I recently dedicated some time to assembling an Emergency Supply Kit. It might be a little paranoid, but as a northern California resident, the possibility of a destructive earthquake looms. Admittedly, the current administration also makes me worry about other kinds of catastrophes, but I digress.
Interestingly, the sources I list below don’t delve much into the exact goals of the kit. Details like this would aid in determining what supplies to get. From what I gather I think the primary objective is to survive comfortably for 3 days without access to clean running water, electricity, gas, or convenient food. More concretely, regardless of the kind of emergency, the goals are:
- stay nourished
- stay hydrated
- stay warm
- stay sheltered
- stay hygienic
- stay safe
- stay sane
- stay informed if possible
- be able to address basic medical situations
- have access to some handy tools
- keep it all in a single place for quick access and possible evacuation
In summary, try to maintain the base of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for a few days without all of our modern conveniences.
After consulting a few different sources, my whole kit is about 37 compact items plus food. Not surprisingly, most of it is basic camping supplies and several items we already had. I didn’t go for absolute minimalism. For instance, I could live without a fork and knife, but a couple pairs of utensils don’t add much bulk. Here’s my list:
| AA batteries | flashlight | pet food |
| blankets | garbage bags | sleeping bag |
| containers for all of this | hand sanitizer | soap |
| camping lantern | matches in waterproof container | swiss army knife |
| camping whistle | medicine | toilet paper |
| cash | mess kit | towel |
| copy of id | notebook | water |
| crank radio | old pair of glasses | moist towelettes |
| duct tape | pack of cards | water purification tablets |
| dust mask | paper towels | work gloves |
| eating utensils | personal hygiene items | zip ties |
| extra clothes | pencils/pens | |
| first aid kit | plastic sheeting |
For water storage, the recommendation was 1 gallon per person per day. So for my wife and I that’s 6 gallons. We added a 7th gallon for our pets.
We also purchased food that was palatable and preferred expirations in 1-2 years if possible. (Admittedly, I’m not exactly following my diet here.)
- canned chili
- canned tuna
- canned stew
- canned fruit
- mixed nuts
- peanut butter
- pringles
- Yoohoo
I have some calender reminders set to remind me to eat or donate the food before it expires.
I was never a boy scout, and I’m not much of a camper or a survivalist, so it’s entirely possible I’m missing something crucial. If you think of something, let me know!
References