How to Prepare for an Emergency

Learn to set goals and find the right gear

When it comes to emergencies, being prepared means being equipped. It is essential to have all the resources you need for an emergency, but it’s not always easy to figure out what sorts of things you might need. When deciding how to prepare, remember that your survival gear should meet several criteria.

Each item must:

• Have an explainable purpose. Know what situations this will be useful for, and how you would use it. It may be helpful to go camping to test out any items ahead of time to be sure you know how to properly use them.
• Be achievable and realistic. Don’t go overboard. You’re probably not going to need 100 life vests if you never go near a large body of water, right? Think about situations you might find yourself in and prepare accordingly.
• Be cost effective. No one wants to spend an arm and a leg preparing for a disaster; it’s one of the top reasons people put off doing it altogether. But finding great emergency gear doesn’t have to break the bank.

One of the more popular ways to equip for an emergency is with a 72-hour survival backpack kit. These kits provide enough food and water to last 2 people the first 72 hours of an emergency and comes with survival tools like a first aid kit, respirator mask, work gloves, safety goggles, and 50 feet of rope.

The ability to communicate can make a huge difference in an emergency. The AM/FM radio, survival whistle, flashlight, matches, glow stick, and candle will help provide lighting tools during a power outage, or overnight while outdoors, while also potentially acting as a means for your rescue.

That doesn’t even mention the items that help with shelter, like the tent, mylar sleeping bag, body warmers, and emergency ponchos help protect you from wind, sun, rain, snow, and other harsh weather conditions.

After you find the right equipment, you should establish new patterns of behavior:

• Learn new skills. Learn to make bread from scratch, start a fire, and any other skill you might need to know in the event of an emergency. Learning CPR is a great thing to do, because you never know when you’re going to need it.
• Familiarize yourself with your family's preparedness needs. It’s easy to sometimes forget an item that might make a big difference. Pet care items, like dog food, are commonly forgotten.
• Be proactive. Routinely examine/adjust items when needed: Replace expired food and update clothing and shelter for the given season. If you think of something new that you don’t already have, get it as soon as possible. Be sure to adapt your goals to changes in your life.