For a complete list of everything you need to have ready in a “Go Bag” to take with you if a natural disaster strikes, read “Always Prepared,” in the Oct. 2005 edition of “Debt-Proof Living” newsletter.

"Every household needs a Go Bag. This is a collection of items you may need in the event of a disaster that requires you and your family to be self-sufficient when all services are cut off. And because you may need to evacuate, your Go Bag needs to be packed in an easy-to-carry container like a suitcase on wheels. Then each family member needs to have a backpack that contains enough basic supplies to last for 72 hours—all packed and ready to go.

Each backpack should contain a change of clothing including underwear, socks and a jacket or sweater; some food and an emergency lightweight blanket; copies of personal documents that are sealed in zip-type plastic bags such as photo I.D., emergency phone numbers, social security numbers, insurance cards and so on. When it’s time to evacuate each person grabs his or her backpack and a gallon of water and gets out. The larger family Go Bag or box should be compact enough to carry easily and should fit in the trunk of the car—a vehicle whose gas tank is never less than half full.

One reader sent this precise list of basics for the family box: Ax, shovel, bucket, utility knife, can opener, at least $50 in cash, extra pairs of eyeglasses, coins for phone calls and medications. You will need basic non-perishable food items in the family box: Dried fruit or trail mix, soda crackers, graham crackers, tomato or orange juice, granola bars, beef jerky, cans of tuna, cans of pork and beans; dried milk and hot chocolate mix.

You’ll need a battery-powered AM radio, battery-powered light, fresh batteries. Make sure you have packed a basic first aid kit, paper and pencil and if possible a camp stove with fuel. You’ll want bug repellant, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, disinfectant, plastic garbage bags, matches sealed in plastic to be waterproof and candles.

Now before you get discouraged because the task seems overwhelming, let me assure you there is no perfect kit. Anything you can put together now is better than having nothing. Take it one step at a time, thinking of it as a process to get prepared for an emergency.

What you have in your head is the most important survival/first aid equipment of all. Use your common sense. Rotate medications that have a shelf life, making sure the freshest are always in your Go Bag. Rotate food items and water at least once quarterly. Give your Go Bags and individual gallons of water respectable homes on hooks or shelves easily accessible and placed close to an outside door. Make this a family project. Teach even the youngest children which backpack is theirs, why it is special and what to do when the time comes to grab it and go.

The more you can do now the more confident you’ll be when the time comes to put your emergency preparedness into action."

Copyright © 2005 Mary Hunt