How to Prepare an Emergency Kit

An emergency kit is a collection of essential items that are prepared in advance for emergency situations, though hopefully, you will never need to use it. It’s particularly helpful in evacuation scenarios. The kit should be compact and fit into a small to medium-sized bag, containing non-perishable food and enough water for you and your family to survive for several days. You should also include tools like a flashlight and a Swiss Army knife, along with clothing and blankets.

Find a sturdy camping bag or suitcase. To prepare your emergency kit, you need a bag that’s spacious enough to hold all the necessary items without being overstuffed. The bag should also be durable enough to carry the weight of all the items without tearing or breaking. If you have an old backpack lying around, you can use it for your emergency kit. You might even consider a solar-powered backpack to charge your devices in case of power loss.

Purchase essential non-perishable foods. You will need enough non-perishable food to last for three days (per person). Canned food is the most convenient as it lasts long and protects against pests, though it can be heavy. It’s best to buy a few cans along with lighter options like jerky, peanut butter, granola bars, and apple sauce.

Buy drinking water and/or a water filtration system. You need to prepare 4 liters of water per person each day, or purchase a portable water filter. Boiling water is another option for purification before drinking, or you can use iodine purification tablets.

• Bring a small bottle of bleach. A few drops of bleach can make water safe to drink in an emergency situation.

Gather practical tools and items. When preparing your emergency kit, think about all possible scenarios you might need to prepare for. You will need equipment to handle those situations. Consider packing the following items:

• A flashlight or lantern, ideally a hand-crank rechargeable light to avoid worrying about dead batteries.
• An emergency radio
• Solar-powered phone chargers or spare batteries
• A multi-tool with scissors
• A can opener
• Gaffer tape
• Matches

Pack clothing and blankets. To protect your body, you will need to bring extra clothing to withstand the weather if you end up stuck outdoors. Consider the specific conditions of your area, as the items you need will depend on the weather/environment. Think about packing:

• Spare clothing – gloves, sturdy shoes, socks, underwear, blankets, and a raincoat.
• A mylar emergency blanket – these are lighter than sleeping bags but still provide excellent warmth.

Bring camping gear if possible. If you expect to sleep outdoors, consider bringing camping gear such as tents and sleeping bags for each family member. These items could be life-saving if you are stranded outside in freezing weather.

• Keep in mind that these items can be bulky, unless you have a specialized backpack designed to carry tents and sleeping bags.

Prepare hygiene products. You will still need to manage personal hygiene when stuck outdoors or away from home for an extended period. Consider packing the following items:

• Dust masks
• Wet wipes
• Feminine hygiene products
• A first aid kit – including various sizes of fabric bandages, sterile gauze, antibiotic ointment, adhesive tape, antibacterial soap, hydrocortisone cream, tweezers, and splints.

Gather all necessary medications and prescriptions. Bring along any medications or prescription products you rely on when away from home, including eyeglasses, prescription meds, and over-the-counter drugs.

• If you take medications, store them in one easily accessible spot so you can quickly grab them and pack them without searching. Stock up on prescriptions before they run low.
• Remember that medications have expiration dates, so check your emergency kit to make sure they haven't expired. If expired, dispose of them and replace with new meds.
• If needed, bring medications for your pets as well.

Store important documents in a ziplock bag. You may need to bring copies of important documents, maps, and some cash in your emergency kit. To protect the documents from water damage, store them in a waterproof ziplock bag. Consider including the following items:

• Copies of your passport or driver’s license
• Children’s birth certificates
• Marriage or divorce certificates
• Insurance documents
• Property ownership papers
• Tax records

Place the heaviest items at the bottom. Bulky items should go at the bottom of the bag to ensure the weight is evenly distributed, making it easier to carry.

• Place items such as walking shoes, canned food, bottled water, and large lanterns at the bottom of the bag.

Place clothes in ziplock bags. Consider using Zip-Lock bags or vacuum-sealed bags to store clothing before placing them in your emergency kit. This way, you can keep your clothes dry in the event of flooding.

• Vacuum-sealed bags will also help save space in your emergency kit as they compress bulky clothes and blankets, reducing their size significantly.

Organize everything in the bag. To avoid crushing or damaging items, make sure to pack things in a well-thought-out manner. Place the heaviest items first (at the bottom of the bag), then continue adding the lighter items on top.

• Try grouping similar items together. When packing clothes into ziplock bags, you should place all of each person’s clothing in one bag, or put all underwear in a small bag and warmer or thicker clothes in a larger bag.
• You can also group all hygiene products in one bag or compartment and all tools in another.

Store food in plastic or metal containers. If you have other types of food (besides canned goods), store them in plastic or metal containers. This will prevent the food from spoiling or being infested by insects, as loose food or food in paper packaging is more easily targeted by pests and animals.

• Now you can place the food containers into your emergency kit.

Keep the bag in a cool, dry place. Food must be stored under proper conditions to prevent spoilage or contamination. If your emergency kit contains food, store it in a dry, cool location, away from vents or doorways where hot or cold drafts may enter. The bag should also be placed in a safe area out of the way. The ideal location should be away from areas with heavy foot traffic or where people regularly gather.

• This will also prevent household pets from accessing the contents of the bag.
• Consider storing the bag on top of a shelf or in a laundry room cabinet.

Place the bag in an easily accessible location. If you need to access your emergency bag, it means something has gone wrong, and you need to act quickly. Store the bag in a location that you can easily identify and grab in a rush.

• Consider keeping the emergency bag in your car for easy access, but remember that the contents may be exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures depending on the season, which may not be ideal for storing food.

Store the bag out of reach of children and pets. In an emergency, you wouldn't want to rush to grab the bag only to find that your dog chewed through it to get the food inside, or that your child mistakenly thought the flashlight was a toy and drained the batteries.

• If you're preparing multiple bags for different situations, ensure that each bag is clearly distinguishable on the outside, such as using differently colored handles or luggage tags.

• Stay updated with the news. If there's a nearby fire or an extreme weather event is about to occur, prepare a few items for evacuation. Consider leaving before an official order is given to avoid being stuck on the road, lacking supplies, while others hesitate until the last minute.
• Only use the emergency bag in case of an emergency. Don’t open it casually whenever you need something.

• Water
• Non-perishable food
• Battery-operated radio or hand-crank charger
• Flashlight and spare batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle
• Dust mask
• Wet wipes
• Bleach or water filtration tools
• Can opener
• Local maps
• Mobile phone and charger
• Important documents like proof of residency, family photos (including pets), insurance papers, and tax records
• Spare toothbrush and toothpaste
• Mobile phone
• Cash
• Blankets and weather-appropriate clothing
• Special needs for your family, including prescription medications, baby supplies, pet items, spare glasses, or any other necessary items for your household
• Swiss Army knife