When it comes to emergency preparedness, there are a few items that you simply can’t go without. In this post, we will cover the most crucial survival supplies that can come in handy in a wide variety of crisis situations.
Everything You Need To Know About The Most Important Gear For Emergencies
We will walk through several categories of emergency gear, including food and water, tools and gadgets, and wearable items. These are not the only survival items that you need in an emergency, but they are some of the most important ones that you never want to be without.
If you want to learn more about emergency preparedness and get a sense of what a fully-stocked survival kit looks like, take a look at JUDY’s Safe, Mover Max, Safety, and Starter kits. Designed to give you the tools and resources you need to successfully navigate a crisis, these kits equip you with all of the items covered in this post and much, much more. Keep reading to learn about some of the most crucial survival supplies.
Food And Water
The food in your emergency kit should be non-perishable, meaning it is shelf-stable and does not need refrigeration. Non-perishable food typically can stay safe to eat for years, meaning it is the perfect option to keep on standby with the rest of your emergency survival supplies.
An ideal emergency source of food is a non-perishable, sealed snack that is high in calories and macronutrients – fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Energy bars are perfect non-perishable sources of calories and macronutrients that can keep you full for a long time when you need sustenance more than ever. Energy bars often contain the equivalent amount of calories as a meal, meaning that when your food supply is dangerously short due to an emergency, you can pull one out and eat it quickly to keep yourself going.
As for water, not all sources of hydration are created equal, especially not when it comes to emergencies. In a crisis, you need a source of water that is highly portable and non-perishable. Water bottles that are made of plastic can expire, seeping potentially harmful chemicals into the water inside. This is the last thing you want in an emergency.
Instead of packing your survival gear with plastic water bottles, use non-perishable water pouches instead. These pouches have a much longer shelf life than plastic water bottles and are easier to store without taking up too much space. For a well-stocked survival kit, you need enough non-perishable food and water to sustain every member of your family for up to 72 hours.
Tools And Gadgets
This handy gadget gives you many of the most important utilities in your full-sized toolbox in an extremely compact and portable form. Extremely useful for quickly cutting a roll of tape, breaking a seal on a package in a pinch, and much more, the multi-tool is one item in your survival supplies that you never want to be without.
It can come in handy in many non-emergency situations as well but is always something that you want to return to its place with the rest of your survival supplies after use in a day-to-day setting.
- Duct Tape.
If bad weather causes a leak or a broken window in your house, duct tape can be a huge help. Thick, durable, and famously versatile, duct tape has an abundance of uses in sticky situations. If you are out braving the elements on a hiking or camping adventure, duct tape can be used to patch up a tent or jacket that rips, saving your trip from being ruined.
It’s a humble and unassuming item, but one that can make a major difference in an emergency situation. Keep a roll of duct tape in your survival kit to make sure you are ready to provide a quick fix to damage that could otherwise be disastrous.
- Flashlight.
Having a source of light that does not require electricity is extremely important in an emergency, especially since so many natural disasters have great potential to knock out your power. Keep a flashlight and extra batteries stocked in your emergency kit as an easily pointable source of light.
In addition to a flashlight, you will be glad to have several alternative light sources that do not require use of batteries. These include glow sticks, which can give you battery-free illumination for hours, and candles, which can provide both light and heat during a power outage.
Wearable Items
- Ponchos.
Ponchos are lightweight plastic raincoats that can easily slip over your clothes to protect you from inclement weather. Ponchos have a foldable, portable design that makes them much quicker to pack and easier to carry than normal raincoats. This level of portability is a big deal in an emergency, getting you the protection you need faster to save you the frustration and discomfort of being drenched by a sudden surge of bad weather.
Pack your survival supplies with enough ponchos for every member of your household. Ponchos can be reused if necessary, but need time to dry out after they have been rained on.
- Emergency blankets.
Another lightweight, foldable item that is easy to carry, the futuristic-looking emergency blanket is one of the simplest and most portable sources of warmth that you can have with you in an emergency.
Made with foil that reflects the wearer’s body heat back onto them instead of releasing it out, emergency blankets help your body hold onto warmth. When an emergency leaves you exposed to the elements and you don’t have access to other sources of warmth, an emergency blanket can be a huge help.
- Hand warmers.
These little gadgets are easy to store with the rest of your survival gear without taking much space, but they can make a major difference in your ability to handle a crisis that leaves you without heat.
If you ever end up stuck without power in the middle of an intense blizzard, hand warmers can help you warm up, providing you with hours of consistent heat when you need it most. Like ponchos and emergency blankets, it is wise to keep enough hand warmers stocked that everyone in your household has enough to use.
Where To Store Your Survival Gear
Your survival supplies should be kept somewhere in your home (or car or pack if you are traveling) where you can easily access them in a hurry. In an emergency situation, time is extremely precious, and the quicker you can get to the resources you need, the better.
Keep the items in your emergency kit stocked up and ready, routinely replenishing any that have been used up. You don’t want to open your first aid kit when you have an accident on a hike and discover you used up all of your gauze. Any disposable items in your emergency supplies should be replenished as quickly as possible after use. This way, you will be ready next time you need them.
Keeping A Clear Head In A Crisis
When something goes very wrong, the stress can quickly become overwhelming. That’s why it is especially important to have a plan and practice using your survival supplies so that you can keep a clear head.
When it comes to your emergency preparedness gear, mastery is key. You should know your way around every item in your kit since many of them have the potential to save a life. In addition, it is always worthwhile to keep a home evacuation plan ready and routinely practice it with the other members of your household.
Of course, it is hard to imagine how you will respond to a crisis until you have experienced one. However, the best way to make sure you are mentally prepared is to practice your responses to different emergencies. For example, familiarize yourself with the supplies in your first aid kit and perform a trial run of patching up an injury with each of the key items.
Practicing using your survival supplies every now and then can help to reduce any anxiety or sense of unpreparedness that you might have, making you feel more ready to respond well to an emergency.
Are You Prepared?
When an unexpected crisis comes your way, you always want to make sure you have what you need to respond in the best way possible. Keeping your emergency survival supplies nearby and easily accessible when you are at home or abroad helps you maintain peace of mind. A well-stocked emergency preparedness contains items that can save a life and many that can come in handy on a daily basis, whether you are in a life-threatening emergency or not.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/non-perishable-food
https://gallantry.com/blogs/journal/the-history-of-multi-tools
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