Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

15 Winter Must-Haves to Prep Your Car (and Yourself)

Get your car ready to survive the cold months—whether you’ll be driving it or not.

Published October 19, 2020

Updated June 1, 2021

With the cool winds blowing, the leaves changing and the cider mills swarming with people, it’s time to consider prepping your car—and yourself—for winter. Or, at the very least, gathering all the necessary tools and consumables to save your future self time, money and a whole lotta headache. Just one note, these are general approaches to surviving winter, automotively speaking. This isn’t a catchall for every scenario that you might face in the struggle of protecting your car through harsh winter months.

We also looked at getting your collector car or more rust-prone ride ready to stash for the winter months. Rounding out the list, we have some suggestions to keep you busy when you can’t enjoy your car.

Callaway X-Tour Irons

It’s one of the most talked-about debuts on tour this season. The new X-Tour Irons are now in the bags of players like Phil Mickelson, Annika Sorenstam and Charles Howell III.Forged 1020 Carbon Steel Body: The X-Tour’s advanced two-piece design features a forged 1020 carbon steel body, with a forged 1020 carbon steel face welded in 360 degree undercut channel, which enlarges the sweet spot and provides perimeter weighting previously unavailable on a performance iron.

Accessories

Tumi T3 Ducati Carry-On Duffel

The Tumi+Ducati Collection is an award winning line from Tumi that rocks out high-performance Ducati inspired design sculpted in Tumi’s exclusive, abrasion- and stain-resistant Hybrix fabric. The T3 Carry-On Duffel has easy-to-pack duffel styling in a convenient carry-on size.

Garmin Nuvi 680

Receive door-to-door directions while staying on top of local weather, traffic and more with nuvi 680, a sleek multi-tasking Personal Travel Assistant. Features a colorful widescreen, hands-free calling and FM transmitter, than takes it up a notch by adding dynamic content from MSN Direct.

Fragrances

Vera Wang™ Truly Pink – 24 Roses with Truly Pink Fragrance

[Mother’s Day Gift Idea] Give the ultimate expression of love with this Vera Wang™ Truly Pink floral and fragrance gift set. Selected by world-renowned designer Vera Wang, these truly pink roses beautifully complement the designer’s new limited-edition fragrance, Vera Wang™ Truly Pink.

ROM – The 4-Minute CrossTrainer©

Manufactured in California since 1990, the ROM is more a leap of faith into the studied design and manufacturing process of their engineering team. Their guarantee of a 4 minute no impact cardio, resistance and flexibility workout that’s as good as any longer workout seems far stretched.

Car Accessories

HUD GPS Speed Meter

The GlobalTop Technology’s heads up display keeps your eyes on the road. It projects the current speed and heading of the car onto the windshield.

120GB V2 FPR Fingerprint Hard Drive

Nowadays there’s no limit to how well you can protect your identity and data. DataMore makes it simple for you to just that.

Announcements

Gear Patrol Salute – Independence Day

Whether you spend the day watching Transformers, grilling steaks to delicious perfection or just kicking it back with a beer in one hand and a gorgeous companion in the other it’s important to realize that 231 years ago this country liberated itself from the throes of colonization. It’s also to important to know that those colonies would later go on to be states and eventually form the United States of America; spreading our brands, fast food, painfully gorgeous women, and much envied lifestyle across the world.

Grand Theft Auto IV – Special Edition

Prepare for mayhem. Prepare for carnage.

Accessories

Jack Spade Monza Flat Wallet

In the heat of the summer the last thing you want is a bulging wallet weighing you down. As a matter of fact, this should be a year round notion.

Trion:Z Dual Loop Magnetic/Ion Bracelets

Ions. You’ve heard of them for some time and you’ve wondered what exactly they do.

Inflight Power iPod/iPhone Charger

Before you chock this one off to just another iPod charger keep reading. It’s not, at least not in how it works.

Ironman Segmental Body Monitor

Your training shouldn’t go unmonitored, especially if you’re looking for accurate rehabilitation or focused workouts. The BC558 Segmental Body Composition Monitor is a completely unique product giving your individual readings for each body segment (trunk, right arm, left arm, right leg and left leg).

Camping

Eureka N!ergy 1210 Tent

Camping doesn’t always have to be so rough. The Eureka N!ergy 1210 tent brings you the ability to sleep eight in two rooms with two doors and a gear loft.

Excalibur Pool Lounger

Looking like something straight out of SkyMall or Brookstone comes the Excalibur Pool Lounger. Ridiculous purchases at it’s finest, it provides you motorized lounging in the pool as you soak in the rays and discreetly eye the ‘scenery’.

Kangaroom Charging Station

iPod, cellphone, blackberry, camera. You’re overloaded on gadgets and they’re probably lying around in multiple locations in your apartment with half dead batteries.

Osprey V-22 Tiltrotor

The Osprey V22 from Boeing may be one of the most incredible looking and functioning aircrafts you never come in contact with. Its ability to function like a heavy-duty turboprop at high-speeds and high altitudes, then tilt its nacale Rolls-Royce Allison turbshafts to land and hover like a helicopter, then fold its wings back into itself to ship and store makes it a modern day transformer.

Bachelor Pad 3

You’ve got a nice desk, nice pens, but why is your writing medium still the same thing you used when you were in high school? Replace that yellow or pink post-it pad with something of substance.

Turtle Wax Ice Liquid Polish

The summer sun can be hell on your ride’s paint. It’s also the perfect time to keep your car clean for more than a couple of days.

Sea-Doo Seascooter Explorer

The idea of scuba diving around underwater passing coral reefs and other exotic life is appealing. The idea of scuba diving without any effort is even more appealing.

Unfortunately, those living in the frozen tundra of the East and Midwest will have to get around somehow when the snow starts to fly. That’s why it’s a good idea to have some level of preparedness for winter driving mishaps. And we’re not just talking about a plane ticket to California or Texas.

Battery Jump StarterBatteries don’t like the cold. Winter tends to be cold. With that in mind, it might not be the worst idea to bring along a compact battery jump starter. Obviously, this will help you in the case of a dead or dying battery, but it could also save you money, costing less than one tow truck call.
BlanketA nice, heavy blanket might seem like an emergency-use-only tool to keep in your trunk; yes, you want one in case you’re stranded near Fargo, North Dakota, and don’t have any other option to stay warm, but you can also use your emergency blanket for picnics in the warm months!
Ice ScraperThis is an obvious must-have. For those with early-morning commutes, an ice scraper is an essential piece for liberating your car from the icy grip of winter. A good scraper will be resilient, efficient and somewhat ergonomic. An ice scraper with a brush will make for an effective all-in-one tool that deals with ice and powder snow.
ShovelWhen you’re in the thick of a winter event, you might find yourself buried in a parking lot or driveway, without any reasonable way to get out. Having a small, collapsible shovel in your car could come in more than handy if the time comes.
Traction MatThe last piece of a snow-emergency kit centers around the limited traction you’ll often find in wintry conditions. Be it ice or snow, you might find yourself in a position where your tires just can’t get any bite. Enter: a traction mat. Throw these in front of your drive wheels, and you should be scooting away without any further problems.