What are the 5 Essentials for an Emergency Kit?

Anything can happen at any moment in time. Being prepared can make a major difference in how safe you remain during an emergency. It’s recommended that everyone has an emergency kit ready so that they are prepared anytime that the unthinkable happens. People commonly ask, “What are the five most valuable items which you include in your survival kit?” Reading on, you can see the 5 essentials that you need for your emergency kit.

1. Lighting

You should be sure that you have plenty of lighting available in your emergency kit. It is recommended that you have individual flashlights for every member of your family in your emergency kit. Small options like these B.A.M.F.F flashlights from STKR are great options to consider for your emergency kit. These are small enough to put several of them in your emergency kit, as well as offering you the perfect amount of light for your needs. These flashlights in particular are very powerful, with a decent battery life so that you know you can count on it to work when you need it to. 

You could also choose options like headlamps or lanterns, which give you hands-free options for lighting, which can be useful depending on what the situation is. Having a few different types of options can be extremely beneficial so that you are prepared for really any scenario. 

When selecting lighting for your emergency kit, you want to think about something lightweight and portable, but something that will last you in case you need your flashlight for an extended period of time. It’s also important to pick something durable, which will stand up to anything you throw at it. These are things that will make sure that your lighting makes it through whatever emergency you are dealing with.

2. Water

There are so many different emergency situations that could potentially impact your supply of clean water. It is recommended that you plan of having at least 1 gallon of water for every person in your family per day of the emergency. This water is important not only to make sure that everyone remains hydrated during the emergency, but also for the purpose of sanitation. This includes things like bathing. 

You do have a few different options here that you can choose from. For one thing, you can just purchase gallons of purified water at any local grocery store. If you are really stuck, you can also consider washing and reusing empty juice or soda bottles and then fill them with tap water.

For any survival kits that are meant to be carried with you, such as for travel or in case of an evacuation, it’s not feasible to carry several gallons of water with you. The good news is that are things that you can buy that can help, such as a portable water filtering straw. There are also portable filters that you can get, which allow you to purify a lot of water at a time if you’re with a few people.

3. Food

Emergency kits should also include food. Typically, when an emergency takes out the grid, this also means that it takes out places like restaurants and grocery stores. So what type of food should be included in your emergency kit? You want easy to eat foods that your family likes and that offers some type of nutritional value and energy. Great options include jerky, nuts, dried fruit, and energy bars. If you have babies or pets, pick non-perishable items for them as well in your emergency kit.

You need to prioritize foods that your loved one will actually eat. Eating food that you find unappetizing can make an already stressful situation even worse. You could also consider options for hot food as well, such as canned food or freeze-dried meal pouches.

4. Communication

Whenever there’s an emergency, you rely on the local news and your smartphone to help you keep up to date with what’s going on. The problem is that the traditional means that you would get your information from is far less reliable in emergency situations than it is on a normal basis. During an emergency, you need to have the latest information at all times to help you stay safe in whatever situation is going on around you.

One form of communication that is recommended to have is a NOAA weather radio. This radio is a good option because it helps keep you informed of any changes in evacuations, the weather, or any other essential emergency information. There are weather radios that are multi-purpose, which is an important feature to look for if you need to have a kit that you can easily move around with you.

5. First Aid Kit

Easily one of the most important things that you need to have on-hand during an emergency is an adequate first aid kit. Emergencies are often caused by some type of disaster, which can potentially cause injury to someone. Having a first aid kit is important so that you can have what you need on hand to treat a variety of different injuries. 

Some things that should be included in your first aid kit include:

• Bandages
• Gauze
• Pain medication
• Antibiotic ointment
• Burn cream
• Elastic bandages
• Allergy medicine
• Tourniquets
• Kid’s medicines
• Pet medicines
• Prescription medicines

You can slowly add onto your first aid kit as you go. Start with easy items that you already have on hand, then slowly build up with other items along the way. You should think about what first aid items that you could potentially need for any extended emergency, then make sure that you add that into your first aid kit.

Conclusion

It’s a good idea to make sure that you have these essentials and anything else that you could possibly need for your emergency kit before there’s an emergency. This way you can just grab your kit and help yourself through an emergency situation. It’s easier to have this set while your mind is clear and calm, unlike how frantic you would be should an emergency arise.