What to Pack in Your Emergency Survival Kit

Being prepared is your best protection against disasters. Hurricanes and blizzards can cripple transportation, communication, electricity, and other services rendering us trapped in our homes. You might be in the middle of the road and get yourself stranded with help still several miles away. Getting lost on a hike is dangerous. A boat trip can end in disaster if you’re ill-prepared to face a tragedy. When you get into any of these situations, a number of items can help improve your situation and may even save your life. That’s why you need to have emergency survival kits handy every time. Here are the basic items on what to pack in your emergency survival kit:

Food and Water

Your survival kit should contain safe and edible food. Not all food can be counted as emergency provision as some of them can be very useless without refrigeration, electricity, or gas. Choose non-perishable foods like canned fruits, soups, and meat. Crackers and hard candies can also provide you with the energy boost you will need. Your outdoor survival kit should include granola and protein bars for the energy you will need when building shelters and hiking. Always store an extra gallon or two of water per person in your home. Keep a fresh bottle of water in your car, on your boat, and bring one along with you each time you hike. If you have babies and pets, make sure you keep their special food handy.

First Aid

Having a first aid kit can help you survive an emergency situation. Injuries can happen whether you’re at home, in the car, or in the woods. Proper treatment with the proper items can make all the difference in survival. Survival kits should include sterile gauze for wounds; aspirin for pain and headaches; burn cream and eye drops; Band-aid and Neosporin for minor cuts and scrapes. A small amount of your prescription drugs should also be included. Ready America suggests keeping a first aid book along with your first-aid kit.

Tools

Survival can be a lot easier with a few tools in your survival kit. With a limited space in your kit, it’s a good idea to keep a multi-tool instead. Something that can fit in your hand includes a knife, a screwdriver, a pair of scissors, and other useful tools is a wise investment. If you’re lost in the wild and need to build a shelter, some rope and a saw can be quite useful. You’ll want to include a can opener to open those cans of food in your survival kit.

Lighting

The sun always sets at the end of the day; and the lack of light is a big problem in emergency situations. Choose hand-cranked flashlights for your emergency kit so you won’t need batteries. Secure a box of waterproof matches so you can make fire for light, cooking, and warmth. Candles can do a good job of providing light for your home for several hours. Just make sure they’re lit in a safe area to avoid fire hazards.

Communication

A radio can help keep you up-to-date with what is going on around you, including the weather and important public advisories. A communication radio with access to government channels can help you call for help when phone lines and cellular network won’t work. You can also use flares to signal others for help.

Source: VISTA Health Solutions