For all the CA moms, I've been reading lists for preparing our family's EQ preparedness kit, but I'm sure there things they've missed. For instance, they tell you to prepare a separate pack for each person, and have family pictures in them for identification purposes should you get separated, and it occured to me that walkie-talkies might also be useful in this instance.
So my question is what else have you put in yours that they may not have thought of?
A can opener. toilet paper, a brush, toothbrush,a pen and paper,deodorant,candles,a lighter,barfbag,ibuprofen,nailfile,qtips,bandages,toothpaste,babyblankets,any good meds,must have eyeliner (for eyebrows) lol.
In my church we had a challenge that we run a few times a year where we live off of our 72 kit. We can't use our electronics (no TV, etc) and we pretent we are really in that situation. This helps us figure out what we need. here is a great list
http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/72hour_...
we rotate our supplies out when the time changes (yes another thing to do) from past challenges you need to make sure you have toilet paper. It WILL be a hot comodity. Place several rolls aside only for emergencies. you will NOT want to be out of that. Baby wipes. for cleaning yourself and maybe even dishes, etc. might not have running water. Cash in small amounts. Stores might not be able to run credit cards or checks. Small amounts means you SHOULD get a good price. (if you only have a $20 and there is a limit on how much water you can buy you may have to give up your WHOLE $20 for a few bottles or whatever supply you needed). Think about beefing up for more than 72 hours or maybe your long term storage as well. If we have a major disaster 72 hours will be a start (better that nothing) but may not be enough. Good luck. I am glad you are getting prepared.
I did not read all the responses, but the one we had when we lived in CA and now we have a tornado kit which has what you have in yours and also contains an air horn, sanitary products, walkie-talkies, busy stuff for the kids (crayons, coloring books, etc), water proof matches, candles, extra batteries, flashlights, glow sticks, pet supplies, paper & plastic products, canned goods, can opener, knives, scissors, emergency contact info, extensive first aide kit. shelf stable beverages. We also have it with our camping gear, just in case of evacuations. That was done due to the CA wild fires. We feel it is safe to keep everything together so if you have to leave, then you can grab and go. We also know what computer hard drives we need that have our back up banking info and photos. It is also a good idea to have cash, because if there is a major earthquake, there will probably not be any power, so getting money from an ATM will not work.
Hope this helps!
I don't have one-but understand , certainly, why you do! I would have a Rosary.
Hooray for you! Many people talk about putting a kit together 'someday'.
I use the regular lists for supplies, too, but believe these might be valuable:
-- A black Sharpie pen. A Red Cross volunteer that helped with Katrina said if pet owners had just marked their info ON THE PET's belly (softer skin; usally lighter in color esp. with darker animals), they probably could have been reunited. Crazy as it sounds, if it looks like I'll be separated from my kids for even one second following an earthquake, I'm writing on them! Name, Birth Date, Parents Names, phone number, etc.
-- Crank radio and flashlight.
-- I check/change my bags out when the time changes. It's easy to remember. Note all expiration dates with above mentioned Sharpie in BIG NUMBERS (I don't have to find glasses) so it's easier to see what needs replacing.
-- Extra pair of glasses or some cheap reading glasses.
-- Small container of Super Glue in my 'boo boo' medical kit. If the surgeon can 'stitch' my daughter's skin following a surgery with it, it sounds like a good thing to have on hand. BTW, the Dollar Tree sells a 3-pack of smalls tubes (yes, for a dollar!).
-- Memory stick with important information on it (insurance information, past year taxes, auto registration copies, immunization records, important photos, etc.). I still have this one on my to-do list.
If you find something really clever, please share it with us!
Ps. My sister-in-law lost her home in the San Diego fires a few years ago. One of the things she grabbed was the dirty laundry. Great idea since it was all the clothing that fit her children at that time!
One really important item that has not been mentioned is a solar-operated or crank radio. You should not depend on batteries or electricity, so we have always been told how important this kind of radio is so you can hear any news broadcasts.
Bottled water, water purification drops, granola bars, hard candies like lifesavers or dum dums, cash and some quarters for a pay phone, tampons
I have a couple sheets of plywood in the garage to cover broken windows, duct tape and sheets of plastic, radio and batteries, hand crank flashlight, old style plug-in-the-jack phone in case electricity and cell phones go out, a crow bar to pry open doors.
We are not as prone to earthquakes here as in Californian, but we do have them as well as evacuations for fire in the summer. So I keep 2 large storage totes with photos and documents, and toiletry bag packed and ready. I also have a pet carrier with harness and leash inside to evacuate our kitty.
Water purification tablets, comfortable walking shoes, change of clothing, AND FOR WOMEN sanitary products!
1, have an out of state contact to call. Remember the next quake can happen
when your family is not all together.
2.have a portable radio and lots of batteries.
3. Have some bottle water .
4. Instead of food put in a box it is easier to just keep
a full kitchen especially canned goods. Rotate them as you
use them. Also this is good in case you all get sick. A week can go quickly.
5. Never have empty gas tanks.
