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A natural disaster hardly comes with a warning, so preparation before an emergency is on the radar is vital to protect you and your family. A well-stocked emergency kit quickly becomes a lifeline that can make a critical difference during make-or-break moments.
Whether a sudden and prolonged power outage strikes, disastrous weather hits, or another unique emergency puts you in a tough spot, these ten survival items will keep you safe and comfortable while regular services and comforts aren’t available.
What Are the 10 Essential Home Emergency Kit Items?
The building blocks of your emergency kit are these ten items. While there’s always room to add more, depending on where you live and the types of emergencies you’re most likely to experience, these ten things are non-negotiable if you want to get through a disaster relatively unscathed.
Food and Water
Food and water keep us alive and healthy. Don’t just think about yourself – you’ll also need to ensure you have enough supplies for everyone in your home for at least three days (although a week’s worth is preferred). Each person should have access to a whole gallon of clean drinking water daily, plus extra for sanitation. If you worry about water purity, you can store water purification tablets or systems to expand access and ensure healthy hydration.
Focus on food that won’t go bad and can be stored safely for extended periods. Non-perishables such as canned goods, dried foods, and high-energy snacks like protein bars all work well for emergency kits.
Even though these items are meant to remain shelf-stable, you should still rotate your kit out with fresh items every six months and ensure they’re stored in airtight and waterproof containers.
Pro Tip: Don’t include canned goods without a can opener.
Remember special dietary needs, including baby formula or baby food and pet-friendly food for your furry loved ones.
You’ll also want utensils and plates so you can eat your food. Consider investing in disposable plates and forks/knives/spoons to avoid using water that could otherwise be used for drinking or sanitation.
First Aid Kit and Medication
Another cornerstone of any emergency kit is first aid supplies, including any essential medications for your family members. Bandages and antiseptics are basics, but you should also include OTC pain relievers, allergy medications, and gastrointestinal relief. Other items to consider adding are burn cream, antibacterial ointment, and gauze for injuries.
Additionally, some first aid tools, such as small scissors, tweezers, and safety pins, can be used for many different purposes.
Does your family have any particular health needs? Should you pack an Epipen, CPAP machine, or other medical devices? Including critical medical instructions/notes and emergency contact numbers for special cases like these is also helpful.
Medications expire, so check expiration dates yearly to ensure they’re still safe and effective.
Local Maps
You can’t always rely on digital maps to help you in the face of a major disaster. When navigation systems fail, paper maps are always great to have on hand, whether deep in the city or out in the country. They can help you evacuate the area safely, locate alternative exit routes, or find your way to safe locations.
Mark the maps with places like police stations, hospitals, and emergency shelters so you know exactly how to get to them.
Other helpful maps include your city’s backroads, as main highways can become congested or damaged during disasters.
Consider laminating your maps to protect them from water and other harsh elements. Want to expand your analog navigation kit? Add a compass and a guide to reading the maps so everyone can find their way to the designated meeting points if they get separated from the group.
Radio / Communication Tools
When the internet and power are down, how can you stay updated on critical information as disasters develop? This is where an emergency radio becomes absolutely vital. A hand-crank, solar-powered radio, or even a rechargeable battery-powered radio paired with the EcoFlow DELTA Series Solar Generators can be your lifeline to weather conditions and emergency instructions.
Plus, an emergency home generator can power multiple other devices as well.
Other communication tools to consider investing in for your emergency survival kit include walkie-talkies for family or neighborhood coordination, a satellite phone (most new iPhones can now utilize satellite power for emergencies), and even a whistle to signal rescuers if needed.
Ensure all your family members know how to operate these devices, as they’re useless if they can’t be used for emergency protocols.
Flashlight
A flashlight may be your only light source during an extended outage caused by an emergency or natural disaster. Don’t just purchase any old flashlight and call it a day. Do your research to identify a flashlight that can provide bright light to illuminate a large area for an extended period. LED flashlights offer incredible energy efficiency and durability.
Having a few sizes on hand is also a great idea. Smaller, hand-held models become essential for search and rescue missions, while headlamps can support close-up tasks. Large lanterns can remain stationary, creating light over your family’s central hub.
Water-resistant models can give you extra peace of mind, as can chemical light sticks as a backup for your backup.
Flashlights should be checked every few months to ensure they work. Keep backups of various battery types on hand to replenish batteries as needed.
Alternative Power Sources
While home energy security doesn’t usually make a difference between life and death, it can make emergencies more comfortable and safe. Depending on your power source, you can maintain power for small devices or even run larger appliances.
You’ll need to determine how much you’re comfortable investing in an emergency electricity source, considering the various ways you can use it both in and out of an emergency.
For example, a power bank can keep your phone battery charged. Something larger and more expensive, like the EcoFlow Portable Power Stations, can support much more—phones, computers, appliances, medical equipment, and sometimes even whole-home power.
If power for your entire home is intriguing, the EcoFlow DELTA Series Portable Power Stations are an excellent place to start. Smaller models are perfect entry-level options, while more robust models like the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 can keep your entire home running for ultimate safety and comfort.
The great thing about EcoFlow products for emergencies is that they don’t require fuel storage. They can serve as an emergency power supply by connecting with solar panels to generate and store new energy as long as the sun is out.
Sanitation/Personal Hygiene
While it might not be your first thought when an emergency hits, sanitation is critical to maintaining hygiene, preventing illness, and preserving your dignity through unusual times. Keep a healthy inventory of toilet paper, wet wipes, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, hand sanitizer, and soap. If you have young kids, don’t forget diapers.
You’ll also want plenty of garbage bags to dispose of waste (and for emergency toilet situations if needed).
Other sanitation items to consider including are:
- Dust masks
- Work gloves
- Plastic sheeting
- Basic cleaning supplies
- Portable toilet chemicals
- Camping toilet
- Buckets
- Scrub brushes
- Biodegradable soap
- Dental hygiene
- Specific care products for family members
It’s not glamorous, but it’s critical to consider how you’ll keep your family clean, healthy, and safe when our typical protocols aren’t available.
Vital Documents
Keep copies of your family’s vital documents in a portable, waterproof container. What are vital documents, you ask? While it will vary slightly from family to family, most households should include copies of personal identification cards (driver’s licenses and passports if you have both), bank account records, insurance policies, social security cards, emergency contacts, birth certificates, car insurance, vehicle titles, and medical records.
For homeowners, you may also want to make copies of your property deeds, home insurance coverage, and tax returns.
If you have them, don’t forget about copies of your wills and power of attorney documents.
Hopefully, you’ll never need to use these documents, but having them ready if needed will help you respond calmly and effectively in an emergency. They’ll also protect your loved ones, home, and cars.
Basic Toolkit
Keeping a few multi-purpose tools on hand can help you adapt during disasters and make emergency repairs if necessary. Some multi-tools include a screwdriver, plier, and knife functionality, which may be enough for you. If you want to cover more of your bases, add a roll of duct tape, some rope, zip ties, safety goggles, a hammer, and a pry bar.
Here are some other ideas to consider in your emergency tool kit:
- Fire extinguisher
- Repair materials (nails, screws, wire)
- Compact shovel
- Saw
Metal can rust, so look for rust-resistant tools and store them in a waterproof container for additional security.
Cash
If grid power is down, your credit and debit cards won’t help much. Keep a stash of small bills and coins, at least $300 (or even more if you have a large family). Then, store it somewhere waterproof – not a paper envelope – next to your vital documents. Silver and gold can also provide universal trade value.
As the cost of living goes up and your family size potentially grows, don’t forget to revisit this emergency cash and add to it as needed. Remember, you likely won’t be able to pull additional money out from an ATM during emergencies. In these cases, you act as your own ATM, so stock it accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Being well-prepared for the worst-case scenario doesn’t make you a pessimist but a responsible and proactive citizen. Stocking your emergency kit with these items (and checking and refreshing them periodically) will give you peace of mind, allowing you to approach and respond to emergencies without panic or fear.
Having an EcoFlow Portable Power Station on hand assures you’ll have power to keep your essential devices, and potentially even appliances or your whole home, running despite the potential malfunction of the grid. It’s an investment in your future safety you won’t regret making.