Emergency Supplies Blog

Accidents can happen at any time to anybody, and the family that’s determined to be as safe as possible will acknowledge this possibility. If you want to make sure that your family has access to at least basic medical aid, make sure that you choose a first aid kit for your family. Sort through all the first aid kits at the store to ensure that you’re picking the one that’s right for your family. If you find that it’s lacking something, purchase the missing elements and make sure that they fit within the first aid kit. In this way, all the emergency medical supplies are together in one place.

The first thing to do with a first aid kit is make sure that everyone in the family knows exactly how to use all the elements within the kit. They aren’t of much use, after all, if no one can actually identify or use the products within it. The other important thing is that you check the kit every month to ensure it’s still fully stocked. Minor things like Band-Aids are sure to get used first, and a kit can quickly run out of these items.

Whenever you’re planning a road trip somewhere, and even when you’re just going to work, it’s always good to have an auto emergency kit in your vehicle. You never know when you may need it or when you may be of assistance to someone else.  Having this kit can save you time and money for things that you would already have stored in your trunk or in your back compartment if you have an SUV.

There are some essentials that you would need in order to make any progress: A flashlight is very important to have because you will need to see. This is especially crucial if it is nightfall and you need plenty of light to see. You will need light to see what is wrong with your vehicle.

Another thing that you would need is some gloves, preferably leather ones. If it’s cold out, they can keep your hands warm. They can also protect your hands from getting acquiring dirt or getting injured as you are working on the vehicle. If it’s raining, it’s good to have a waterproof poncho so that you can stay as dry as possible.

In the event you become dehydrated, you will need drinking water to keep you going. Not having anything such as food or water is a dangerous mix. You should always have some type of food and water available in order to keep you going in the event you have to wait for assistance.

Keep in mind, assistance may not always come right away. It may take several minutes to a half hour for someone to come to your rescue. It all depends on where you are on the road. If you’re in a rural area, it may take longer. This is because the assistance may have to come from afar. Until the assistance comes, you will need food and water to tie you down.

In the event of an emergency, it’s a good idea to try and park in a lit area, if possible. If not, at least you will have your flashlight and light stick available to get some type of illumination. Make sure that the batteries in the flashlight are good and will work for at least a few hours. It’s even a good idea to carry an extra pack of batteries with you in the event the others stop operating. Some people may think that it’s not necessary to have this, but that is far from the truth. It’s always a good idea to be prepared, whether the trip is long or lengthy.

One usefull thing that I learned, that I can contribute, is instead of storing bottled water, I purchased some collapsible folding water containers at a camping store.  I think they are 3 gallons.  We have filtered water in our house, so we do not buy bottled water, we use our own water bottles.  I hope I never have to fill the collapsible water container, but I could in an emergency and we would be good to go or stay.

If you need water in an emergency, you probable have 40-50 gallons of water in your homes hot water heater.  Basically, all you need to do is filter this water a little bit and you can use that water, if your water supply is cut off.  Enclosed is a simple little emergency water filter that you can just screw onto your water heater.

There are many scenarios in which you may find yourself in need of heating in an emergency situation.  From your house’s heating going out on cold winter’s night to your car breaking down in winter and leaving you stranded for hours, the need to create heat to ward off frostbite and hypothermia is of paramount importance. When you find yourself in need of emergency heat you will need to come to a decision about what to do. Keep safety in mind. If your home heating goes out and is not likely to be repaired within a few hours, you will want to take into consideration not only the ambient temperature but the age and health of your family members. Perhaps it would be wisest to seek shelter elsewhere.  One of the most efficient ways of heating in an emergency situation is through the use of solar blankets and/or solar sleeping bags. Solar blankets are aluminized and are handy in many situations. Not only can a solar blanket keep you warm in a pinch, but if you are stranded in your car on a hot day you can use the solar blanket to deflect the sun and keep your car cooler by putting it in the windows that the sun is directly hitting. In cases of extreme cold, a solar blanket can keep you warm by storing your own body temperature. Just wrap yourself up in the silver blanket and let it’s nearly magical properties keep you warm and toasty. Also available for your heating in an emergency situation needs is a portable water heater. Portable water heaters connect to your garden hose and heat the water in a matter of seconds using propane. This can be useful for many reasons, but think of the hot cocoa producing capabilities on a cold night without heat. The pump runs on a rechargeable battery, so make sure you have the ability to recharge.  If your lighting is also compromised at the same time as your heat, you will want to make sure you have several high powered flashlights and lanterns on hand. Candles are good, but can be dangerous. Instead, stock up on battery powered lighting for your emergency lighting needs. Further products available for your heating in an emergency situation needs include hand warmers. These handy little gadgets work much like the ice packs you find in first aid kits. Emergency heating products definatly need to be included in your emergency preparedness plan.  

Emergency sanitation and hygiene kits may not appear to be important to a lot of people. In a time of crisis, there are more important things to worry about, like where you are going to get your supply of clean food and water or shelter. So spending time to think about where you are going to find things to clean yourself with or where to properly dispose your wastes seem too trivial. But if you are one of the people who think this way, you can never be more wrong. During emergencies, your survival does not only depend on food and water, but also in keeping yourself clean and sanitary. Remember that many people get sick and even die in evacuation camps that do not have proper waste disposal systems. Keeping yourself clean and making sure that your wastes, such as stool and urine, are properly disposed of can prevent the spread of diseases and infections.

Aside from keeping an emergency hygiene and sanitation kit inside your home in preparation for hurricanes, earthquakes or other unwanted incidents, you also need to keep such kit inside your car, van or RV. This is particularly important if you are planning to take your family on a road or nature trip. If you are traveling with your kids, you also need to be prepared for any eventuality. You know that children cannot properly hold their urge to vomit or use the bathroom so you need to be ready or else you have to get used to having funny smell inside your car throughout the duration of the trip.

Now that you know the importance of emergency hygiene and sanitation equipment, the next step is to determine what your kit should contain. First, you ought to make sure that you all have the necessary tools to keep you and your family clean. A personal hygiene kit that contains toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, soap and other cleansing products is necessary for every member of your family. Next, you also need to pay attention to your sanitation needs; you can bring an emergency toilet (especially if you are going camping), self-heating washcloths or hot water on demand, and toilet bags.

Although you can make your own emergency hygiene and sanitation kit, you really do not have to. There are a lot of kits available in the market. We can help see our “Hygiene and Sanitation” category on our web site and click on these kits on our home page. Surely, you will find one that would fit your needs and that of your family.

I am an avid outdoorsmans and our family does a lot of camping.  Nevertheless, with respect to emergency supplies, I bet I have over 1/2 of my emergency supplies in my garage.   I would imagine a lot of other outdoor people do as well.  We made a list of all our camping supplies that we could use in the case of an emergency. 

We have a outdoor camp stove with pots, pans, etc…,  a lanter, shake flashlights, various hand tools, knives, axes, saws,  a 1, 2, and 5 gallon water containers, an outdoor toilet and supplies, sleeping bags and blankets, a tent, a portable canopy, gloves, hats, outdoor clothing, water bottles, water purifiers, and lots of duffle bags and 5 gallon buckets. 

We think we are prepared, but we do need to add some emergency food bars and water. 

Remember, auto accidents kill more people than gun violence. In Europe, car accidents account for four times the deaths caused by homicides. And if you do a little research, you will find that most of these people die because they did not have a proper emergency kit when they suffered injuries from the accident. Lack of proper auto emergency kits and first aid kits in cars have killed many who could have survived had they installed any of the former in their vehicles. Accidents do not come with warnings, and can happen at places where finding even paramedical help can be considerably tough. In such cases, administering oneself with the basic first aid treatment from the auto emergency kit can save you from actual death or block the injuries from teething in. So what all should your auto emergency kit carry? What you need in an auto emergency kit depends completely upon where you are driving as well as where you are driving to. The environment, weather as well as the amount of traffic on the designated road all count towards deciding what to take and what to leave behind while packing an emergency kit  

• Take the basic tools along – flashlights, necessary tools to change tyres, a jack, spanner, etc.
• If it is winter, make sure you carry the necessary emergency supplies along with you. These include ice scrapers and heating sticks or flintstones to keep you warm.
• Carry emergency lights or flares to notify drivers of your location or position.
• Wrenches, booster cables and a spare battery or bottled tire inflators can help bail you out from stranded situations.
• Keep a pocket knife (sharp enough to cut through seat belts and thin pieces of wood) and duct tape in the car emergency kit.
• First aid supplies are a must as in case of an accident, these will help you keep your senses till the paramedics or other rescuers arrive.
• Small packets of emergency food supplies (biscuits, sugar-coated lozenges and wafers) and packets of drinking water should also be carried.
• Paper towels and rags, oil and matches or a lighter should also be kept as a secondary means of lighting a fire (to attract attention and drive wild animals away!).
• Screwdrivers, tools, and jumper cables are also handy items to pack in an auto emergency kit.

 If an auto accident happens, a well-constituted auto emergency kit and first aid supplies may well save your life and will certainly help in other emergencies as well!