Building An Emergency Kit
Living in the South means that every year I have to deal with the threat of hurricanes and tornados. Not always am I personally affected by these natural disasters – but it is always a possibility.
Since the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina I have made sure that not only am I prepared for what might happen – but that everyone else is as well. It is important for everyone to be made aware of how to create an emergency and survival kit.
Many people think that if you put together a survival kit you are overreacting and a little nuts. It?s time to stop caring about what people think and do something that will keep you and your family safe. When it comes to being safe you should not think about other people. Instead of wearing the rose colored glasses and hoping that nothing bad will ever happen get real and be prepared.
This doesn?t mean that you should be afraid that there is something bad around every corner. It just means that you understand how fickle the world is and that things can happen spur of the moment. Just think of it like keeping band aids in the house at all times. You don?t keep them there because you are afraid – but just so that you are prepared.
When it comes to survival kits you need to make sure that you have one in every practical place. Not only should you have one in the home – but also inside of your car. I remember that my parents would keep a first aid kit in the car. I thought it was kind of odd – but one night there was an accident and the first aid kit was something that came in handy. The kit you have for your car should contain bandages, gauze, and band aids to name a few.
Your survival and emergency kit at home should have more to it and should be larger so that it can help the whole family. Make sure that you keep this emergency kit in a safe area so that it won?t get destroyed and so that you can grab it easily. The kit should contain water, food, sanitation, first aid, short wave radio, supplies to communicate with others, lighting, and a shelter.
The supplies you purchase need to be able to be stored and to work without any electricity or running water. This means that any communication supplies and radios should use batteries instead of plugs so you will have to stock up on those as well. The food you get should be canned or dry and should have a late expiration date so they don?t spoil fast. Make sure that you store plenty to last the whole family for a few days and anyone else you might take in.
It is more than likely that you will have to live in the shelter for a few days or even a week. Because of this you will need to store thermal blankets that help to retain body heat and keep people warm, emergency sleeping bags, candles, toilet bags, duct tape, waterproof matches, and work gloves.
You can find emergency blankets online or at most outdoor stores. They have many different types and usually they will be able to keep you and your family warm when necessary.