groups

all of these items you would keep either in a rucksack, duffel sack, or waterproof seal-able tote of some sort...metal trash cans with lids and ammo boxes work great!! feel free to add whatever you deem necessary in other replies....

1. prescription medications - pain killers, muscle relaxers, laxatives, otc meds, and personal meds are mandatory for health and life..extra pair of prescript glasses and contacs..take care of your personal med needs first and then the others...

2. MAPS, MAPS, MAPS, - i cannot emphasize this enough, also a compass or two...map out evacuation routes of home, where you camp, from work, etc....if you dont know which direction to go then you may not get to where you want to be.....a local map, a state map, and a U.S. map would be the ones to have on hand.

3. water - you cannot have enuff of this life saving liquid...depending on the size of your household would determine how much to put by...i would use this formula...1 person = 10 gallons/day; now this also means a drastic change in how you would use the water as well...you definitely would want to consider how you would wash your dishes, pots and pans, utensils, etc...NO THROWAWAY items....dont pollute just becuz a disaster has occurred....

4. dehydrated food and such - stock up on pkgs. of prep food which all you would need to do is add water...there are a lot of pasta meals, beef stroganoff meals, and others which are available off the market shelves which are easily storable and kept...they last most indefinitely due to vacuum sealing...a very necessary item is dried milk in any form...it is easy to keep and store and has some necessary vitamins which will aid in maintaining good health and nutrition while in the disaster situation...if you are at home this list would be helpful....a weeks supply of non-perishable food(canned meats, fruits/vegetables, canned juices, juice concentrates in plastic bottles, ramen noodles, mac and cheese, dry soup/stew mixes and bases, pancake mix, pudding cups, instant egg mix, instant rice, non-fat dry milk, PEANUT BUTTER!!!, crackers, nuts, food bars, trail mix, jerky, tuna canned, chicken canned, crab meat canned, salmon canned, cereal, cookies, instant or ground coffee, hot chocolate, cold chocolate mix, all purpose flour, and vegetable oil (or some other oil - i reccommend virgin olive oil...as it can be consumed on salads, or cooked with...)

5. first aid kit - you would be smart to have 2...one for just everyday needs like bandaids, cuts, cremes like aloe vera, neosporin, etc...this would be first attack for a triage setup...then a second which would include a scalpel, stiches, large gauze pads and bandaids, **tourniquet**, ace bandages(at least two different lengths), iodine, alcohol wipes or equiv, water purifers, etc...a lot of surplus suppliers have military med kits which are actually used in the field and are new.

6. blankets, jackets, shoes, socks, etc....- extra everything at least 2 each is definitely necessary = why you ask? well lets say the temp drops and all you have is a t-shirt and shorts but you have your backpack handy or a disaster kit in auto...
you layer up and ward off the cold by adding "skins" over your own to keep warm...it really works!! your socks are very important as you will want to change them every day so they will dry out from sweat, shirts and an extra pair of shoes (even if they are just tennis shoes) will allow you to have time to air out the hiking shoes.

7. flashlights, candles, batteries and matches - pretty much self explanatory...but...as that which has been discussed in earlier posts the hand cranking units are more desirable as they wont fail when you need them...if they get low you just crank it up!! lol candles and matches are a Must!! they will serve many and various other needs when required...(will go into that later)...

8. sanitation - now this one is tricky....depending on whether you are staying put or traveling would determine some of the supplies you will require...if you are staying put a 5 gal bucket and 2 pkgs of 30 gallon trash bags would be prudent, also a portable toilet seat to put over the bucket with lid would help...you can get the toilet seats most any camping supplier and there are variations of that....toilet paper is a must, so carry 2 rolls each per person.....now if you are on the move then this option would be your best bet...there is a foldable toilet seat made which is easy to pack and store and also easy to use....again your choice here, trash bags or not....soaps in liquid form in plastic storage squeezable containers such as reusing a mayo squeeze bottle or some other such item are ideal for dispensing the liquid soap, a camp shovel is also easy to carry and necessary for taking care of cess....paper towels if you have the room are again a great item to have along.

9. tools & supplies - duct tape, scissors, knife(pocket or bowie type), hammer, pliers, baling wire, screwdriver (one each = phillips #2 and a flat blade medium length, aluminum foil, 9 hr candle, waterproofed or sealed matches, 2 signal flares, 8 inch crescent wrench, sewing kit, writing tablet and pen/pencils.

10. important documents - in a waterproof container keep your will, insurance policies, stock portfolio, bonds, SS cards, shot records, bank acct info, credit card numbers and companies, important phone numbers, inventory of house and camp items, family records (birth, death, and marriage certificates).

11. family items if in vehicle traveling - toys for kids, hazard emergency kit, games, books and puzzles....

Excellent! Thank you, indi!!!

Cali

Just a quick thought about #4..... those dehydrated and canned foods that you will have packed and ready to go. Make sure they are things that you will eat.

It doesn't do any good to have food on hand for a disaster that you won't eat because the texture is wrong or the flavoring is too bland or spicy or whatever. I have dehydrated things like Clam Chowder on the shelf and use them on occasion. If you don't enjoy a Ramen noodle snack once in a while, don't buy two cases thinking that a disaster is suddenly going to make it taste great. How long has it been since you actually used a can of mackrel or salmon to make fish cakes for a meal?

Great list indigo.

Pets need to be considered. Most shelters won't let them in. Have enough carriers ready, they need to be contained for their safety. We have a family friend who is petless so we use her backyard in case of a hurricane, just for the dogs and the duck. The cats go to my kids apartment.They need everything just as a human person. Water, food, shot records, medicine, plus things that would give them comfort as they will not understand the situation. Don't forget their leashes, mine keep their leads on at all times until we come home.

Well maintained vehicle. In the last evacuation gasoline was very hard to find. Many people were stranded. Also indigo said maps, that is excellent but it is better to know the back roads in your evacuation route first hand. During the last evacuation the "stupid" (excuse my personal point of view there) Governor of Texas put everybody on the highways at the same time. If I wasn't a independent thinking country girl, I would have sat in line on the highway for hours. Instead we took off cross country on county roads. Beautiful scenery and faster time.

Lastly the cell phone saves lives and I would never be without it BUT when the electricity is down a wired land line works when cell towers don't. Keep an old corded phone to plug in if the electricity goes out.

to all,

LaylaTX makes a GREAT point = cell phones are nearly always USELESS/WORTHLESS in the aftermath of a disaster.
(i've lived through 5 hurricaines & 4 tornadoes , as a TXARNG officer/"stay behind". - for a while, i had "my very own cell" in a (replaced with a more modern facility) TX coastal county jail, as it was the ONLY place in the county that we were SURE that would stand well over 150MPH winds.)

you can generally "count on" a hardline phone to function, even after a MAJOR storm.

yours, Otter

yah guys i did forget to include that one item...

store foods that you enjoy and the like...dont store stuff that its ok to have but you would prefer some other item...
i do this in practice and i guess since im so used to doing it i forgot to include in the post...lol

you bet i have spinach, soups of all varieties (canned), also dehydrated soups i like....you get the idea...
i have cornbread mixes which all you need is water...

now on the landline phones if you dont have one with a battery in it then you rely on the phone company to supply the power...if they are down then you are sunk...
so with a car battery and a CB radio you have it all...just something to think about....phones dont always work after a disaster....if water gets into the buildings or the underground bunkers then you wont have any service...

so when there is a hurricane like in layla's case it would be prudent to have a CB radio....but if your in tornado alley then a landline ph also would work....

just some distinctions to know when choosing your communications devices.....

indi

When my late husband traveled for his work, he always had a CB radio. They were a regularly relied on device but not so much anymore. I don't think people use them as much.

It could be hard to raise anybody. I live in the boonies and would have to get the attention of a trucker miles away to get help.

I see your point that land lines and cell phones could be useless but really is a CB gonna be much good either?

I used to use a CB about 30 years ago. I remember that at night the reception area was miles larger than during the day. Just in case you are ever having to holler for help.

Now if I can remember which box in the garage has the old dash mount CB radio.....

I think I have one in the garage too. On the bottom way in the back!
The CB license has to have expired by now!

to all,

for those of you who are resident ON/NEAR the coast AND have a boat (i know that i'm NOT the only "web-footed denizen" of the group, as others here have sent me PM about boating.) and/or have a "marine related business", i found out just yesterday that MARINE VHF radios are CHEAP & NO LONGER require a license from the FCC.
(5-watt handheld tranceivers are about 50.oo & 25-watt base/mobile radios are about 100.oo)

Marine VHF range is about 30-40 miles - sometimes much father over saltwater.

NOTE: marine VHF is NOT "CB radio" & "idle chit-chat" is NOT acceptable.- conversations should be confined to emergency traffic, boat/port/landside operations,"important personal communications", weather conditions, weather-related "problems" & navigation issues.-

OTOH, the USCG always monitors Marine VHF channel 16 & (even DURING emergencies) is available to help.
(fyi, in the immediate aftermath of KATRINA, only the USCG was ACTIVE & AVAILABLE to respond to "water-related problems".)

yours, Otter