Ring RWK2 Winter Rescue KitSmaller kit
A folding shovel, hi-vis jacket, LED torch and foil blanket in a case. Cheaper, with no scraper or tow rope.
- Contents
- Folding shovel, hi-vis jacket, LED torch, foil blanket, case
Car emergency kit: what to keep in the car
The Highway Code's winter list is the place to start: "Take an emergency kit of de-icer and ice scraper, torch, warm clothing and boots, first aid kit, jump leads and a shovel", with a warm drink and food. A ready-made kit such as the RAC's covers several of those for about £25; add a charged phone power bank, water and snacks.
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Our picks
- Ready-made kitRAC Winter Driving KitShovel, scraper, torch, tow rope, hi-vis and a foil blanket in one bag.See today's price at Amazon
- Jump starterRing Ultraboost 500A jump starterStarts a flat battery without another car, and charges a phone.See today's price at Amazon
- Tyre inflatorRing Ultrainflate 30 tyre inflatorPlugs into the car's 12 V socket and stops at the pressure you set.See today's price at Amazon
What the official lists say
- The Highway Code (rule 228): de-icer and an ice scraper, a torch, warm clothing and boots, a first aid kit, jump leads and a shovel, plus a warm drink and emergency food.
- National Highways (snow and ice advice): water, food, de-icer, a scraper, warm clothing, "a charged phone and car charger", a torch, blankets, boots, a snow shovel and sunglasses.
- The AA (winter checklist) adds waterproofs, a hi-vis jacket and a "fully charged mobile phone and in-car charger or power pack". The RAC's checklist includes the locking wheel-nut key.
What's the law?
In Great Britain none of it is compulsory. The AA says of a warning triangle, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and reflective jacket: "It is recommended, but not compulsory, that you carry" them. Driving abroad is different. In France you must carry a warning triangle and a hi-vis vest, but a breathalyser is not compulsory: "Il n'est pas obligatoire d'avoir un éthylotest", says the French government. Check each country's rules before you go.
A phone power bank in a cold car
Anker's UK guide gives 0-35°C as the operating and storage range for its power banks, which a car in a UK winter can fall below. Keep the power bank in your coat or bag rather than the glovebox. Anker. Which to buy: power banks for a power cut.
What to buy
RAC Winter Driving KitOur pickReady-made kit
Ice scraper, gloves, tow rope, reflective jacket, LED torch, an on-tow sticker, a folding shovel and a foil blanket, in a nylon bag. To match the Highway Code's list, add de-icer, a first aid kit, jump leads (or a jump starter), warm clothes and boots, and water and snacks.
- Contents
- Ice scraper, gloves, tow rope, reflective jacket, LED torch, on-tow sticker, folding shovel, foil blanket, bag
Ring Ultraboost 500A jump starterOur pickJump starter
A battery pack with clamps that starts a car with a flat battery, no second car needed. Ring rates it for petrol engines up to 3 litres; its own figures for diesel differ (1.5 or 1.6 litres). Also a USB power bank and torch.
- Rating
- 500 A peak, 12 V
- Engines
- Petrol up to 3 litres; diesel 1.5-1.6 litres (Ring's figures differ)
- Also
- USB power bank and LED torch
NOCO Boost GB40 jump starterBigger jump starter
Rated at 1,000 A, for petrol engines up to 6 litres and diesels up to 3 by NOCO's figures, with a USB power bank and a light. NOCO's manual gives a storage range of -20 to 50°C, 0-25°C on average.
- Rating
- 1,000 A, 12 V
- Engines
- Petrol up to 6 litres, diesel up to 3 litres (NOCO)
- Also
- USB power bank and 100-lumen light
- Storage
- -20 to 50°C, 0-25°C on average (NOCO's manual)
Ring Ultrainflate 30 tyre inflatorOur pickTyre inflator
Runs from the 12 V socket on a 3.5 m cable, with a dial to set the pressure; it stops when it gets there.
- Power
- 12 V car socket, 3.5 m cable
- Gauge
- Set the pressure and it stops by itself
- Hose
- 70 cm
Ring RTC6000 cordless tyre inflatorCordless inflator
The same idea with its own battery, so no cable across the car, plus a low-pressure pump for airbeds and a USB socket.
- Power
- Built-in battery, or the 12 V car socket
- Gauge
- Auto stop
- Also
- Low-pressure pump for inflatables, USB socket, LED light
Lifesystems Thermal BlanketFoil blanket
A 55 g foil blanket, 210 x 140 cm, that folds to the size of a wallet. Worth one for each seat.
- Size
- 210 x 140 cm
- Weight
- 55 g
- Material
- Metallised polyester
What testers found
These are findings other testers have published, credited with links.
- NOCO Boost GB40 jump starterTechGearLab in a US test, started a 4-litre V6 with a drained battery three times in a row in cold weather, though it measured 15.57 Wh of usable battery against a stated 24 Wh, and found the buttons and lights less clear than models with a screen.
- Ring Ultrainflate 30 tyre inflatorAuto Express pumped a 15-inch tyre from 10 to 35 psi 2.1 seconds faster than the cheaper Ultrainflate 20, which it rated higher for value.
- Ring RTC6000 cordless tyre inflatorAuto Express took a 15-inch tyre from 20 to 30 psi in 68 seconds with an accurate gauge, but found it noisy.