What We Should Know About Emergency Survival Kits

By Harriett Crosby


It is not until the unexpected happens and you are caught unawares that you begin to appreciate the importance of emergency survival kits. The kits make the difference between safety and serious injury or even death. These are tools that you need to have within your reach at all times. To make your pack convenient to carry around, there are a number of things that you need to decide beforehand. For instance, you need to make a decision whether the kit you want to be prepare will be used just one or will be re-usable.

Where do we start? The best place for you to start is to make a decision on what you need in your package. List down all the items then reduce the list gradually to leave only the items of the highest priority. One of the items that you probably need to list at the very top is shelter. You never know where an emergency will find you and as such you will need a source of protection from unfavourable weather.

For shelter, there are numerous options to consider. Commonly used forms of shelter include trash bags, tents and tarps. Nylon ponchos may be ripped and folded into shape to help serve as tents. The idea is to have a material that is light enough to be carried around with ease. Ensure that you have ropes and stakes with you.

Related to the shelter is the need for warm bedding. The top two choices for bedding are wool and fleece. These have their advantages and disadvantages. Both are always warm even when wet. Wool has the additional benefit of being a flame retardant while fleece is also very lightweight. Foil type blankets are very easy to pack and very warm as well. Cotton bedding should be avoided whenever possible as they lead to loss of body heat.

Regardless of the size of your kit, you definitely need water. According to research, between 130 and 160 oz of water is required for one person per day. This is the amount of water that is to be used for drinking only and has to be used very sparingly. Water can be packed in many different ways including sterilized bottles, water bags and reusable containers. Sterilised water should be replaced on an annual basis whenever possible.

Food needs to be chosen carefully. While what you package depends on what you like to some extent, this should not be the main determinant. It is important to maintain a balance among all major groups of food and minerals. A minimum of 2000 calories is required per person on a daily basis. The most convenient foods are those that require little or no preparation at all.

The need for additional items in the kit will vary on a case to case basis. If you intend to include toiletries such as towels and soap, do so if space is available. A first aid kit may be needed at one time or the other. Components of such a kit may include painkillers, one or two gauze rolls, wound cream and antibiotics.

Emergency survival kits should be your best friend. There are no laid down rules to guide their assembly but all you need to remember is to ensure that all the essential items are packed. Regular inspection should be done to ensure that all the items are in good condition.




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