Every home absolutely needs to have an emergency kit for when disaster strikes. However, there are so many disasters that can happen, it makes it difficult to know what to put in your kit to ensure that you and your family are prepared for everything. Here are the 10 things you absolutely need to have inside your disaster kit.
- Communication device
There may be times when a disaster can prevent you from being able to get to your phone. Or it might break your phone. Be prepared to talk to the outside world by having a pay as you go phone (with minutes on it) in your disaster kit. Don’t forget chargers for all phones. You should also consider putting a two-way radio into the kit as well in case the cell towers are affected.
- Money
An emergency can be extremely expensive. However, it can also prevent you from getting access to your money if it’s in a bank or on a card. Keep cash in your emergency kit just in case. Even if the ATMs are down, you will still be able to buy the things that you need. How much depends on your personal finances, but you should keep at least a couple of hundred dollars tucked away for safekeeping.
- Water
All humans need water to survive. A large portion of our bodies are made of water. If you are trapped due to an emergency, you may not be able to get to water for a long time. Keep bottles of water ready in the same place that you and your family would stay if you needed to protect yourself from a disaster.
Some emergencies may even taint the water supply. Try finding a water filtration system to keep in your kit as well to ensure that you and your family have clean water to drink when the bottled water is gone.
- Food
Almost as important as water for the human body is food. It gives us our energy, and we would wither away without it. Keep stockpiles of food in the same place that you would keep the water.
Keep in mind that you probably won’t have a way to cook any of the food you have. For that reason, you should focus on food that you can eat as is. Peanut butter, crackers, canned vegetables, canned fruits, and tuna are all good options. Make sure you have enough to keep you fed for days in case it’s necessary.
- First aid kit
People can easily get injured during a disaster. If you aren’t prepared to care for the injury, it can turn into something very serious. That’s why you need a first aid kit. A first aid kit will have everything you need to help tend to a wound. It should have bandages, tweezers, hydrogen peroxide, pain killers, gloves, and, of course, a lollipop. Many stores sell complete kits, or you can make your own. If you buy a kit, take a good look at everything that is inside of it so you can add anything that might be missing.
- Hygienic items
An emergency is no excuse to be dirty. Bodily functions still happen during a disaster, so you need to be prepared. Have toilet paper available for you and your family. You may even want to have a bucket to have a designated spot to do what you need to do. For women, it’s a good idea to have tampons available in case tragedy strikes during that time of the month.
- Important documents
When the emergency is over, you will need to go back to life as normal. However, you might have trouble if important documents were ruined during the disaster. You need to make copies of thee documents in preparation for this and keep them in your emergency kit. Documents you should make copies of include your license, birth certificate, social security card, insurance papers, and ownership papers to your car and house. This may also come in handy if you happen to lose these items before a disaster.
- Contact information of family members and friends
When tragedy happens, your first course of action after you’re safe will be to make sure that your friends and family are safe, too. You won’t be able to do this if you don’t have their contact information. Be sure to include their address as well in case you need to check on them in person.
- Proper signage for your bunker
If you are in a home-made bunker for safety, you know every little detail. However, your friends and family may not be as familiar with the space. Be sure to have proper signs in place to keep people informed of possible danger while you’re waiting for safety. You may also need to place signs for people who are not down in the bunker with you. Be especially mindful to warn people of any electrical dangers. Safety signs by Quill safety will be able to help you make all of the signs that you need.
- Pet food and toys
Your pets are part of the family, too. Be sure they’re taken care of in your emergency kit by packing pet food. Your pet will probably get bored while you’re stuck hiding out, so it’s a good idea to pack one or two of their favorite toys as well.
A disaster is obviously devastating, but it’s even more devastating when you aren’t prepared. Be prepared by having an emergency kit in the safest place of your home. You should also pack a smaller emergency kit for situations where you may have to evacuate. This will help make everything a lot easier during and after the emergency.
