You Never Know When An Emergency Will Happen
It’s never a question of maybe a disaster might strike, it is a matter of when. They can happen without a moment’s notice. When you have the right supplies on hand, it can make all the difference when it comes to turning a bad situation into a better one. You have to have the supplies to be able to weather whatever has occurred. It starts with having the right items for the job!
When it comes to emergency preparedness you can never be too prepared, because you never know what could happen. I would focus on the core essentials and then build up your emergency supply over time. This will make things less overwhelming when getting an emergency supply ready to go. The first thing when it comes to survival is water and that’s arguably one of if not the most important of your emergency supplies.
The first thing that you need to have in your disaster supplies kit is water. All life, needs it to survive and without it, there would be no life on earth as we know it.
Water
Emergency preparedness is key, and one of the most important things to have stored is water. This is because the human body can only go without water for a matter of days, as opposed to weeks without food. Water is essential for the function of every single cell in the human body, and without it, we would die within days. This is why it is so important to have water stored in the event of an emergency, as it could mean the difference between life and death.
Make Sure You Have More Than Just Storage
Yes, you need to store water. To be best prepared for you and your family I would focus on being able to purify water. I would make sure to have the Sawyer Squeeze or the Platypus Gravityworks for cleaning water. If you want a lot of water, made drinkable then the platypus would be the better option. If you have no power you might not be able to boil water.
Two Possible Situations For Emergency Preparedness
The first one is that you hunker down in your home and stay inside. This is typically recommended when it comes to many types of emergency situations. That being said, things can change and you might find yourself no longer being safe in your home. So having a plan to leave, is something every family should have in place ahead of time.
Food
When it comes to emergency preparedness it is stated by many that you should have at least a week’s worth of non-perishable food. That is true, however, I would air on the side of caution and make sure I have two weeks’ worth of food. The more the better. It always pays to be more prepared than less prepared in general.
The focus should be on non-perishable foods such as nuts, and canned goods (tuna, sardines, green beans, peas, carrots, pears, and peaches….).
Focus on foods that are already dried and have a long shelf life on their own: powdered milk, powdered eggs, powdered potatoes(instant). Beef jerky is another great one to include. I would also recommend you have things like oatmeal, rice, beans, and other staple foods that can last a long time.
First Aid
Make sure you have a first aid kit ready to go. Either one that you bought or one that is a DIY first aid kit. Whichever one you have, make sure you have the basics such as an antiseptic, antibiotics, bandages, scissors, medical tape, and gauze. There is more that you should have but those are the basic things you should have in a first aid kit.
Communication
You need to be able to stay abreast of what is going on around you and that will require you having a radio. It is highly recommended that you always have a hand-powered (hand crank) radio. Some people would say a battery powdered one is just fine. I am not saying it’s not, but I would prefer to always know that the radio will work regardless of if the batteries are working or not. In an emergency scenario, your batteries may not be working or they run out of juice.
You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you are not able to know what’s happening around you. So when in doubt, buy a hand-powered radio so you always know what’s happing.
Compass And Map
You need to be able to get around when an emergency comes about.
I would focus on how to get somewhere without the need for GPS. If a major storm or natural disaster comes your way, your power may go out. If that were to happen, do you know how to get to somewhere safe? I would make sure to have a map of your local area and the different roads to get out. You want to be familiar with different roads and ways to get around beforehand. In an emergency situation, roads could be blocked or in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
If you were not able to travel by roads, would you be able to get out? If not then that’s something that should be looked into. It’s always better to have a plan in place than have nothing at all.
A compass is something I have said time and time again. It is by far one of if not the most important thing you need to have in an emergency. If for any reason you need to know your direction, you will have your compass. Without it, you could easily be going the wrong way without realizing it.
So make sure you have a few different ways of getting to safety. Having a map and a compass are things you should have.
Duck Tape
In emergency situations, you never know what may happen. This is why having duck tape is so important to have. It can be used in so many different ways that it can not be something you do not have. I was in a bag storm and was driving to get home. A person I saw, was injured by glass, that was flying in the air. I had only a few things in my car at the time and one of those was duck tape. I pulled the small pieces of glass out of his skin and used duck tape as well as a clean shirt I had to stop the bleeding.
This is one of those things that I have used duck tape for in an emergency, which is why you have to have it. The stronger the duck tape the better. I would only buy Gorrila duck tape for emergency preparedness. I have used other duck tape, and it was not the same from my experience.
You Need Light
I would make sure to have a flashlight of some kind for your emergency supply kit. It will always help to be able to see what’s in front of you when it’s dark. The type of flashlight for an emergency supply kit should be two types. You should have one that is hand-powered and one that is battery-powered. This will ensure that you will have light even in the worst of emergency situations.
Plastic Sheeting
I would always have plastic sheeting because of its many uses. It can make all the difference when you have to stay in place during an emergency. Plastic sheeting can help make sure that whatever is outside stays outside. The way you would use it in most cases would be to cover doors, windows, or vents with it. You would want to cover anything that brings in oxygen from the outside. You would then use duck tape to seal the sheeting in place around those vulnerable areas.
- Hand Sanitzer
- Personal Hygiene Items
Additional Things To Bring
A multitool is something you should have. It is a great alternative to having a lot of tools that take up valuable space. Having a multitool enables you to be able to perform many functions all in one item.
You Need A Source Of Power
The ability to produce your own power anywhere can make all the difference in an emergency. This is why I highly recommend that you have a way of producing your own. I would look for movable and foldable solar panels. Ones that can fit in a backpack and that can be rolled out at a moment’s notice.
This way you can make sure you will be able to power your phone. I would make sure to have a battery bank of some type to make sure to capture and store your solar energy for when the sun isn’t shining.
What if it’s raining or cloudy?
Well, you can still capture sunlight when it’s cloudy but not anywhere to the same degree as if it were sunny. I would have one item, in addition, to ensure you always have enough power for your most important electronics such as your phone.
A Hand-cranked charging generator
There are many hand-cranked charging generators that you can buy. They are made to be used in an emergency when there is no power. If you have one of these you can always make sure that you will be able to produce enough power in an emergency. The most important device that I would want to be powered is my phone.
Medicine
Make sure to have any medicine that you may need. You will not be able to get any, and having extra ready to go will put you in a better spot if an emergency were to arise.
Jerry Can
It is recommended to have a jerry can, as in an emergency you might not be able to go to the gas station. This allows you to get in your car right away without the additional worry of running out of gas right away.
Cash
Having money on hand in an emergency can make all the difference. Things may not be working electronically, and having money in an emergency will remedy this potential problem.
These are the essential items needed for emergency preparedness. You can easily add more items to the list above. If you have these items ready to go then you are most likely in a good position if an emergency was to happen. Having all of these items and additional ones will only strengthen your preparedness kit. This will make you and your family that much safer. If you do not have these, then it’s a good idea to start now.
