Now that we have gotten organized, you're going to know what you have and don’t have, as well as how much you can spend or save each month to build up your supplies. Remember that starting small is better than not starting at all.
FEBRUARY
This month’s focus is on building up our initial inventory of supplies: food, water, first aid, and personal hygiene. These can be some of the most daunting things to prepare for with all the different options, but don’t be afraid to just get going. It will get easier as you go. Start with your basic 72-hour kit or Bug-Out-Bag and build out from there when you can. You can find lists for these basic kits with a quick search online. These types of kits are important to have in a short-term emergency as they are an easy grab and go size. Start with one kit and add another for each family member as you can build up your supplies.
You may need these in situations like:
- Emergency Evacuations
- Hurricanes
- Fires
- Floods
- Tornados
- At Home Security
- Power Outages
- Government Directives
- Shutdowns
- Supply Chain Disruptions
- Empty Store Shelves
- Civil Unrest
- Travel Security Away From Home
- Stranded with Car Problems
- Getting Lost or Disoriented
72-Hour Kit check list:
- Water - 1 gallon per person / day
- Food - nonperishable, and enough for 3 days
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Whistle to signal help
- Filter masks for hazardous air
- Fire starter (lighter, magnesium, tinder)
- Toiletries / Personal hygiene items to last 3 days
- Multi-tool with can opener
- Extra medication for 3 days (rotate it to keep it fresh)
- First aid supplies
- Water purification tabs or small container of bleach
- Extra power pack for your phone (keep it charged)
Bug-Out-Bag check list:
- Waterproof bag to contain everything
- First aid kit
- Water bottle (large and filled) and water purification tabs, filtration
- Food - ready to eat, nonperishable, and enough for couple days
- Toiletries / personal hygiene items
- Emergency blanket
- Fire starter (lighter, magnesium, tinder)
- Multi-tool or other light tools
- 50' of para-cord or light rope
- Phone charger
- Extra power pack for your phone (keep it charged)
- Emergency flare
- Flashlight with extra batteries
We hope this helps gets you started. Don’t be afraid to add to or take out items to customize these smaller kits to YOUR specific needs.
And of course, don’t forget to include your kids and pets when creating these short-term emergency kits!
