The Edit — Road Trips
Winter Car Emergency Kit: What NHTSA Says to Carry
NHTSA publishes a specific winter carry list, from kitty litter to a tourniquet. Here it is item by item, with the one upgrade worth making: a jump starter that doesn't need a second car.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
The list is NHTSA’s own, read on 19 September 2026, and the 5 products shown are ranked as How we choose describes. Nothing here was used or tested.
AstroAI 27" 2-in-1 Detachable Snow Brush and Ice Scraper
Good fit Sedans and small SUVs
Not for A wide truck or tall SUV roof
Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel with Pick
Good fit Small trunks and packed, icy snow
Not for Clearing a whole driveway
Swiss Safe Emergency Mylar Blanket, 4 Pack
Good fit A glovebox or a crowded trunk
Not for Comfort for a long wait: add a wool blanket too
Rhino Rescue IFAK Trauma Kit Pro with CAT Tourniquet
Good fit You want the tourniquet NHTSA lists
Not for Newer listing, few reviews yet
NOCO Boost GB40 1000A Lithium Jump Starter
Good fit You often drive alone or on empty roads
Not for You will not remember to charge it every few months
Snow and sleet cause tens of thousands of crashes a year
NHTSA counts 320 fatal crashes and an estimated 22,293 injury crashes in 2023 with snow or sleet falling at the time. Its advice starts with preparation, and the carry list below is the part you can buy.
NHTSA’s carry list, item by item
| Item | Why NHTSA lists it |
|---|---|
| Snow shovel, broom, ice scraper | Digging out and clearing every window |
| Sand or kitty litter | Grip under the drive wheels when stuck |
| Jumper cables | A battery flattened by the cold |
| Flashlight, flares, emergency markers | Being seen, and seeing |
| First aid kit, including a tourniquet | Injuries before help arrives |
| Blankets | Warmth without running the engine |
| Phone and charger, water, food, medicine | Waiting it out |
Most of it is cheap and lives in the trunk all winter. A snow brush with a scraper, a folding shovel and a bag of cat litter cover the first 2 rows.
AstroAI 27" 2-in-1 Detachable Snow Brush and Ice Scraper
A brush and a scraper that snap apart, short enough to live behind a seat.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Length | 27 inches |
|---|---|
| Type | Detachable brush and ice scraper |
| Covers | NHTSA's broom and ice scraper |
The AstroAI 27” snow brush covers 2 items on the list at once: the broom and the ice scraper. Owners find it sturdy through a few inches of snow and quick on windshield frost, and like that it snaps apart to store.
Length is the recurring complaint. On a wide truck or a tall SUV, owners say it falls short of the middle of the roof and windshield.
Buy it if
- Sedans and small SUVs
- You want 1 tool for snow and ice
Don't buy it if
- A wide truck or tall SUV roof
Rhino USA Folding Survival Shovel with Pick
A folding steel entrenching shovel with a pick edge, for digging out packed snow around the wheels.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Type | Folding entrenching shovel |
|---|---|
| Also | Pick edge, storage pouch |
| Covers | NHTSA's snow shovel |
A full snow shovel rarely fits a trunk, so a folding one is the practical answer. Owners of the Rhino USA folding shovel describe it as heavy and strongly built, and the pick edge helps with the packed, icy ridge a plow leaves around the wheels.
It folds small into its pouch. It is a tool for digging out a car, not for clearing a driveway.
Buy it if
- Small trunks and packed, icy snow
Don't buy it if
- Clearing a whole driveway
Blankets matter because NHTSA’s advice is to stay with the car and run the engine only in short spells. Mylar blankets take almost no room, so there is one for every seat.
Swiss Safe Emergency Mylar Blanket, 4 Pack
4 mylar blankets that fold to pocket size, so every passenger gets one without filling the trunk.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Count | 4 blankets |
|---|---|
| Material | Mylar |
| Covers | NHTSA's blankets |
The Swiss Safe 4-pack folds small enough for a glovebox, and owners report it holds body heat by reflecting it back. Many keep a set in each car as well as in a first aid kit.
Mylar is warm, not cozy. For a long wait, a wool or fleece blanket on the back seat is worth adding.
Buy it if
- A glovebox or a crowded trunk
Don't buy it if
- Comfort for a long wait: add a wool blanket too
NHTSA’s first aid kit includes a tourniquet, which most ready-made car kits leave out. A trauma kit built around one closes that gap.
Rhino Rescue IFAK Trauma Kit Pro with CAT Tourniquet
A trauma kit built around a CAT tourniquet, the item NHTSA names that most car first aid kits leave out.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Includes | CAT tourniquet |
|---|---|
| Type | IFAK trauma kit |
| Covers | NHTSA's first aid kit with tourniquet |
The Rhino Rescue IFAK Trauma Kit Pro carries a CAT tourniquet, and owners find it well organised, well stocked and easy to grab. It is the highest-rated item here, though on far fewer ratings than the rest, so treat it as a newer listing.
Size splits owners: some find it compact, others bulkier than expected. Pair it with a basic kit of bandages for everyday cuts.
Buy it if
- You want the tourniquet NHTSA lists
Don't buy it if
- Newer listing, few reviews yet
A jump starter replaces the cables and the second car
Jumper cables need a second car and a willing driver. NHTSA notes that cold weather cuts battery power while gas and diesel engines need more of it to start.
A portable jump starter does the job alone. The number to buy by is the engine size the maker rates it for, such as 6.0 litres for a gas engine, not the peak amps, as what peak amps measures explains.
NOCO Boost GB40 1000A Lithium Jump Starter
Starts gas engines to 6.0 litres and diesels to 3.0 by NOCO's rating, with no second car and no stranger needed.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Maker's engine rating | 6.0L gas, 3.0L diesel |
|---|---|
| Replaces | Jumper cables |
| Also | USB power bank, light |
Owners of the NOCO Boost GB40 find it far easier than jumper cables and small enough to live in the car. NOCO rates it for gas engines up to 6.0 litres and diesels up to 3.0, and it charges a phone as a USB power bank.
Battery life is where the reports split, so charge it when the rest of the kit goes in, and check it again before a long drive. The full jump starter comparison covers larger engines.
Buy it if
- You often drive alone or on empty roads
Don't buy it if
- You will not remember to charge it every few months
Check the tires cold, against the door label
Tire pressure falls as the temperature drops. NHTSA says to fill each tire to the pressure on the label on the driver’s side door frame, not the number on the tire, which is the maximum it can hold. How far pressure falls on a cold morning, and which inflators and gauges to keep in the car, is in portable tire inflators and cold mornings.
Check them cold, meaning not driven for at least 3 hours, and at least once a month. Tread should be at least 2/32 of an inch, and some vehicle makers recommend replacing tires every 6 years whatever their wear.
If you are stuck, stay with the car
NHTSA’s advice for a stalled or stranded car is to stay with it and not overexert yourself. Put bright markers on the antenna or windows and keep the dome light on so you can be seen.
A few air-activated hand warmers in the glove box add heat without the engine, and hand warmers compared ranks 4.
Carbon monoxide is the hidden danger. Clear snow from the exhaust pipe, and run the engine only long enough to stay warm, never for long periods with the windows up.
Keep the tank close to full, and in an electric or hybrid car keep the battery charged and plugged in overnight where you can. Then check the busiest Thanksgiving travel days and leave outside them if you can.
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Keep reading
Compared
Portable Jump Starters for Winter, ComparedBuy the NOCO Boost GB40 for most gas cars and small diesels: NOCO rates it to 6.0 litres gas and 3.0 diesel, and it has by far the deepest owner record here.
Explainer
Jump Starter Peak Amps: The Number That Doesn't Start a CarIgnore the peak-amp headline and buy by the engine size the maker states, in litres of gas and of diesel, with room to spare for a cold morning.
Profile
Anker Zolo 10,000mAh 30W Power Bank: Specs and Owner ReportsAnker recalled 5 power banks in 2025. Here is the one to buy, and the number to check.