Advice On Preparing Emergency Survival Kits

posted on 05/19/2009

It is never to soon to prepare emergency survival kits. The thing about natural disasters or other emergencies is that you never know when they might strike. We just do not have control over the weather or other conditions. Do not be caught off guard. Make sure that you are prepared with emergency survival kits that will keep your family safe.

THINK ABOUT THE SETTING YOU ARE PURCHASING THEM FOR
To begin thinking about assembling or choosing emergency survival kits, think about the setting you are purchasing them for. Is it for your home, your car, your classroom, your church, or your boat? If it's for your car, you'll want a special auto survival kit. If it is for your boat, you will want a bucket survival kit to keep everything dry. If it's for your church, you will want a quick relief survival kit on a larger scale.

DETERMINE HOW MAY PEOPLE YOU WILL NEED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SUPPLIES FOR
If you live alone, it may just be one person. However, what if your neighbor's need help? You might want extra supplies on hand. Make sure you count your children and animals into your calculations. If you are buying emergency survival kits for your church you may need supplies for 200, 1,000, or even 10,000 people.

DETERMINE HOW MAY ITEMS YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE ON HAND FOR YOUR EMERGENCY SURVIVAL KIT
You'll want food and sterile water, for sure. Other things you might need include a flashlight, first aid kit, batteries, whistle, dust mask, towelettes, tools, blankets, ponchos, portable toilets and liners, light sticks, radio, waterproof matches, water shut-off tool, utility knife, duct tape, pry bar, emergency shelter, fire ladder, and first response chair. You might also need cat food, dog food, and small animal food (and water for them!). Don't forget about diapers, formula, baby food, and water for the children. Make a complete list of everything you will need.

DETERMINE HOW MUCH OF EACH SUPPLY YOU WOULD LIKE
72-hour emergency survival kits are a good starting place. However, if a hurricane came and you needed to survive for a month or more, you would want to be prepared. Some people store enough emergency supplies to last a year or two. This is not a bad idea, but do whatever you can manage. Any preparation you can afford to do is a good thing.

FIGURE WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO PURCHASE AND STORE YOUR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES
Some stores offer emergency survival kits that are already assembled for you; and they are even willing to customize the kits to your needs by allowing you to purchase additional supplies and having everything shipped at once. If you are short on time, this may be a good way to go. Expense is something to think about, but many places may work with you on financing your supplies. If you want to gather the supplies on your own, make a list of where you will buy each item. Once you have purchased your supplies, make sure they are in a safe, protected place, someplace where they are not likely to be ruined by the elements.

CHECK IN WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Finally, once you are prepared for a disaster and have your emergency survival kits and supplies organized, check in with friends and family. Make sure that they have the items that they need to survive in case of difficult conditions. Give them a copy of your list or suggest a list of items that might fit their circumstances. They will appreciate your gesture of caring and it might just save their lives!