AskMe on 72-hour survival kits. I just realized we have a perfect place to store a disaster kit, inside the huge old steamer trunk we use as a coffee table.
On September 11, 2005, the Seattle P-I ran a two-sided one-page disaster-preparedness checklist. Alas, I can’t find it online.
I spent a fair ammount of time worrying about this. You can always put together a better kit than anything that you can buy. Fancy first aid kits sound great but do you know how to use them? Lots of betadyne and something to cover wounds with is more useful than a whole lot of things that you are not sure how or why to use. Same problem with guns. If you imagine that you might get caught in some sort of violent situation, then perhaps weapons would be in order, the problem is do you know how and WHEN to use them? If you are not trained and thoroughly drilled, with frequent practice, guns would just be heavy and dangerous. Ponchos sound great in theory, but really, they suck. Good cheap lightweight clothing is readily available. Water purification gear is worth getting. Try living on 8 ounces of water a day from those little lifeboat pouches. Try it for three days. Now try it when you are under duress. Worse still, try it while you are trying to live on a survival candy bar a day. Military MRE’s are cheap, have an infinite storage life, and taste something like real food. Tube tents suck. try spending a weekend in one. Make it a rainy weekend. This is when ponchos do come in handy. If you know how to do it, you can rig a miserable but workable little shelter out of a poncho. You need something to sit on. You will wish for something to sleep on. You need at least a closed cell foam pad slightly larger than your ass. Speaking of your ass. You need toilet paper. A couple little pocket size packets of kleenex will do. If you are the least bit bald, you need a warm hat and a sun hat. If you are a client of the hair club for men, you will still be happy if you have them. I don’t know why, but I can’t tie knots. It’s like a form of dyslexia. I’ve bought and struggled with any number of books, pamphlets and pocket sized cards on knot tying, and I still can’t do it. Still, some parachute cord comes in real handy. Duct tape is invaluable. With enough duct tape, plastic sheeting , parachute cord, and whatever sticks, boards etc. you can find, you can build a livable little shack that will survive one or two real storms. Don’t have a disposable lighter and a flashlight. Have several disposable lighters and several diposable flashlights. Don’t buy a cheap knife or multi tool. A real swiss army knife or leatherman tool is definitely worth having. How can you justify buying all of this crap? Make a hobby out of it. Buy it in little bits and pieces and take your new gear out on hiking and then back packing trips. If you can spend a long weekend backpacking in relative comfort, then you will have the gear, experience and fitness needed to survive an evacuation. Oh yeah, one of the links mentioned having cash money stashed. Yes yes, small bills. Waterless, alcohol based hand cleanser is very useful for hygiene, it will also help get a fire started. You will be very unhappy without a tooth brush. A couple of bandanas can be used as towels, potholders, bandages or head covering. Bring something that will make you happy. A small book, powder cocoa mix, a favorite photo. Something to chase the wolf from your temporary door substitute. Nothing is permanent. Attitude is everything.
Can you fit a shotgun inside that steamer trunk?