If the thought of an emergency catching you or your family by surprise scares you, you aren’t alone. Many individuals and families are or feel unprepared should an emergency occur such as medical one, a natural disaster, or even both. Whether you are at home, in the office, or traveling, there are important items you should have that will help prepare you for almost anything that may come your way.
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We previously launched an infographic for essential items to have to keep in your car. As a nation of commuters, Americans spend countless hours driving. It’s inevitable that you’ll find yourself stranded by your car and having some of those essential items listed will not only make the experience less inconvenient it may save your life in extreme situations. But emergencies can happen anywhere. This detailed infographic by More Prepared provides useful information on universal survival items for emergencies in any location like:
- Water – Water is a must have for your kit and of course for your survival too. Also, it will be used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, sanitation, etc. Three gallons per person should be kept considering for a minimum of 3-day supply. You can also keep specially packaged water which comes with an expiry of 5 to 50 years. If adding bottled water to your kit, keep a check on its expiry.
- Food – Needless to say, you need food to provide your body with energy. So, in your emergency kit, you need to carry with you at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable foods per person. Consider adding food with high shelf life of 5 to 25 years which can include freeze-dried food, nutritional bars or specially formulated food. Carry with you baby food and pet food if needed for your little ones. Regularly check for expiration of all food items in your kit and replace them annually.
- Lighting and Communication – One of the worst scenario one can think of during an emergency is running out of power or finding no means of communication. So, it is important to carry these supplies that will work as a backup for you like a battery powered or solar powered hand crank and flashlight or lanterns. In addition to these, you should also include some extra batteries, candles, waterproof matches, light sticks and a whistle for signal in your emergency kit.
- First-Aid – Add supplies for first-aid too to be prepared for urgent medical needs. It can happen to you or any of your family members, so always be prepared. Your first aid kit should contain antibiotic ointment, sting relief pads, hydrogen peroxide to wash and disinfect wounds, adhesive-tape, a thermometer, prescription drugs, glucose for diabetic patients, aspirin, eye drops, burn gel and medicated cotton.
- Shelter and Warmth – An emergency at home or office can make the place unsafe to enter. To handle such situations, you need to have a tent, vinyl tarps for covering the ground, sleeping bag, rain gear, body warmers and thermal blankets. These can make up for your temporary shelter arrangements and keep you safe even in harsh weather conditions.
- Sanitation and Hygiene – Add your personal hygiene stuff in your kit as it is extremely important when you are dealing with any unforeseen situation. These includes toilet paper, soap, paper soap strips, tissues, sanitary napkins, sunscreen lotion, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, garbage bags and plastic ties.
- Survival Gear – Your survival kit is incomplete without the addition of these necessary tools and accessories like strong gloves, a multi-function knife, dust masks, fuel, a portable stove, duct tape, sturdy rope for towing, plastic sheeting, can opener, shovel, and axe.
Don’t forget to add some cash and change in your kit. While not considered necessary for survival, it will ease stress in situations where you may need to buy something after an emergency but in which credit cards will not work. Besides these necessary things, u can also add more items to your kit depending on some experience or as per your needs and requirement. Keep these emergency preparedness supplies with you all the time to stay safe and increase the chances of your survival during an emergency.
