Your First True Emergency
Have you ever considered what would happen if you were faced with a true emergency? Would you be ready, no matter what it was? The truth is, a lot of folks do not ever think about making an emergency survival kit list, until they are faced with an emergency, and were not prepared.
All it takes is a few minutes to think about surviving any emergency you are faced with. Consider supplies you may need, what expense you are prepared to pay, to keep yourself, and family safe, when an emergency arises. I few google searches could be the difference between making an emergency something awful, or miserable, or put out, but not so bad. Today we will discuss putting together Your Survival 72-Hours Kit.
What kind of Emergency
First things first. What kind of emergency are we preparing for? East to the west, south to north, there are numerous kinds of emergencies. They range from weather related to man made. The coastal United States have hurricane seasons as well and tornadoes, and Santa Anna winds in the Eastern coasts. Then there are floods that are happening all over the United States from the south to the mid-west. From the eastern coast to the southwest there is fire season. Then winter sets in, and it all starts over again. All that being said, for today’s blog, I am going to be discussing emergencies in a more defined sense. You can break it down further, but for today’s discussion, consider an emergency that would require a need for, Your Survival 72-Hour Kit.
What Kind of Supplies Would Be Needed
I could write pages, upon pages, on the list of supplies that you would need for this. But I am only going to bring out a few things to consider. The list can big as large, or small, as you think necessary. You can spend a lot of money at once or buy a little at a time. Sometimes, you can replace some items with inexpensive alternatives. The best advice I can give you, let your conscience be your guide.
The first thing I would mention is water. Just one person requires one gallon a day. They make a water filter that will fit in a pants pocket, where you could drink sewer water from, and it would taste as sweet as a brook. You can also purchase prepackaged water that is easily carried in your backpack. Then consider other issues like cleaning utensils, hygiene, and cooking. As you can see, you can never have too much water. You may want to purchase a collapsible water container to collect water with.
Then consider food. You can either purchase your food from someone like 4 patriots, {https://products.4patriots.com/food/72hour}. I might add that 4Patriot is an awesome place to shop, but it is expensive for someone on a tight budget. Shopping on an inexpensive budget can be done simply by buying can food, peanut butter, or crackers and some energy bars. Or my favorite, the packaged meals, that just need water .and heat. Using these meals are inexpensive, and can be bought at your local grocery store, but require checking their dates periodically. I might note here that I have found MRIs (Meals Ready Made) on occasion, that were reasonably priced. That is the todays equivalate to the old Army rations, but easily carried. That would give you a better breakfast meal. Just remember, all your food has to be enough to feed one person, for two to three meals a day, plus snacks. Then multiply those times as many family members as you have. A good idea I would recommend, is buying a backpack for each family member. You can actually purchase a complete survival backpack, simply add 72 hours of food to it, and the other supplies discussed, and you would be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Then you need to consider medical items. Of course, do not forget your family first aid kit. Now, your normal home first aid kit will not be enough. You will need other items that may not be included in it. Such as, a couple of Triangle bandages, a couple of needles, syringes {for diabetics}, heavy-duty scissors, thermometer, antiseptic, some needles and safety pins, tweezers and cleansing soap. Also, any medications that your family members may require, as well as a list of those medications for each member. Hearing aids and batteries, plus toothbrushes and toothpaste. I once heard a Fire lady say, “You would be surprised what a difference it makes to brush your teeth after not taking a bath, or shower, for a few days.”
Other things to consider are birth certificates, passports, copies of any pertinent papers, and keep them all in a zip lock bag to keep them dry. Eyeglasses, baby formula, board games to keep the children happy, duct tape and nitrate gloves, face masks, something to sanitize hands with and the list goes on and on.
Something else to consider is sleeping and clothing. You may need sleeping bags. Or perhaps just a pillow and blanket. They make mats that can be rolled up, weigh nothing, and can be attached to a backpack. It can make a night on the ground more comfortable, when sleeping on a hard or rocky surface. Personally, at my age, I just use paracord and string me up a hammock. It is a lot softer than the ground. Once you get use to sleeping in them, they are a great way to go. You would certainly want a pair of good fitting shoes, and extra socks, that can handle any terrain. Of course, a change of clothes. Do not forget your rain gear. Nothing is worse than being wet and cold. An emergency blanket or two are always handy in case of hypothermia. Something as simple as being wet and a drop in temperature, can put a person in hypothermia. If you consider a broken limb, or blood loss, you can begin to understand why it is something to be prepared for. I might also note that the mylar blankets are also handy around the camp. They can be used for solar ovens, rope, backdrop for heating, water gathering, overhangs for shelter, and the list is really endless. So having more than a couple could make camp more enjoyable.
Some Tools and Other Equipment
Some other pieces of equipment you may need is a crank radio of some kind. You will need flashlights and batteries. They have some solar power charging stations now that might be worth looking into. You will need a hunting knife, or hatchet, an army shovel, and garbage bags. You need a pair of pliers or perhaps a muti-tool, you certainly need something to make a fire with, either waterproof matches, or matches kept in a waterproof container. They also have flint tools for you woodsman. And you should have a compass, map, GPS, PLBs (Personal Locator Beacon), flare and a whistle. I personally have about 150ft. of paracord with me. It can be used for rope, making a fire, and even to make snares if you have to extend your stay. Their use is another item, like Mylar blankets, where your imagination can find many uses for it.
Finding Free Information
You can use google and find some free videos to look at. I found a downloadable PDF at, https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/survival-kit-supplies.html, for the Red Cross. Fema has a great little PDF you can download that will tell you how to put a kit together at, https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20210318/how-build-kit-emergencies. Those should give you an idea of how to make up a great emergency kit. You can also purchase all of the items except MRIs, maps on Amazon, or other online sites of your choosing. The packaged meals that you add water and heat to, can be found at your local grocer.
Conclusion
As you can see, planning for an emergency, just for a small 72-hour one, takes some preparation. Now imagine a week, or even longer. Of course, it also depends on the type of emergency as well. You know, tornado, hurricane, mass shooting, hurricane or just a pandemic. We will be exploring other emergencies in my next blog.
If you have any comments, or experiences you would like to share, or if you want any more information, leave me a message. I will be glad to hear from you. I am here to help you anyway I can. Thanks for stopping by. Until next time, may God keep you and bless you, and your family.
Tom
tom@emergencysurvivalkititems.com