Weather Emergency Kit

It's springtime in the South and that means tornado weather.  We've seen a few of them pass through already and we are just beginning.  And, of course, following tornadoes, we have hurricanes or at least "tails" of hurricanes.   No matter where you live, you will always be faced with some sort of weather that may challenge you at some point in time.

Having lived in both tornado and hurricane country, the one thing that I have learned to do is to have a "Survival Kit" available at all times.  With today's social media, most of us are not "lost" in a disaster for very long...however, there is always that off chance that noone will be able to reach you imminently.  It's better to be prepared for the long haul than to be unprepared for a day.   You can also buy existing survival kits online - they will have your essentials albeit, maybe not as many as I've listed below. Either way - you should have one in your home.

For my survival kit, I used a rolling duffel bag.  It holds everything that I need except the sleeping bags.  You can always use two duffels and stuff the sleeping bags in the 2nd one.  If you can find waterproof duffels, it's even better.  Mine are somewhat waterproof but I doubt that they could survive in water for very long.  I have covered each of them with a garbage bag and sealed the garbage bag as tight as I can (use ziplock ties after twisting the bag several times).  So far, I've not needed to test the floating aspect of the bags.

If you have a basement in your house, store the duffel(s) bag there and make sure your family knows where it is.  If no basement, you may want to keep it in a closet or any room that you would need to escape to from weather.

So, what should you include?  There are some basic essentials and there are the "would be nice to haves".  I've listed quite a few items and you are free to adapt it to your own family needs.  I have dogs and a cat so I wanted to make sure my furry friends were taken care of as well.  Essentials are listed first, followed by the "nice to haves". 

You will need a duffel bag - preferably a rolling duffel - 24".  A second duffel could house your sleeping bags/survival blankets.  Look for a waterproof one if available. 

Checklist of items you have in the duffel(s) - create this as you gather your supplies and keep it updated.

Essentials:

1. Water - fill three to four gallon milk jugs (or store bought spring water).  Designate which jugs are drinking water and which will be used for sanitation.  Add a gallon jug if you have pets.
2. First Aid Kit - buy a complete first aid kit or stock a snap-lock container with the following items:
   - 2 prs latex gloves, bandaids, adhesive tape, heat/cold pads, Salon Pas pads, adhesive bandages, sterile dressings, soap, antibiotic wipes, neosporin, burn ointment, eye wash, thermometer, scissors, tweezers, petroleum jelly, aspirin and non-aspirin pain reliever, stomach analgesics (ie., Tums or Pepto-Bismal), benadryl pen or pills.
3. Food - Try to pull together at least 3 days of food.  There are several websites that will provide "survival food" that lasts 30 days or more (survivalistfood.com, rei.com).  Use a painters bucket (with lid) to store your food - this will keep it dry and free of bugs (may not fit in your duffel).  Pull together items like:  crackers, sealed hard cheese blocks, tuna fish packages, vienna type sausages, peanut butter, energy bars, breakfast bars, trail mix, canned nuts, candy bars, meal-in-a-minute containers, summer sausage, etc.  It needs to be food that won't spoil quickly and still somewhat palatable.  Make sure you keep the bucket in a cool dry place.
4. Sanitation/Hygiene Supplies - One or two packages of moist towelettes (can get flip seal), paper towels, toilet paper, garbage bags (large and kitchen size), sandwich and gallon zipper lock bags, bag of travel size shampoos, conditioners, soaps (hotel size), toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, plastic cups, combs, brushes.
5. Gear - some very important items for this section.  Buy a hand-crank portable weather radio and a hand-crank flashlight.  Have at least one of each.  Add a fire extinguisher to your gear - you may not need it but it sure is handy if you do.  Get some waterproof matches and some tealight candles.  Tealight candles are a little safer than the long candles but, be careful keeping too many candles lit if the power goes out.  You can also get emergency candles in a can - put a couple of those in the duffel.
   
   Add the following to your gear:  Duct tape, bungee cords, dust masks, some sort of loud whistle, a crowbar, a hand-saw, ziplock ties, a hand can opener, hunting-type knife, bag of batteries (AA, AAA, C, D and transistor) and a complete tool kit (Home Depot sells them for less than $10.00 - includes pliers, hammer, scissors, wrenches, etc.).  If you don't buy a complete tool kit, at least make sure you have a pair of needle nose pliers, regular pliers, hammer and screw driver.
6. Clothing/Sleeping - put in at least one complete change of clothes for each family member.  Include solid shoes (no flip flops) and a waterproof jacket (with hood).  Pick up one survival blanket per family member (REI sells them).  Need as many sleeping bags as you need to accommodate your family. Store all of these items in that 2nd duffel.  Add a folding large tarp in this duffel - will keep the weather out and can be made into a tent.
7. Personal Items - have at least $100.00 in cash (small bills) in your kit.   If you have your family personal identification items in one place (such as a portable safe), you may want to add that to your emergency location.  Do make sure you have your wallet, etc. on you when you have to retreat to your emergency location (grab the car keys too).  If you can, take your cell phone charger (in case you have access to power) or at least an extra battery for your cell. If appropriate, make sure you have any medication that you take, in a place where you can grab it quickly.  Make sure your children bring their favourite stuffed animal.
8. Pets - Dry food (and canned if you want) for at least 3 days.  Store it in a sealed plastic bag.  Folding water/food dish for each animal (fairly cheap at Walmart).  Dog treats in a sealed plastic bag.

Nice to Haves:Since you have designated a space for your emergency gathering, you may also want to add some of the following to your area.

1. Folding canvas chairs or stools
2. Games for the kids - keep them simple with few moving parts.
3. Camera - stick to a point and shoot small pocket-size camera
4. Portable TV - some can run on batteries
5. Camp cots
6. Your favourite beverage with plastic glasses
7. Pup tent or two, depending upon your family size
8. Sleeping bag pads
9. Any of your social media devices - just in case you have access to power.

Get your family involved in pulling your Survival Kit together.  You may have to limit some items going into the space but you can make it a fun project.  I hope you NEVER have to use this kit.  Some pics of the items listed above.  You can find many of them at Walmart, REI and online.