How to Prepare an Emergency Disaster Kit
When disaster strikes, you need to be prepared for the worst. Whether you are at home or on the road a well put together disaster kit could mean the difference between life and death. There are many types of disasters-floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes to name a few-and a kit for each of these disaster types would be slightly different; because of the different needs that each creates. So rather than focus on a specific disaster we are going to prepare a general emergency kit that can be further customized to meet your specific needs. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Waterproof "Dry Bag"
- Water
- Small First Aid Kit
- Space Blanket(s)
- Poncho(s)
- Tarp
- Dry Foods
- Extra Pair of Glasses/Contact Lenses
- Prescription Medicine(s)
- Bottle of Pain Reliever
- Change of Clothing
- Dry Socks
- Waterproof Matches/Lighter
- Garbage Bags
- Flashlight
- Radio
- Extra Batteries
- Multi Purpose Tool/Knife
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Decide on a suitable location to store your emergency disaster kit in your home. The safest place is probably in the lowest part of your home--such as a basement corner (if you are at risk for flooding choose another location). If you live with other people, let everyone know the location of the kit.
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2
Open the bag and inspect it to make sure it is well constructed without defects--it is important for your bag to be as durable and waterproof as possible.
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3
Gather all of the supplies that are going into the kit and lay them out together.
Putting the Kit Together
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4
Decide which supplies you would need right away in an emergency and which supplies could be slightly less out of reach. The most important supplies will be packed last so that they will be at the top of the bag. The less important supplies will be packed first, on the bottom of the bag, along with heavy or bulkier items.
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5
Pack the bag following the guidelines in Step 1 (Section 2). Keep the contents of the bag packed as neatly as possible so that everything will be easy to find in an emergency.
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6
Seal the bag up after everything is packed away and place it in its designated storage place.
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7
Check the bag periodically to ensure that all the supplies are still in working order.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Section 1, Step 1: A smaller version of this kit would be perfect to keep in your car for emergencies.
Section 2, Step 1: I would recommend keeping your first aid kit, knife, matches/lighter, flashlight, poncho, and space blanket at the top of the bag. These items are going to be of the most immediate value to you in a disaster situation. Bulkier items like a change of clothes and a radio can be kept closer to the bottom of the bag. Water is best kept in jugs beside or nearby the bag (you could keep a couple small bottles in the kit).
