Do you have an emergency bag?

[Indylady]

If you do, what do you have in there?

I’m in the process of putting one together. I’m thinking: non-perishable food, water, phone battery pack and chargers, extra glasses/contacts, N95 facemask (they’re cheap and sound more sound more intense than they are—used for smoke/fumes), first aid kit, small multi-tool, cash, copies of ID, maps, etc. I’m also thinking sleeping bag/blanket, hiking shoes, maybe walkie talkies, whistles.

In my research I’ve come across ‘preppers’, people preparing for a very catastrophic event. Their list is way more extensive (and some go as far as to have a pre-built shelter, etc.), but it kind of got me wondering if I should be doing more—like really stockpiling dry/canned goods, getting real ‘gear’ like a fireproof blanket, those reflective space blankets, real wilderness tools and a tent. I think that’s a little past what I think is necessary, but, being prepared never hurt anyone so kudos to those that are prepared in that way.

What about you—do you have an emergency bag? If you do, any tips? Would love to hear your suggestions!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I don’t have a bug out bag, but it seems like a good idea.

My first kit aid is way more intense than most due to being a physician lol.

Other than that and what you named above: a good rain jacket (and rain paints if you have them. Wet clothes suck), one of those aluminum heat blankets ( actually pretty cheap, very compact), a lighter or fire kit, zip lock bags (these are handy in so many unexpected ways), important phone numbers/addresses, mole skin (for blisters), tampons (when you need it you really need it) a good flashlight, a reliable hunting knife.

 

[JPie]

I live in earthquake country so I keep a very basic emergency duffle bag. I have enough freeze-dried meals and water to feed two people for three days. I taste-tested the food first and Mountain House isn’t bad, plus they can last years beyond their sell-by date and can be reconstituted with cold water if you must.

I really should add: a first aid kit, cat food, a utility knife, water purifying tablets, a flashlight, and maybe a radio and space blankets.

 

[Bron357]

I like to be prepared.
Walking the dog I carry a spare leash (for stray dogs - I’ve found 5 over the years), a soft bag (I’ve used this to carry home injured birds and once a wee kitten), a first aid kit of sorts (band aids, safety pins, an elastic bandage, eye drops, pain killers) plus hand sanitizer, tissues, some mints, water, my phone, ID and $50. And of course poo bags.
In my handbag I have a similar first aid kit plus needle and thread, eye wash, sanitizer, an umbrella, an extra carry bag, water, make up bag, phone, wallet and keys.
In my car I have an “advanced first aid kit” which includes various bandages, plastic gloves, a thermal blanket etc (I have an advanced first aid qualification) plus towels, a blanket, a pillow, a portable chair, 3 liters water, some snack foods, more tissues, a torch with hazard lights,2 umbrellas, a toolkit (I could change a tyre if I had to).
I’m not a “prepper” here in Australia no one is and if the world is ending I hope to go out with the first lot (who wants to hang around for mass anarchy!). But I do like to be prepared for any situation I might come across.
Same in my house, I never run out of anything because I keep stocked up always.

 

[Austina]

No, nothing

 

[missy]

Nothing here either. We have talked about it but never seemed to get the energy to actually prepare one. And after living through 9/11 right in the thick of things one would think we would have an emergency bag and plan in place by now. The only emergency plan we have in place is how we will gather up all the kitties in an emergency but that's all. Little good that will do us if we have no food/water or safe place to go...

One thing we do have is plenty of food in the house. I think in another life I was a depression era baby because I like to keep plentiful food around. And I do mean plentiful. We could go months without starving I think if we were stuck in either home.

 

[rockysalamander]

You might add cash to your list, although it still won't help against the zombies.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

We don't have one. I admire the doomsday preppers, I can't even fathom that level of effort plus we have multiple species of pets we would need to take into account

 

[chrono]

Water, first aid kit, and a thick blanket in the car. That's it.

 

[bludiva]

I have a friend who created emergency kits for everyone in her family. She's not a prepper but has volunteered at some disaster sites. Food, water, hand powered flashlight/radio, first aid supplies, those foil blankets, i can't remember what else. I think she changes the water bottles every few months too.

 

[MamaBee]

I don’t have anything other than I keep all my meds (blood pressure and thyroid so important) and my son’s meds in a large ziplock bag in case we need to run out.. My son’s autistic and he takes meds that I’m afraid if he misses taking them I’d be in big trouble! Other than that we’re doomed. Anyone know if something is coming and we NEED to prepare now?

 

[Ally T]

Water, first aid kit, and a thick blanket in the car. That's it.

I have this too. Plus 4 packets of aluminum foil body wraps (the type they hand out after marathons).

We’re pretty safe from natural disasters where we are in the UK, bar the odd bad storm that might bring down trees & roof tiles, plus occasionally getting stuck in thick snow. I also have a pretty comprehensive First Aid kit in my handbag, as i’m qualified with all of that sort of thing & have, on occasion, had to patch up random strangers.

 

[eh613c]

We have multiple emergency kits. We have one in each car which are very basic (first aid kit, bottled water, water purification tablets, emergency blankets, flashlight, Swiss knife, cash, and trail mix). These items are inside a solar backpack that allows you to charge your cell phone. At home, we have an extended list (in addition to the above) that includes emergency freeze dried meal kits for 4 to last about 2 weeks, large water bottles, small generator, hand crank radio, corded telephone, matches, candles, batteries, fire extinguisher, feminine hygiene, trash bags, pet food and some camping gear. Since I wear prescription glasses, I include old glasses in each kit. Every October, we check our kits as this is emergency preparedness month. As a health and safety professional, one of my responsibilities at work is maintaining our emergency action plan and training for our emergency response team. Many of the things I learned at work, I applied at home. My kids are in cub scouts and one of the activities they had to do was create a family plan; what to do in an emergency when everyone is at home, one or both parents at work, kids at school, etc. If anyone wants more information, check Red Cross, FEMA or get involve in your community through CERT (community emergency response team).

 

[Gabbycat]

Yes. We purchased it already put together from the internet. Has a first aid kit, warming blankets, tabs to purify drinking water, non-perishable food bars, etc., and if IIRC it has a bucket that converts to a potty. We bought a bunch of bottled water and change it out every year or so. Need to add a bag with extra clothes. Not a doomsdayer, but we live in tornado alley and along a fault line.

 

[chrono]

There are expiry dates on some first aid items and bottled water, so do check them from time to time.

 

[JPie]

There are expiry dates on some first aid items and bottled water, so do check them from time to time.

Yep. Water pouches have a five-year shelf life so they're a good alternative to bottled.

 

[lyra]

We had an earthquake preparedness "kit" when we lived on the west coast. To be fully prepared you'd need so much stuff I don't think most people would have room to store the stuff. We definitely didn't have room.

Now the only thing I do is keep cash on hand. Not a large amount either. We've talked about it, but the fact is without my meds, I won't be prepping for a very long future, and you can't stockpile the meds I need to live. So I'm out! I also wouldn't want to survive something truly bad. Just being honest. If it came down to nuclear war say, then I'd hope to be hit directly.

BTW, post apocalyptic fiction is my main jam, and always has been. There's no way I want to be a survivor, lol.

 

[monarch64]

Yes. We purchased it already put together from the internet. Has a first aid kit, warming blankets, tabs to purify drinking water, non-perishable food bars, etc., and if IIRC it has a bucket that converts to a potty. We bought a bunch of bottled water and change it out every year or so. Need to add a bag with extra clothes. Not a doomsdayer, but we live in tornado alley and along a fault line.

Was surprised to see only one person mention these or some other means to treat water to make it potable. Bottled water/stored water is great until you run out, or have no place to store it. These are essential if you end up needing to collect rainwater or drink from untreated sources of water, and they're lightweight and small making them easily portable.

 

[JPie]

Was surprised to see only one person mention these or some other means to treat water to make it potable.

Does it count if it's on my list of things to add?

I really should add: a first aid kit, cat food, a utility knife, water purifying tablets, a flashlight, and maybe a radio and space blankets.

 

[monarch64]

Does it count if it's on my list of things to add?

Haha, yes!

 

[Indylady]

Wow, lots and lots of great tips!!

MTG, tampons, you're totally right! Hadn't even thought of that one. As are the mole skin and fire starter.

Bron, you are so prepared! A small sewing kit is a great idea.

JPie, I'm also in earthquake country--which has now become wildfire country too.

Missy, great that you have so much extra food stocked! That's my next step. Just picked up a bunch of RX bars and canned chili/soup for a backup kit, but I also plan to just start stocking extras of the dry basics that we'll use anyway, like coffee, beans, pasta, pasta sauce, rice, etc.

EH, wow, such a wealth of good ideas!

Monnie and Gabby--good call on the water tabs. I've also read about something called the Lifestraw which seems to be good for 'on the go'/shorter emergency and is pretty cheap. They're on my list but I'm not quite there yet--gathering this stuff isn't too expensive but I'd still like to break up the cost over couple months.

I read this advice online which I thought was a great idea (and totally free): Print out maps and plan an 'escape' route out of your city, along with alternate routes. The California Campfire really scared me--I read that NYT article about the cars backed up on the highway leading out of town, with cars running out of gas or crashing in the dense smoke. It was terrifying and my heart goes out to those that lived through it. In that situation, IIRC, that was the only way out of town and I really don't know if there was another option for evacuation.

 

[monarch64]

On the feminine products note: a Diva cup (or two) seems like an easier thing to have on hand. What about extra rx birth control? Condoms?

I'd honestly stockpile those water tabs and use them as currency if the time came.

 

[MarionC]

Oh dear, sorry I read this thread right before going to sleep! Lol
In the states I am only set to be snowed in without electricity, and I do have a tornado cellar with a trap door in the floor of my kitchen. Woodstove, coffee pot, pots and pans to cook on the stove, a water filtration system that you hand pump (and a pool full of water). Flashlights, solar radios, sleeping bags...um...gold bracelets?

 

[House Cat]

For about $50 to $75 you can purchase a portable water filter that will turn most any water into potable water. This is what hikers use. We have one. We keep tablets too but they don’t remove as many organisms as the filter.

I think we are prepared with everything we need but we aren’t organized. That will be our task over the next two months.

We have food, filters, meds, a generator, walker talkies, documents, a travel trailer, the men hunt, and other things I don’t know about

I don’t know....my husband is always talking about this stuff and putting something else out in the garage for this purpose. I think he’s just having fun. He’s going to be so excited when I tell him that I want to help him to organize all of it into a plan of action.

 

[lyra]

Where do you plan to go though? I think the only great back up plan is one that includes you owning your own off the grid isolated domicile or nuclear fallout shelter. But then you'd have to defend that. All this talk kind of alarms me. I can joke about it, but we have also done the what ifs. None of it is sustainable long term, unless you're already living the lifestyle. Maybe it's not a coincidence that I'd like my next home to be in the country.

 

[chrono]

The planning is for the next zombie apocalypse.

 

[Indylady]

Where do you plan to go though? I think the only great back up plan is one that includes you owning your own off the grid isolated domicile or nuclear fallout shelter. But then you'd have to defend that. All this talk kind of alarms me. I can joke about it, but we have also done the what ifs. None of it is sustainable long term, unless you're already living the lifestyle. Maybe it's not a coincidence that I'd like my next home to be in the country.

Oh, my pack is just in case of a short term natural disaster—just things to keep in a backpack in case of evacuation. I wouldn’t mind learning some survival skills too, because I have exactly 0. I’ve never even gone camping! I don’t even take long hikes lol. I’m definitely an ‘indoors gal’.

A home in the country sounds lovely—I just read that NYT that city folks are skipping the suburbs these days and going straight to the country.

 

[telephone89]

I have an emergency car kit in my vehicle, since we're more likely to have a blizzard than some sort of other catastrophic event. We have a few first aid kits at the house, but thats about it.

 

[Indylady]

For about $50 to $75 you can purchase a portable water filter that will turn most any water into potable water. This is what hikers use. We have one. We keep tablets too but they don’t remove as many organisms as the filter.

I think we are prepared with everything we need but we aren’t organized. That will be our task over the next two months.

We have food, filters, meds, a generator, walker talkies, documents, a travel trailer, the men hunt, and other things I don’t know about

I don’t know....my husband is always talking about this stuff and putting something else out in the garage for this purpose. I think he’s just having fun. He’s going to be so excited when I tell him that I want to help him to organize all of it into a plan of action.

Nice!! Sounds like you’ve got all the trappings; the plan should be fun to come up with! My SO is mildly interested and seems glad I have the drive to work on this stuff, but isn’t as motivated as I am. It is kind of fun, and reassuring to feel prepared. And it’s all kind of a small cost to pay/amount of effort in light of a real emergency situation. A generator is a great idea! I don’t know if they’re expensive but I’ll look into it—or maybe even just some solar powered lights to start. My friend had an awesome solar powered nightlight, I thought it was brilliant.

 

[luv2sparkle]

My son in law is big on bug out bags. I know he keeps them for his family. They live close to the AZ border. We don't have one. We do have bottled water and keep extra gas on hand. We always keep our tanks in all our vehicles full and have 20 gallons extra diesel for our truck. I do have a first aid kit and heavy duty flashlights ready. I keep pretty a pretty well stocked freezer but don't eat a lot of prepared or canned food so don't have too much of that anymore. A little bit though. We live on the San Andreas fault line so earthquakes are our main focus.