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Sparkle (4)
Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Tsunamis. Volcanic explosions. Floods. Tornadoes. Fire. Terrorist attack. There are any number of events that can turn your life into a fight for survival. You've got a better chance of winning that fight if you are prepared.
Frugal Man and I have been talking about needing to assemble a 72 Hour Emergency Survival Kit for a while. With the 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch and more than 700 aftershocks in the South Island of New Zealand, we decided we'd better do something about it NOW.
When we lived in Auckland, we were sitting on a field of 50 volcanoes. Here in Northland, we are only a few km away from a geothermal power station so we know we are in a high risk area for earthquake and/or volcanic eruption. Living on the Pacific Ring of Fire (cue Johnny Cash) has its downsides.
Your likely disasters may be hurricane, flood or tornado. No matter the risk factor, you should be ready to face what comes.
If you aren't someone who likes to camp, your best bet is probably to buy a ready-made 72 hour kit like the ones here or here in NZ or in the US here and here. (Note, these sites are getting SLAMMED post-earthquake, so if the links don't work, try again in a few days.) Otherwise, if you put your gear together in one ready-to-grab bag and supplement it with a few specialist items, you can save a lot of cash. We will save nearly $200 off the price of a 2 person kit by buying only the few things we lack.
Follow the guide below to help you decide what you have on hand and what you need to get for your survival kit ASAP.
Food and Water
You'll need enough food to feed each member of your family for 72 hours. No cook options are the best way to go for this kit. We are getting our emergency rations here. The food cubes require no cooking and are shelf stable for 5 years. We'll be able to pop our rations in our emergency kit and be done.
Grocery store meal replacement bars are a good start until you can get some shelf stable emergency food. Choose ones that are NOT for dieters. If you are in a disaster, you'll need whatever calories you can get. Make sure they also have carbohydrates for energy. If you choose to use these as your permanent food option, be aware you will need at least NINE per person, beware of them being pulled out of the pack and eaten when you are short in the pantry and keep an eye on the expiration date. Hiking store bars are more likely to have a well rounded nutritional profile.
I've also packed a couple of freeze-dried hiker meals, our camp stove, fuel, camp pots and cigarette lighter. For any emergency that extends beyond 72 hours, we have a store of tinned food, a can opener, and our BBQ stove that works on gas. We may invest in an additional gas bottle so we know we'll always have a full one.
If you live in the States or can otherwise find Military Surplus MREs (Meals-Ready to Eat), they are a good option for your 2 week emergency food supply. High calorie, self-heating and compact, they will sustain you well if it takes a long time for help to come.
We have a container of cat food in the kit for our felines. Since this isn't long term shelf stable, it will need to be replaced every few months.
For our water needs, we have iodine tablets to easily treat water, water bottles for filling and a store of bottled water. Don't forget your hot water heater and toilet cisterns as sources of water. If you are facing a natural disaster with some lead time like a hurricane, fill your bathtub and basins with water as well.
Shelter
We have a three person tent (good for two people plus gear) and sleeping bags. As additional emergency measures, I've got a couple of emergency bags to toss in the kit. They are made of the same material as those shiny silver blankets, but you can crawl into them. These are ultra-thin and light plus they also make good signaling flags.
Lighting and Communications
Get yourself a crank powered radio/torch/cell phone charger like the one here and kill three birds
