It makes no difference what you are prepping for, a SHTF scenario, natural or man made disaster, you need to put together a disaster preparedness kit and checklist to give you and your loved ones a greater chance of survival. It is recommended that you prepare your family to be self-sufficient and self-reliant for at least three days to a week - Keep in mind these suggestions are only Bare Minimum!
Some suggested Preps:
Water:
Store one gallon per person per day. Two quarts for drinking and two quarts for cooking.
Food:
You should have enough non-perishable foods on hand that your family can survive on for at least three days to one week.
Your food items should require no:
- Refrigeration
- Preparation or cooking
- Little or no water
Choose foods that are compact, nutritionally dense, and have a long shelf life.
Cooking:
You should also have several alternative methods for cooking -
- Camp stove/ w Extra Fuel
- Barbecue Grill
- Open Fire
Bug Out Bag, Go Bag, 72 Hr Kit Contents:
- Mess Kit: Plates, Cups, Utensils
- Emergency Preparedness Manual / Survival Manual
- Battery Operated /Manual Crank Flashlight & Radio / w Extra Batteries
- Waterproof Matches / Lighter / Fire Steel
- Candles, Battery Operated Lamps, Lanterns /w Extra Lantern Fuel
- Medical Kit / w First-Aid Manual
- 30 Day Supply of your Prescription Medication if needed
- High Quality Vitamin Supplements
- Can Opener / P-38
- Survival Knife & Camp Axe
- Aluminum Foil
- Garbage Bags / Ties
- Important Documents
- Ample Cash
- Tent / Sleeping Bag / Wool Blankets / Sleeping Mat
- Change of Seasonal Clothes per Person
- Multi-Tool
- Duct-Tape
- Compass
- Water Filter / Water Sanitation Tablets
- Extra Bottled Water
- Canteen / w Metal Cup
- Ziploc / Plastic Bags / Plastic Containers
- Signaling Devices
- Needle & Thread
- Heavy Water Proof Tarp / Drop Cloth/ Plastic Sheeting
- Paracord / Rope / Twine
- Up to Date Local Map
- Sanitation / Personal Hygiene Items
- Feminine supplies
- Soaps / Detergents
- OTC Medicines / Pain Relievers / Antacids / Anti-diarrhea
- Extra Pair of Boots or Shoes / Wool Socks per Person
- Work Gloves
- Rain Gear
- Hats / Gloves
- Sunglasses / Extra Prescription Glasses / Contact Lenses and Supplies
You should have all your important documents organized during normal times; during disasters (man made or natural), you will want to make it a priority. Use this checklist to assemble your documents and make sure they're all up-to-date. You may want to keep some documents in a safe deposit box, fire-proof safe or other secure location. If so, keep copies handy for easy access and take them with you in the even of a disaster.
- Financial Statements
- Bank address and phone number (include all account numbers)
- Retirement accounts name, address, phone numbers
- Credit card numbers and expiration dates
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- FOID Cards
- Divorce decrees
- Passport
- Citizenship papers
- Adoption papers
- Social Security Cards
- Drivers Licenses
- State and Federal Tax Records
- Fire, Homeowners, and Renters insurance policies
- Life insurance policies
- U.S. Savings Bonds, stocks, securities, deeds and mortgages
- Car title and registration
- Automobile insurance Policies / Cards
- Last will and testament
- Extra set of house and car keys
Considerations for your pets
- Names and descriptions of any pets
- Veterinarian's name, address and phone number
- Extra Food & Water for your pets
Considerations for small children & babies:
- Canned or Powered Formula
- Diapers & Wipes
- Bottles & Nipples
- Powered Milk
- Baby Food
- Medications & Ointment
- Entertainment: Games & Books
Other considerations would include:
- Alternate methods of communications should land lines, cell phones, and internet go down, some suggestions might include battery operated walkie talkies / 2 way radios / FRS/GRS radios etc.
- Alternate evacuation routes and modes of transportation.
- Pre-determined Rendezvous points / Meeting Places.
Labels: Bug in, Bug Out Bag, Bug Out Location, Prepare, Preparing, Prepper, Preppers, SHTF, SHTF Scenario, Survival
Note: This article was written in 1989 for the American Survival Guide. Much has changed since then. Some of the information maybe be useful in thinking and planning for different SHTF scenarios, remember this is the authors particular perspective, not my own
BACKPACK SURVIVAL
There's a lot of confusion about what survival means. To some, it's getting through the aftermath of an airplane wreck in a desolate area. It can mean knowing when to avoid walking in radioactive wastes. Or, it can mean knowing how to barter with troops in the aftermath of riots, war, and looting. To others, survival has to do with avoiding danger and knowing how to deal with it when it breaks into your home in the dead of night.
Survival ideas abound and there are as many definitions and strategies as there are survivalists. Some have good ideas for survival and some have unsound tactics. Bad ideas can mean extra work or trouble in everyday life; bad ideas during a survival situation get you killed. On the job training doesn't work when you're dealing with poison and gunfights. Or survival.
One of the most dangerous ideas as far as I'm concerned is that of "backpack survival."
A "backpack survivalist" is a survivalist that plans on leaving his home ahead of a disaster and taking to the woods with only what he can carry out with him. He plans to survive through a strategy that is a sort of cross between the Boy Scout in the woods and Robinson Crusoe. The backpack survivalist plans on outrunning danger with a four wheel drive or a motorcycle and hopes to travel light with a survival kit of everything he might need to cope with the unexpected. He hasn't cached anything in the area he's headed for because, chances are, he doesn't know where he's headed. Somehow, he hopes to overcome all odds with a minimum of supplies and a maximum of smarts. Certainly it is a noble cause; but it seems like one destined to failure. And that's not survival.
(Let's back up a minute. Backpack fever or bugoutosis does makes sense when you're facing a localized disaster like a derailed train with overturned poisonous gas cars. A a potential nuclear meltdown, an impending hurricane, or similar disasters where there is a safe place to run to. During such a time, it makes perfect sense to retreat and come back when things settle down. Likewise, some people have to work in dangerous areas. For them, donning a backpack and heading for a retreat that they've prepared before hand is a viable survival strategy. These people aren't backpack survivalists.)
Let me make a confession. Yes, I once was a closet backpack survivalist. I had an ALICE pack and had it packed with all I could carry. As I learned more about how to survive, I realized I needed to carry more. Soon I discovered that, just for my family to survive for a very few days, I'd need a pack mule and/or a hernia operation... Something was very wrong.
Probably most survivalists start out the same way. Things are bad so let's bug out. Backpack survivalism is an effort to deal with the possibility of a major disaster. As backpack survivalists, we make elaborate plans centered around the idea of "bugging out" of the area we live in. We hope to travel to an area that is safer than the one we're in and plan on living off the land or on some survival supplies we've hidden in the area. On the home front, we carefully prepare a stock of supplies that we can quickly cart off in a car or van when things start to look bad.
As more and more plans are made and as ever more survival gear is purchased, the survivalist realizes just how much he needs to cope with in order to survive. If he is any sort of realist, he soon amasses enough gear to warrant a truck or more likely a moving van just for carrying the survival equipment. (And don't laugh, there are survivalists who have large trucks for just such use.)
Some brave souls continue to make more elaborate plans and some of these survivalists may be able to pull off their plans. Those who have really thought things out and have spared no expenses may manage to survive with a bugout strategy. But I think there are more logical and less expensive ways to survive a large crisis.
Forget all your preconceived notions for a minute.
Imagine that there is a national emergency and you are an outside observer? What happens if a nuclear attack is eminent, an economic collapse has occurred, or a dictator has taken over and is ready to round up all malcontents (with survivalists at the top of the list)?
Situations change with time. The survivalist movement and backpack fever first started up when gas guzzler cars were about all that anyone drove. That meant that a survivalist with some spare gasoline could outdistance his unprepared peers and get to a retreat that was far from the maddening crowd, as it were. (Read some of Mel Tappan's early writing on survival retreats. His ideas are good but many have been undone with the new, fuel efficient cars.)
With cars getting 30 or even 40 miles per gallon, it isn't rare for a car to be able to travel half way across a state on less than a tank of gasoline. The exodus from cities or trouble spots will be more limited by traffic snarls than lack of gasoline even if the gas stations are completely devoid of their liquid fuel.
Too, there are a lot of people thinking about what to do if the time for fleeing comes. A lot of people will be headed for the same spots. (Don't laugh that off, either. In my area, every eighth person has confided his secret retreat spot to me. And about half of them are all headed for the same spot: an old missile silo devoid of water and food. I suspect that the battle at the gates of the old missile base will rival the Little Big Horn.)
No matter how out of the way their destination, most survivalists are kidding themselves if they think others won't be headed for their hideaway spot along with them. There are few places in the US which aren't accessible to anyone with a little driving skill and a good map.
Too, there are few places which aren't in grave danger during a nuclear war or national social unrest.
Though most nuclear war survival books can give you a nice little map showing likely targets, they don't tell you some essential information. Like what the purpose of the attack will be. The enemy may not be aiming for military targets that day; a blackmail threat might begin by hitting the heart of the farmland or a number of cities before demanding the surrender of the country being attacked. The target areas on the maps might be quite safe.
And the maps show where the missiles land IF they all enjoy 100 percent accuracy and reliability. Anyone know of such conditions in war? With Soviet machinery!? Targets may be relatively safe places to be in.
Added to this is the fact that some areas can be heavily contaminated or completely free of contamination depending on the wind directions in the upper atmosphere. Crystal ball in your survival gear?
But let's ignore all the facts thus far for a few moments and assume that a backpack survivalist has found an ideal retreat and is planning to go there in the event of a national disaster... What next?
His first concern should be that he'll have a hard time taking the supplies he needs with him. A nuclear war might mean that it will be impossible to grow food for at least a year and foraging is out as well since animals and plants may be contaminated extensively.
An economic collapse wouldn't be much better. It might discourage the raising of crops; no money, no sales except for the barter to keep a small farm family going. With large corporations doing much of our farming these days, it is not unreasonable to expect a major famine coming on the heals of an economic collapse. Raising food would be a good way to attract starving looters from miles around.
Ever try to pack a year's supply of food for a family into a small van or car? There isn't much room left over. But the backpack survivalist needs more than just food.
If he lives in a cold climate (or thinks there might be something to the nuclear winter theory) then he'll need some heavy clothing.
Rifles, medicine, ammunition, tools, and other supplies will also increase what he'll need to be taking or which he'll have to hide away at his retreat site.
Shelter? Building a place to live (in any style other than early American caveman) takes time. If he builds a cabin beforehand, he may find it vandalized or occupied when he gets to his retreat; if he doesn't build it before hand, he may have to live in his vehicle or a primitive shelter of some sort.
Thus, a major problem is to get a large enough vehicle to carry everything he needs as well as to live in.
History has shown that cities empty themselves without official evacuation orders when things look bad. It happened in WW II and has even happened in the US during approaching hurricanes, large urban fires, and nuclear reactor problems.
So there's a major problem of timing which the backpack survivalist must contend with. He has to be packed and ready to go with all members of his family at the precise moment he learns of the disaster! The warning he gets that warrants evacuating an area will have to be acted on quickly if he's to get out ahead of the major traffic snarls that will quickly develop. A spouse at work or shopping or kids across town at school means he'll either have to leave them behind or be trapped in the area he's in. A choice not worth having to make.
Unless he's got a hot line from the White House, the backpack survivalist will not hear the bad news much ahead of everyone else. If he doesn't act immediately, he'll be trapped out on the road and get a first hand idea of what grid lock is like if he's in an urban area. Even out on the open road, far away from a city, an interstate can become hectic following a ballgame... Imagine what it would be like if everyone were driving for their lives, some cars were running out of fuel (and the occupants trying to stop someone for a ride), and the traffic laws were being totally ignored while the highway patrol tried to escape along with everyone else. Just trying to get off or on major highways might become impossible. If things bog down, how long can the backpack survivalist keep those around from helping to unload his truck load of supplies that they'll be in bad need of?
Telling them they should have prepared ahead of time won't get many sympathetic words.
Even on lightly traveled roadways, how safe would it be to drive around in a vehicle loaded with supplies? Our backpack survivalist will need to defend himself.
But let's suppose that he's thought all this out. He has a large van, had the supplies loaded in it, managed to round every member of his family up beforehand, somehow got out of his area ahead of the mob, is armed to the teeth, and doesn't need to take an interstate route.
When he reaches his destination, his troubles are far from over.
The gridlock and traffic snarls won't stop everyone. People will slowly be coming out of heavily populated areas and most of them will have few supplies. They will have weapons (guns are one of the first things people grab in a crisis according to civil defense studies) and the evacuees will be desperate. How many pitched battles will the survivalist's family be able to endure? How much work or even sleep can he get when he's constantly on the lookout to repel those who may be trying to get a share of his supplies?
This assumes that he gets to where he's going ahead of everyone else. He might not though. If he has to travel for long, he may discover squatters on his land or find that some local person has staked out his retreat area for their own. There won't be any law to help out; what happens next? Since (according to military strategists) our backpack survivalist needs about three times as many people to take an area as to defend it, he will need to have some numbers with him and expect to suffer some casualties. Does that sound like a good way to survive?
What about the local people that don't try to take over his retreat before he gets there? Will they be glad to see another stranger move into the area to tax their limited supplies? Or will they be setting up roadblocks to turn people like the backpack survivalist away?
But let's just imagine that somehow he's discovered a place that doesn't have a local population and where those fleeing cities aren't able to get to. What happens when he gets to his retreat? How good does he need to be at hunting and fishing? One reason mankind went into farming was that hunting and fishing don't supply enough food for a very large population nor do they work during times of drought or climatic disruption. What does he do when he runs out of ammunition or game? What happens if the streams become so contaminated that he can't safely eat what he catches? Can he stake out a large enough area to guarantee that he won't deplete it of game so that the next year is not barren of animals?
Farming? Unless he finds some unclaimed farm machinery and a handy storage tank of gasoline at his retreat, he'll hardly get off first base. Even primitive crop production requires a plow and work animals (or a lot of manpower) to pull the blade. No plow, no food for him or domestic animals.
And domestic animals don't grow on trees. Again, unless he just happens to find some cows waiting for him at his retreat, he'll be out of luck. (No one has packaged freeze dried cows or chickens at least, not in a form you can reconstitute into living things).
Intensive gardening? Maybe. But even that takes a lot of special tools, seeds, know how, and good weather. Can he carry what he needs and have all the skills that can be developed only through experience?
Even if he did, he might not have any food to eat. Pestilence goes hand in hand with disasters. Our modern age has forgotten this. But during a time when chemical factories aren't churning out the insecticides and pest poisons we've come to rely on, our backpack survivalist should be prepared for waves of insects flooding into any garden he may create. How good is he at making insecticides? Even if he carries out a large quantity of chemicals to his retreat, how many growing seasons will they last?
Did he truck out a lot of gasoline and an electrical generator with him? No? Do you REALLY think he can create an alcohol still from scratch in the middle of nowhere without tools or grain? Then he'd better write off communications, lighting, and all the niceties of the 20th Century after his year's supply of batteries wear out and his vehicle's supply of gasoline conks out.
I'm afraid we've only scratched the surface though. Thus far things have been going pretty well. What happens when things get really bad? How good is he at removing his spouse's appendix without electric lights, pain killers, or antiseptic conditions? Campfire dental work, anyone?
How good is he at making ammunition? Clothing? Shoes?
I think you'll have to agree that this hardly seems like survival in style. Even if our backpack survivalist is able to live in the most spartan of conditions and has the know how to create plenty out of the few scraps around him, he'll never have much of a life ahead of him.
Camping out is fun for a few days. Living in rags like a hunted animal doesn't sound like an existence to be aimed for.
The bottom line with backpack fever is that, with any major disaster that isn't extremely localized, running is a panic reaction not a survival strategy. Running scared is seldom a good survival technique and backpack fever during any but a localized disaster (like a flood or chemical spill) looks like it would be a terminal disease with few, rare exceptions.
So what's the alternative?
A number of writers, from Kurt Saxon to Howard Ruff, have already suggested it but I think that it bears a retelling.
What they've said is this: get yourself situated in a small community that could get by without outside help if things came unglued nationally or internationally. Find a spot that allows you to live in the life style you've grown accustomed to (and a community that allows you to carry on your livelihood) but which has the ability to grow its own food and protect its people from the unprepared (or looters) that might drift in from surrounding cities during a crisis. This spot has the ability to carry on trade within its borders and has a number of people who can supply specialized products or professional skills.
An area with two thousand to five thousand people in it along with a surrounding farm community would be ideal but sizes can vary a lot according to the climate and city. Ideally such a town would have its own power plant with a few small industries along with the usual smattering of doctors, dentists, and other professionals.
This type of community isn't rare in the US. It's quite common in almost every state. You could probably even take a little risk and commute into a city if you must keep your current job. (In such a case a reverse backpack survival strategy just might work, you'd be bugging out to your home.)
Western civilization stepped out of the dark ages when small communities started allowing people to specialize in various jobs. Rather than each many being his own artisan, farmer, doctor, carpenter, etc., men started learning to master one job they enjoyed doing. Each man become more efficient at doing a job and through the magic of capitalism western culture finally started upward again.
A small modern community like the one suggested above, when faced with a national economic collapse or the aftermath of a nuclear war, would eventually lift itself up the same way. It would give those who lived in it the same chance for specialization of work and the ability to carry on mutual trade, support, and protection. Such small communities will be the few light spots in a Neo Dark Age.
Which place would you rather be: in a cave, wondering where the food for tomorrow would come from, or with a group of people living in their homes, working together to overcome their problems? Even the most individualistic of survivalists shouldn't find the choice too hard to make.
FOOD
----
MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat)'senough to last 30 days
2 months of food in the pantry (American Red Cross recommends canned food)
Canned veggies (Use water in the can as supplemental drinking water)
Corn, potatoes, peas, canned
Canned fruitpears
Canned tuna
Beans, canned
Beef stew, canned
Chicken, canned white meat
Chili, canned
Milk, canned
Granola bars
Peanut butter and jelly
Crackers
Dried beans, rice, pasta
Warm drinks
Pudding, canned
Juices
Cereals
Nuts, raisins, candy, soups
Dried fruit
Extrascatsup, honey, jam/jelly, salt/pepper
Date the cans and rotate stock
Store non-perishable foods in empty coffee cans
Can opener (non-electric)
o Also about 4 weeks worth of backpacking food, freeze dried & nitrogen packed
o High caloric items to keep up your strength
o Add a supply of good single malt scotch to your stash. (This is no joke.)
Aside from the fact that it makes good trading material, and *maybean OK
field expedient pain killer or disinfectant (don't take my word on the
latter), it's a great way of calming shot nerves. Keep in mind that even
though it may feel like it warms you, it really does the opposite, which
can be bad in cold weather. Also, don't get so squashed that you can't
respond to aftershocks or emergency situations. Guns and booze don't mix.
o cigarettes or pipe tobacco (if you're a smoker, so don't start now) :^)
WATER
50 to 60 gallons of water1/21 gallon/day
Heavy 5 gallon storage containers from Tri-City (about $14 each)
30 and 40 gallon storage containers from Rational Behavior
Hand water filter/pump (They can be purchased at Big 5 and will filter
almost any dirty water into clean). It will also kill bacteria such as
Giardia. It won't take out things unless the molecules are bigger than
2 microns.
CLOTHING
Good solid footwear (with ankle support)
Combat boots
Work gloves
Extra clothing (At least 5 days worth)
Underwear
Shirts
Work pants
Wool & cotton blend socks
Goose-down or Dacron II backpacking clothing
Layered clothing
Windbreaker outerwear (gortex if possible)
Wool medium layerIt stays warm even when wet (Don't forget mothballs)
Cotton or polypropylene inner layer
Silk is also very good
SUPPLIES
Flashlight and batteries (waterproof & explosion proof)
Don't keep batteries in the flashlight; store in freezer
Extra bulbs
Watch or clockbattery or spring wound
Radio and batteries (don't keep batteries in the radio)
Toilet paper (20-30 rolls for sanitation as well as for bargaining)
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Soap
Deodorant
Liquid detergent
Shampoo
Household bleach
Powdered chlorinated limeadd to sewage to deodorize, disinfect, and keep
away insects
Large, plastic trash bags
Towels
Paper towels
Paper plates, napkins/paper towels, plastic eating utensils, plastic cups
Blankets
Sleeping bags
4-8 pack of replacement batteries (rotate stock; keep in freezer)
Knife & razor blades
Garden hose, for siphoning and firefighting
Condoms
Money (at least $100.00 allin small bills & plenty of change)
Scissors
Tweezers
Rubbing alcohol
Sponges
o Pre-moistened towelettes
o Ground cloth
o Candles
o Matchesdipped in wax and kept in waterproof container
o Newspaper, to wrap garbage and waste in
o Large trash cans
o Coleman lanterns
o Stoves
Gasoline stoves and 10 gallons of white gas
Propane stove with an 11 lb propane tank
Weber and charcoal, lighter or sterno stove
Big kitchen matches in a water-tight container
o Potsat least 2
o Chafing dish
o Heavy duty aluminum foil
o 8,000 btu heater that runs on propane
o 12 volt battery backup system
o Medium sized generator to maintain the refrig, provide minimal lighting, and
for power tools
o TentsFour-man dome tent, or regular 9X9 tent
o Set up for at least a week. That's my minimum time
o Fold up toilet seat. (Sure beats squatting.)
TOOLS
Fire extihguisher (A-B-C type)
Shovels, pick, axe, other 'round-the-house tools
Broom
Crescent wrench, screw driver, pliers, hammer
Coil of 1/2" rope
Coil of bailing wire
Plastic tape
Small and large crowbar (18") to help with jammed doors
Small one in the bedroom
Large one out in the shed
Small, high quality, tomahawk or hatchet (useful for opening car roofs, house
doors, and for clearing rubble)
Knifes
A big one (like 8-10" fixed blade) to cut, hack, and to a limited amount,
pry, to make emergency shelters, do emergency surgery, kill alien invaders
A little one (either 4" fixed blade/locking folder, or a large swiss army
knife) to do yet more surgery, as well as more mundane things such as peel
veggies, cut rope, open boxes
New designs of serrated edges that will cut through anything more quickly
than a straight edged knife
Paramedic rescue knife (has an edge and a little bolt which enables it to
be opened with one hand)
Sharpening device
o Trauma shears and pouch (20 times more useful than any knife I've ever had.)
The knife is very concealable as the pouch appears only to hold the shears
o Leatherman (TM) Pocket Multi-Tool
o A cold chisel
o Bolt cutter
o Guns
.22 long rifle semi-auto handgun is nice for small game hunting,
shooting feral dogs (practice!), and for self-defense (practice!)
Larger caliber handgun, primarily useful for self-defense only
"High-powered" rifle, in semi-auto or bolt action
12 guage pump action, or semi-auto, shotgun
Reloading equipment
FIRST AID KIT GEARED TO MAJOR TRAUMA
Sterile eye wash
Any long-term medications for family or pets (make sure they are current)
Large cold packs (disposable)Kwik-Cold is the best brand I've used.
1 space blanket
Bandagesstore in Zip Lock bags
2 4-inch wide roller bandages (Bulk non-sterile)
Not all roller bandages are conforming, or stretch( plain gauze won't
adhere well)
J&J SOF, and the Kendall Conform are the best, both are sold at Med Choice
Can pour Betadine on the dressing before applying it (they do this in ER's)
2 4-inch wide Kerlix rolls (bulky roller bandages)
6 4X4 12 ply gauze dressings
1 Blood Stopper (a VERY multi-use telfa compress dressing)
1 multi-trauma dressing (10X30 heavy duty dressing)
Several packages of vasoline gauze (for sealing sucking chest wounds)
Adaptic dressings (fine mesh dressings for burns and abbrasions)
2 triangular bandages
Bandaids in there somewhere I think, (not real important)
Betadine
Hydrogen peroxide
Hibicleanse anticeptic soap
Safety pins
Pad and pen
o Squirt bulbs (for irrigating wounds)
o 1 unit instant glucose
o Air splints or 1 wire splint (just in case I can't find cardboard)
o Large selection of antibiotics and pain killers (check expiration dates)
o Scalpels, suture kits, and other items to perform minor surgery
o Stethoscope
o BP cuff
Pediatric cuff (sized BP cuff for kids and little old women)
o Latex exam gloves (several pairs, disposable)
o CPR rescue mask (a mask you place on a victim to perform rescue breathing)
o Tape (I hardly ever use tape)
o Steri Strips or butterfly closures
Large open wounds are only to be covered with a sterile dressing and left
to heal/close by themselves. This way, drainage takes place as the dress-
ing is replaced daily.
o Book called "Emergency War Surgery" that outlines the steps to perform
appendectomies, amputations, etc.
o Backpack to carry it all in
o 1 set of 5 oral airways (see explanation below)
Airways are meant to be used primarily in conjunction with ventilation
equipment, resue masks, bag valve masks etc. If used improperly, or with
the wrong size, a patient's airway could be blocked. This especially can
happen if they're not inserted using the correct technique.
o 1 oxygen euipment tubing (connect my mask to supplimental O2,VERY important)
o Surgical scrub brushes (Med Choice has) packaged in betadine or hebicleanse
o Trauma Shears (actually, I carry those on my belt)
o 'Extractor' venom pump kit
o Book called "Emergency War Surgery" that outlines the steps to perform
appendectomies, amputations, etc.
o Fanny pack to carry it all in
SMALL FIRST AID KIT
10 4x4 Dressings*
3 Kling gauze rolls*
1 8x10 surgipad
1 roll wet proof adhesive tape
10 band aids assorted sizes
1 scissors
10 antiseptic wipes*
1 sterile water
1 pocket mask*
1 large trauma dressing
1 instant glucose
1 burn sheet
peroxide*
2 kerlix rolls
2 triangle bandages*
1 rescue or space blanket
1 roll hypo allegenic tape
1 tweezers
1 kwick cold
2 eye patches
2 pair sterile latex gloves
2 erg or gatoade packs
1 pen light
pen and paper
1 syrup of ipecac
STORAGE
Outdoor shed
o Sturdy, decorative footlocker or chest (keep it near the front door or patio)
Keep it filled with as much of the above-mentioned stuff as you can
Water and food being the most important considerations
o Rubbermaid Rough-Neck Totesfood in one tote, blankets in another, etc.
o Enclosed utility trailerready to go should I have to leave the area
Compartments for food storage
One large area for bulkier items such as my generator
5 gallon water jugs
2 5-gallon gas cans on the front
12 VDC battery that can be charged from the vehicle
Fold down shelf on one side for setting up a propane stove for cooking
Ham antennas and lights
1000 lb capacitybuilt small chassis available from Sears or auto stores
EVACUATION KIT
Food
Water
Flashlight
First Aid kit
Clothes
Money (at least $100. in small bills)
Whistle or Police-shrieker
CURRENT pictures of family members (incl pets)
Documents like house deed, insurance, etc.
o A game or two & books
CAR
Keep gas tank full (refill at 1/2 tank)
1 gallon water
High energy protein bars
Keep the food out of direct sunlight, so it lasts longer.
First aid kit
Fire extinguisherCO2
Metalic blankets
Flashlight/siren/radio combination
Sun logo emergency kit, in the SunWear catalogue
Swiss-army knife, or better yet a good folding blade knife with a 3-4" blade
A big knife
Maps of the area
Couple of MRE's (MEALS, ready to eat)
Small backpack to carry it all in
4-5 D-cell Maglite with krypton bulb or 2 AA cells mini-maglite
Extra bulbs
Road flares
Sealable plastic bags
Critical medication
Tissues
Pre-moistened towelettes
Toolsscrewdriver, pliers, wire, knife
Spare Clothing
Poncho
Warm, all weather jacket (A mil-surplus field jacket is great because it's
windproof, has 4 big pockets, a built-in hood, removable insulating liner)
Long sleeve wool sweater
Warm pants
Warm shoes
Rugged gloves (cheap mil-surplus leather gloves and removeable wool liners
are great. For upscale folks, a set of deerskin black leather gloves with
wool liners from Eddie Bauers.)
The nice thing about military clothes and stuff is a) it's rugged and b)
it often is inter-designed to work with other components (Ex: the M-65
field jacket has fold out wrist liners to be cinched down by the military
gloves).
Knit wool cap
Money (small bills/change)
Toilet paper
Tissues
Tampons or pads (useful for first aid, also)
A few large black plastic bags (environmentally incorrect, but very useful)
Vitamins (at least C since fresh food may be scarce for a while)
Spare glasses (if you wear them)
Gas siphonor short rubber hose
o Tow chains, tire chains (4)
o Tent
o Shovel
o Chemical lights (Cyalume)
o Walkman/batteries
HOME
Don't rely on hot water heater for a source of water
Check immediately if the water main has broken
Listen to see if you can hear water leaving the water tank
Close main off to preserve the water in the HW tank
Shut-off valve on the tank
Evaluate home and work-area for their strengths and weaknesses in the event
of an emergency---ie, where are the safest--and not-so-safe--places, know
where the exits are, the location of first aid equipment, best place/s to
store equipment, etc....
EDUCATION
Knowledge of how to use the equiment
American Survival Guide, monthly magazine
Backpacking books
Firearms training
COMMUNICATIONS
Plan how to contact spouses, SOs, children, pets, etc.
o Handheld transmitter (i.e. "walkie talkie")
o CB radio
o Battery operated TV
o Ham radio
o Get involved with a community neighborhood preparedness
Contact the Red Cross disaster services at 408/292-6242
Start by inviting your neighbors over some evening. Tell them that you
are concerned about Earthquake Preparedness and would like to discuss how.
Have some brochures or handouts for them.
COPING
o Major factor in surviving is trying to return to as close a normal life
Eating things you would normally eat
Assigning chores to those who could handle tasks
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