More emergency preparations



Jenny Brennan from the Red Cross left a comment on one of my posts from a few months back that I wanted to highlight. She said:

We have a downloadable disaster supplies checklist available on our website here: www.redcross.org/BeRedCrossReady
People can insert the number of people in their household and it will calculate the amount of supplies (water, food, etc.) to get. Then, people can insert one or two items (starting at the top of the list and going down) into their shopping budget each time they go.

The link takes you to a flash presentation which includes (among other things) the items needed for a good emergency kit.

We’re making good progress on our own kit, which we’re continuing to add to monthly. So far our kit includes the following items (much of which we had on hand already):

  • camp stove
  • propane for stove
  • Tylenol – $4.72 (using a $5 off coupon)
  • spare eyeglasses
  • manual can opener
  • water in individual bottles – just over 9 gallons, $10.99 at Costco
  • copies of tax returns, wills, trust, and account information
  • passports
  • short wave radio
  • crank combination radio/flashlight – $19.20 w/shipping from Amazon
  • heat blankets (one 2-person, one 1-person) – $8.54 from REI
  • candles and matches
  • pocketknife
  • scissors
  • thread
  • needles
  • moleskin – $4.32 at REI
  • tweezers – $3.76 at CVS
  • antibiotic ointment – $4.30 at CVS
  • large plastic bin with lid – $14.04 at IKEA
  • hiking boots
  • pet food
  • water bowl – 85 cents at IKEA
  • toilet paper
  • towels – (4 bath, 3 hand) $8.03 at IKEA
  • Potassium Iodide pills – $44.91 (9.99 per pack + tax) from nukepills.com
  • 3 smoke alarms – $21.50 at Costco
  • canned food (what’s on hand in the cupboard)

I’ll need to finish up with our existing list, and review the Red Cross site to see what we’re missing.

If you like this article, please visit my new home at www.moneycrush.com or subscribe to the new RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Related Websites

Posted in Financial health on Feb 01, 2008

7 Responses to “ More emergency preparations ”

  1. # 1 Bellen Says:
    February 1st, 2008 at 6:44 am

    Good list, good start. I’d add some kind of game/cards/puzzlebook and pens/pencils and notebook. You will need some amusement. Also, with your canned goods, make sure you have something for breakfast,lunch, dinner and snacks. Lots of canned veggies and fruit won’t give you the protein you need. And comfort food snacks are necessary (Oreos got me thru some bad post Hurricane Charley nights)
    We’ve invested in freeze-dried foods from Emergency Essentials (www.beprepared.com) and use them daily and keep lots in storage – for us, the cost is reasonable and we know we will not go hungry. They also have a water management system using plastic containers within cardboard boxes. Stores flat until needed. Means you’ll have fresher water instead of bottled.

  2. # 2 M Says:
    February 1st, 2008 at 8:06 am

    I also like to point people to Jim McDonald’s medical and emergency preparedness posts at Making Light: http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009176.html

    The Go Bag thread should be especially relevant.

  3. # 3 Matt Says:
    February 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 am

    I have to agree with your first commenter about having some cards. I know that you have a list of first aid style items but what about a proper first aid kit?

    Another thing I might put in my emergency kit would be a survival book, under most circumstances you’ll probably be at home but you never know what can happen. Just a thought.

    We’ve got most of the items you listed above but they’re all over the place, maybe its time to put them together in a single easy to access spot.

  4. # 4 bluntmoney Says:
    February 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 am

    We do actually have some cards in it (regular playing cards, plus Uno) but I forgot to mention them above since they aren’t on the inventory list that I keep. Guess I need to add them to the list :)

    I’ve looked at first aid kits and they don’t seem very complete to me, so I decided to build my own. It would probably be a good idea to put them all in a little container within the emergency kit though.

  5. # 5 mapgirl Says:
    February 4th, 2008 at 6:25 pm

    Always build your own first aid kit. You can use your Medical FSA funds to buy one and then round it out with what you need. I think your first aid items are woefully low. Never underestimate how much dressing and tape you will need if someone sustains a gash. Things like butterfly closures and some triple antibacterial ointment are great to have, but often aren’t in kits.

    Also, I’d advise that everyone try their stuff out on a nice weekend. Camp stoves can be kind of mysterious, even more so when you realize you aren’t a smoker and don’t have a lighter on you. (Yes, it’s happened to me on a camping trip, but luckily there were smokers in our party.)

    Miserly Bastard and I have a series of posts of our emergency kits and reasoning behind items. A headlamp is key so you can do hands-free work or walking. If you need to hike at night during an emergency, carrying a crank radio/flashlight is going to suck. Trust me. You’re going to get sick of it and want to shove it into your backpack.

  6. # 6 Chief Family Officer Says:
    February 4th, 2008 at 9:29 pm

    Thanks for sharing this!

  7. # 7 Ann Says:
    August 3rd, 2008 at 11:53 pm

    I’m a little late, but as someone who is currently revamping their emergency kit, I appreciate this post. Thank you.

←
→

  • bluntmoney.com