Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 19/01) - Imagine your car breaks down in the dead of winter, leaving you stranded on a lonely stretch of Northern highway.

It's a terrifying scenario, one that every Northerner wants to avoid. The best way to do that is to stock a supply of emergency items in your truck.

"The basic thing is to make sure your vehicle is well serviced," said Richard Foster, general manager of J & G Automotive in Iqaluit. "Then carry warm clothes and footwear so you can walk if you have to."

While travelling on isolated highways at night, Foster suggests carrying a cell phone to call for help.

He also recommends carrying high-energy food, candles, blankets, a tow rope, jumper cables and a warning flag in your car.

"A couple candles will keep your car warm enough so that you don't freeze," said Foster.

According to the Automotive Industries Association of Canada, one candle can warm an empty, full-sized, sealed car by almost 5 C.

AIA spokesperson Denise Faguy said an emergency kit for those living in the North should include a first aid kit, scraper, shovel, non-perishable food, sleeping bags, cables, flashlight, flares, radiation hoses and fan belts.

She said the old theory about pantyhose filling in for a fan belt is actually true. However, she doesn't recommend relying on it.

"But, in a pinch, it can actually work," she said.

Sand, salt, kitty litter, traction pads and even just old carpeting can help unstick a vehicle, said Faguy.

But the best strategy is always prevention. So, be sure to properly service your car.