Your Vehicle Emergency Kit
Southern Alberta’s highways are long, open and windy, and a ground blizzard can strand you a long way from the next town. This page covers the winter car kit from government lists, what to add in summer, checking the roads before you go, and exactly what to do if you get stuck.
On this page
- Why the vehicle kit matters here
- The kit
- Gary’s truck
- Gary’s camp and RV trip kit
- Winter and summer additions
- Before you go: 511 Alberta and the forecast
- Wind, dust and blowing snow
- If you’re stranded
- Exhaust, snow and carbon monoxide
- Tornadoes, hail and smoke on the road
- Keeping the kit ready
- Printable vehicle kit checklist
Why the vehicle kit matters here
For most Lethbridge households, the car or truck is where an emergency is most likely to find you. The drives to Fort Macleod, Taber, Cardston, Vulcan or Calgary cross wide-open country with long gaps between towns. Wind can lift loose snow off the fields into a whiteout under a clear sky, and a chinook that melts the roads in the afternoon can leave black ice behind it by evening. When a chinook ends, the temperature can fall 20°C or more. Pack for the worst day, not the average one.
A kit in the vehicle turns a breakdown, a closed highway or a slide into the ditch from a dangerous night into a long, boring wait. That’s the goal.
This page covers the official lists, Gary’s own truck and camp kits, wind and dust on the highways, what to do if you’re stranded, and a printable checklist for the kit bin.
Lethbridge averages about 116 days a year with gusts of 40 km/h or more. On an open highway, gusts and blowing snow matter more than the temperature. Check the forecast for gusts and snow before you leave, not just the high.
The kit
This list combines the Government of Alberta’s vehicle emergency kit checklist and Transport Canada’s winter driving emergency kit. Keep it in a bin or bag in the trunk or box, where it won’t fly around in a collision.
| Item | Why it’s there |
|---|---|
| Water and food that won’t spoil, such as energy bars | A long wait gets much harder hungry and thirsty. Water bottles can freeze, so leave room in them. |
| Blanket (a heat-reflective one is light and packs small) or an emergency bivy sack, extra clothing and footwear | Staying warm and dry is the whole game if you’re stuck in winter. |
| First aid kit | See our first aid page for what to include. |
| A day’s supply of essential medications for regular passengers, including any inhaler or epinephrine auto-injector | A stranded night shouldn’t mean a missed dose. Ask your pharmacist which medications can’t take freezing or a hot vehicle, and carry those on you instead. |
| Flashlight (battery or crank) and a battery or crank radio | Light to work by, and news if your phone has no signal. |
| Charged phone and charger | Your best way to call for help. A charged power bank is a good backup. |
| Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush | To dig out, and to keep the tailpipe and windows clear. |
| Sand, salt or non-clumping cat litter, or traction mats | For grip under the drive wheels. |
| Booster cables or a portable jump starter, and a tow rope or strap | Cold kills batteries. A jump starter doesn’t need a second vehicle. A tow rope lets a passerby pull you out. |
| Warning light or road flares, and a reflective vest | So other drivers see you, especially in blowing snow or at night. |
| Whistle | To signal for help without shouting yourself hoarse. |
| Candle in a deep can, with matches (a “survival candle”) | Transport Canada notes it can warm your hands without draining the battery or the fuel tank. Set it on a heat-proof surface where it can’t tip, keep it away from fabric and out of children’s reach, crack a window, and never leave it burning while you sleep. Keep the matches in a waterproof bag beside it. |
| Seatbelt cutter | On the Government of Alberta list, for getting out after a crash. |
| Windshield washer fluid and fuel line antifreeze | Washer fluid runs out fast in slushy road spray. |
| Fire extinguisher | On the Government of Alberta’s additional items list. |
| Road maps | For when there’s no signal, or the phone is dead. |
| List of contact numbers, copy of your emergency plan and personal documents | On paper, in case your phone isn’t working. |
You can buy a ready-made kit, but Transport Canada points out that many of the items are probably already in your home.
What it means for you: a toque, mitts, wool socks and a pair of warm boots in the trunk may be the most important things on this list. Plenty of people drive in winter dressed for a heated car, not for a two-hour wait in the ditch.
Gary’s truck
Gary describes his truck as “a complete setup: emergency kits, extra clothing, cookware, stoves, you name it.”
The truck also has extra batteries, a solar panel and an inverter. As Gary puts it: “Worst case scenario, we can be in the truck. Flexibility is the way.”
He also carries a heavy-duty lithium jump starter, plus booster cables.
You don’t need a full camp in your vehicle, but the idea is worth borrowing: decide what a long day stuck on the road would need, and make sure it’s already in the vehicle before you need it. Gary’s pocket kit is on our everyday carry page, and his camp kit is just below.
A stove in the vehicle kit is for cooking outdoors. Never use a portable stove, heater, lantern or any other portable fuel-burning equipment inside a vehicle, camper or truck topper.
Gary’s camp and RV trip kit
For camp and RV trips, Gary adds:
- Two tarps (a light one and a heavy one), paracord and long stakes
- A full-size multi-tool, a fixed-blade knife and a folding saw
- A compact sharpener (Gary carries two compact travel sharpeners)
- A gravity water filter and separate drinking water
- A pocket weather meter. Gary uses handheld weather meters to check the wind before putting up awnings and antennas.
- A proper first-aid kit. Gary’s old Scout box set the standard.
- Something to communicate when there’s no cell signal. A ham radio is the best option once you’re licensed (Canada requires an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate); see VE6DOK.net.
Gary also carries a propane heater and enclosures for camp. Carbon monoxide has no colour or smell, and it builds up fast in small spaces. If you use any fuel-burning heater:
- Never use a heater, stove or lantern made for outdoor use inside a vehicle, tent, camper, truck topper, garage or shed. Health Canada says never to operate outdoor fuel-burning equipment inside a home, vehicle, garage, shed, camper or tent, and never to use propane, kerosene or oil space heaters in enclosed areas unless they’re specifically designed for indoor use. An open window or door doesn’t make outdoor equipment safe.
- Even a heater designed for indoor use needs the fresh-air supply its manufacturer specifies, and a working carbon monoxide alarm nearby. Never sleep with a fuel-burning heater running in a tent, vehicle or topper.
- Carry a battery carbon monoxide alarm.
An RV’s built-in furnace is vented to the outside; portable heaters aren’t. More on that on our trailer and RV camping page, and on carbon monoxide, alarms and symptoms on our Power outages page. For tarps, cordage and fire, see Bushcraft and our camp gear page.
Winter and summer additions
Add for winter
Warm boots, toque, mitts and wool socks for everyone who usually rides along. A sleeping bag. Hand warmers. Ice grippers for your boots. Winter washer fluid. Keep the tank at least half full.
Add for summer
More water than you think: at least a few litres per person, plus a little extra for an overheating radiator. Coolant and spare washer fluid. A wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen and sunglasses. A light, bright-coloured rain jacket, because evenings cool off fast and bright colours help you get seen at the roadside. Insect repellent, and a tick check after stops in tall grass or the river bottom. A heavy blanket or moving pad can protect you from broken glass in a hailstorm.
Never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle on a warm day, even for a few minutes and even with the windows cracked. The inside heats up fast in our strong sun.
Before you go: 511 Alberta and the forecast
Get Prepared‘s winter storm advice starts before you leave: make sure your vehicle is ready for winter, with winter tires, a full tank of gas and plenty of washer fluid, and be ready to change or cancel your plans if hazardous travel is expected. During a winter storm, it advises avoiding driving, avoiding travelling alone and at night, and driving slowly because visibility can be low.
- Check 511 Alberta. The Government of Alberta’s free traveller information service at 511.alberta.ca (and its app) shows highway conditions, closures, construction and major incidents. 511 Alberta can also issue Alberta Emergency Alerts for dangerous road conditions.
- Check the forecast for where you’re going, not just Lethbridge. Our forecast page shows gusts and snow.
- Tell someone your route and when you expect to arrive, and check in when you get there.
- Fill up. A full tank gives you heat if you’re stuck, and fewer reasons to stop.
- Clear every window and the lights. Get Prepared says to clear snow and ice from the windows before driving.
- Dress for the ditch, or at least have the clothes in the vehicle.
Watch for black ice, which Get Prepared notes can be hard to see even when visibility is good. Around here, it often forms after a chinook, when meltwater freezes again overnight, and on bridges, overpasses and shaded coulee roads.
Wind, dust and blowing snow
Lethbridge has some of the windiest weather of any city in Canada. On open stretches like Highway 3 toward Fort Macleod and the Crowsnest Pass, Highway 4 toward Milk River and Coutts, and Highway 23 north to Vulcan and beyond, the wind can pick up dust in summer or loose snow in winter and drop visibility to almost nothing in seconds.
If visibility suddenly drops
- Slow down gradually. Don’t slam on the brakes.
- Turn on your headlights (not just daytime running lights), so you can be seen from behind.
- Keep both hands on the wheel and expect gusts at gaps in shelterbelts, overpasses and coulee crossings.
- If you can’t see, pull completely off the road, as far right as you safely can, and turn on your hazard lights. Never stop in a driving lane.
Before you go, check gusts, not just wind speed. A forecast of “west 40 gusting 70” is a very different drive from “west 40”. Compare it with the live wind on our Wind in Lethbridge page, and check road reports and highway cameras on 511 Alberta. Our Planning around the weather page has more.
If you’re stranded
Your vehicle is shelter, it’s much easier for rescuers to find than a person on foot, and walking off into blowing snow is how people get lost. Get Prepared says: if trapped, stay inside your vehicle. The Alberta Motor Association’s advice is the same, and adds running the vehicle only intermittently for heat, keeping the exhaust clear and keeping a window cracked open.
- Stay with the vehicle. Don’t set out walking in a storm, especially in a whiteout, where you can lose sight of the road within metres.
- Call for help if you have a signal. Call 911 in an emergency. Tell them your highway, your direction, and the nearest town, intersection or kilometre marker.
- Get visible. Turn on your hazard lights while the engine runs. Put on the reflective vest if you step out, and set out a warning light or flares if it’s safe to. Tie a bright cloth to the antenna or door, and at night turn the dome light on for short periods.
- Clear the tailpipe before you start the engine, and check it again every time. See exhaust and snow.
- Run the engine in short spells, not continuously, with a window open a crack on the side away from the wind.
- Get warm and stay dry. Put on the extra layers before you’re cold, cover your head, and wrap up in the blanket or sleeping bag. Share body heat. Children who ride without bulky coats under the car seat harness, as Alberta Health Services advises, need those coats and a blanket within reach.
- Keep moving a little. Clap your hands, wiggle your toes and move your arms and legs to keep blood flowing, without working up a sweat.
- Drink water and eat a little. Your body makes heat from food.
- Don’t fall asleep with the engine running. If there’s more than one of you, take turns resting while someone stays awake.
What it means for you: the first ten minutes decide how the next few hours go. Call, get visible, clear the exhaust, and put on your warm clothes before you start to shiver.
If the car gets stuck in the snow, the safest place is usually inside it. A car is big and easy for helpers to spot. A person walking in blowing snow is small and hard to see.
Wonder: why do rescue workers wear bright orange and yellow?
Try this: help pack the car kit with a grown-up. Your job: check the flashlight works, and put in a warm toque and mitts for yourself.
Exhaust, snow and carbon monoxide
A buried or blocked tailpipe can fill the inside of a vehicle with carbon monoxide, which you can’t see or smell. Get Prepared says to keep the tailpipe clear of snow and ice if you’re trapped, and never to idle a vehicle in a garage, even with the garage door open.
- Clear the tailpipe before every start, and keep checking it while snow is falling or drifting.
- Crack a window on the downwind side whenever the engine runs.
- Know the warning signs: Health Canada lists tiredness, headaches and shortness of breath as mild symptoms. If anyone feels sleepy, dizzy, headachy or sick, shut the engine off and get fresh air.
- Never run a portable stove or fuel heater inside the vehicle, camper or topper.
- Never warm up a vehicle in a closed garage, or in an open one.
Tornadoes, hail and smoke on the road
Staying in the vehicle is the right call in a blizzard, but not always. The Government of Alberta’s shelter-in-place advice says:
- Thunderstorms and blizzards: stay in your vehicle if no solid building is available.
- Tornado: don’t try to outrun it. Get Prepared says to drive to the nearest solid building and take shelter right away. If there isn’t one, pull off the road, park, set the handbrake and turn on your hazard lights. If it’s safe to get out, lie flat in a ditch or other low-lying spot away from the vehicle, and protect your head and neck. Watch for rising water, and be ready to move. Never shelter under an overpass or bridge.
- Downed power lines: if a line has fallen across your vehicle, or is down within about 10 m of it, stay inside and call 911. Get Prepared says not to get out without a first responder’s help.
- Hazardous air (for example after a crash or derailment involving chemicals): drive away from the area if you safely can. If you can’t, pull over somewhere safe, close all windows and vents, shut off the heater or air conditioner, turn off the engine and turn on your hazard lights. Don’t stop under an overpass or in a low-lying spot, where some gases collect. Follow official instructions.
Caught in hail while driving
Hail season around Lethbridge runs mostly from June to August, usually with afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The City of Calgary’s emergency agency says: if you’re driving, pull over safely and remain in your vehicle.
- Slow down and pull off safely if you can. Don’t stop or shelter under an overpass: you block traffic, and it isn’t safe shelter.
- Stay inside the vehicle. Hail can injure you badly outside.
- Face the hail if you can do it safely, so it hits the front windshield, which is the strongest glass.
- Get away from the windows. Lie down or turn away from them, and cover yourself with a blanket or coat in case glass breaks.
More on summer storms is on our weather and safety page.
Keeping the kit ready
- Twice a year, when the clocks change in the fall and spring, swap the seasonal gear in or out, put in fresh batteries, and test the flashlight and radio.
- Rotate food and water. Replace stored water about every 6 months and food once a year.
- Charge the power bank, test the jump starter, and check the booster cables and flares.
- Keep the kit secured, so it doesn’t become a projectile in a sudden stop.
- Check your spare tire and jack while you’re at it.
For what to carry on you, rather than in the vehicle, see everyday carry. For a small bag to get you home on foot from work or a stuck vehicle, see get-home and go bags. Building a home kit too? See the 72-hour kit on our home emergency kit page, and get kids involved with Home Alone and Weather-Ready.
Printable vehicle kit checklist
Print this, tape it inside the lid of your kit bin, and tick it off each spring and fall.
| All year | Add for winter | Add for summer |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ First aid kit and essential medications | ☐ Blanket or sleeping bag | ☐ Extra drinking water |
| ☐ Water and high-energy food | ☐ Warm boots, toque, mitts, wool socks | ☐ Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses |
| ☐ Flashlight or headlamp, spare batteries | ☐ Shovel, scraper and brush | ☐ Heavy blanket or moving pad (hail) |
| ☐ Phone charger and power bank | ☐ Sand, non-clumping cat litter or traction mats | ☐ Insect repellent |
| ☐ Booster cables or jump starter, tow strap | ☐ Candle in a deep can, matches | ☐ Coolant and spare washer fluid |
| ☐ Reflective vest, road flares or triangles | ☐ Winter washer fluid | ☐ Light, bright-coloured rain jacket |
| ☐ Paper map and a pen | ☐ Hand warmers | |
| ☐ Tire pump and repair kit | ☐ Emergency bivy or foil blankets | |
| ☐ Whistle and seatbelt cutter | ☐ Ice grippers for boots | |
| ☐ Multi-tool, basic tools and a tarp | ☐ Fuel tank kept at least half full | |
| ☐ Battery or crank radio |
What it means for you: water bottles can freeze and split in a cold vehicle, so leave a little room in each one. Keep the candle out of children’s reach, and never leave it burning while you sleep.
Handy tools for this
- Crosswind Checker: Check the wind against your vehicle before a highway trip. Most useful for RVs, trailers and high-sided vehicles.
- All games and tools: Every tool on our sites in one place.
Sources
- Government of Alberta, Emergency kit checklist for your vehicle(s) (2019): open.alberta.ca
- Transport Canada, Winter driving emergency kit: tc.canada.ca
- Public Safety Canada, Winter storms: how to prepare (stay inside your vehicle if trapped; keep the tail pipe clear; don’t idle in a garage): canada.ca
- Alberta Motor Association, What to do if your car is stuck in the snow (2021): amainsider.com
- Government of Alberta, 511 Alberta highway information: alberta.ca
- 511 Alberta: 511.alberta.ca
- Government of Alberta, Shelter-in-place advisories: severe weather and hazardous air: alberta.ca
- Government of Alberta, Shelter in place: hazardous air (fact sheet, 2022): open.alberta.ca
- Public Safety Canada, Tornadoes: how to prepare (in a vehicle; overpasses; downed power lines): canada.ca
- City of Calgary (Calgary Emergency Management Agency), What to do during a hail storm (if you’re driving, pull over safely and remain in your vehicle): calgary.ca
- Health Canada, Carbon monoxide: Preventing exposure (outdoor fuel-burning equipment; space heaters designed for indoor use): canada.ca
- Health Canada, Infographic: Carbon monoxide: canada.ca
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, Lethbridge (about 116 days a year with gusts of 40 km/h or more).