Disaster Survival Kits

History has proven time and again; regardless of where you live, a disaster can strike. No location is totally safe and completely shielded from a calamity. Everyone should seriously consider having their own disaster survival kit on hand. If you can’t predict a disaster, at least be able to survive one!

Disaster can take many forms.  Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, fire, flood, even snow emergencies can leave you stranded, homeless, or at least without electrical power.  Having a kit already prepared can help you ‘weather’ a disaster.

Disaster Kit Recommend Items.

Water is life.  In an emergency, access to drinkable water could pose a serious threat.  We humans can not survive long without an adequate supply of water.  Our bodies demand it!   Because water is always there, you begin to take it for granted.  You don’t truly appreciate water until it’s gone.

You might not even have any idea how much water we all use on a daily basis without giving it a thought!  It’s more than you think.  In an emergency situation, you’d cut back on typical water usage, but some water is simply mandatory.

For your disaster survival kit, it’s recommended to have one gallon of water for each person per day.  A gallon a day per individual should be enough for drinking, cleaning up and sanitation needs.  But if you live in a warm climate, more is suggested and most likely needed.

Additional water should also be allocated for children and pregnant women.  Sick people may also need more than the one gallon minimum as well.  Don’t forget about the needs of your pet!

Water can be stored in clean plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.  Plastic milk jugs are ideal as are soda bottles.  It’s important to keep your 3-day water supply covered and protected.

Food is another thing that’s recommended to have in your survival kit.  Three days worth is the recommend amount for each person in the household.  (And again, remember the pets.  Canned food is easily stored for emergencies.)

Due to a potential loss of electricity, perishable foods won’t be available for long.  Some food items that store well and needed little preparation include:  nuts, peanut butter, canned fruits, vegetables, meats and fish.

Other food items you may want to include are:  energy bars, crackers, baby food, drink mixes and powdered milk.

With food and water secured, it’s good to have on hand some other emergency supplies such as a flashlight with extra batteries.  It’s easy to forget how dark it can get when we are all so use to having electricity!  Being indoors, the light diminishes rather quickly in the early evening and the house grows dark.

And if you happen to be stuck indoors, it’s nice to have some connection to the outside world.  A radio can help establish this bond so you can be up to date on any local emergency situations in your area.  A radio can alert you to the location of local shelters and also fill you in with the latest disaster information and help that’s available.

To keep the radio going, extra batteries will be required.  Also available are hand-crank radios that run on people-power versus batteries.  These units can be a very wise investment.

If you live in a severe-weather prone area, one more type of radio you may want to consider is the NOAA Weather Radio.  These have tone alerts to warn you of impeding severe weather that may be headed your way.

Accidents seem to happen at the worst time.  And it’s important to be prepared for them as well.  Probing around in the dark or where there are fallen branches or wind-swept debris can make a bad situation worse.  You’ll want to have a well-stocked first aid kit in your disaster preparedness bag.

Additional Items For Your Disaster Survival Kit

Not every accident is life-threatening but it can be if a wound is not properly cleaned and treated.  Some of the items you may want to include in your first aid kit are:

•  Sterile Dressings
•  Soap and or disinfecting towelettes
•  Ointment for Burns
•  Band-Aids in a variety of sizes
•  Thermometer
•  Latex or sterile gloves
•  Any prescription medications or medical supplies
•  Aspirin or similar pain reliever

Other ‘good to have’ first aid kit items include:  cell phone, tweezers, scissors, sharp knife and a can opener.  Wrenches or something similar to a Leatherman multipurpose tool can come in real handy too.  You may have to turn off utilities in case of a water or gas leak.

Good to have things stored away for an emergency include:

•  Fire Extinguisher
•  Chlorine bleach (disinfectant)
•  Sleeping bag or extra blankets
•  Pet food
•  Matches or a lighter
•  Extra clothes (warmer clothes especially)
•  Pen and paper
•  Feminine and personal hygiene products
•  A power generator

You can truly never keep too many items in a disaster preparedness kit.  The above items should give you a good start on planning what’s required and also things that are just good to have available.

We can’t predict when a disaster will strike, but we can prepare for one if it does.  Having a well-stocked disaster survival kit will provide piece of mind if you never need it and may save you or your loved ones life if  you do.