blanket fit around the spare wheel so it doesn’t take up much space.

I used to carry 3 big bags of rock salt in my 520 Touring. Both as the ‘ghetto winter mode’ weight over the rear wheels and for the inevitable ice clearing I’d need to do if I ever parked it anywhere overnight 😉 The most useless car in snow/ice I’ve ever had (I’m sure someone will be on telling me I was driving it wrong!)

Also had a spade, jacket, boots, gloves, big torch, emergency snacks etc. We do live in a rural location which never got gritted so sometimes the hardest part of winter was getting to the main road (and back).

Now I’m far more relaxed. Weather bad, I’ll be WFH as will all my customers. I still have warm jacket/walking trousers, boots in the car but that’s just for changing into after muddy MTB rides.

Not just a winter bag thing but I now always have a set of jump leads in the car. One of those things you never need them until well… you need them.

Whilst I have not used them to start my car I had a random knock on our door a while back asking if I had any and saved his bacon and just the other week at Santa Pod someone came up to me in the carpark and asked if I had any and saved them a 3hr wait for the RAC.

Oh, and my wife’s car needed them as well when her car wouldn’t start after a night shift at work.

My car has an emergency rescue button hidden behind the sunglasses holder 😉

My Dad always did this, I always thought he was weird and vowed never to do it. Now I’m older and wiser, I can kind of see the logic, though (damnit!).

Whilst I don’t pack a bag, I was grateful for trainers I found in the boot when I got stuck in the snow in my old BMW (pre- the transformative winter tyres), it meant I could run home in the snow rather than ice skate in my work shoes.

…well the wife does get a bit more aggressive in the winter due to short days, but it’s not fair to leave her at the side of the road.

My car has an emergency rescue button hidden behind the sunglasses holder 😉

I’m sure the Disco has something like this – dunno who’s coming to rescue me if I push it though

dunno who’s coming to rescue me if I push it though

International Rescure surely? That bloke is floating out in space just waiting for someone to press the button.

I have things like jump leads, screenwash, boots, water, foamy puncture can thing in all year round. I add a folding shovel and some small strips of carpet for sticking underneath stuck wheels if the forecast involves snow. My commute usually involves rural B roads and I don’t want to be stuck out in the dark for some daft reason when I should be at home in my slippers with the heating on eating my tea.

6 cans of tennents in the boot, warms ye up no end.

6 cans of tennents in the boot, warms ye up no end.

You realise that’s not what’s meant by “wee in shoes” don’t you? That said I’m not sure which would be the worse one to inflict upon someone.

dunno who’s coming to rescue me if I push it though

International Rescure surely?

If it’s a Disco ,probably this one … 🙂

You don’t want to be sat in the car on the hard shoulder on a black November night waiting for a hgv to mop you up.

I carry snow chains, we have them anyway for ski trips, and a shovel through winter and always end up with at least a couple of coats thrown in.

I don’t live anywhere that snowy but my work commute can end up a bit sketchy.

How many times have you needed this stuff? I could understand in a rural setting, but not in a town using main roads

If you’re on a dual carriage way or motorway and there is a RTC you could be stuck in you car for hours before the traffic is released.

How many times have you needed this stuff?

Bits of the kit sure to get used (the haribo need regular restocking), but really for me it’s about how much better things would go if I do get stuck / whatever and have the stuff with me vs if I don’t have it. Plus, it’s not like carrying it is any hardship at all…

I carry a full set of biking gear, some random baselayers, post-ride clothes and some bedding.

Suppose I could just sling a tent in there as well and I could survive the night.

6 cans of tennents in the boot, warms ye up no end

And a scud book. Anything else is unnecessary.

I just have the mini bottle of voddy I won in a tombola.

Don’t forget a torch in your winter bag.

Basic idea is to be able to survive subzero for however long it takes for a rescue.

Many many years ago my aunt and uncle had to be rescued by helicopter from a snowed in car in the Highlands. They were hypothermic by then.

If you’re on a dual carriage way or motorway and there is a RTC you could be stuck in you car for hours before the traffic is released.

This.
6hrs in the middle of the night on 23rd December one year, static on the M6 with no way out. There’s now an LED camping light, winter blanket, gloves, hat and a thick jacket in the car plus an old cycling waterbottle for….well, you know, if you can’t go at the side of the road…
Plus if my journey involves motorways now I’ll always make up a thermos, and have a bottle of water and some basic sealed food like a nut bar, flapjack etc.

If you aren’t swapping to winter tyres next month you’re overthinking.

If you’re on a dual carriage way or motorway and there is a RTC you could be stuck in you car for hours before the traffic is released.

Never run your tank below 1/4, at least that way you can idle it all night if you have to.

I used to carry 3 big bags of rock salt in my 520 Touring.
…The most useless car in snow/ice I’ve ever had (I’m sure someone will be on telling me I was driving it wrong!)

I still think of the BMW 1 series I saw in the big snows of 2010 trying to get somewhere with tyre socks on the front wheels only. You’re doing just fine.

SE England here and always have winter kit in the boot from around October. I just don’t see why you wouldn’t – can’t see the downside. It’s all about simple steps to mitigate what would otherwise be deeply unpleasant.
I don’t really get the urban/rural distinction either – round here the weather doesn’t have to be that bad for some numpty to cause gridlock so you could easily end up sat on a motorway for hours – it doesn’t have to be -18 and blizzard conditions for a night in your car to be pretty horrific

I also run either tyres – again, the emweather never gets that bad and I WFH of it looks at all sketchy but if the difference between getting stuck and not getting stuck is a zero cost risk mitigation then you’d feel pretty daft getting caught out

Last few winters I’ve helped quite a few people get their cars unstuck.
They always seemed amazed that I produced some type of shovel from the back of the car.

I have a Hilux from my work and managed to pull a 5 series BMW out of a ditch.
We had to beg borrow and steal all the parts required including the towing eye.

Tow rope, waterproofs, jump leads, travel blanket, water, food, torch, gloves, sleeping bag which was particularly handy for the woman lying in the snow waiting for an anbulance!

For work we are supplied with rock salt, a shovel and yak trax!

And a scud book. Anything else is unnecessary.

Happy days

I have some chilled sparkling water, a small selection of cheeses, two jars of fine French pate and a few types of crackers and thin breads to serve them on.

I guess things are different for us on the South coast

I only drive the campervan in winter. Food, drink, a bed, diesel heater. Can’t be too careful…

I’ve two winter bags for my cars. In the alfa and fiat I carry a torch, a tiny sleeping bag, trenching shovel, hat and some water.

The caravelle gets a full set of waterproofs for all onboard, some really big blankets hidden in the drawers under the captains chairs, a torch and recently a full toolkit, haynes manual, VCDS and a laptop – it’s that mind bogglingly unreliable even at 22mths old. The webasto can run all night on a tiny bit of fuel and the lesiure battery. It gets very toasty warm. I’ve a shovel and decent tow rope.

And a scud book. Anything else is unnecessary.

Thats not printed on the cans of Tennants anymore?

I always have and cannot see any downside. The boots often come in handy

Depends on where I’m going and what the temperature is.

Re. urban vs. country. Some years ago I broke down and couldn’t start the engine, temperature was -9,-10ish.. Was told to wait with the car – you would be surprised how cold it gets in a metal box if you can’t run the heater.