It is always a good idea to keep track of our important things we have kept around the house. Items like your household documents, personal documents and our treasures such as money and jewellery. Make a point that all these items are kept in close proximity like in your bedroom or in a safe. After gathering all these stuff the next item you want to take along is a survival pack.
Survival pack are items that you need to survive when you evacuated your house. You never know when help will arrive but with the survival pack you can ensure that you are well equipped for atleast 3 to 5 days. So what are the items that you need to have in the survival pack. You can either view this website by New Zealand Government or see what I have prepare for myself.
My survival pack consist mostly of my outdoor gears which I would take along during camping or hiking trips. I felt it is necessary to have them packed in a backpack so that in time of need or disaster, I would just pick up the pack and leave.
Here are some basic notes you can follow and prepare in advance and pack them in a bag.
- Fire - you will need a fire source to keep you warm or cook. Keep matches, lighter or better a fire starting kit.
- Shelter (Protection) - Blanket or sleeping bag, add a Tarp or Tent
- Water - 1 to 3lts per person. Filled up to the rim and put a note either Raw Water or Drinking Water. not necessary all must be Drinking water. Fill them from your tap and store them away from light source. It will be better if you have a water filtration kit.
- Food - dry food preferred by do check them every 3 months. Put a expiry date on each packaging
- First Aid kit - Every household must have this kit, you can prepare this kit easily or you can buy them from Pharmacy. DO NOT FORGET YOUR GENERAL PRESCRIPTION FROM YOUR DOCTOR
- Hygiene kit - soap, toothbrush and paste, toilet paper
- Lighting - handheld torch light or headlamp. You can buy them from convenient store. Normally when you buy Energizer batteries, they come with a free torch.
- Radio - Nowadays most hand phones comes with FM radio, you can use that but your phone batteries will run out of juice very fast. Otherwise have an Emergency radio with spare batteries. This is to keep you up to date with the situations and helps you plan your evacuation route.
- Cooking set - portable stove, pot and utensils
- Clothes - Those clothes you think you never going to use them.
What is in my Survival Pack
- knife or multi tools
- water filter
- survival kit (most important kit)
- cooker set
- Food dry or dehydrated for 3 to 5 days
- Shelter - tent or hammock
- sleeping pad/mattress
- sleeping bag
- hygienic kit
- water bottle or bag 2lts
- first aid kit
- dry clothes in water proof bag
- world band radio
- headlamp
- thumb drive with all copies of my documents and certificates
- money and credit card
These kits mentioned above are just as good to use on a camping trip. The most important note is that try not to be too stingy on your equipment/gears. In time of situations, you want to make sure all these equipment you have should be in good working condition. As for water try to have it replace every once a month and dried food maybe every 6 months.
I will later post on how you can prepare a "cheap version" Survival Pack that you don't have to spend much money on it.
