A survival kit can help you and your family get through an emergency — but only if it’s well-stocked. How can you build the best possible emergency preparedness kit? What emergency supplies should you include? Keep reading to find out the seven best items to have in a survival kit.
1. Food
Let’s start with the basics. In an emergency, you likely won’t be able to rely on the grocery store for food. It’s best to have emergency food that’s ready to eat or easy to cook in your survival kit. Choose foods with a long shelf life, like canned and freeze-dried food. If you add canned food, put a can opener in your kit, too. Want to make things easy? 4Patriots can help you stock your emergency survival pantry with emergency food kits.
2. Water and Water Filters
Having water in a survival situation is essential for hydration and personal hygiene. You should have one gallon of water per person, per day, for several days. Even after you have depleted your stored supply of water, you will still need safe drinking water. For this reason, consider adding a water filter to your emergency preparedness kit.
3. First Aid Kit
You never know what will happen after a natural disaster or another emergency. You and your family need to be prepared for medical emergencies with a first aid kit. Typical first aid kits include everything you need to dress wounds and care for basic burns. Your first aid kit should also have an emergency blanket for warmth. Include over-the-counter painkiller medications, like aspirin. It’s a good idea to put extra prescription medications in your kit, too. You can also add respirator masks to protect against dust and polluted air.
4. Power Cells and Generators
Natural disasters can knock out electricity in your home or emergency shelter. In those cases, you need a backup for your devices. Go off the grid with a solar-powered Patriot Power Cell® that can be used to charge phones and tablets. If you need to power more electronics, consider keeping a solar-powered generator on hand.
5. Radio
When disaster strikes, you need to stay in the know. You may not have access to TV or digital news sources, so you need a radio in your survival kit. If you have a battery-powered radio, your kit should include plenty of batteries. Or, choose a solar-powered or hand-crank radio so you won’t need an outlet or batteries.
6. Basic Tools
If you need to turn off utilities or make an emergency repair to something, you need tools. Your survival kit should include pliers, a wrench, a utility knife, and other basic home and car repair items. A few other tools you might want to add are a car escape tool for keeping in your vehicle in case of accidents, a waterproof tactical arc lighter to provide extra light and a flame-free way to start fires, and a foldable Ready Shovel that can double as an axe when needed.
7. Garbage Bags and Plastic Sheeting
Garbage bags can help keep your home or shelter sanitary in an emergency. While they can also seal doors and windows in the event of an environmental disaster, it’s a good idea to keep plastic sheeting in your kit for the task. Sheeting or garbage bags can be duct-taped to window and door openings to keep inside air clean.
Build Your Emergency Survival Kit Today
Ready to build your own emergency survival kit? 4Patriots is here to help you build a well-stocked emergency kit for yourself and your family. Whether you’re looking for emergency food kits, solar-powered gadgets, or survival tools, find it at all at 4Patriots.
