Winter driving preparedness checklist

The topic came up on my local message board and I realized to my horror that I was not prepared for a winter driving emergency! I know that to most people in this high tech society this would be the farthest thing from their mind when planning a roadtrip. Yes we rely heavily on cell phones, but what happens when we don't have service or our cell phone battery dies. I remember reading about a tragedy about a year or so ago. You should always be prepared for winter driving and always keep these items on hand:
warm blanket (1 for each person in the car), water, non-perishable food (for as many people that will be in the car), first aid kit, matches, candle, collapsible shovel, kitty litter/sand, flares, flashlight/batteries, cell phone + charger, and flares/reflective triangle. 


So far my car contains:
- Down sleeping bag (rated to 0 degrees)
- Chewy fruit and nut granola bars (mmm, hope I don't eat these before the emergency)
- Cell phone + charger (I always carry my cell and my charger is always in my car)
- Snow boots and wool socks: I kept a pair of snow boots in my car and got stuck in my work parking lot in high heels, thankfully I was able to change into my boots and dig the snow out from around my tires with my gloves. I would not have been a happy camper if I had to dig myself out in heels. Not a necessity, but so convenient and warm!
- I still haven't figured out how you keep water in your car at all times during winter without it freezing


If you want to be lazy, and I do, Eddie Bauer has a survival gifts and gadgets section making it super simple to get all the necessaries. You could also head down to your local Walmart or Target to purchase the items separately. This would also be a great gift idea for the winter weather newcomer or as a practical gift for someone you care about. Whatever you do, don't procrastinate, who knows when this could save your life.