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Life happens. As such, emergencies occur from time to time. But whether you’re facing a power outage or combating the coming apocalypse, you need to be prepared.
That’s where an emergency kit comes in handy. An emergency kit can help you manage hard times in a safe and productive manner.
Looking to make your own emergency kit? Then read on. Here’s how to build a DIY emergency kit for your home.
In This Post:
1. Food
First and foremost, your emergency kit should contain food. Should you ever become trapped by flooding, forest fires, or some other type of natural disaster, you will need something to keep your hunger satiated.
The question is: what types of food should be contained? Canned foods, cereal, dried fruits, granola bars, and trail mix, are all solid options. The key is to choose foods which will stay fresh over months and months of storage.
You’ll want to keep water stored up as well. Click for more information on how to preserve water over time.
2. Radio
When an emergency situation sets in, you have to have correspondence with the outside world. This keeps you in the loop as to what’s going on and allows you to make safe decisions.
This is why you need to have a radio in your emergency kit. A battery-powered or wind-up radio will allow you to listen to necessary reports, even when you’re void of electricity.
3. Lighting
Should the power ever go out, you’re going to want something which will provide you with light. That’s why you need to put a battery-powered flashlight or lantern in your emergency kit. Ideally, it will be something which is waterproof, as it will likely be needed in times of storm.
4. Medical Items
One of the cogs of any decent emergency kit is a first aid kit. You never know when an injury or sickness might overtake someone. A first aid kit will help to neutralize the problem, keeping it at bay until you can make your way to a hospital.
There are several items which you should have in your first aid kit. These include but are not limited to antibiotic ointment, gauze, aspirin, bandaids, and tweezers.
5. Cash
Your credit and debit cards will do you no good after the computers have turned against us. Only cash will allow you to make necessary purchases. So, make sure you keep a few 20s stashed away inside your emergency kit at all times.
6. Medications
Does anyone in your family require the use of regular medication? If so, you should try to get an extra prescription to keep in your emergency kit. Insulin, antidepressants, blood thinners, and other such drugs will remain vital in times of emergency, and, in some cases, could be the difference between life and death.
7. Phone Charger
As was noted above, during times of crisis, you need to keep correspondence with the outside world. You should do this not only by listening to the radio but by keeping your phone on at all times.
How do you ensure that your phone remains on during the duration of the emergency? By keeping a charger handy in your survival kit.
8. Hygienic Items
It’s also important to keep hygienic items on hand. After all, you never know how long an emergency could last. These items include everything from toothbrushes, to deodorant, to tampons, to soap, and more.
9. Work Tools
During times of crisis, any number of things could go wrong. It wouldn’t be strange for a situation to pop up in which you’re required to fix something. For this reason, you’re advised to store some work tools in your DIY survival kit.
Tools you should store include hammers, screwdrivers, ratchets, and wrenches, to name just a few. But truthfully, the more tools you have, the safer you’ll be.
10. Matches/Lighter
Another thing you should have in your DIY disaster kit is a book of matches or a lighter. A fire could be needed for a variety of different reasons, and you don’t want to have to rub two sticks together in order to make it.
11. Flares
Should you get lost in a flood or a fire, you’ll want to have something on hand which can alert first responders of your presence. A batch of flares is perfect for the task.
12. Tape
Emergency situations can result in any number of circumstances. Some of these circumstances could require you to turn into MacGuyver. So, at the very least, you should have some tape on hand to help you.
Duct tape is likely the best option. However, some automotive tape could very well come in handy as well.
13. Bedding
You’ll also want to have some bedding on hand, as it will help you sleep comfortably through floods and power outages. Blankets, pillows, and towels could all prove to be vital in your time of crisis.
14. Water Collection Container
While you’re advised to store ample amounts of water in your emergency kit, there’s still a chance that you could run out of said water before you’re able to gain access to a new water supply. This is why you’re advised to also store a water collection container. This container can be used to catch rain, and then can be used for hydration in dire times.
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