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KanoasDestiny

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With all of the natural disasters happening, we're being reminded to get emergency kits prepared, incase something happens. I wonder if anyone on this forum has an emergency kit ready? If so, what do you have in your kit?

Maybe this will serve as a reminder that we all need to be prepared, and not caught off guard. For me personally, I live in Southern California, close to the San Andreas Fault. We are famous for our earthquakes. The quake in China made me realize that I have nothing together, incase we have the big one, and help couldn't get to us for days or weeks. So...I'm devoting the next couple of weeks to get a kit prepared and stored in one of our sheds.

Please share ideas!
 
I'm having one put together. So far it's a backpack with first aid supplies, a water purifyer that does not require batteries, a flashlight/radio that does not require batteries, a thermal blanket, dehydrated food, a knife, climbing rope, duct tape, etc.

Moving to FL after the hurricanes a few years ago, I was shocked to see how ill prepared most people are for natural disasters, especially those they KNOW are likely to happen every year in their area (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, fires, earthquakes, etc.). The last minute scramble to purchase water and food as well as wood, hardware, gas and generators was insane.
 
Really good topic!

We try to stay prepared for the "usual" issues around here - which usually revolve around power outages and snowstorms - but I've been thinking, like you, "what do we do if we have to get everybody out?" My major concerns are 1) important paperwork (for us, kids, furkids), and 2) vehicles and containers to get everybody out quick. We have 2 minis, 3 dogs, and 5 cats (and it would take a miracle to catch them all in case of an emergency).

So, I guess I'll upgrade my first-aid kit (I like the list of items in your backpack, mininik) and put all the important papers in one envelope, to start with. I've been looking for a small bread truck, or a large contractor van, that I can fit all the beasties into (or horses and carts for shows!). And I'll keep an eye on this thread, to see what other good ideas get posted here!
 
I don't have an actual kit, though I do have most of the supplies. Our biggest natural disaster threat here is a tornado, and if a tornado hits my house chances are my entire yard and all buildings would be gone, along with any emergency kit. We have flashlights that don't need batteries--one includes a radio but it is worthless as a radio (funny thing, in a recent newspaper article the red cross was selling emergency kits, and a photo showed all the contents. Listed was a flashlight/radio and pictured was the flashlight/radio I have--useless thing for the red cross to be selling as part of an emergency kit and claiming it includes a radio!)--also camp stove w/propane, a kerosene heater for winter (need to replenish my kerosene supply) water....would like to put in a sandpoint with handpump so that we'd always have water for the horses if the hydro goes out but haven't done that yet, just talked about it...portapotty w/chemical so we can have the home comforts even if we couldn't use the real facilities (been there done that plenty early on in this place, until we got the half-butted water and sewer systems fixed up right on this place after we bought it!). Yes, we are used to "making do" under less than ideal conditions, so overall we're well prepared with what we have, for anything we're likely to get.

winter power outage would be the absolute worst for "long term" roughing it. Tornado would be the biggest disaster; train derailment could mean evacuation...no forest fires, grass fire very unlikely in this spot, no earthquakes, hurricanes or volcanoes, and no flooding for us in our location. Thank goodness.
 
Glad I live in extremely stable southwestern Ontario sometimes
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. A strong wind is scary to us LOL.
 
Our biggest threat is also tornados. We had a tornado shelter put in last year, the best $3000 we ever spent! We have a shelf in there that has blankets and pillows (Have to love those vacuum bags!) water bottles, that we change out, dry dog food (They do come with us!) food for people and some things for the kids. We also have an emergency radio, lots of flashlights and batteries. A first aid kit.

I have a back pack with important papers and stuff that I ca (and have) grab quick when we need to run for it.

I also have an emergency pack in my car, first aid stuff, reading/coloring material(for kids), dry foods, emergency flashers, copies of paper (dog info, people contacts) extra collars, flashlights, radio and I am sure some other stuff I have forgotten.
 
Yes, and it DOES NOT include duct tape (apologies to W)

In addition to a home kit, don't forget an emergency kit for your car. With our generally temperate climate here in the northwest, people are often complacent about driving into the mountains with no preparation, and sadly we frequently hear of those who get stuck on a back road and die. Yet, for example, Keith's uncle scoffed when we warned him against driving through the

Cascades in his convertible in January!

As a type I diabetic, I worry about something as simple as a traffic jam, which could be disastrous if I had a low blood sugar attack and had no food. I also worry about our dogs, who generally go with us, and easily get dehydrated just riding in the car in warm weather (we never leave them in a parked car, of course).

So in addition to the standard first aid kit, cell phone, flashlight, jumper cables and flares, we keep bottled water, dog food, emergency food for me, rain ponchos, a space blanket, small shovel and a whole lot more that right now slips my mind. I was raised to never leave home without being prepared to walk back, so we also carry boots and sweatshirts.

We were given a wind-up lantern for Christmas, which is great...now we want a wind-up flashlight and wind-up radio.

Pretty organized for a right-brained artist!
 
Excellent point. I do have a kit for the Jeep.

Just curious, what's the deal with your comment about duct tape, susanne?
 
Duct tape was one of the recommendations for preparedness issued by the first director of Homeland Security, on the theory that we could protect ourselves from nuclear or chemical attack by duct-taping our windows.
 

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