Debris
Terrorist attack, flood, earthquake, hurricane and other situations seem to all have debris in common? One item we can ensure we have to help us in a lot of situations is good footwear. Not tennis or running shoes, flip flops or sandals but a good pair of boots. In a situation movement could be a very important ability to have. Broken glass, wood, metal and other items sticking into your feet could quickly take away your ability to move away from danger, move toward help or help others.
These boots should be sturdy, high topped and broken in. Last thing you want to do in an emergency is try to walk to safety in a pair of boots you did not break in. Breaking in the boots also gives you a reason to go take a hike or two or three which will also help you if you have to walk somewhere during an emergency. Wearing boots while walking over unstable and broken terrain helps to protect your feet and aids in supporting your ankles. Wearing good boots while walking through flood waters is a good idea if you are forced to. Getting a cut or scrape on your feet from unseen obstacles or debris while walking in polluted water is just asking to get an infection. Something you do not want to deal with in an emergency.
Along with a pair of good boots a pair of good gloves seems to be something everyone could use during several types of emergencies. The ability to pick things up without a risk of cutting yourself would be a bonus. Also if you do not do a lot of physical labor on a daily basis, the gloves will help you cut down on blisters you'll have if you are suddenly forced to work more with your hands. Gloves should be thick and made of leather. Packs of these can be picked up at almost any hardware store. Gardening gloves might be good for youngsters during an emergency but any adults or older children realy need to have a pair of work gloves to use.
Light
Be it a tropical storm or a heat wave one thing several emergencies have in common is the lack of electricity. Without electricity we don't have the lights we are all accustomed to. Tonight look around and see how many sources of light you are using or are on around you. Take in to account the street lights, your neighbors lights and all other sources of light powered by the electricity being brought into the area. Even a simple car wreck can cause the power to go off in an area. Having a flashlight is a very good idea and can help you greatly during many situations.
Inexpensive flashlights can be bought at almost any grocery store and in many you can pick them up in packs of two or more. Battery powered camping lanterns can also be picked up at sporting good stores or anywhere else camping equipment is sold. Having one flashlight for each family member is a good idea especially for the younger kids. Having there own light gives them a sense of protection from the dark they don't understand. If you can pick up packs which have a handheld flashlight and a hands free, headlamp included. Having the ability to shine a light without using your hands is almost always a bonus. Plus when bought together the two lights almost always us the same type of batteries.
Candles and oil lamps are old, tried and proven tools to use during a blackout. Simple tea lamp candles can be picked up in bags of twenty or more. I've even bought these at the dollar store with five or more included together for a buck. We must remember if we are using these to light our home these use real fire to work. Fire which if not contained properly and watched could cause a fire and make a bad situation much worse!!! Never leave a flame unattended and always have a means of fire fighting at hand.
Money
If buildings have been damaged, flooding has occurred and especially if the power has gone out it is a good idea to have some cash on hand. How many stores are going to accept credit cards if the power is out. How will you be able to purchase items for your family? What if you need diapers for the baby and the store will not accept your debit or credit cards? Cash is king when things go bad!
Of course you could wait for someone else to bring you free diapers or even loot a store to get those diapers. What happens to your family if the government can not get to you in time? What happens if you get injured, arrested or killed while trying to loot what you need? Having a small stash of cash could go a long way during the early part of an emergency. Everyone's budget is different, having around $100.00 per family member is a good round number to shoot for. This emergency fund could be the difference between your family having what they need and you having to risk exposure to violence, injury and prison time to get what you need.
We could make a list a mile long of items we need and try to cover every situation we might face. For this entry I wanted to keep the 'list' to things we can pick up tomorrow or might already have around the house.
A few other items you want to consider, wearing long denim pants, wearing long sleeve shirts, having a hat for each family member is a good idea and wearing these during a crisis could be the difference between being exposed to the elements or being injured in some way. If your collection of tools counts on electric power try picking up tools which work off of good old fashion muscle power. A hand saw or axe might be the tool you need to rescue a trapped family member, friend or neighbor.
Stay Safe!
