Friday, December 27, 2013

What We Should Know About Emergency Survival Kits

0 comments
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.

The best thing to do if you do not wish to forget anything, it to list down all the items that you think will be lifesaving. You can start by listing all the possible items and then to reduce your list progressively only to be left with the most essential. Shelter is arguably one of the most important things that you need to take care of. During emergencies, you need something to protect you from harsh climatic conditions.

There are many ideas that you can consider when thinking about a type of shelter. The most frequently used types of shelter include, among others, tents, tarps and trash bags. It is possible to modify nylon ponchos into some form of tents. The material chosen should be light and easy to carry around.

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.

Water is a must. Ensure that there is enough room for this essential commodity. It is recommended that each person drinks between 130 and 160 oz of water per day. There are many ways in which the water can be packaged. Commonly used options include sterilised bottles, water bags and reusable containers. The shelf life of mineralised water is about 5 years. It should therefore be replaced regularly.

There are types of foods that you can choose from as you prepare your kit. The choice depends on your tastes and preferences primarily. There are other considerations to have in mind though. As much as you are planning for an emergency situation, ensure that there is a balance in the types of food groups chosen as well as the mineral salts. One person requires not less than 2000 calories per day of energy. You can base your calculations on this fact. Granolas and food bars are highly preferred.

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.

There are really no hard and fast rules to guide the assembly of emergency survival kits. Apart from the very essential items, other components will depend on your own judgement. Check the kit regularly to ensure that everything is intact. If there are several persons in your household, make appropriate arrangements for each of them to get a personal kit.




About the Author:



Leave a Reply