The world has always been unpredictable but it is time to realize that we should keep a couple of things on us, in our home, and in our car. When it comes to emergencies, what do we truly need? What products can be the most essential to keep around? Lately, I’ve been seeing TikTok videos about having entire backpacks and binders dedicated to emergency situations. Wells Fargo Newsroom took a survey of U.S. families and discovered: “Among those who do not have a detailed natural disaster emergency plan, 40% say it’s because they’ve never thought about making one, 35% say they are focused on more immediate issues, and 31% say they haven’t gotten around to it. Only 16% say they don’t know how to prepare.” So let’s take a look at some products to start off with.
For Your Car
Say that you don’t have an emergency backpack because you essentially are always in your car. Let’s take a look at some products to keep with you.
- A first aid kit— but don’t include temperature sensitive items. This one is also waterproof!
- Car Escape Tool: breaks the window, cuts seatbelt, and fits on your keychain.
- An extra pair of clothes, socks and shoes for each family member.
- Flare Kit: just in case there’s an accident, if you need to change your tire at night, or you are in an emergency situation.
- Jumper Cables
- Lifestraw: if you’re ever in an area where you cannot access clean water, this will literally save your life.
- Road Atlas: I don’t even see maps sold much anymore, but if the internet goes out, we won’t be able to navigate.
- A roll of toilet paper, extra pads/tampons and a towel.
On You or In Your Purse
These are items to keep in your wallet, on your keychain, or in your purse with you. These are smaller items that can be easily carried with you at all times!
- Medical ID card, if you are ever unresponsive, emergency responders can look in your wallet and see your information which can save your life! I highly recommend doing this if you’re pregnant as well. This comes in a 5 pack to share with your family members.
- Multi-Tool Keychain: great for your keys to have on you for emergencies without adding a minimal amount of extra weight.
- If you want an additional tool, this one fits in your wallet like a credit card.
- Tiny Survival Guide: great little guide for natural disasters and emergencies that fits right in your wallet.
- Extra cash.
- Pepper spray, because people can be unpredictable!
For Your Home
This is where the emergency binder comes in. Get copies of the kids records, list allergies, hide extra cash, etc. As far as the backpacks go, here are some items to keep in a backpack in a safe and secure area by an exit point in your house or apartment.
- Flashlights with extra batteries
- MRES, an expensive investment but you can also have cans of tuna, peanut butter, and other shelf stable foods at hand in case of emergencies.
- A pack of water. This isn’t usually thought of, but if the water supply and power goes out, you’re going to need safe drinking water.
- Waterproof matches
- Emergency blankets
- Ponchos
- A bigger first aid kit for inside your home
- A charged portable charger
- Crank radio
So Much More
There are so many things you can do to prepare your home and personal self for disasters and emergencies. It truly is a good investment to have for your car and home in order for your mind to be at ease in case you are ever in a situation. There are many videos to educate yourself with in order to make you feel like the choices you make are valid as well. It’s important to remember that anything can happen, at any moment and it’s better to be prepared. What do you recommend? Let us know at BetterYou!
