Keeping An Emergency Kit

By definition an emergency is a sudden urgent or unexpected occurrence that requires some immediate action. The word is a noun and it may also imply a state of need for relief caused by some unexpected event. We have this type of occurrence many times over the period of a year all over the world. Sometimes it just isnt feasible to have an emergency kit ready at hand when an emergency occurs because that emergency took everything surrounding you away. But there are times when you are notified that you need to evacuate and in this sort of case like if there are wildfires encroaching or there are tsunami warnings you can gather up that emergency kit and be on your way to some predetermined shelter.

The US government has a website that gives some suggestions of what to include in your emergency kit. They break it down by the type of natural disaster emergency like a hurricane or earthquake. This is a summary of what they call an in-home emergency pack. They suggest that you have one gallon of water per person per day for approximately 3-4 days. They suggest three days of non-perishable foods that require no cooking. Also have some emergency bars packed in the kit. Include a battery operated radio plus extra batteries the same applies to a LED flashlight with extra batteries. Include a first aid kit plus extra medications and copies of your prescriptions. Also include something to get attention like a whistle. Pack a dust mask and plastic sheeting. Include contact information and perhaps current pictures of family members. Spare keys should be included plus copies of important documents like insurance policies or other family documents. You can put this sort of kit together in any combination that you want but do remember to keep the products within it fresh. Take it out every three months or so and refresh it. It will age so make sure it stays in a condition where it will help you in an emergency.

You can get some good suggestions for building these kits online and you can get some ideas of what you should include for your specific area. Some people may require snake bite kits whereas others may require mosquito repellent. A burn or insect bite salve is always a food product to pack in the first aid portion of the kit, along with bandages and band aids. A paperback book is a nice addition but not critical. Maps of the area may help you more. You dont want anything that requires electricity unless you carry around a portable generator because in many emergencies there will be no electricity available and there is no sense hauling something that simply wont work. So a cell phone charger probably wont do you much good.

When putting this kit together you need to decide how you will haul it around. Also dont forget your pets when you set this up so include a leash in case you have to keep them contained.

By: Greg Workmon

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

www.truewilderness.com is an Emergency Preparedness company that seeks to provide consumers with top quality long-term Food Storage options from Wise Food Storage and AlpineAire #10 Cans. At truewildernesss we also provide water purification equipment as well as water storage options.