What goes in a Disaster Survival Kit?
Now that you have prepared your emergency Go Bag ... put together a Disaster Survival Kit for sheltering in place.
...in the event of a major disaster, the authorities are likely to issue shelter-in-place advice i. e.
GO IN - STAY IN - TUNE IN
When the authorities issue the shelter-in-place advice you may, or may not, be able to shelter in your home. Consider the possibility of structural damage brought on by earthquake, or bomb blast. This would make your home unsuitable for sheltering in. The alternative is an outdoor space close to your home, such as a garden, or an indoor public evacuation shelter. So whether you can shelter at home, outdoors or at a public venue in the aftermath of a disaster, you will need to prepare a disaster survival kit. The contents list of your survival kit will be similar notwithstanding your shelter location, in fact, a well prepared emergency kit will be suitable for any survival eventuality.
Even if you are able to shelter in your own home, remember that you may not have electric power, so you can't depend on your existing equipment and supplies. Other utilities such as the water and gas mains, telephones and the internet may also become disrupted leaving you vulnerable if you don't have an alternative.
Your Emergency Preparedness Kit should be made ready and placed in an easy-to-reach location in or around your home. The Emergency Preparedness Kit is also known as a disaster kit, earthquake survival kit, etc.
Disaster Survival Kit List
Food: Add enough long-life, ready-to-eat food for each person to last a minimum of three days. You can store canned food, long life processed meals or specialist emergency survival rations.
Water: Drinking water, at least 1.5 litres per adult per day (the water mains could become disrupted). This can be in the form of standard water bottles or long-life emergency water rations.
Water purification: Reduce the amount of water stored by packing a roll-up or collapsible water container and commercial water purification tablets. You can then treat water to make it potable.
Cooking: A portable means of boiling water and heating food that is independent of the mains (electricity or gas). Camping cookers are a good choice, choose solid fuel HEXI stoves, gas cookers or the multi-fuel Ghillie kettle.
Food Preparation: While not essential for survival, food preparation items like mess tins, camping kettles, matches or lighters, and light weight crockery will certainly improve everyone's outlook.
Self-Heating Meals: Portable cooking will allow you to brew hot drinks and warm food which are great for maintaining morale, but you may opt for pre-cooked self-heating meals as an alternative.
Area Lighting: You can use battery powered or wind-up lanterns for area lighting. If conditions allow, long-life candles or portable gas lanterns can also be used. Safety light-sticks are a good alternative.
Torch: A good torch that uses LEDs instead of a bulb is best for most emergency situations. A head-torch will provide personal light while leaving your hands free to complete your tasks. Don't forget the batteries.
Radio: The mains electricity may be out, choose a battery or self-powered radio that can receive both local (FM) stations and national (AM) stations for emergency broadcasts and news bulletins.
Communication: Your telephone land-lines may be cut, pack a mobile phone with airtime and a charged battery or charging system that doesn't depend on mains electricity. Another option is a portable satellite phone.
Outdoor Clothing: The aim is to be both warm and dry. Pack clothing for extreme weather. A foil survival jacket is a good emergency shelter solution that is extremely compact and light-weight.
Bedding: Sleeping bags are by definition portable and compact. They make the perfect emergency bedding, consider the addition of a roll mat for extra insulation.
Shelter: If you need to shelter outdoors, one, or all of these may be required; A tent, bothy bag shelter, waterproof tarpaulin, all weather space blankets, foil blankets and emergency bivi bags.
Tools: A multi-function hand tool can be used to open cans of food or cut through rope. A pry bar will help to open doors and windows that are jammed in their frames after an earthquake or blast damage.
First Aid: The type and extent of the first aid kit you pack is dependent on your level of proficiency and training. A universal first aid kit with the addition of burns dressings should suffice for most.
Hygiene: Assume that mains water will not be available. Pack personal hygiene products like antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer, toilet bags, disposable gloves, no-rinse bathing wipes and disinfectant liquid or spray.
Supplies: Miscellaneous personal supplies such as medications, personal protection equipment, battery operated phone chargers, a signal mirror or light beacon for attracting rescue workers etc.
Waterproof: Place your survival supplies in sealed plastic bags or light weight dry-bags to keep them dry until you need them, then you can pack your complete kit in a holdall, backpack or in a cooler ice box.
