What is an Emergency Survival Kit?

Saturday, November 20, 2021

It’s not a question of if but when you’ll need an emergency survival kit. Emergencies are unpredictable, but there are many things that can be done beforehand to prepare for one. Ensuring that you have a well-stocked emergency survival kit before a disaster strikes increases your chances of survival.

Items an Emergency Survival Kit Contains

Water and Food

An emergency survival kit in your home should have a stock of food and water. On average, one gallon of water per person per day is what you'll need. A purification tablet or water filter is also recommended in case the current drinking water supply runs out or becomes contaminated. The amount of non-perishable food you have should last for at least three days. Meal pouches are a great option to stock up on because they're portable, but food ration bars often cost less and provide you almost the same nutrition.

Radio

An NOAA weather radio gives you access to a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting weather updates 24/7. Many radios also serve a dual purpose, working as a flashlight or power bank. It's also a good idea to have a crank-powered radio in case the power goes out or you don't have enough batteries.

Flashlight or Lantern

Flashlights and lanterns help you safely navigate your current shelter in case there's a black out. Crank-powered flashlights are also recommended in addition to your battery-powered or rechargeable flashlight in case these run out of power.

Extra Batteries

Since radios and flashlights rely on batteries or other power sources, keeping extra batteries on hand is helpful in case you don't have access to power sources for long periods of time.

First-Aid Kit

First-aid kits often contain treatments for small injuries. Additionally, a first-aid kit should also contain any necessary prescription medication. Below is a list of supplies you can add to your first-aid kit:

• Aspirin or ibuprofen tablets
• Antiseptic cleansing wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Gauze dressing pads
• First aid tape roll
• Emergency blanket
• Triangular sling
• Tweezers
• Scissors

Rope

For times that you might need to evacuate due to hurricanes, earthquakes, or fire, a rope can easily help you rappel or climb to safety. A rope also comes in handy when you need to secure bandages or sling a broken arm.

Multi-Purpose Tool

Your multi-purpose tool should contain features that would be handy for an evacuation. Tools that double as knives, pliers, wrenches, can or bottle openers, or screwdrivers are perfect for an emergency survival kit. Gadgets that serve double purposes like radios with flashlights or phone chargers are also recommended.

Sanitation and Personal Hygiene Items

It's important to also include extra clothes, feminine care products, sanitizers or rubbing alcohol, and soap in your emergency survival kit. You can also add extra water that's not for drinking. This could help you stay hygienic even when you lose access to running water for an extended period of time.

Copies of Personal Documents

An emergency survival kit should also contain copies of personal documents such as insurance policies, birth certificates, passports, identification cards, and bank account records sealed in a waterproof bag or container in case you lose the actual documents to floods or fires.

Family and Emergency Contact Information

Adding emergency contact information to your emergency survival kit is especially important for children. This allows anyone responsible for them to contact their guardian. Additionally, this also allows people to contact the friends and relatives of a person that might be in a dire emergency situation.

Additionally, ensure that your emergency contact information includes details for various emergency services such as police, fire, and ambulance services.

Reasons to Have an Emergency Survival Kit

Preparation

As the saying goes, prevention is always better than a cure. Building a first-aid kit now allows you to worry less about surviving a disaster later. An emergency won't wait for you to be ready before it happens.

Peace of Mind

An emergency survival kit will go a long way in helping you stay calm and confident, making it easier to take appropriate action. Having all the necessary supplies and tools available at your disposal helps you focus on what you need to do to get help or evacuate.

Zero Dependence

In the event of a natural disaster, emergency teams are often unable to reach everyone in need quickly. In these situations, it's important to be prepared with supplies and knowledge of what to do beforehand. Sometimes, you can only depend on yourself.

Assist in Saving Lives

Being in an emergency doesn't always mean that you're the one in need. Having an emergency survival kit available to perform first-aid measures can be a lifesaver to someone else. You might be able to help someone at least until help arrives.

Where to Start Your Emergency Supply Kit

Who is This Kit For?

Take into consideration who and how many individuals would be benefiting from this emergency survival kit. Knowing their specific medical conditions, ages, and potential needs can help you build an emergency survival kit specifically catered to them.

What Kinds of Emergencies Could Affect Me?

An emergency survival kit isn't always one size fits all. The tools and supplies in your emergency survival kit should also be reliant on the kind of emergency you're expecting the most. In a region prone to floods, you'd want to stock up on life vests, while if you live where there are earthquakes, you'd want to have whistles to signal for help.

Kit Storage Locations

Home

It's important to store your emergency survival kit where it's accessible by all members of the family. This should also be an area where it's safe from harsh conditions that could affect the viability of its contents. It could be placed in communal areas in the house like the kitchen or the living room.

Work

We all know that emergency situations don't wait for anyone, so when one arrives, be prepared to take shelter at work for at least 24 hours until it's safe to travel. Your emergency survival kit should also be placed at your work area where you can easily access it.

Car

You should have your emergency survival kit filled with food and water as well as safety items such as a flashlight, multi-purpose tool, and emergency contact information for rescue teams. This can be placed in the glove compartment for easy access while you're in the car.

What is an emergency kit

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