Tuesday 12 August 2014

Think Beyond Food and Water When Planning Your Emergency Kit

The first thing we often think of when it comes to preparing for an emergency is evacuating our homes without the usual comforts and where we’ll be able to find food and water. However, there are times when an emergency situation lasts longer than a day or two. In those cases other skills and needs emerge.  When you’re preparing for an emergency keep these things in mind.

Along with food and water, shelter is a basic need that should be put at the top of your list. It’s hard to know what kind of shelter you’ll need as you can’t be sure what the emergency is. Being prepared with a variety of materials and supplies that work in different situations is the way to go. Some things that may be helpful include; tarps, rope, nails, hammer, and a handsaw. If you have the means purchase a pop up tent or two for your family. Don’t forget you’ll also want documents related to your home.

Keep a hard copy in a waterproof folder or bag. You also can scan your home owner’s policy, rental documents, and anything else relating to your home to a web photo album. This will live online and be accessible wherever you end up.

Tools make life easier and when a disaster happens knowing you have these already on hand will make everything easier. Make sure to have plenty of things that will let you move debris and cut through materials that may have fallen on your home. Consider looking into purchasing lightweight, multi-use tools that can easily be taken in the case of an emergency evacuation.

Unless you’re facing a very short term evacuation or emergency you won’t be able to carry enough water with you. This is where a filtration system comes in handy. You don’t need a top of the line system but you will need something. A large pot can be your best friend by allowing you to boil water you’re able to acquire.

People often forget the little things that make day to day easier and more comfortable. While priority should be given to the items needed to survive having personal care products will make life in an emergency situation easier. Put together a kit with things such as toilet paper, soap, toothbrushes, lotion, shampoo, a hairbrush, feminine care products, sunscreen, and a basic first aid kit. Even though they seem like basic everyday items it’s very easy to overlook adding them to a survival kit.

When thinking of personal effects saving your family photographs and important documents can be overlooked. Take the time to save everything to a web photo album before disaster strikes. While it may be sad to lose the original copies of heirloom photographs you can rest at ease knowing the photos aren’t lost forever and you can have new copies printed. The same is true for things like diplomas, certificates, and other paper artifacts that can easily be ruined in an emergency. 

No comments:

Post a Comment