Good
- Emergency pre-plan – where will you meet, how will you communicate
- Full tank of gas, always run on top half, you will have to fill it sometime
- Two 24-pack cases of bottled water
- 3 Additional water bottles per child per day, minimum1
- Two 12-packs of Cliff energy bars2
- 10 Kid energy bars, per child per day, (contemplate variety and tastes)
- Add a favorite snack or treat that will survive storage for each child
- Prescribed medications, EpiPens, inhalers, insulin & cooler, etc., know where they are and be sure to bring them
- Durable whistle on neck chain for each child3
- Consider a laminated card for small children with phones, email addresses, emergency contact, health information; (think lost child and predator at the same time) could be on a separate neck chain under clothing
- Water purification tablets like these
- Local and state maps (paper)
- Matches (waterproof)
- Flashlight or head lamp for each person
- A mini flashlight with a belt loop clip, USB charging, and/or spare batteries per child
- Spare phone charging cord – Your car is your biggest charging power bank
- Documents Copies – birth certificate, State ID, marriage, Passport, contact lists, etc. Contained in a simple waterproof sleeve/baggie
- Toiletries – Comb, brush, toothbrush and paste, razor, soap, feminine supplies, lotion, Chapstick, sunscreen, bug repellent. Individualized for each person as practical
- First Aid Kit
- Hand wipes
- Spigot Water Key – to gain access to commercial water spigots
- 30 Gallon Trash bags (you’d be surprised)
- Two 10’x10’ plastic drop cloths – one as a tarp, second as a rain cover
- Paracord – 50ft (Heavy-duty, lightweight rope) for everything!
- Pocket knife
- Light-weight work gloves
- Masks – (Yeah, I know)
- Consider pet needs
- One beat-up but durable backpack each (You don’t want a Prada backpack at the shelter)
- Kid backpacks, light, simple, cheap
Better
- All items included under Good
- Fleece Bag – This is a very light, zippered sleeping blanket
- Smaller fleece bag for each child
- 10’x10’ tarp and paracord for sleeping on or use as a rain cover. A tarp can be made into a floored tent
- Consider second 10’x10’ tarp, based on family size and packability
- Complete clothing change – durable, comfortable (Think overnight shelter comfortable)
- For each child, minus the spare shoes (the only pair they won’t lose is the pair they are wearing)
- Comfortable shoes, in case you are stuck in heels or dress shoes
- Metal utensils and can opener, key chain p38
Betterer
- All items included under Good & Better
- Air tag for each child, lace it into their shoelaces for littles and in personal wallet or purses for adults. Or this. There is nothing worse than a lost or missing adult or child.
- Water filter: Berkey Sports Bottle, Life Straw, or similar
- 72 hr. Dehydrated food kit like this, times two4
- Upsize the above to include enough for children
- Backpacking gas stove, and gas canister or mess kit, gas stove & cookware
- Upgraded fleece bag or similar
- FRS5 (Family Radio Service) two-way radios w/ NOAA weather channel. One per adult; one per responsible teenager may be added
- Small Journal and pencil – This is also a good location for contact, account, logons, passwords, cc. etc.
- A portable charger power bank like this.
- Two-person tent
- Add a three-person tent for children, lightweight, like this6
- Cash, $100 in small bills per traveler
- Collapsible Water Containers: Lightweight, foldable containers allow you to collect and store additional water as needed.
- Hand and Body Warmers: Chemical hand warmers or heating pads are small and effective.
- Battery-Powered or Hand-Crank Radio: To receive emergency broadcasts and updates.
- Multipurpose tool
Assembling and Maintaining Your Kit
- Storage: Pack your items in a sturdy, easy-to-carry bag such as a backpack or duffel bag. Consider waterproof containers.
- Accessibility: Store your kit in an easily accessible location and ensure every household member knows where it is.
- Regular Updates: Check your kit every six months. Replace expired food, water, medications, and batteries.
- Practice: Review and practice your family’s emergency plan and familiarize everyone with the kit contents.
Resource Links
- Ready.gov, “Basic Disaster Supplies Kit”
- American Red Cross, “Survival Kit Checklist”
- CDC, “Building an Emergency Kit”
- FEMA, “Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness”
- ChurchofJesusChrist.org “Emergency Preparedness”
Footnotes
1 Water will be the heaviest yet most essential item. Each adult requires 1gal per day, more when it is hot. Each child will need between 1 qt. and ½ gal. per day; more when it is hot. One gal. has 160 oz./ Eight 20 oz. bottles equals 1 gal./ four equal .5 gal./ two equal a quart. These figures are ballpark; constant assessment is the only way to ensure proper hydration.
2 This is grab and go, something is always better than nothing, some careful consideration now will make less of an emergency later
3 Whistles are for emergency alert, each child/teen should wear; for young children, a neck chain and training is a must
4 Remember, dehydrated food will require a backpacking stove and bowls
5 Research radio etiquette, emergency channel usage, set all radios to the same priority channel, when lost or just keeping touch, pre-agree on a quarter-hour radio check to conserve batteries
6 You want this to be lightweight, single room, 60-second popups for easy assembly and take down, they come in 3- to 6-man tents, try not to go huge or complicated. If you already have two tents, then an adult can sleep in each