A few weeks ago, residents in Hawaii were alerted to a ballistic missile threat, and ordered to seek immediate shelter. Fortunately, it ended up being a false alarm. Whoops! Just kidding! Hooray!
Emerging from this experience caused me to confront the reality that our family needed to be better prepared for emergencies. Even if a ballistic missile never comes our way, we still live in a place where hurricanes and tsunami warnings are an annual seasonal occurrence. Based on those possible emergencies, I decided we needed to prepare to survive on our own with no electricity and running water for two weeks.
I made sure our house is stocked with water, food, and other supplies that will last us for at least 14 days. At one gallon of water per person per day, that is a lot of water! Thankfully we have a garage where we can store most of that stuff.
In terms of food, we have a variety of non-perishable food, including:
- Canned goods
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Peanut butter
- Granola bars
- Freeze dried meals – This stuff has a really long shelf life (20-30 years), is very portable, and just needs water to make a meal. We have meals from Mountain House and Augason Farms. I researched options for a while, and decided on these brands that were highly recommended.
Additionally, I put together two emergency kits – one large bin to keep in the garage, and one backpack to keep in our van.
I happened to post a photo of our emergency bin on Instagram and Facebook, and received a bunch of requests from friends to share my emergency supplies lists. Apparently I wasn’t the only one feeling underprepared for emergencies. So I decided to put together a post on how to pack an emergency kit of basic disaster supplies. This was a large task that took me hours of research and planning – but I’m sharing it with you so you can be prepared as well.
My list fits the needs of our family of five plus a dog living in Hawaii. You will need to consider your unique needs, and adjust your emergency supplies accordingly. Think about your family’s needs, and also the most likely emergency scenarios in your geographic area.
We had lots of these items stored in random places in our garage or drawers, but had to buy a few things. Now everything is in one easy-to-find place.
This list includes what I packed in the bin for home, what I packed in the grab-and-go backpack, and what other essential things to grab in an emergency, such as our wallets and cell phones.
Emergency Supplies Kit
Print this list
Store supplies in a plastic bin that is easy to carry, and won’t get water damaged, like these Sterlite bins. For a grab-and-go bag, use a sturdy backpack or duffle bag. Print out your inventory list, and keep a copy in your bin so you know what you packed, and date it with the date of when it was put together. Maintain your bin by replacing expired items as needed, such as food, medicine, and batteries. Assess your supplies once a year, and update your kit depending on your changing needs.
What’s in the bin:
What’s in the grab-and-go bag:
- First-aid kit
- Whistle
- Cash in small denominations
- Radio with extra batteries
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Multitool
- Important documents in waterproof folder – identification, birth certificates, etc.
- Food
- Water
- Reusable water bottle
- Sanitary wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Duct tape
- Poncho
- Carabiner clips
- Mylar thermal blanket
- Matches
- Bungee cords and rope
- Tarp
- Travel towel
- Pencil, pen, and notebook
Additional supplies to grab in emergency:
- Wallets
- Cell phones and chargers
- Keys for house and cars
- Folder of important documents
- Non-perishable food and water (in garage and storage closet)
- Sleeping bag or blanket for each person
- Prescription medication
- Extra clothes and shoes
- Pet food and dishes for dog
- Grab-and-go bag (in car)
- Camping stove, propane, and pot
- Fire extinguisher
- Personal hygiene items
- Wrench to turn off utilities
For more resources on emergency preparedness, visit ready.gov.
Let me know what else you’d add to your list!
The Larissa Monologues 