Best winter car kit
AAA Winter Severe Weather Kit
A ready kit for the vehicle, where winter emergencies catch families off guard.

Ice, blackouts, and dangerous cold. Stay warm and safe when the heat goes out.
A winter storm turns a power outage into something more serious: the cold itself becomes the hazard. Prep is about staying warm safely (without carbon-monoxide risk), keeping water from freezing, and being able to wait out closed roads.
Warm layers, safe indoor heat, and a way to make hot food and drinks go a long way toward keeping everyone — especially little ones — comfortable and calm.
What your family needs
Clean, stackable containers to keep days of drinking water on hand — one gallon per person per day.
See the picks →
Long-shelf-life meals that actually taste good and need little more than hot water.
See the picks →
The five-dollar tool you will desperately want when the power is out and dinner is in a can.
See the picks →
A reliable light for every member of the family — far safer than candles in an outage.
See the picks →
A pocket-sized battery to keep a phone alive for days — the simplest prep there is.
See the picks →
Fresh and rechargeable batteries sized to your radio, flashlights, and medical devices.
See the picks →
Your lifeline to alerts when the internet and cell towers go quiet — hand-crank and solar.
See the picks →
One per person — a whistle carries far further than a shout when you need help.
See the picks →
A well-stocked kit sized for the whole family — the first thing every list agrees on.
See the picks →
The wrench and basics to shut off utilities and handle quick fixes safely.
See the picks →
Featherweight warmth that packs into a pocket and holds in body heat when it counts.
See the picks →
Stay clean and healthy without running water — wipes, sanitizer, and the basics.
See the picks →
Contractor-grade bags for waste, water, wind-proofing, and a dozen other jobs.
See the picks →
Durable bottles the whole family can carry, refill, and grab on the way out.
See the picks →
Simple, packable cookware and utensils for when normal dishes are not an option.
See the picks →
Hands-free light the kids will actually think is fun — the unsung hero of any outage.
See the picks →
Soft, room-filling light that turns a dark night into a living-room campout.
See the picks →
The everyday medicines you will be glad to have when the pharmacy is closed.
See the picks →
One well-made tool that handles a hundred small emergencies around the house and car.
See the picks →
A dependable blade for cutting, prying, and the dozen jobs that come up in a crisis.
See the picks →
Reliable ways to make fire for warmth and cooking, even when everything is wet.
See the picks →
Strong, versatile cordage for shelter, repairs, and securing gear.
See the picks →
One per floor — essential once you are relying on candles, generators, or alternate heat.
See the picks →
The silent-killer alarm that matters most exactly when generators and heaters come out.
See the picks →
A ready kit for the vehicle — where winter and roadside emergencies often catch families off guard.
See the picks →
The books, games, and small comforts that keep little ones calm through a long event.
See the picks →
Spare glasses, hearing-aid batteries, insulin coolers, and backups for essential medical needs.
See the picks →
Ready-to-feed formula and shelf-stable baby food so the littlest ones are never caught short.
See the picks →
Battery backup that keeps the fridge cold and the phones alive — and is safe to run indoors.
See the picks →
Serious backup power for longer outages — with the carbon-monoxide safety rules that matter.
See the picks →
Real warmth for a cold house or an unexpected night away from home.
See the picks →
Instant, packable heat for cold hands, sleeping bags, and the car kit.
See the picks →
Done for you
Family of 4 · 2–3 days
Everything a household of four needs to stay powered, fed, and calm through a two-to-three day blackout.
See the kit →
Family of 4 · stay warm
When the heat goes out and the roads close, keep everyone warm, fed, and calm.
See the kit →
Editor's picks
Best winter car kit
A ready kit for the vehicle, where winter emergencies catch families off guard.
Best family kit
A well-organized kit sized and stocked for a whole household.
Best high-capacity
A brick of a battery that keeps phones and tablets alive for days.
Best simple option
The cheapest, most reliable way to make fire — stash them everywhere.
Best all-around headlamp
Hands-free light the kids think is fun and the adults rely on.
Best no-water cleanup
Stay clean without running water — the underrated morale booster.
Field notes

You don't need a whole-home generator to keep your family safe in an outage. Here's how to pick a portable power station — and the three we'd actually buy.
Read the guide →
A short, practical playbook for keeping little ones warm, fed, entertained, and unafraid when the power goes out.
Read the guide →