Living in a climate where it is not unusual to experience winter driving where temps dip to -20, or blinding snowstorms dumping undriveable amounts of snow, or blowing snowstorms of fallen snow at night.... I have had a handful of experiences in all of those.
Traction: I drive a rear-wheel drive truck and carry 2-4 5 gallon buckets of sand in the back for traction. If you go off the road you need flares, winches, shovels, traction (the sand in the buckets) cell phone/cb radio/frs radio.
Heat: I carry a number of propane 1 lb canisters and a catalytic heater. This is fairly fireproof and is enough to keep the interior warm in a Armistice Day type blizzard for a day one one 1 lb canister.
Water: a real challenge is to find a container that can freeze and thaw repeatedly. This winter I'm going to try brandy bottles from Mr. Boston. First I'll drink the brandy (I'll start now) and then peel the labels (I don't want to be featured on "Cops") and then 3/4 fill with water. I think those bottles will withstand the freeze/thaw cycle, but in an emergency situation I don' how I would thaw them out to drink.
Safety: In our part of the country the biggest danger in winter nighttime blizzard driving on two-lane highways is meeting a snowplow, or another car. You don't see them and they don't see you and neither one has any idea where the center line is. The best advice is to get off the road.
The most common threat in sub-zero winter driving is loss of interior heat in your vehicle. If the heater core plugs up, which it will do in the winter time as it is closed off all summer (which is why I open up the heat with the AC on during mild summer heat) if there is enough sludge to do it. That is how I got frostbite on my toes. Carry blankets, warm socks, extras.
