Should i have a survival kit

Getaway Kit. In most emergencies you should be able to stay in your home. Plan to be able to look after yourself and your household for at least three days or more. Assemble and maintain your emergency survival items for your home as well as a portable getaway kit in case you have to leave in a hurry. You should also have essential emergency items in your workplace and in your car. Download a checklist PDF, Kb. Be sure that your emergency kit includes at least a couple of blankets, ponchos, and hand warmers to keep your body temperature regulated and your clothes dry at all times.

RedCross reminds us to plan with clothes to stay protected in your specific environment. This will keep you focused on forward progress rather than recovering from setbacks. You may not have all the comforts of home, but you should do your best to maintain a normal routine when uncertainty peaks.

That means brushing your teeth, washing your face and body, shampooing your hair, and shaving your face. Conditions may not be optimal, but these practices are important to your health and can even stave off disease and infection.

Make sure your survival kit contains these hygiene necessities so you can stay clean and serene at a time when your daily routine gets disrupted. Many survival experts stress the importance of flashlights and lanterns when enduring an emergency scenario since power grids have been shown to be vulnerable to environmental influences and even attacks from overseas.

The best kits on the market not only contain powerful flashlights and chargers but also have emergency light sticks that illuminate your path without batteries or outlets. Since cuts, scrapes, and injuries are the last things you want to deal with in these circumstances, equipment like muti-tools, gloves, and goggles will be key allies in your effort.

For example, a multi-tool will feature a knife, screwdriver, ruler, can opener, and multiple wrenches all in a single, sleek unit. The best kits also include ferrocerium rods to help you start fires on the fly with little effort.

You need a way to contact friends, family, and emergency services with a reliable connection, no matter where you are. A hand-crank radio can be a real lifesaver to keep streams of communication open without sacrificing key resources.

You can purchase non-perishables from the grocery store, such as canned and dried goods. Keep in mind these foods have expiration dates ranging from 6 months to a year and must be stored in a temperature-controlled environment.

The U. Coast Guard tested then certified our bars to remain shelf-stable for up to 5-years. Emergency Lights Wide-Spread disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or ice storms, can destroy infrastructures and knock out utilities for hours or weeks. If a disaster occurs at night, you will need lighting to navigate to a safe zone. Use lightsticks to signal for help, illuminate an emergency shelter, or tie to pets and children to increase their visibility at night.

Use this radio to receive weather alerts, evacuation guidelines, and essential bulletins. Bonus if your radio is also solar-powered. When all is said and done, you or someone you love may need some patching up, and you want to be prepared for the job.

Like the other items on our list, it's a good idea to build your first aid kit with what you already have. Gather bandages, gauze, antibiotic ointment, and pain medications to create a basic just-in-case kit.

Gradually add items like burn cream, elastic bandages, allergy medicine, tourniquets, and other first aid items. Supplement your first aid kit as needed with extra prescription medications, and if you have kids, be sure to add in kids' medicines too like liquid acetaminophen. Pro tip: Label everything clearly so you won't have to hunt for essential items when every second counts. Put everything in waterproof containers, especially items with adhesive. We like the Surviveware first aid kit because it comes fully stocked and already has everything labeled and in waterproof packaging.

With water, food, communication, light, and medical needs covered, the next thing you need to worry about is keeping yourself warm and dry. Every emergency kit should include at least one extra set of clothes for each person using the kit, along with a reflective emergency blanket.

The blanket can be used as an emergency shelter if needed, but you may also want to include a waterproof tarp for extra coverage. Pro tip: Paracord can help turn blankets and tarps into shelters and it has a variety of other handy uses , so it's good to have as part of your emergency kit.

You may think that hygiene can take a back seat in a disaster scenario, and while it often does, don't underestimate the reassuring effects of cleanliness and comfort when you're under stress. Keep baby wipes, personal hygiene items, and garbage bags on hand to keep everyone feeling their best and to avoid sickness that can come from unsanitary conditions.

Pro tip: A few paper plates and plastic utensils will make cleaning up after meals easier, and having some simple card games and favorite books in your emergency kit can help keep everyone's spirits up. The rest of the items in your kit will depend on what you're planning for. If you live in an earthquake or tornado zone, you'll want to have tools to turn off your utilities and a whistle to call for help if you're trapped.

If you think you could have an emergency situation where you'd have to evacuate, put insurance papers, passports, birth certificates, and other important documents in a waterproof container that you can grab easily. Consider your personal situation and plan accordingly. Pro tip: Keeping some extra cash on hand with your kit is a good way to make sure you'll be able to buy any last-minute essentials including gasoline for a sudden evacuation even if power goes out and ATMs and credit card machines are down.

Emergency preparedness can feel like a daunting task, but taking a few simple steps now can save you a lot of headaches later on. Check Ready. A watertight container like a large storage tub is a good option for most emergency survival kits. For a personal office kit, an emergency bag in the form of a backpack is ideal. If your home is at risk of flooding, store your kit on a high shelf or on a second floor. If possible, store your kit in a climate-controlled environment, as extreme temperatures can spoil food faster and damage water containers.

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