The Emergency Survival Kit
Survival is usually only necessary for about three days - five days at most since the idea is to survive long enough to get to a safe place. However, given the example of Hurricane Katrina given above, one may want to prepare for several more days. My personal survival kit will sustain a family of three for two weeks. The larger the family, of course, the greater the kit will need to be.
Also, remember that you may need to become mobile. Your kit should be practical for home use, as well as on the road. Keep a small kit in your car.
Large kits can be stored in 5-gallon paint buckets available in any hardware store for a few bucks. Smaller kits can be stashed inside 4" PVC pipe with a glued on cap on one end and a threaded lid on the other. These float and are relatively easy to carry. I don't recommend using totes or backpack kits unless they are waterproof.
The following is a list showing some items which you may find yourself needing during a natural disaster. Many of these items can be purchased at "dollar stores" all over the country.
Obviously, make sure that you have plenty of your required medications on hand since the supply of medical items will likely be disrupted.
Bandages
The most obvious need will be adhesive strips (Band-Aids) for minor cuts. Butterfly adhesive strips will hold separated or recently sutured skin together.
Super Glue or Crazy Glue will hold flesh together until you can get stitches and is good on minor cuts as well.
Sutures: you don't need to be a doctor to use these. Remember that this is survival. Clean the wound, saturate it in iodine and sew it closed. It may become infected, and if it does treat it with antibiotics until you can get to a hospital.
Gauze bandages and gauze tape are a must for your kit. Kotex are not sterile, but they are clean and make absorbent bandages that can be used to stop bleeding.
Have a couple of ace bandages for sprains and to hold bandages on. Hot and cold packs are a must, and bungee cords can double up as tourniquets.
Ointments, creams, and repellents
Bactine or any other topical spray containing lidocaine makes a great pain killer for damaged skin. Remember that it is difficult to perform at your best if you are uncomfortable, so comfort plays a big role in how well you survive.
Use Iodine on larger wounds and before suturing.
Calamine lotion for insect bites and poison oak: again, not necessarily crucial for life and death situations, but comfort maximizes your overall chances.
For burn ointment try to get something with silver nitrate. Never use a petroleum or oil base cream on burns.
Rubbing alcohol is a good and cheap disinfectant.
Eyewashes are unbelievably valuable when you have something in your eye and your survival depends on seizing opportunities.
Peroxide is awesome for cleaning small wounds as well as helping to prevent trench mouth.
Bug repellant - go for something unscented. A scent will give you away when you are trying to escape a crime zone.
Tiger balm will help with sore muscles and comes in small, easy to carry tins.
Orajel contains benzocaine which numbs. Use it for tooth injuries, and it can also be used on minor injuries to relieve pain temporarily. They also sell tooth repair kits over the counter these days, complete with temporary fillings. Better safe than sorry.
Keep some anti-fungal cream to treat and prevent athlete's foot, ringworm, and other skin parasites. The active ingredient in Lamisil works best.
Bacitracin is a good thing to apply to cuts and wounds as it helps to speed up healing; Vaseline and A & D cream are good to hydrate skin or create a waterproof barrier over wounds but these should never be applied to burns because they are oil based products. Diaper rash cream will prevent jock itch better than jock itch medicine will. Don't forget sunscreen to prevent burns during exposure.
Cleaning & Hygiene
Wet wipes, like the ones used on diaper changes are awesome to have around for just about anything. Get unscented ones.
Instant waterless hand sanitizer like the kind that is available in plastic dispensers are useful to sterilize ones hands before dealing with a wound that requires stitching.
A cleaning syringe is good for cleaning dirt and other debris from wounds by squirting it with sterilized water or iodine.
Q-tips are useful for ear and wound cleaning, as well as serving as applicators for various ointments.
Medications
On the top of the list are pain relievers and fever reducing meds, such as aspirin, Aleve and Tylenol. Aspirin is the best pain killer bar none. However, do not use aspirin is you are bleeding, are healing from a bleeding wound, or are having a menstrual period. That will only delay healing by preventing the blood from coagulating. It will increase the blood flow and the need for bandages. In those cases use Tylenol or Aleve instead. If you have children, make sure to pack pain and fever reducer for them as well.
Imodium AD: you may be forced into drinking unsafe drinking water that could cause diarrhea. People often die from the dehydration caused by diarrhea. Try to keep at least 30 tablets in your First Aid Kit. Rice and rice water are excellent binders and may relief diarrhea in a pinch if there is no Imodium, but rice requires water, and water is what gets one into this mess in the first place. Young babies with diarrhea may get temporary relief from drinking water in which rice has been cooked since the starches help bind stool.
To treat diarrhea caused by Giardia and other bacteria you will need antibiotics and parasite drugs. The best antibiotic is Ciprofloxacin, and you should take it for 5 to 7 days. Metronidazole (Flagyl) is a parasite killer. You will need to take both of them at the same time. To get these, you can ask your doctor. As a matter of course, they readily prescribe these two medications to patients who plan on visiting South American countries.
Hard alcohol such as whiskey, vodka and pure grain are great for pain killing and anesthetizing in a pinch. But be careful because they also incapacitate people. Never use it if your life will depend on picking up and moving to another location.
Have heartburn medication as well. A teaspoon in a full glass of water will work in a pinch.
Note: You should always include medications you may need. For instance if you are asthmatic put an extra inhaler in your first aid kit. If you suffer from heartburn include the heartburn medication you are taking, or Allergy medications if you are allergic to anything.
Fluids
Again, for fluids think in terms of 1 person = 1 gallon of water per day. Drinks with electrolytes in them such as Gatorade, or Pedealite will help in the event of dehydration. Ginger ale and 7up are both great for replenishing your body with the necessary sugars after diarrhea or vomiting. Have some of this around if you have babies for sure.
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
Prev Message
