15 Winter Emergency Essentials, According to Outdoor Experts

The winter season brings a whole new slew of adventuring opportunities—cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, backcountry hiking, and so much more. While trekking through a winter wonderland might seem magical in theory, the reality is that it can also be quite dangerous if you don’t take proper precautions. And that goes for all types of travelers. 

“No matter what your experience level is, it doesn’t matter. Everybody should be following the same precautions. Because even if you’re an expert mountain climber, you are still vulnerable to the elements,” says Liz Crandall, a former U.S. Forest Service field ranger, environmentalist, and host of the Rangers of the Lost Park podcast. “It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or really tuned into your surroundings. It can happen to anybody.”

Her advice? Whether you’re traveling by car through a cold climate or planning to venture outdoors, never leave the house without the “10 essentials” (more on that below), and always check the weather to know what you’re up against. Crandall also notes that safety in numbers is a good rule of thumb, and she advises ensuring you have basic training in any terrain you plan to encounter. “For instance, if you’re about to scale a mountain or a really steep hike, and it’s really snow-covered, it would be really helpful to have avalanche training,” she says. 

To help you stay safe, there are also several items you can bring with you—some of which are great to keep in your car during winter excursions, and others that are crucial to have with you at all times while spending time in the frigid outdoors. We tapped outdoor experts, including Crandall, for the winter emergency essentials you should always have on hand—just in case.

Expert-approved Winter Emergency Essentials

A First Aid Kit

First things first, you need to have a proper first aid kit. This one is part of the “Ten Essentials,” a list of items that outdoor experts recognize as crucial for safety in the backcountry. This 300-piece kit has everything you need to tend to scrapes, cuts, or burns—and it’s great to keep in your car at all times.

Hand Warmers

“The number one cause of injury and death in winter back country is hypothermia,” says Crandall, which is why staying warm is serious business. There are a number of useful items you can bring to stay warm, but the easiest (and cheapest) are hand warmers. These single-use hand warmers are great because you can stick them in your gloves, jacket, boots, or wherever you need a little extra warmth in frigid temperatures.

An Emergency Blanket

“A bivy—or an emergency blanket—is small, lightweight, and radiates your body heat back towards you,” explains CeLynn Siemons and Brad Elliott, hiking and travel experts, and creators of Wild & Outdoors. According to the couple, this compact item can save your life if you’re stuck outdoors for an extended period of time or if you get lost on the trail.” What’s more, this compact piece of gear takes up virtually no room in the trunk of your car, so there’s no reason not to add it to your supplies.

A Warm Down Jacket

Of course, staying warm is crucial, and that’s why a reliable jacket is a top gear essential during winter activities. “I’m lucky enough to have excellent storage space in the back of my minivan, and I take full advantage of it during the winter months by having an uber-warm down jacket on hand at all times, just in case I get stuck somewhere or temperatures unexpectedly plummet. It’s also a nice failsafe for staying warm when unexpectedly putting on snow chains in frigid conditions,” says Emily Pennington, a writer, outdoor adventure expert, and author of Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks. Her go-to: The Cerium Hoody by Arc’teryx, which she praises as “incredibly warm and lightweight, with a surprising amount of water resistance for a down jacket.”

Base Layers

While a solid jacket is key, the layers you wear underneath are just as (if not more) important. “You should layer with some sort of wool on the base layer to help absorb sweat, keep you warm, and wick moisture,” says Quin Gable, an outdoor adventure and travel enthusiast.

Crandall suggests opting for a base layer, midlayer, an insulating layer, and then topping with a shell. She’s a fan of Smartwool and Icebreaker, which are high-quality investment pieces that last a long time. That also means replacing gear less often, which is better for the environment, Crandall adds. She also notes that shopping secondhand is a cost-effective, eco-friendly option.

Whichever layering pieces you go for, just remember to steer clear of cotton, since it absorbs moisture and can keep you cold—even leading to hypothermia. “Cotton kills,” says Crandall. “Wear things that are wool or synthetic fibers, instead.”

A Headlamp and Flashlight

Even if you’re going out during the day, you should always have a headlamp,” says Crandall. These are generally the best option because you can have your hands free for any survival situation, she adds.

What’s more, “conditions can drastically change your expected departure time on trail (if the trail isn’t broken out yet or trail markings aren’t very visible),” says Siemons and Elliott, “and with winter sunlight hours being so short, it’s vital to never be caught in the dark without a source of light other than your phone, which often dies quick in the cold.”

It also doesn’t hurt to keep a rechargeable flashlight or lantern—like this one by Goal Zero—in your car, says Pennington.

A Navigation Tool

Here’s the deal: You might be in a situation where data isn’t available—and that’s when we need to turn to analog navigation tools. “Having a map and compass on hand is very important in winter hiking since whiteouts can often occur above tree line, and it allows us to navigate without being able to see surrounding landmarks,” says Siemons and Elliott.

Walkie Talkies

Since service can be unreliable, Gable suggests getting a walkie talkie to communicate with others. She personally uses Rocky Talkie, a durable and waterproof radio that features a built-in carabiner for ease of transport. “Also, sometimes there is a biz channel for ski resorts or hikes,” she says. “Check with patrol or local rangers.”

Microspikes

Headed to icy terrain? Be sure to bring some microspikes on your adventure. “These go on the bottoms of your boots in case you run into icy conditions,” says Gable. “For example, I was on top of Angels Landing [in Zion National Park], and much of the snow had iced over, so I wouldn’t have been able to do the hike without it.”

A Thermal Water Bottle

Leave your plastic water bottle and hiking bladder at home: “The hose will freeze, and you won’t be able to drink out of it,” says Gable. Instead, opt for a thermal water bottle that’s insulated—in other words, something that won’t freeze in cooler temps. 

A Small Backpacking Stove

In the quest for staying warm and safe, “it’s not a bad idea to bring a small backpacking stove,” says Crandall. “That way, if you get in a situation where you are really cold, you can boil water and put it into your water bottle, then stuff that in your jacket to warm you up really nicely.” Or, you can sip on a nice warm liquid—whether it’s tea or hot water—to heat you from the inside out.  

A Satellite Phone

As mentioned, you need to make sure you have some kind of navigation and communication method that’s not just your cell phone. “Because cold temperatures can freeze your battery. It can die really quickly,” says Crandall. And both she and Gable agree that the Garmin inReach—a lightweight satellite phone—is a great thing to have at the ready, just in case of emergency. 

Sun Protection

“At high elevations, the sun and the sun reflecting off the snow cooks you,” says Gable. “You’ll get super burned even if you don’t think so.” 

That’s why sun protection in all forms is key. That means sunscreen, chapstick, sunglasses, a hat, and a gaiter or buff to cover your neck. “Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean that the sun is not a factor when you’re traveling,” says Crandall. “I’ve had it where I got sunburned in my nostrils from the snow reflecting off a glacier, and it was really painful.”

Extra Food and Drinks

On the “Ten Essentials” list, it suggests having extra food on hand, and Pennington obliges. “I always have one to two dehydrated camping meals by Farm to Summit in my car, just in case I get stuck in the wilderness.”

For Siemons and Elliott, hot cocoa is one of their essentials. “It isn’t only enjoyable on the trail when it’s chilly, but it also helps to increase your core body temperature and gives you a boost of energy with the sugar contents,” they note. “Having this on hand is also a great precaution in case you were to ever run into a fellow hiker with symptoms of hypothermia.”

A Fun Bonus Item

While this may not technically be essential, “I think it’s really important to bring something with you that is a fun item, because you want to have something to boost morale if you start to feel low,” says Crandall. Maybe that’s your favorite chocolate bar, a deck of cards to play with a friend, or a comfy camp chair—it’s really whatever works for you. “If there’s an item that you have that’s not a necessity, but it will bring you joy, then I say you should bring it.”

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.