Personal Emergency Kit

It is a grim fact that a large portion of emergencies require us to leave our homes.  Sometimes this sudden requirement for living on the move is only for a short duration--a few days, a few weeks.  Sometimes, however, it can be for a lot longer--or even permanently.   And while often this means we merely relocate to relatives or friends or a FEMA/Red Cross shelter site, it can mean that we find ourselves homeless for a while.

This can be a rather frightening thought.

So what do we do?

Well, being independent and self-reliant people, we plan for the possibilities and do something smart about them now.

We create our own Personal Emergency Kit--or a Go Bag.

What is the difference between the Personal Emergency Kit and the EDC kit we learned about in a previous post?  Basically, the difference is the duration factor.  An EDC kit is meant to help take care of you in an emergency for a short term--usually just until you get back home or until emergency personnel can get to you.  A Personal Emergency Kit, however, is for use in an extended period of movement or relocation, where you may be entirely on your own without professional assistance or emergency resupply.

Think less like going on a Star Trek Away Team Mission and more like going through the Stargate to Atlantis without knowing if you can ever come back.

Because this kit is meant for some really serious use for possibly quite a long time, you need to plan it out very carefully.  Which means you need to do some very thorough and realistic self-education and training.

Again, I recommend The Hoodlums Adventure Team Forum noted in my Cool Sites to Check Out.  While FEMA and the Red Cross have a decent basic run, neither site is intended to help you be independent or self-reliant for a long term--they focus on the short term emergency, with government and emergency personnel assistance to step in with relief supplies to take care of you.  Don't get me wrong, this is useful and often needed.  But you might need more.  Hence the referral to the Hoodlums. 

Whatever educational source you choose, do it wisely--and never stop learning, training, and practicing.

Now, hopefully you remember the six areas talked about in previous posts--if not go back in and read them again.  Get some paper and a pencil, find a quiet spot, and go through those six areas again--this time with a mind focused on the real possibility of needing to rely on your Personal Emergency Kit entirely and completely alone for an extended period.

Once you've done this, now pull out some more paper and start applying your answers to the baseline needs of this kit--which are:

*Carrier
*Warmth, Light and Clothing
*Food and Water
*Shelter
*Medical and Hygiene
*Communication and Direction
*Tools and Weapons
*Comfort and Entertainment
*Documentation
*Currency and Trade Needs

I'm purposefully giving you the needs first in categories, not in listed items.  Categories teach you to actually think, not just grab an item on a list. 

So what,  you say?  Why is that important? 

Because we're about the qualities of self-reliance and independence here--and the ability to actually think things through and adapt correctly to fit your needs is essential to achieving them.

So let's begin planning your kit by going into these categories a bit.

Carrier

Because you're going to be mobile, obviously, you need to take your kit with you.  And though it may sound funny, you need to plan as carefully what you are carrying your gear in as you do the gear itself!  Why?  Because when you are mobile, your carrier becomes your new home.  This means it has to be of good construction so it lasts as long as possible, be repairable because it will get hard use, be a match for the climate and terrain of your area, be comfortable to wear for long periods of time over possibly destroyed or damaged environment, and it has to actually hold your entire kit properly.

That is a lot of requirements for just a carrier!

So start by considering a backpack or duffle.  For extended comfort and hard use, I find a backpack works best.   Don't get discouraged if finding the right one takes some effort and time--it is worth it!  And have some fun with it--this is your mobile home--if you find cool or funny patches, put them on, not only are you making your kit easy to identify as yours, but you're building in some psychological uplift into it as well.

Warmth, Clothing and Light

If you're mobile, you're exposed--this means you need to deal with your environment.

You need to make fire, stay dry, keep warm, and see what you are doing.  This means you need fire starters and tinder, sleeping protection, suitable clothing layers for your area, and flashlights or other portable light sources.

Do your research!  You need hardy stuff that lasts but you also need to watch their weight and size, after all, the carrying capacity of your pack is as limited as your own.

Water and Food

You need to provide for your own food and water.  This means having some already in your kit to start out with.  Generally, it is a good idea to have anywhere from three days to two weeks of food in your kit--ten days is usually the average.  It all depends on what you choose and how compact it is. But eventually you'll run out, which also means that you need the ability to provide and cook additional food--and clean new sources of water and carry it with you. 

This area is going to require you to spend some serious time learning--hunting, fishing, trapping, plant identification, food preparation and preservation, scavenging, etc.  And lots and lots of time practicing.  As you learn and become proficient, you will know what tools to include in your kit to get the 'biggest bang for the buck'.  Remember that anyone else in the area, will also be hungry, so be prepared for conflict from the bad guys.

Shelter

While you are moving, you still need shelter.  This means body shelter--from proper clothing to an actual place to settle into.  This can range from anything like a poncho and tarp to one of the ultralight, multi-season tents.  Educate yourself and choose according to what you might face and how much weight you can comfortably carry over distance, through damaged areas, and in extreme weather.  And don't forget any weather-proofing, repair kits, or needed accessories.

As you train, you will learn how to build 'make-shift' shelters--and how to 'stealth' camp, so that you can increase the chances of a safe rest.

Medical and Hygiene

The medical area takes professional training.  Get the basic first aid training as well as whatever advanced levels or courses you can possibly take.  This should include both urban and wilderness areas and cover dealing with specific hazards or emergencies which you might encounter in your area.  

The Red Cross, your local emergency agencies/personnel, area colleges, and FEMA all offer classes--some hands on, some online.  Additional information can be found in books or online from reliable sources.  Take advantage of every quality source to learn everything you can--you are making your own difference!

The hygiene section does not take as much specialized training as the medical, but it still takes knowledge and practice.  How to eliminate waste and keep yourself clean, ironically, takes some skill outside of the bathroom--as does how to properly take a 'sponge' bath or clean your own clothes by hand.  Any female will note that she needs to tend her menstrual cycle or would like to urinate without having to expose herself entirely.  Knowing how to avoid contaminating your food or water, is a real need--as is how to provide clean your water, itself.

Do your research!

Communication and Direction

In an emergency, you need to be able to contact others, receive additional information, and get to a more secure location.  While your cell phone or other neat-o device has an address book and a cool internet connection for emails and MapQuest, it also has a battery life which you might not be able to recharge.  So think manually as backup. 

A small book with phone numbers, physical addresses, mailing addresses and email addresses--as well as any needed account or insurance contacts is a must.  If it isn't on waterproof paper, then keep it safe inside a double Ziplock bag setup.  A phone card or some coin for pay phones is a good idea.  Signalling devices are also a good idea--you might need help.  Maps of your area with information on predesignated emergency assistance sites or evacuation routes is really good. 

Tools and Weapons

What you choose for this section is heavily dependent on your training and the laws of your area.  Remember that official emergency shelters are really picky about what they let you take in--and martial law means a whole new set of issues itself! 

For tool choices, you need to consider everything you might need to do to take care of yourself over an extended time in an emergency or its recovery period.  This can include, but is not limited to: shelter building, fire making, food and water procurement, assisting others, moving through damaged or destroyed areas, clean-up, repair/maintenance of gear, etc.  You will need the tools themselves--but also the protective gear to keep yourself secure and uninjured while using these tools.

For weapon choices:  your training, the laws of your area, and possible governmental/martial response in a time of emergency all comes into play.  Realize that in disasters, law enforcement is spread brutally thin--and that violent crime skyrockets.   Serious training is a must--both for unarmed and armed defense and fighting.   Some people cringe when they hit this section.  Don't.  It's one of the reality bite marks that an emergency forces you to deal with.  Your options are to risk it untrained and unarmed or to face it trained and armed.  Remember that you are not limited to just guns--but have a whole range of make-shift or alternate protection possibilities available to you, lethal and non-lethal.  Make your choice seriously.

Comfort and Entertainment

It is absolutely important in extended emergencies to take special care of your mental and emotional state.  You are doing more with this area than just 'passing the time'--keeping your 'spirits up' is essential to success.  This can be anything from snacks to games to religious or entertainment reading--or to including laminated copies of meaningful photographs or personal 'talismans' or lucky items in your kit.  You don't have a lot of extra space in your kit or on your person, so pick what matters most to you and bring it.  Just don't rely on anything battery-operated.

Documentation

You need to carry proof of at least the following areas:  personal identity, home and vehicle ownership, insurance policies and contact information, financial accounts and contracts, medical records and prescription orders, marriage/divorce certificates, child identification, and pet identification.  Keep it in a waterproof 'packet'.

Obviously, this stuff is sensitive information--so store the waterproof packet in a very secure location until you leave.  And hide it well on your person or in your pack when you do.

Currency and Trade Needs

Given the possibilities of power outs, you may not be able to rely on credit or bank cards to give you the money you need in an emergency.  Those ATMs still operational will quickly be emptied of their cash supply by desperate people.  Checks, whether personal or traveler, are becoming a thing of only mail-in bills and few people will take them in an emergency--if any at all. 

You will need either cash itself, or a cash substitute.  The amount you carry is up to you, but keep bills small (it is seriously doubtful you will get change back) and hide them throughout your person and pack to increase your odds of keeping at least something if attacked.  Remember that in emergencies other forms of currency can include precious metals, jewelry, and other trade items.  The type of emergency and how long it lasts will determine what people find of value--Hurricane Katrina let us see soap as a barter item.


Make Your Choices Wisely

Just like your other layers of personal protection in an emergency, you're going to constantly be changing your Personal Emergency Kit as your skill levels change and your knowledge increases.

Whatever you choose for your Personal Emergency Kit, take the time to do it carefully.  Ask yourself if an item actually fills the need you are choosing it for--or if there is a better option available.  You are looking for quality, durability, and success of use.  Keep in mind that you are going to have to carry this kit--if it is more than one third your body weight, see if you can reduce it back down by choosing lighter weight options or by selecting items which fill more than one area of need.  Remember to keep your EDC kit on your person, even while you are carrying this larger kit--you could be forcibly separated from your backpack and you still need to have the basic tools to keep yourself going.  The more you know and are skilled at doing, the safer and more successful you will be.

Your Personal Emergency Kit is your mobile home in an emergency--one that you are leaning your life on.  Make it a good one!   Do your research, take the training, practice continually, and choose what you carry wisely.  Be your own best source of emergency assistance.

You can do it.