This blog post is about making a budget survival kit that is essential to having in an emergency. There are many items that are needed to have in a survival kit as well as being necessary to survive. These items are to keep you safe, healthy, and warm, and to help you be able to communicate with others.
For most of us, our everyday lives are a little too cushy. It’s a struggle to wake up in the morning, and you’re constantly counting down the minutes until your next vacation. And then, there’s the, ahem, “unexpected events” — like if the car breaks down or the family dog decides to play tug-of-war with the electrical cord — that can rattle even the most comfortable of us.
On the face of it, you may not see the point of creating a survival kit. It’s not like you’ll ever need to use it, right? Well, that was until the credit crunch happened. With the economy in a mess and unemployment rates rising, the chances are you’ll be starting to feel the pinch. It’s not just the cost of heating and food that’s rising; your fuel bills aren’t looking too good, either. Furthermore, it’s not just people on lower incomes who are feeling the pinch; middle-income families are also struggling to keep their heads above water. With this in mind, it’s important to consider the financial implications of any disaster that may occur.
Dollar Tree Emergency Equipment List
Many people don’t realize how much money they can save by shopping at the dollar store. Of course, some products are cheap and break easily, but there are many excellent quality and brand products. I prefer Dollar Tree over the others because their items are really $1. What’s also great is that you can order online and get free shipping to your local store, but you usually have to order in bulk (some items cost less).
Water and food
The Red Cross recommends keeping one liter of water per person per day on hand. You should have a supply of food and water for 3 days in case of evacuation and a supply for 2 weeks for your home.
- Bottled water
- Canned meat : Tuna, chicken
- Peanut butter
- Muesli bar
- Beef jerky
- Fruit cups
- Appetizers: Chips, candy, cookies
- Water bottle
- Tin opener (non-electric)
- Kitchen utensils : Fork, spoon, knife
- Zippered pockets
- Garbage bags
- Vacuum bags
- Paper/plastic cups and plates
- Paper towels
Personal care and first aid
- Hand sanitizer
- Triple antibiotic ointment
- Cold compress
- Waterproof tape
- Disinfectant wipes
- Facial masks
- Travel kit for dentist
- Toilet paper
- Baby Supplies : Rags
- Products for women
- Adhesive tape
- Multi-purpose knife
- Sewing kit
- Toys and activity books
Other necessary accessories
This list of supplies is a little more expensive, but highly recommended!
Keep your emergency supplies in a backpack so you can grab them and run. It’s best to use a waterproof backpack like this one, but you can use any bag and keep your stuff in zippered pockets.
In case the ATMs don’t work.
Clean water is essential for survival, and in emergencies it disappears from the shelves. Thanks to our Big Berkey filter table system, my family never has to worry about running out of water. But there’s also the GO Berkey kit, which is small enough to fit in a backpack. For added safety, don’t forget the water purification tablets!
Mobile phone with chargers
Keep your phone charged and buy a portable charger (I have 4). My favorite is the RAVPower portable charger; it can fully charge my phone about 4 times and has 3 charging ports.
Battery or handheld radio
This is the NOAA weather radio sponsored by the Red Cross, but there are cheaper options.
- Formula or other baby food
Water and fire resistant safe
We keep our important documents in one of Dollar Tree’s vacuum bags and then in a safe; double protection!
Copies of personal documents
- Medical Records
- Driving licence/Military driving licence.
- Contract of purchase/rental of the house
- Birth certificates
- Insurance policies
EILIKS Emergency survival equipment
If you prefer to buy a simple kit, this cheap box already contains many useful accessories:
- Tungsten steel handle
- 10 m umbrella rope
- Water bottle clip
- Survival fire starter tube
- Flint, scraper
- Disposable tourniquet
- Fish accessories
- Waterproof notepad
- Sealed bags
- Emergency poncho.
- Survival blanket
- First aid equipment : Disinfectant wipes, alcohol wipes, plasters, gauze
Emergency preparedness tips
What’s in your family’s survival kit? There are many other things that can go into your kit, and the potential disasters in your area should reflect the choices you make. Be prepared to avoid unnecessary stress in the event of a disaster:
- Make an emergency plan for your family. Visit Ready.gov, a national government campaign to help Americans prepare for natural disasters.
- Set up a fund for unexpected expenses.
- Insure your property, your health and your life. (Take pictures and write down the serial numbers of the valuables).
- Buy or prepare in advance, stores sell out quickly.
- Make sure you have a full tank of gas. As the storm approaches, car lines may take longer than an hour.
- Fill water bottles (for drinking) and buckets (for cleaning/flushing toilets) in case the water supply is interrupted or contaminated.
- Keep a bag of frozen water in the freezer to keep it fresh longer in the event of a power outage.
- Unplug small appliances to protect them from power surges.
- Bring in anything that can be blown away by the wind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be in an emergency survival kit?
In the event of an emergency, you will need to be prepared for anything. Having a good emergency kit is essential to your survival and your families. Your kit should have a flashlight with extra batteries, a portable radio, a first aid kit, extra clothing, a blanket, a water disinfectant, and any medicines you take regularly. Your kit should also have enough food and water to sustain you for at least three days. The subject of survival kits is, understandably, a popular one among those who are interested in disaster preparedness. Whether you worry about earthquakes or tsunamis, terrorist attacks or civil unrest, it’s important to be prepared for the worst. But where do you start? You can spend hundreds of dollars building a 20-pound kit, or hundreds of dollars on ordering one from a store.
What are your top 10 survival items?
When confronted with any emergency situation, it is essential to have a survival kit stocked with all the necessities to help ensure that you both remain safe and protected until help arrives. Whether you are preparing for a natural disaster, job loss, or any other calamity, it is crucial to know that you have the tools on hand to help you get through it. The items you choose for your survival kit should be those that apply to your own unique situation. Anyone who is preparing for emergency situations has a list of items that they feel they need to survive. However, when resources are scarce, which items should you focus on getting to ensure your survival? The following is a list of ten items that will help you survive a crisis situation. These items will help you stay warm, fed and safe.
What are the 5 essentials for an emergency kit?
With the recent natural disasters all over the world, including the hurricane in the US and typhoons in the Philippines, the importance of being prepared for any emergency situation is crucial. In order to have a survival kit that can help you cope with any emergency, you need to make an inventory of all the items that will be in it. Here are the 5 essentials for your survival kit. When you are creating a survival kit you should consider the 5 essentials: food, water, first aid supplies, clothing and shelter, and tools. When you are creating an emergency kit, you should make sure you include all of these. Food: While you may have food in your home, you may not have enough food to last. With a survival kit you want to make sure you have enough food to last at least a few weeks. Water: You want to make sure that you have enough water to last for a few days. You can use bottled water, or you can boil and disinfect tap water. First Aid Supplies: You want to make sure that you have enough first aid supplies to last until you can be properly treated. Clothing: