If you ever needed to evacuate or shelter in place, would you be prepared?

Life is uncertain, and increasingly so, it seems.  There are areas of the country where all residents are asked to have emergency bags, in an easily accessible place.   San Francisco is one of them. It is simply part of living in those areas.  I have a preventative personality, so an emergency, or ‘go’ bag makes perfect sense to me.  If it makes sense to you, keep reading.

The average number of weather-related disasters per decade has increased almost 35% since the 1990s according to the World Disasters Report.  The first order of emergency planning is to arrange a communication plan with your family including where to meet if power and cell service go down.  There is not one Go Bag or Stay Kit that fits everyone.  You will add your own personal preferences and important items.

The Go Bag is the one you grab when you must evacuate quickly from your home.

  • Make copies of all important documents and put them in a zip lock bag – passports, birth certificates, a page with photos of all your credit cards, front and back, driver’s license and a list of anyone you will want to contact.
  • An extra pair of contacts or glasses if you wear them
  • Phone charger
  • Extra car keys
  • Masks and hand sanitizer
  • Medical prescriptions
  • Emergency cash
  • Paper maps
  • If you have small children, add diapers, wipes, baby food and formula and a change of clothes.
  • If you have pets add their food, leashes, portable bowls, copies of veterinary records
  • A deck of cards

If you want your emergency bag to also be a survival kit, add a small tool kit or multi tool, duct tape, fire starters, flashlight, and batteries, solar or crank portable radio with a port to charge your phone, compass, whistle, first aid kit, blanket, protein bars and bottled water.

The Stay Bin – get one or two large plastic bins and put them somewhere in your home that is out of the way, but accessible. The Stay Bin will be useful if you suddenly need to hunker down at home, without time to go to the market to stock up.  If you have a Go Bag, you’re halfway there because many of those items will be useful if you must stay at home.  You will need to replace any food and water items every year.

  • You should have a two-week supply of bottled water and non-perishable food and pet food. Shelf stable foods like rice, beans, soups, peanut butter, and canned meat and fish are good options.
  • Toilet paper and personal hygiene supplies
  • Firewood, candles, flashlights, and lighters
  • A headlamp and batteries
  • Blankets
  • Disinfectant wipes to clean.

Here are some websites that will have additional suggestions and recommended brands for many of the items listed above:

Ready.gov

American Red Cross

FEMA

NY Magazine article on the best brands

See ASE’s earlier articles about Preppers – Preparing for Disaster

and

Time For Safe Road Trips!