So, for starters, lets take a look at what your normal car kit should have:

1. Basic First Aid Kit (for minor cuts, scrapes, burns)
   • Ideally, this is just for the little stuff you will inflict upon yourself from being clumsy working under the hood.
   • You might also want to add some kind of hand-sanitizer or cleaner.
   • Put this in a gallon sized ziploc bag.
2. Flashlight (extra batteries are always a good idea)
   • I’d have to say the 2x AA MagLites are perfect for this kit, though, if you want something smaller there’s a MagLite “Solitare” that uses 1x AAA battery.
   • I carry a 2x D-cell MagLite in my vehicle at all times, with an extra pair of batteries in the glove compartment. It’s size and weight has made it useful as a makeshift hammer to be used on my starter solenoid when the vehicle wouldn’t crank, such that I got it working so I could roll into the mechanic.
   • Add the small flashlight to your glove compartment. If you keep a larger flashlight I’d recommend keeping it up beside you, or under you at the driver’s seat.
3. Jumper Cables
   • You always need them when you don’t have them, and someone else usually needs them when you have them. You might as well keep them so at a minimum you can do your good turn of the day.
   • Put these inside the Action Packer.
4. Duct Tape
   • Do I really need to explain the usefulness of even a partial roll of this stuff? If so, go watch some MacGuyver.
   • Put it inside your Action Packer.
5. Simple Hand Tools
   • At the very minimum you should carry a pair of Screwdrivers (Phillips and Flat) and some Channel-Lock Adjustable Pliers. The utility in these alone coupled with a pocketknife and duct tape can get you a few extra miles down the road. If you know what problems your vehicle is more likely to have, and you’ll need other tools be sure to add them.
   • Put these inside a toolbox (if you carry many tools), or the Action Packer.
6. Pocketknife
   • It’s the Eagle Scout in me, but see my notes for Duct Tape.
   • Put this in your glove compartment.
7. Water
   • Water serves a dual purpose when kept in a vehicle: To keep yourself hydrated, or to keep the vehicle cool (in case of low fluids). I highly recommend keeping at least 2 liters of water with you (3-4 water bottles).
   • Put this in your Action Packer.
8. Misc. Automotive Fluids
   • I usually carry Oil, premix anti-freeze, and a funnel.
   • It’s a good idea to toss a couple automotive paper towels, or a scrap piece of an old shirt for spills.
   • If you can fit these in a ziploc inside the action packer, I highly recommend it in case of a leak or spill.

The above items tend to get you through most of what you’ll need if your car breaks down. In most cases you’ll be able to get help relatively easy, or it should be close by. But when the winter weather hits, you may not be able to get help for a good number of hours, and it is most important that you can stay warm.

Here are my tips for what to add to the trunk for winter weather:

1. Blanket
   • Indispensable when needed to stay warm, and nice to have for long car rides for any passengers that wish to rest.
2. Light Snack
   • Make sure it’s something that won’t melt if it gets too hot, but that will provide some calories. It is important that your body is able to generate enough heat to keep you warm underneath the blanket. Don’t gorge yourself on super-sweets, you don’t want to get sick. Trail Mix is typically a good bet.
3. Hand Warmers
   • Only necessary when you’re stuck for longer periods of time, but very helpful to restore body heat when the blanket just isn’t cutting it.
4. Ice Scraper
   • If you have adequate insulation, the energy you put into scraping ice off of your car will keep you warm. It also allows you to keep an eye out for any assistance that may come your way. Try not to get wet though, it’s counter-productive in staying warm.
5. Large bag of Cat Litter
   • Another dual-purpose item. This is most important for those of you with lightweight two-wheel drive vehicles. It adds weight for traction, and if you open the bag you can put it on the ground underneath your tires for added traction when the weight alone isn’t enough. Just keep in mind that “gunning” the gas isn’t going to help you: stay in a low gear and apply steady pressure to the accelerator pedal.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to know how and when to use these items. Knowing how your vehicle works and what your body needs to stay warm will save you a lot of stress if you ever encounter a situation where you need these tools. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. I’ll be happy to address them.

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Before I even get going, there are a couple of things I’m assuming you’re doing already to keep your car in shape and at the best operating potential. These include: using gas grade per instructed by your manual, changing your oil (with the type intended for your engine) every 3000-5000 miles, checking your air filter to make sure it’s clean, and keeping your tires inflated to their proper pressure. If you weren’t doing that already, you may see a significant increase in your gas mileage just doing that (an estimated 5-20% depending on the amount of change).

The next step is to change your habits about when you choose to drive. Instead of driving on a whim when you realize you forgot to pick up milk or cream cheese at the grocery store when you were out last time, wait until you’re going by the store next time around. If you’re needing it right then, before you head out make a list of other items you may need.

I don’t totally endorse getting a new, more efficient vehicle mainly because that’s a significant investment and the idea behind getting better gas mileage for me has nothing to do with “saving the environment” and is more about saving my money.

Now, onto the ways to drastically increase your gas mileage.

1. Go the speed limit or just under it, unless you’re drafting (see below).
2. Don’t accellerate from stop as quickly as you usually do. Take it easy, hard acceleration is the quickest way to lose your average mpg.
3. When accelerating onto a limited access highway while on an inclining ramp, do your best to estimate the amount of power you will need to apply to reach the speed limit at the time you will be merging onto the highway. Doing so will allow you to appeal to traffic behind you, while conserving the most fuel.
4. Coast downhill for 80% of a decline, the last 20% or so should be used to boost your speed to make it up the next hill without having to downshift (*note* On longer uphill drags, don’t be afraid to downshift if it means keeping within 10 mph of the speed limit, you will be making up for plenty of gas mileage if you stick with the rest of my tips). Coasting is best done in Neutral so your engine isn’t stealing the energy from the coast. Automatics typically have a neutral position on one side of the “D” position. Manual transmissions can just be pulled out of gear, or clutch engaged for the duration of the coast.
5. Make the most of turns in the road when changing lanes. If possible, change lanes when you’re already going around a bend in the road. Forcing your tires away from direct parallel of each other takes energy away from moving forward and puts it into heat caused by friction on your tires. To realize how much this effect has, find an empty flat road and coast for the distance of it once. Do it again but weave back and forth across the lanes. I can assure you your vehicle won’t make near the distance it did before. This effect has a larger impact on those of us with wider/softer tires.
6. Draft off of bigger vehicles. BE CAREFUL AND ALERT. This is the absolute best way to make drastic improvements in gas mileage, but it doesn’t come without consequence if you aren’t paying attention. Drafting requires that you stay inside of the wind braking available from the vehicle or trailer ahead of you, and thus you will be well within safe limits for an immediate braking situation. I am able to “feel” when I’m at the maximum distance to still receive the benefits of drafting when I drive in my Nissan Pathfinder as it tends to get pushed in the turbulence behind the trailers I am drafting off of at my back end. Drafting off of trailers has allowed me to increase my gas mileage by nearly 50% over short highway distances (less than 30 mile trips). Make sure the truck driver can see you once every mile and a half so he/she doesn’t get paranoid.

Check back later for a possible part 2 as I check some more theories.