For what it’s worth, one of the best winter tires ever made is the Bridgestone Blizzak tire. Super grippy on ice, heavily siped for snow. Expensive, but well worth it (probably $200 each). You can use them year-round, but they will wear out pretty quickly if driven extensively on pavement. A less expensive alternative is the Goodyear Wrangler.
Or at the very least you can spend energy digging to keep warm 
Since the OP is asking for advice, this is better suited to IMHO than GQ.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
For comms, check that you get cell coverage along your whole route. Depending on location, cell towers could be knocked out in winter for whatever reason, so think about alternatives: CB radio (check the channel the local truckers are on, or if there is a local club/police station/nutter that monitors a channel), or some sort of Ham radio(again making sure someone monitors a channel).
Also use some form of “check-in” facility. Call someone and say you’re leaving now with an ETA and route/alternative route(s). Call them when you arrive so they know you got there.
coffee can with lid to hold stuff
tea candles to burn in coffee can for heat
lighter
breakfast bars
water (empty some out so it won’t break container when it freezes)
LED flashlight (specifically this one - it operates off of 3 AA batteries but carries 9. It folds to the size of a normal light or tripods out - very bright
tow rope
folding camp shovel
full size shovel (just try and extract snow from under the car with a camp shovel)
(2) 4 foot 2x4’s with layer of screws. Acts as mini ramp to raise car up. If car is wedged in snow then no amount of traction/4 wheel drive will work. Top of screw gives traction to wheel and bottom of screw protrudes through wood and digs in.
ski cap
hoodie
scarf
gloves
power plug for phone
battery cables
sleeping bag
fire extinguisher
12 volt air compressor
GPS (if you don’t know where you are then they can’t find you when you call)
flares
carbon monoxide detector ($5 from Sporty’s)
spare fuses for when you blow the accessory plug fuse or engine management fuse (The ones under the hood may be the larger size so check. I lost one at 3 in the morning but was able to swap out a non essential fuse)
Think in terms of what can happen. You can slide and strike a curb which could bend a rim. You have to be able to change a tire and an air compressor guarantees you will have air in it. Also great for slow leaks discovered in the parking lot at work.
If you slide into a snow bank than your front end will be wedged in snow. Even if the wheels are touching the ground it will be impossible to drive the vehicle off because the snow will act like imbedded concrete. I once got the first 4 feet of car stuck in a snow drift in front of my garage and I couldn’t pull it back with a 2 ton winch. It actually started bending the trailer hitch frame. You have to break the bond which means digging it out or raising the the car with some form of ramp system. Thus the full size shovel and the homemade mini ramps.
If you silide completely off the road and are imbedded in 2 feet of snow then it’s time to call a tow truck. You are not going to dig out the car plus a path back to the road without having a heart attack. Seriously. I once spent 30 minutes with a group of people and shovels trying to get a jeep out of a highway meridian. If the snow is above the frame of the vehicle then it’s not going to happen. If it’s below the frame then it can be yanked out with a 4wd vehicle. That’s where the tow rope comes in handy.
If you drive off an embankment then it may come down to hiking out which is where the clothing comes into play. A ski cap, scarf and hoodie will seal off the air gaps that exist with a regular jacket. If it’s in the middle of the night or the middle of a snow storm then it may be better to stay with the vehicle until conditions improve. You can intermittenly run the engine and use the candles for warmth along with the extra clothing and sleeping bag.
The flares are for the obvious. If you’re stuck then they can do the work of flagging down help.
Lastly, and most important, you must know how to use the equipment. If you can’t change a tire then a spare tire is worthless. If you can’t indentify and replace a fuse or correctly use jumper cables then the tools are useless.
Exactly. You don’t want to paging through the owner’s manual trying to figure out how to attach the towing eyelet to the front of your stupid little Toyota while you’re standing on the side of the road with the tow truck, because you will be cold and the truck driver will think you’re an idiot.
Other people have given good advice on emergency kits, but remember that if it’s freezing, your emergency water will also freeze. Cold sucks batteries, so remember to check on those periodically and you may want to keep candles or a wind-up flashlight as well.
post deleted by author
Good lord, you’re right!
Better add a goodly amount of ethanol to the survival water.
I keep a 3 cell LED maglite in the car and the battery life is phenomenal. The 9 cell battery I linked to is basically the maglite with 2 spare sets of batteries.
A couple prior posts mentioned tow ropes. This is a very good idea, but make sure you know where to attach them before you get stuck. The last thing you want to do is dig around looking for a tow hook or loop on the bottom of your vehicle when it is stuck in a snowbank (hooks are not always in the center). Look under your vehicle in your nice warm garage, and put a sketch of the locations (both front and back) in your glove box. Also, make sure the hook on your tow rope will fit onto your vehicle (a large hook may not fit a small loop).
Regardless of the type of car, get winter tires and carry chains if the road itself is snowed/ice. Practice in the dry how to put them on several times.
Does the AA not offer courses in difficult driving?? That would be a good way to get used to how your car behaves in snow and ice conditions, and what’s the proper way to deal with if it starts to slide on the ice, how to correctly turn a corner on ice, how to start driving on ice (that’s what kitty litter or sawdust is helpful) etc.
My father also when driving on the icy side roads, did a quick full-brake manoveour (after looking he was alone, of course) on the first meters of journeys to get a feel for how the road condition was, and how a differently heavy car handled today.
Know your route like the back of your hand. Find out where the nearest house is no matter where you might get stuck. Keep your tank at least half full, even the weight of the fuel is a help. Extra footwear, including socks is a must.
It’s better to use a tow strap with loops on the end rather than one with hooks. If the rope breaks, the hooks become projectiles. Of course, not all vehicles can accept the loops, but you may be able to attach a good high strength shackle to the tow point and attach the strap to the shackle. A snatch strap may be worth considering as well.
Yep, the hooks rarely work well. Loops and a clevis are the way to go. I’ve pulled three people out so far this year.
Thanks for all the posts. To answer some questions:
- I live in North Yorkshire, England.
- Am going to work in WV.
- Grew up in WI - snow there, but they’re good at clearing it.
Lots of good lists of stuff here. I carry tire chains, emergency food and water, blankets/sleeping bag, tow strap, road flares, and tea candles or canned heat. Also the jumpbattery/air compressor combos are awesome. One thing I didn’t see mentioned yet is spare windshield wipers. It ain’t frequent, but losing a wiper blade during a blizzard is horrible.
At least as important as what you’re carrying, though, is what you know. Learn to drive on snow and ice. Don’t use 4wd unless you’re already stuck (learned that one the hard way).
If there’s no cell phone coverage in the pass, consider an emergency beacon transmitter thingy.
If you’re planning on driving through heavy weather, make sure multiple somebodies know your departure time, expected arrival, and route.
Hi, My name is Kevbo and I drive like ass.
Forum: HI KEVBO!
I got further information on my drive: I’ll be in danger of hitting deer on the last stretch. So I am thinking I need to sit high up (so I go over the deer), maybe get a bull-bar put on the vehicle, and invest in “deer whistles” to attach to the front bumper. Any other suggestions? Thanks.
Keep a few 12 gauge deer slugs on your dash. I never see deer when I am hunting them so this must work. 
Three things to remember.
- Don’t start fast
- Don’t stop fast
- Don’t turn fast
You put anything else in your vehicle and you’ll need a snowsuit…cause you’re gonna have to sit outside.