It’s always a good idea to keep an emergency survival kit on hand to ensure that your family is adequately protected in the event of a disaster. While there is no feasible way to predict if or when disasters such as an earthquake, a tornado or a hurricane will hit your community, it is wise to have a basic survival kit safely stored to allow your family to make it through the crisis safely.
REI offers several options on earthquake and emergency survival kits. Each kit contain the necessary items to last through 1-2 weeks of a disaster situation and you can get them at an amazing value.
Below are only a few of the items included in the earthquake survival kits.
You can purchase these emergency survival kits at REI.
Provides relief in an emergency situation with survival goods, tools, safety supplies and personal hygiene items; pack-style bag offers portability
Contains enough supplies for 1 – 2 people for up to 3 days
Kit includes emergency items: 2 food packages, 20 water packets, tube tent, 2 waterproof ponchos, 2 rescue blankets, 4 hand warmers and 2 dust masks
Also includes hand-crank flashlight/radio, multifunction tool, work gloves, 2.5 gal. collapsible water jug, whistle, 4 light sticks and 2 emergency candles
Includes essentials such as pencil, paper, 50 ft. nylon rope, waterproof tape, 2 cold packs, latex-free medical gloves (2 pairs) and 6 antimicrobial hand wipes
Also includes bandage scissors, tweezers/forceps, 2 finger splints, digital thermometer, first aid manual, 2 facial tissue packages and 2 biohazard waste bags
Treat wounds with five 3 x 0.75 in. bandages, five 3 x 1 in. bandages, 5 knuckle bandages, 5 fingertip bandages and four 2 x 2 in. gauze pads
Also includes two 3 x 3 in. gauze pads, two 4 x 4 in. gauze pads, 4 yd. x 2 in. stretch gauze, two 9 x 5 in. ABD/combine pads, eye pad and 5 butterfly closures
Treatments include 3 sting relief wipes, 9 antibacterial wipes, 2 triple antibiotic ointment packets, 2 burn cream packets and 2 eye wash bottles
Medications include 4 Cetafen® acetaminophen tablets, 4 Nutralox® antacid tablets and 4 Proprinal® ibuprofen tablets
Also includes 2 Diamode® loperamide HCI antidiarrheal tablets
Easy-to-read first-aid guide is written by Dr. William W. ForgeyAll pieces fit neatly into the 3-compartment nylon backpack with adjustable shoulder straps—stows neatly in a closet or trunk of a car
Being Prepared
Being able to anticipate the food, clothing and shelter needs in the event of an unseen disaster is impossible and for the most part, impractical. However, while you cannot foresee every need, you will be able to predict the needs which have to be met in order to allow your family to survive safely. Survival supplies, including an earthquake survival kit, should include at a bare minimum enough bottled water and food that does not require cooking for each family member for a period of four days. Always remember that much of the edible ready-to-eat food is sold in cans; pack a simple manual can opener to open your cans!
Proper Planning
By having simple survival supplies such as food and warm, dry clothing to last for a few days, most people can weather a crisis situation. Additional recommended must-have items include one flashlight per individual, a wrench to cut off gas and water if applicable, and antibacterial cleaner to keep hands and faces sanitary. If a baby or elderly person is part of your group, include items specific to the care and comfort of each of those individuals as well, including all medicines.
Survival supplies need to be effective to matter, regardless of the emergency. Be certain that items which require batteries or special parts are fitted properly. Check the freshness of your emergency provisions periodically on a set date, such as the two annual time change dates each year when you already check and replace your fire alarm batteries. That way, you can take care of all of those emergency accommodations at one time.
In Case of Emergency
When faced with an unexpected natural disaster such as a tornado, hurricane or earthquake, the best practice is to stay calm. If you have practiced emergency survival procedures, you have already established a survival rendezvous location where all of your loved ones have pre-arranged to meet. At that meeting, you can hand out survival supplies from your earthquake survival kit or other survival kit and ensure that everyone is in good shape.
Remember that half the battle of making it through a disaster is just making it through alive. The second half begins when you find yourself alive and have to survive until life returns to normal! Store all of this in a central, protected location that will likely withstand the disaster well enough that you can retrieve your supplies and distribute them to your loved ones!