Wildfires Are Burning. Your Car Kit Is Packed Away. Bad Combination.

Yeah. That Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So do Codie Sanchez, Scott Galloway, Colin & Samir, Shaan Puri, and Jay Shetty. And none of them are doing it for fun. They're doing it because a list you own compounds in ways that social media never will.

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A guy in my town got stuck on the highway during an ice storm a few winters ago. Sat in his car for seven hours before a tow truck reached him. He had a quarter tank of gas, no blanket, no food, and a phone at 30%. He was fine. But he told me later that around hour four, he started doing some thinking on how long his gas would last with the heater running. That's not a fun equation.

Here's what I've got this morning.

Your Winter Car Kit: Because Highways Don't Have Furnaces

We covered car emergency kits in Issue 4. This week, we're adding the winter-specific layer. Because getting stranded in April is annoying. Getting stranded in January can be dangerous.

The core winter car kit addresses three threats: cold, immobility, and isolation. Cold is the obvious one. Immobility means your car can't move (ice, snow, ditch). Isolation means help can't reach you quickly.

For cold: keep a wool blanket or sleeping bag in your trunk. Not a thin fleece. A real blanket that can keep you warm if you have to turn the engine off to conserve fuel. Hand warmers (the chemical kind) cost about $1 per pair, weigh nothing, and produce heat for 8 to 10 hours. Throw a pack of ten in the kit. Extra warm clothing matters too. A hat, gloves, and an extra pair of wool socks can live in the car year-round from October through April.

For immobility: traction mats or cat litter provide grip on ice. A small folding shovel clears snow around your tires. Jumper cables or a portable jump starter handles dead batteries, which are more common in cold weather. Keep your gas tank above half full during winter. A half tank gives you hours of idling for heat. A quarter tank gives you a math problem.

For isolation: everything from your regular car kit applies, plus extra visibility. A reflective triangle or road flares make your car visible in low-visibility conditions. A charged power bank keeps your phone alive. Non-perishable snacks (bars, nuts, dried fruit) and a bottle of water cover nutrition during a long wait.

One thing people forget: if you're running your engine for heat, crack a window slightly and make sure the exhaust pipe isn't blocked by snow. Carbon monoxide can accumulate in a sealed car during extended idling. This kills people every winter.

The whole winter addition weighs under 15 pounds and fits in a small duffel. It lives in your trunk from November through March and might sit there all season doing nothing. That's the goal.

Put a blanket and a bag of hand warmers in your car.

Total cost: under $20. Total weight: about 3 pounds. If you get stranded this winter, these two items change the entire experience from dangerous to merely inconvenient.

Northern Plains Temperatures Dropping 20 to 25°F Below Normal This Week — Late-Season Cold Catches Drivers Off Guard

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows a strong cold air mass pushing into the Northern and Central Plains this week, with highs dropping into the 30s and 40s — as much as 25 degrees below seasonal norms for late April. A deep low is sweeping a cold front eastward across the Plains into the Midwest through the weekend.

Most drivers in affected areas have already packed away their winter car kits, assumed spring is here, and let their gas tank run low. Late-season cold snaps are particularly dangerous precisely because people stop expecting them.

Source: NOAA Climate Prediction Center

John Hudson served as the UK military's Chief SERE Instructor and wrote How To Survive, which applies survival doctrine to everyday life. One chapter covers vehicle survival in cold weather, drawing from military personnel stranded in vehicles during exercises in Scotland and Northern Europe.

Hudson's key principle: your car is a survival shelter. Don't leave it unless you can see a better shelter within walking distance. The car blocks wind, retains some heat, makes you visible to rescuers, and keeps you dry. People who leave their cars in winter storms to walk for help account for a disproportionate number of cold weather fatalities. Stay with the vehicle. Signal for help. Conserve energy and heat.

How to Survive by John Hudson ($24.99)

Wildfires Burning 16,000+ Acres Across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia as Historic Drought Grips the Southeast

More than 16,000 acres are burning across northeast Florida and southeast Georgia today, with fires near the Clay–Putnam County line merging into a 3,000-acre blaze that forced evacuations and Amtrak delays. The largest single fire is a 7,000-acre burn near Needmore, GA. Road closures are in effect across multiple counties, and smoke is affecting air quality as far as Levy and Marion Counties.

More than 95% of the Southeast is currently in drought — every one of North Carolina’s 100 counties is classified in drought, and Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina just logged their driest seven-month stretch on record. The National Interagency Fire Center projects above-normal wildfire risk for Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas through the season.

Sources: News4Jax, WGCU/PBS, NIFC

TRED GT Traction Mats

These are rigid, lightweight boards designed to provide traction when your tires are stuck on ice, snow, mud, or sand. I've had them for two winters. Used them twice, both times on ice in my own driveway.

You place them in front of (or behind) the drive wheels, and they give your tires something to grip. They're reusable, fold flat, and fit behind a seat or in a trunk without taking up much space.

Are they better than cat litter or sand? Yes, significantly. Cat litter provides some grip but compresses under tire weight. These boards are solid and work immediately. The trade-off is price: about $80 for a pair versus $5 for a bag of cat litter.

Budget alternative: Non-clumping cat litter ($5 for a 20-lb bag). Provides traction on ice and absorbs moisture. Heavier and messier, but functional. Keep a bag in the trunk.

TRED GT Traction Boards at ARB USA

Overrated: All-wheel drive as a winter safety feature. It helps you accelerate on slippery surfaces. It does not help you stop or turn. Good tires and smart driving matter far more than drivetrain configuration.

Underrated: Keeping your gas tank above half full in winter. It prevents fuel line freeze-ups, gives you hours of emergency idling for heat, and means you never have to stop for gas during a storm. Zero cost, high impact.

NHTSA: Winter Driving — Federal guidance on winter driving and vehicle preparation.

ThePrepared.com: Car Emergency Kit — Comprehensive guide with winter-specific additions.

Weather.gov: Winter Storm Safety — NWS winter safety resources and local forecasts.

AAA: Winter Car Kit — AAA's recommended winter kit list. Simple and practical.

Grokipedia: Hypothermia — Background on cold exposure, symptoms, and prevention.

Earthquake preparedness. The emergency that gives zero warning. Here's what to do before, during, and after the ground moves.

PS: I keep my winter car kit in a small duffel bag. In the spring, I bring it inside, check the hand warmers and snacks, and store it in the closet until October. Takes five minutes, twice a year.