OT: show me your...emergency kits?

[jasonification]

In light of the huge fires experienced in both NorCal and SoCal, the unpredictability of natural disasters have dawned on me in a big way. I want to start preparing an emergency kit just in case something like that comes my way, but am curious how others have prepared. If you have a kit, I'd love to see it!

[Nooch]

My father-in-law, while working for the red cross, had gotten my wife and i these Go Bags (https://www.redcrossstore.org/item/325622?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7bOIuejo1gIVBZ7ACh1haQItE AQYASABEgL6tfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJSMlsDo6NYCFUsDNwodIb4LEw). Put copies of important documents in them and such, originals stay in the fire safe. but i think i'd also need to grab our hard drives...

[parris]

Jason there's actually a good amount of info on Youtube for this subject. One of my takeaways' on it is that there's not a one size fit's all solution and it depends on what you want/need the kit to do.

I live in the Northeast so my needs are different than say someone that lives in the Southwest.

[FlashUNC]

We carry our dog's prescription medication and dog food. On top of the usual go-bag stuff.

Keep it in one of our hiking day packs so it's easy to grab in case we've got to go.

[vqdriver]

depends a lot on the type of emergency you're preparing for. some people have 'go bags' that they toss in the car and take off. good for evacuating a flood or tornado. but not great if you plan on an extended loss of utility and public services like after an earthquake or zombie apocalypse.
others have barrels of fresh water and weeks of dry food. but again, not portable. totally depends on the circumstance.

in general tho, plan on a few days of fresh water (or ability to make it potable) and food for each member of the family. a month's supply of meds. essential documents and maybe a hard drive full of pics. fuel and cash if you're planning on going mad max and wandering the desert

[oldpotatoe]

depends a lot on the type of emergency you're preparing for. some people have 'go bags' that they toss in the car and take off. good for evacuating a flood or tornado. but not great if you plan on an extended loss of utility and public services like after an earthquake or zombie apocalypse.
others have barrels of fresh water and weeks of dry food. but again, not portable. totally depends on the circumstance.

in general tho, plan on a few days of fresh water (or ability to make it potable) and food for each member of the family. a month's supply of meds. essential documents and maybe a hard drive full of pics. fuel and cash if you're planning on going mad max and wandering the desert

And if you are so inclined, ammunition for your choice of firearms. NOT any kinda of political statement nor trying to start a gun debate but...handgun, shotgun...please no gun debates but
Water
Food
Jackets/gloves/hats
Blankets
Fuel
Matches
Meds
Shovel/axe/basic tools
Flashlights/batteries
Radio

[MattTuck]

There are entire forums dedicated just to this subject.

As mentioned above, you need to consider what type of emergency you're preparing for. Extended power loss, societal breakdown, hurricane with massive destruction of property and utilities, nuke attack, etc.

I'd say, make a plan with a bag with the essentials (clothing, shelter, food, water purification, etc.) for a week + important documents, etc. And then after that, consider the specific things you'll need given the type of event you're planning for.

I don't think it is a bad idea to have one of those plastic bins packed with stuff and ready to go. Hard to carry those on your back, but I think evacuating on foot is pretty rare these days.

[veggieburger]

Add a Henry AR-7 and a couple hundred rounds of CCI stingers.

[Geeheeb]

frame pump

[jasonification]

frame pump

You know, I definitely had thought about whether I'd just ride off on my bike, rather than take my car (in the case of an earthquake, not so much a fire). One of my thoughts was weather I'd take my nice road bike, or my grizzled rigid 26" mountain/commuter bike...hmm....

[AllanVarcoe]

frame pumpHahahaha!!!!
Only thing!!!

Jason, it's tough to have a quick evac kit for a fire situation. You'll usually be given less than 20 minutes by law enforcement. So, you can be prepared with a bag containing a set of clothes, meds, water, map, knife, sleeping bag, dry snacks, multi-vitamins, matches..... have this ready at all times so you can grab it quick.

Then, you'll have a few minutes to grab other important things. Since you stand to lose everything else (fire) so make sure to have some plastic storage bins close at hand so you can throw a few important things in. Passport, lap top, photos, chargers and cables, Nick knacks...

Throw these things in your car, that way they'll be in the car. Even if you have to leave your car later, they are ideally out of harm's way.

I always worried about large earthquakes when living in SoCal. Especially when I lived up in Valencia.

Think about this. Major quake and I'm 50 miles from my family! I'm definitely not going to be able to DRIVE all the way home! Roads will be jammed and may be unpassable. Sounds kinda lame but this is another major reason why I brought my bike to work a lot. So, in my backpack I always have these survivor multi vitamins and several granola bars. I would obviously fill up on water and snacks before leaving work in such an event. Oh and grab the blanket I always keep in my car.

Defense is something I am never really prepared for. I know events like this would lead to the worst coming out in people so I know I would need a way to defend myself and family but I am just totally unprepared in this area. So I'm just going to build a camp fire and grab a guitar and figure out how to play the damn thing while hoping somebody doesn't come by and loot us.

But at home, batteries, several gallons of drinkable water, a bunch of dry food and I always keep an extra propane tank for my barbeque.

All this being said, I am far from an expert and have hardly given this the attention is deserves. I could be totally wrong on some of this. This is just what I would like to do in a disaster.

Till then, where's my guitar?!?! Dang, I'm not even prepared for THAT!!!!!

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

[Clancy]

My father-in-law, while working for the red cross, had gotten my wife and i these Go Bags (https://www.redcrossstore.org/item/325622?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7bOIuejo1gIVBZ7ACh1haQItE AQYASABEgL6tfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJSMlsDo6NYCFUsDNwodIb4LEw). Put copies of important documents in them and such, originals stay in the fire safe. but i think i'd also need to grab our hard drives...

The fires in Bastrop, Texas a few years ago are the most destructive fires in US history although the recent CA fires may eclipse them. One thing residents discovered were the futility of fire safes, they melted.