When disaster strikes, whether due to an outage or a forced evacuation during a storm, loose Supplies can create a variety of problems. It does no good to have a flashlight (which may not even be visible) buried under blankets; dry matches will do you no good once they’ve been soaked by water. Using quality Packaging materials will enable you to easily take your emergency kit with you as you travel during an emergency situation, and will assist you in using its contents quickly when there isn’t time to think about how you’re going to get everything you need.
A very basic way to start creating a better emergency kit is to utilize a portable container that doesn’t require excessive lifting. For storing a kit at home, a durable plastic bin might work well; however, a backpack or duffle bag could be more practical for carrying offsite. To determine whether or not your container is sufficiently lightweight enough to transport, ask someone else to pick it up. If the weight of your kit is so great that you’ll likely leave it behind when you really need it, then your kit is too heavy.
Smaller containers can organize Supplies within larger ones into categories related to different uses. first aid Supplies can go into one container, light sources and batteries into another, and hygiene and personal care items into a third. The transparent nature of clear plastic bags enables a user to visually identify their contents without having to pull all of the other items out. Waterproof reclosable bags protect documents, tools and equipment from water damage caused by rain, leaking containers or dirt. In addition to keeping your kit organized, these types of Packaging materials don’t occupy a lot of space.
Due to the fact that wet paper products can deteriorate rapidly (often in mere seconds), important documentation requires special protection. A waterproof pouch provides suitable protection for copies of phone numbers, medical information, and/or other relevant documentation. Label both the container and the pouch with the names of the members of your household. Raised lettering or brightly colored tape can assist individuals who have difficulty seeing in finding specific sections within a kit. Raised dots can guide individuals with limited vision toward those bags containing essential items.
In order to ensure that perishable Supplies contained in a kit remain usable for an extended period of time, dating Supplies prior to Packaging them is crucial. Attach a label to each category of supply that contains the name of the Supplies contained within it along with the expiration date. Checking Dates takes less time than searching through the entire kit. Once per year, designate a single day to unpack the entire kit, inspect all Supplies and replace expired items and test flashlights and battery-powered devices.
Emergency kits should reflect the needs of everyone that may depend upon them. Diapering Supplies, pet food, hearing aid batteries and/or specialized medical care Supplies deserve designated areas in the kit. As such, do not store items necessary for infants, pets or hearing-impaired individuals near the bottom beneath heavier canned foods and liquids. Store critical items where they can be located by hand when opening the container.
While Packaging materials won’t prevent disasters from occurring, they can certainly provide clarity when navigating difficult times. Labels make it possible to locate necessary Supplies quickly and efficiently, protective bags safeguard smaller items, and a sturdy outer case protects the entire kit. By organizing each item’s designated location within the kit, families are able to focus on staying safe rather than spending precious time searching for misplaced items.
