Beyond First Aid Kits: 5 Unexpected Survival Kit Essentials

[Are_grits_groceries]

Gallon jugs of water, fire extinguishers and first-aid supplies are the essentials of any good survival kit, but our survey of those who outlasted disasters suggests a few more unexpected items. Read their amazing stories of surviving fires, blizzards, hurricanes and tornadoes here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/worst_case_scenarios/4331486.html

1. Beer
“Buy a lot of it,” says Trey Click, a magazine publisher who rode out last year’s Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas. “It’s one of the only things you can use for money in the aftermath.” Need your neighbor to help you clear trees out of your yard? A case of Bud is a better motivator than a $20 bill when all the stores are boarded up.

2. Handheld CB Radio
Think no one uses CB radios anymore? Think again. These things can be a direct line to emergency crews and tow trucks, exactly the folks you might want to get in touch with after a disaster. Plus, they work when cell towers don’t. Look for one that also tunes into NOAA weather channels.

3. Contractor Bags
Thick, sturdy 3-mil contractor bags are the multitool of the disaster world. They’re tough enough to stuff with sharp debris, they work as an impromptu poncho or water barrier for leaky structures, and you can use them to drag heavy objects.

4. Glow Bracelets
When the electricity is out, you may not feel like celebrating, but these party favors can come in handy. “Houses get dark really quickly with no power,” says Mark Vorderbruggen, who went five days without electricity after Ike hit Texas. “I used them to mark the location of radios, flashlights, batteries and door handles.”

5. A Good Book
When stuck in his Jeep for two weeks, Daryl Jané would have killed for a good book. “I had water and a sleeping bag, and that’s all you really need to survive,” he says. “But it gets so boring after a while. If I’d had a book I would have been set.”

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/worst_case_scenarios/4331516.html

There a lot of other good articles at this site about disaster preparedness. A lot of it is based on info not only from experts, but also from people who have lived through disasters.

I added some items to the list besides the 5 they suggested, but I think they gave a good starting point.

[hobbit709]

1. I have an emergency lantern

Uses batteries and has a crank to charge it. Has an AM/FM radio, Emergency flasher, siren, and a cell phone charger. Cost me $15. 5 minutes of cranking keeps the light on for 1/2 hour and the radio for a couple of hours.

[Sherman A1]

2. Got one of those two

Not the greatest thing, but sure came in handy when our power was out for 4 days here in St. Louis courtesy of a storm and Ameren UE helping their bottom line by trimming their tree trimming budget for years.

But the Beer is a really good idea.... Beer as currency..... Hmmmm........?

[hobbit709]

3. Problem with beer is you can't stockpile it too long

or it goes stale. Since I don't drink because of medical issues that means I'd have it sitting around forever. Of course I have a few bottles of liquor and that doesn't go bad.

[Hoopla Phil]

4. Goes stale? Since when?

That "born on date" crap is just a marketing gimmick. Granted a keg can go stale after it has been tapped but we're talking about sealed cans here.

[hobbit709]

5. Ever drink a beer after about 2 years in a can or bottle.

[Robb]

7. Two years, yeah

it's all funny. But I've had one after a year in a hot/freezing garage, and it was as OK as when it started. :shrug:

[Sherman A1]

6. True, but still an interesting concept

:toast:

[tridim]

10. I had one too. The crank broke the second time I used it.

Thanks China.

You might want to test for that before relying on it in an emergency.

[hobbit709]

12. I've had mine for 3 years

Used it least a dozen times.

[NightWatcher]

8. contractor bags are the best all around thing to have...then there's liquor

plus, along with beer, you can barter with bottles of alcohol. During Ivan's aftermath, we got a lot of help because of my alcoholic FIL's stash and his willingness to trade for help and other supplies.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. During Isabel, we were without power for close to a week

We were lucky because we had gas hot water, so we could still shower which was the biggest of all Godsends because it gets so hot and sticky, especially if you're clearing and hauling away debris all day. We also had our gas range working and were happy we had an old fashioned coffee perculator and lots of coffee/ powdered creamer.

But the weirdest thing is the boredom when the sun goes down. Lanterns only give off so much light and everyone was just dying to go to bed and wake up when there was daylight. My parents were trying to kill themselves with food poisoning as they continued to eat unrefrigerated leftovers long past the time to safely do so. We had some fierce fights about that but luckily, they suffered no ill effects.

The things we used the most were: trash bags, hand purifier stuff, paper towels. Everyone has to have an emergency supply of petfood.


I had a friend turn up one day looking strangely glamorous - she had a butane curling iron!

[skygazer]

11. Oil lanterns

Better than batteries - you don't have to worry about the life of the battery, just make sure you keep a stock of oil. They throw a good strong light and last.

Propane stove. Great for camping, great for emergencies. I'm not in hurricane country, I'm in earthquake country. Long power outages are a given in a bad earthquake.

Gas-powered generator and gas. Okay, not going to help a lot if it's covered with floodwater but it can keep the food in your frig edible and even run the TV if you can use it.

Flashlights. I keep one in my glove box, a small one in my purse, another small one in my jacket pocket, one by my side of the bed, another by my husband's, one in the kitchen and one downstairs in the laundry room. It gets very dark when the lights suddenly go out.

[tridim]

14. Do you know where to buy replacement wicks?

Mine is about 2mm from needing a replacement and I've yet to find one.

[dgibby]

17. Here's lots of sites.

http://aolsearcht5.search.aol.com/aol/search?query=oil+lamp+wicks&s_it=keyword_rollover&c.userid=4132198435494441665

You can usually find them in any hardware store, camping section of other stores, any place that caters to the Amish, such as Lehman's, http://www.lehmans.com/.

[tridim]

18. Thanks.

I'm sure if this were the old days I could buy them at any general store.

[sammytko]

13. Don't forget the baby wipes - nt

[merh]

15. my bottle of Crown Royal was one of the items in my back pack

that survived Katrina - it did come in handy.

[Prophet 451]

16. If civilisation collapses...

...I'll be fine. I can brew beer, cider and applejack and fletch arrows. I'll trade with you guys who can't.

[Dead_Parrot]

19. The problem with beer....

...is my emergency supply usually lasts until about 9pm on friday, at which point I declare an emergency and raid the supply.

:beer:

I've wound up with brandy instead: Can't stand the stuff, so it should last until a real emergency...

Good tip about the contractor bags, though

[eShirl]

20. long term, wouldn't it be better to buy brewing equipment & lots of supplies

than beer?