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Winter is fast approaching, and if you aren’t ready now, it’s time to start thinking about it. That means prepping the entryways to your home and making sure they’re stocked with everything you need to battle the elements whenever you have to go outside. Here are some suggestions for supplies that you can keep by your door so you’re winter ready.

Breaking the ice

One of winter’s hazards that always creeps up on you: ice (I speak from experience, having slipped on ice going down the front steps of my apartment building multiple times when I lived in Erie, Pennsylvania). But there are tools to help out with the ice:

Slip-on traction cleats: Even boots can’t handle the layer of ice that ends up coating everything, but keeping a pair of slip-on traction cleats makes it easy to make any shoes safe for outdoor ventures, like trips to the mailbox or the dreaded chore of salting the sidewalks.

Handheld salt/ice melt shaker: It’s far from efficient to drag a big bag of ice melt out with you whenever you need to clear ice off of your front steps and driveway, and you shouldn’t keep a full bag right by the door where small animals and children can get into it.

A handheld shaker will let you keep the big bag of ice melt in a shed or supply closet and have a smaller container that you can take outside with you, saving time and keeping your entryway cleaner and safer.

sNOw big deal

Snow brush and ice scraper: You might already have one for your car, but keeping a combo snow brush and ice scraper in the entryway to your house makes it easy to keep the windows of your home clear of snow and ice, and you won’t have to open the car door before you start to brush all the snow off when it’s time to hit the road.

(MORE: 21 Useful Products To Protect Your Home And Car This Winter)

Hands-free light or headlamp: Winter mornings also come with a later sunrise, so it’s not uncommon to need to clear off your car or driveway in the dark. A hands-free flashlight or headlamp makes it easier to see what you’re doing while shoveling or brushing off snow, and you can even get beanies with built-in, rechargeable lights so you can at least stay warm while you toil away in the cold.

General winter woes

Stash of hand and toe warmers: Single-use chemical heat packs are perfect for slipping into your boots or gloves before you head outside, so a box full of them is a great thing to keep by your door for easy access. Rechargeable hand warmers are also great to keep in your pockets, so charge them at night and grab them on the way out the door for consistent hand happiness.

Boot tray with absorbent liner: You probably already have a boot tray, but you can make it even more effective by getting an absorbent liner or by lining the tray with small rocks or stones, which can help your boots dry by getting them off the flat surface of the tray.

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.