The Importance of an Emergency kit and its Contents

No matter where you’re from there is a possibility for an event such as a natural disaster, a house fire, and as we have recently experienced, pandemics \such as COVID-19, among other reasons that one day you may have to get up and flee for safety with your loved ones. Either way for whatever reason you should always have an emergency kit packed and ready to go for you and your family.

So, what should we have in an emergency kit?

Of course, we don’t want to go over bored. It should be something easy to grab and go but it should be enough to sustain you for a while and depending on how big your family is and the ages of children and adults of course items will vary. So, I compiled a list of some essentials anyone and everyone should have in their emergency kits!

1. Item number one is very important in my book but something that I feel like most people overlook and that is important paperwork like:

a) Birth certificates and Social Security cards

b) Identification cards and Driver's License

c) Deeds and Wills

d) Finally, the most important to me, a Family photo because depending on the situation you could lose everything unfortunately even all your prized possessions like family photos

2. Some emergency funds. The amount is up to you. Keep in mind gas money, food, and other essentials.

3. Next is prescribed medications. Consider having a full pill box for a week with any medication that would be hard for you to get on the go or without a prescription. Remember to switch them out as they expire.

4. Next is obviously WATER! WATER! WATER! This may be the most essential item on the list because it's something that is vital for survival and besides drinking it’s necessary for washing up or cleaning potential wounds, dishes, and clothes. I would recommend a case of bottled water or a couple of 1-gallons of water kept in a cool place in your car so that these big items aren’t something that you have to carry in an emergency.

5. Nonperishable foods. Mostly canned foods If you have babies remember the formula.

6. First aid kit and besides the obvious

· Band-Aids, gauze, alcohol pads. burn cream, antiseptic cream,

· Consider alcohol, cotton swabs, aspirin, hand sanitizer, and coffee grounds as they are great for stopping blood flow.

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7. A small hygiene kit with travel size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion, toilet paper, toothbrush and toothpaste, and ladies remember tampons! if you have babies remember diapers and wipes, .... oh, hair ties, bobby pins and a comb too!

8. Some other small items that may not be essentials but could come in handy are needle and thread, safety pins, a can opener, storage bags, pocketknife, matches, a small flashlight, and batteries or even better a solar flashlight, a small pot and utensils, a small AM/FM radio, a warm change of clothes and comfortable shoes, a solar portable charger, and an emergency blanket or small throw blanket.

9. Depending on the situation it might be good to have a book on survival handy.

10. Another item that I think could potentially come in handy is seeds you can plant. Some are even edible. That will be another blog!

Here is the link to the Red Cross emergency checklist

Either way, the pandemic should be a lesson to all of us of how real things can turn so it's better to be prepared and ready for anything than not to be prepared at all. Having an emergency kit could save your life or at least make life after a bad situation a bit easier. I am so ready for a zombie apocalypse!

If you have any other great ideas others should put in an emergency kit let us know in the comments! Remember in a world where you can be anything. Be Kind!