A frequent question we receive is, “What should I include in my emergency supply kit?” The answer you will usually receive is, “It depends.” The reason for this is everyone’s circumstance is unique and dependent upon the emergency you are facing.
Each person is uniquely created by God and as such will have varying needs. Men vs. women, young vs. old, people with children or elderly dependents, your location, your physical fitness, your personal health and the number of people in your group will all have an impact. Plus throw in the variable of what type of emergency and the expected duration and things can get quite complicated and often times overwhelming in what you should include in a disaster kit.
A straightforward approach is to purchase a pre-built survival kit, thereby taking much of the guess work out of what to include in your kit. These kits will typically include some survival gear, first aid supplies and potentially some food and water. Plus, many of these kits have been developed by professional survival experts and can be a cost effective alternative to building a kit from scratch. They also allow for quick easy retrieval as well as creating confidence in knowing you are your family will have the supplies you need to overcome most emergencies.
However, even pre-built kits should be augmented by adding personal items you will need to support the necessities you or someone in your party may require. Some of the personal items that are often overlooked and we suggest should be added to your kit, whether pre-built or not, include:
- Extra pair of eyeglasses or contacts (if you wear them)
- Sunglasses
- Medical prescriptions (at least a weeks worth if possible)
- Personal grooming items (finger nail clippers, ear swabs, toothpaste and toothbrush, floss, tweezers, etc.)
- Scissors
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Chewing gum
- Sanitation (bacterial wipes, toilet paper, trash bags, soap, female sanitation, etc.)
- Latex gloves
- Fresh batteries
- Hat (sun and/or cold protection)
- Work gloves
- Additional pair of socks and underwear
- Hand written address book (electronic forms will not always be available)
- Reading materials (Bible)
A few other miscellaneous items you might include:
- Coffee (have to have my coffee) or Tea
- Small pillow
- Sleeping mat
- Blanket
- Mosquito net
- Bug repellent
- Hand lotion
- Paper and writing materials
- Copies of personal documents
- A little extra cash
As one can see the list can start to get long and complex after just a few minutes of writing down our own ideas of personal items to include and this doesn’t mention survival gear items like knives, water containers, cookware, survival food, etc.
When planning for emergencies, it’s a personal process that’s as unique as we are individuals and should be well thought out and planned for to insure you have what you need to survive and to be as comfortable as the circumstance will allow. We would appreciate hearing from you regarding your ideas and items you would include in an emergency preparedness survival kit.
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