Skip to main content

How To Set Up a Proper At-Home Emergency Kit

Blend Images - REB Images / Getty Images

You can’t predict most emergencies but you can be prepared. With natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes ever-looming, it pays to have the emergency kit essentials you need to ride them out, whenever they unexpectedly arise.

If you already have an emergency kit, it might be worth looking it over to make sure all the major parts are there (or haven’t expired). If you don’t have one, you should, and we’re here to help. The last thing you want is to be left literally in the dark and cold when a big storm cuts off your power supply.

Related Videos

This is a worthwhile endeavor even if you don’t live along a fault line or in hurricane country. A tree could fall on a nearby power line, a flash flood could pour in, or extreme heat or cold could stress the power grid. No matter where you call home, your dwelling needs a kit to keep you covered.

Emergency Food

You gotta eat. Instead of worrying about what it is you’re eating (hopefully, the power won’t be out for long), focus on canned goods that are non-perishable and don’t require anything to prepare. In other words, a bunch of soup is fine, but you may have trouble heating it. Opt instead for items that eat well at room temperature, like canned beans, fruit, vegetables, and tuna. We also highly recommend a good portable water filter to keep your aqua supply healthy, no matter what the circumstances. You can put the filter to use on camping trips and backcountry hikes as well.

If you want to live like royalty during a crisis, stock up on ready-to-eat conservas. Oh, and have plenty of water set aside, like at least five to ten gallons.

Substitute Power Supply

boy-in-tent-with-headlamp-and-sleeping-bag-on

It’s all about battery-operated equipment here. You’ll need light, so set yourself up with the best headlamp or flashlight. Whichever route you go, have at least two available in case one doesn’t work. If you prefer to keep it natural, go with some candles and a good lighter or book of matches. Having some dry wood and a solid hatchet isn’t a bad idea either, even if you lack a fireplace or pit. In a bind, you may find yourself making one in your yard, not just for warmth but potentially to prepare some foods.

Extra Clothing and Gear

If you’re stuck at home, you’ll likely have access to all of your clothing. But some things are nice to have immediately accessible, especially if water is cascading into your basement or a tornado is throwing debris at your windows. Think packable, lightweight, durable items. We’re not trying to be fashionable during Apocalyptic conditions. Instead, keep some simple attire available, like hooded ponchos, gloves, and socks. We also suggest a good beanie and scarf for warmth, along with a lightweight blanket.

First Aid Essentials

You may have to deal with some wounds so make sure you have the medical essentials. You’ll want bandages, gauze, pain relievers, antibiotic ointment like Neosporin, scissors, moist towelettes, and burn gel. You can piece together your own or you can buy a respectable kit like the Deluxe All-Purpose First Aid Kit from Red Cross.

Entertainment

a deck of cares in the case sitting on a wood slat table.

No, this addition is not critical but we suggest it anyway. Chances are good that the emergency will be more of an inconvenience than anything else, so you may as well be entertained. If you can’t power up your phone or throw on the TV, you can still unwind a bit with a board game, deck of cards, or a good book. These items will help pass the time and before you know it, the lights and heat will be back on.

Miscellaneous Emergency Items

If you’ve got the room, a few extra items will very much come in handy. These include:

  • toilet paper
  • masks (for smoke, dust, etc.)
  • tools
  • generator
  • maps
  • signaling device like a whistle or air horn.

You may also want to consider money (like traveler’s checks or standard checks) as well as a good old-fashioned pen and journal. Make sure your kit is located in a designated location and stocked with enough of the above to last you at least several full days. Better yet, keep it away from the elements or in a waterproof bag like a bug-out bag, or container. Having a stripped-down emergency kit for your car or workplace is also advised.

Editors' Recommendations

The Best DIY Emergency Kit List: The Basics of Assembling Your Own
emergency kit checklist

When an emergency strikes, preparation can make the difference between a challenge and a catastrophe. In a genuine emergency situation, from a residential fire that puts out of your home to civil unrest that forces you to shelter in place, from a hurricane that destroys a neighborhood to a landslide that cuts off any hope of venturing beyond your area, one thing you can count on is a lack of things you take for granted in daily life. This can mean a sudden loss of access to potable water or a food supply; it can mean a dearth of medical support; it can mean loss of heating in the winter or cooling in the summer. And so much more, but in short, as you begin to assemble your emergency response kit, first think about the things you and your dependents need to get through a given day, from nutrition to health and wellness needs to warmth, and so forth. Make sure, in other words, that your basic necessities will be met.

We'll get into specifics below, but a quick note: This is not a comprehensive guide for assembling a once-and-for-all kit that will help you live on indefinitely after an apocalyptic event. I'm not including a radio, a GPS unit, any sort of defensive gear, a tent or different type of shelter, or other more involved supplies. Rather, this is a guide to help you plan an emergency readiness kit that will help keep you safe for a few days as you wait for civil services to be restored or you travel to an area unaffected by the situation. And while I hope you never experience even a two- or three-day emergency, I advise you to get ready for the possibility by assembling a kit now. You'll be glad you did in the event, or you else you'll be really ... really sorry you didn't.

Read more
8 Places Your Donations Are Needed Most During the Coronavirus Crisis
donation online

The number of people and organizations that need help right now is staggeringly large. The COVID-19 pandemic has everybody and everything reeling, from hourly workers to environmental advocacy groups. A one-two punch of coronavirus-related unknowns and a limping economy is taking its toll, and that's an understatement.

Which is to say you should be looking to help out those in need, if you’re able. Yes, by all means, spend local. Support your neighborhood restaurants, bottle shops, schools, parks, community centers, and small businesses in any way you can. While you’re in support mode, take a step back and look at the bigger picture and consider providing financial aid to the following groups. Invaluable groups like the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) are working overtime in a dire climate right now to make this current anxious lifestyle as temporary as possible.

Read more
The Best CBD Oil and Skincare Creams for Managing Pain
best cbd oil cream for pain

CBD is everywhere. Vapes, supplements, gummy bears, even coffee. And now CBD is being infused into skincare products like lotions, balms, and soaps. But why? What is it about cannabidiol that makes customers so intrigued?
Perhaps it’s the fact that CBD is tied to pot, weed, kush, dank, marijuana — whatever you want to call it these days. Maybe it’s the idea that you’re biting a forbidden fruit that’s not really all that forbidden anymore.
At the ripe old age of 31, I suffer from arthritis in my right foot. My rheumatologist says it’s most likely from a broken toe years back, but I like to think I’m an old soul.
All jokes aside, it hurts — and it hurts on a regular basis. Putting too much pressure on my foot will cause me to drop groceries in aisle seven, yelping out expletives. Aside from Advil and regular over-the-counter pain medications, there’s not a whole lot I can do.
I’ve been prescribed topical gels, but they only numb the skin. A cortisol shot can ease the pain for a few months, but having a 2-inch needle jammed into your toe joint isn’t exactly a walk in the park. In fact, you can cancel anything that involves walking for at least 24 hours after that.
So I looked for an alternative to help ease the pain and started researching CBD.
There are so many CBD items out there, and it’s important to do your research to figure out what will work best for you. Hemp oil is different from hemp extract — do you go with the 100 mg bottle or the 500 mg bottle? And what exactly does a full dropper look like? Where do you begin? This stuff is expensive enough as it is.
I did some research on my own — some products worked while others were disappointing. So here I am, your loyal guinea pig with the best products on the market. When it comes to CBD, you might just have to put your money where your mouth is — or in my case, where my foot is.
Let’s get topical.

Lord Jones

Read more