I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so I tend to put in the same things I would up there, even though I'm in North Texas now.

I drive a pickup with a shell over the bed, so this time of year I put a plank across the back of the bed, against the wheel wells, and put a dozen 40-pound bags of topsoil, humate, whatever garden product is relatively cheap that will keep more weight on the rear axle. I also put in a bag or two of playground sand. In the spring all of this goes into the garden.

In the extended cab I keep a tool kit and blanket year round, but I add a down sleeping bag and I keep a couple of bottles of water. I usually have a small flashlight in my handbag, along with my cell phone, etc. I have a knife in my pocket. There is a backpacker's snow shovel in the back of the pickup.

We get ice here several times a winter, and usually a few light snows. Last year we had a 17" snowfall that was lovely and I didn't bother to drive anywhere in it. The locals didn't grow up driving in snow and might plow into me.

SRS