When the Interstate Turns Into a Survival Situation, What to Carry in Your Car

This info is mostly excerpted from our NRS online membership course with added timely additions due to the current storm situation.  

This winter, a massive traffic disaster on Interstate 196 near Zeeland Township, Michigan trapped roughly 100 vehicles in freezing conditions as a severe storm produced blizzard-like snow and ice, leaving drivers stranded until emergency crews could clear the road and send them to a shelter. Several people were injured, and scores waited hours with little warmth or mobility.

And yet we have another incredibly problematic storm coming our way.  Problematic because you expect our northern friends to drive better than we do in these storms.  For us here in the south, this could easily cause serious driving issues across several states. 

These kinds of gridlocks happen more often than most people realize.  Long stretches of highway immobilized by snow, crashes, or infrastructure failures. In Virginia, drivers spent upwards of 14 hours stuck on I-95 with dwindling fuel and rising anxiety during a winter closure.

Driving has become a part of everyday life for most Americans, but what happens when you cannot keep going? When highway shoulders are blocked and emergency vehicles can’t reach you, your car can become both your survival shelter and your lifeline but only if you’re prepared.

Why Your Car Is Your Best Shelter

Think of your car as a small, mobile shelter. It protects against wind, rain/snow, and cold. In many situations where you're stuck on the road, staying inside your vehicle significantly increases your chances of survival compared to wandering into unknown terrain. UNLESS the likelihood of getting hit is increased. 

Advantages of your car as a shelter:

• Wind and precipitation blocked: The car body breaks wind and snow.

• Heat retention: Clothes and body heat are trapped better inside than outside.

• Signal platform: Your roof makes a better place for antennas, flags, and signals than the ground.

• Safety zone: It’s visible and recognizable to rescuers.

But simply “being inside your car” is not enough. You have to plan for hours or even days of immobility.

The Essentials Everyone Should Carry

Below is a list of the things you already know you need, plus a few that might surprise you:

1. Water and Hydration (~2 gallons per person)

You can go days without food, but only a few days without water (if you are hydrated),  especially if your body is trying to stay warm. Store in sturdy bottles that won’t crack when cold.

2. Food, High-Calorie, No-Prep

Think nuts, energy bars, dried fruit, stuff that won’t freeze solid easily and doesn’t need cooking. Calories = heat energy.

3. Warm Clothing & Insulation

You should have a cold-weather coat. Never go places assuming you will go straight from car to building.  Assume you may break down.  You should bring more anyway:

• Wool socks

• Gloves or mittens

• Hat or balaclava

• Extra insulating layers.

Tip: Carry a spare insulation layer in a waterproof bag — not just what you’re wearing. Your coat can be your active-use warmth, but the backup layer can be donned when you need it.  It can be something as simple as a woobie blanket (HPG made in America choice, click here)

5 Surprising Things You Should Carry (But Most People Don’t)

These often make the difference between comfort and real danger during an extended stranding.

1. Kitty Litter or Sand for Traction

If your tires are spinning on ice or snow, dumping kitty litter under the wheels often gives them the grip needed to move, even out of a deep rut. It’s cheap, light, and effective.  You can also put some in a bag to decrease odor issues with human feces if you need to go in the car.

2. Pee/Portable Bottles (with Tight Lids)

If you’re stuck for many hours without leaving your car (and maybe no snow nearby), a dedicated container for bathroom emergencies is a lifesaver. Avoid plastic water bottles; they can shatter cold.  They make these for women as well. 

3. Signal Panel or Flag

Bright colors or reflective materials mounted to your roof or antenna will help SAR teams spot you. Put them high, not low near the ground where snow can bury them.  

4. Emergency Mylar Blankets

Lightweight and reflects up to 90% of body heat back to you. They pack virtually nothing but provide huge cold protection when wrapped around your torso, head, or over your sleeping area.  Layer them on your core under an insulating layer for more effective results.

5. Fire Starter Kit with Oil-Soaked Cotton Balls.  

Definitely do not build a fire in the car, but if you build one outside for signalling keep this in mind. 

• White smoke blends into snowy backdrops.

• Black smoke (from oil, tire rubber, or plastic) stands out against snow and could help rescuers locate you.  Use this when you know searchers are actively close to you and looking for you.

A small, contained fire in a snow pit or off the roadway (not in your engine bay or undercarriage) can help warm hands or melt snow for water. If you build a fire, keep safety first and choose a location away from the vehicle.

More Useful Items That Don’t Take Much Space

Here are a few extras that are compact but make a big difference:

• LED flashlight and spare batteries.  

• Wind-up or solar AM/FM radio (cell coverage often fails)

• Power bank for phones (cold-rated)

• Small first-aid kit

• Tarp and paracord - for emergency shelter extension

• Multi-tool with knife, pliers, and screwdrivers

• Snow shovel - useful if you must unbury tires or clear around your car

• Disposable hand warmers - cheap and effective

How to Use Your Car Strategically

Stay inside the vehicle unless you’re absolutely sure there’s shelter or help within easy walking distance. Exiting can expose you to hypothermia.

• Don’t run the engine continuously: Use heat in short bursts to conserve fuel and avoid carbon monoxide buildup if your exhaust gets clogged with snow.  This is a very likely and serious concern if your vehicle is covered in snow, especially around the exhaust.  It can back up into the car.

• Ventilation is critical: Crack a window slightly to avoid buildup of fumes.

• Signal early and often: Hang your reflective panel high. If you have a whistle, use it periodically at set intervals.

Real Lessons from People Who Were Stranded

In one widely shared story, drivers were stuck on I-95 in Virginia during a winter storm with no movement for hours. People shared water, melted snow for hydration, and pooled whatever food they had. Many had gone into it expecting a short delay, not a survival situation. 

These events are reminders that your car can be safe shelter, but only if you’re equipped to use it well.

Final Thoughts

Your vehicle can save your life, but only if you think ahead. Being stranded for hours in freezing weather is an ugly possibility, whether from a winter storm, a pile-up like the one on I-196, or a sudden infrastructure closure. Survival isn’t about a single magic item; it’s about a well-thought-out kit and the mental readiness to use it.

Stay safe out there, and keep your gear simple, effective, and ready.