Ken's Emergency Preparedness Go Kit
 
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Rationales for Personal Preparedness
 
Economic
 
The US population is 318,900,000 www.census.gov
 
According to the National Multifamily Housing Council there are 117,259,427 Households in the US http://www.nmhc.org/Content.aspx?id=4708#Rent_and_Own
 
Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/susb.html estimates the number of US Business Establishments is 7,488,353
 
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the US Department of Transportation http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_11.html Estimates the number of Vehicles in the US is 260,350,938 the number of Recreational Boats 1s 11,804,002.
 
If every person and owner has a Go Kit this means that there are nearly thee quarters of a billion Go Kits deployed. This results in a cost that the federal government does not have to bear. In addition, the assets are in locations where they are most useful eliminating the cost and time of deployment.
 
Operational
 
Involving people in personal preparednedd is a form of prparedness education.
 
If we assume that most people have Go Kits, a trained person (e.g, 911 operator) can give just-in-time detailed instructions on what and how to use the kit.
 

Ken's Emergency Preparedness Go Kit


You can find a number of varied recommendations for personal preparedness supplies on the web and elsewhere. Just about every organization that regularly deals with emergencies publishes such lists. Ready PA (www.readypa.org) has three such lists. It is often useful to look at the worst case scenario. Suppose you were told to evacuate without your vehicle. Thus you could only take what you can carry. What would be your priorities?

  • Shopping Bag woven with thread made out of recycled plastic bottles. It's sturdy and it can be washed and won't mildew. Put as much stuff as you can in pockets, the rest goes in this bag. These bags with commercial messages and/ or logos are often given away at events.



  • Dress - remember you want to be seen, especially in the dark or bad weather. Select fabrics/materials that are waterproof
    • Wristwatch
    • Cargo pants (tan long) lots of pockets
    • Cargo shirt (more pockets)
    • Fishing vest (even more pockets)
    • Long white athletic socks
    • Hiking shoes (sole treads) patterned treads will protect your feet and help others find you if you get lost
    • Rain poncho in a pouch (bright yellow or orange)



    • If the weather is bad, wear a bright colored coat - leave your camos at home.
    • Sunglasses - comfortable and rugged.



    • Fleece Blanket - I got this one from the Air Force. It rolls up for compactness, can be used as a pillow and has a handle for carrying.



    • Swimmer's Wallet - Will keep small things like paper money dry. Neck cord provides some security and easy of carrying.




  • Financial
    • Cash - multiple denominations, as much as possible. You may need to buy food, medicine, gas or other supplies. These add up to hundreds of dollars very quickly.
    • Credit/debit/ATM cards - may not work, but if they do, conserve your cash
    • Valuable metals and gems - wear your bling. If necessary, you can sell/trade it.




  • Communications
    • Cell phone



    • Chargers - Both car and home



    • Personalize yor ready kit list and enter it into your phone with locations of where you store stuff.
    • You can buy a solar cell unit that will recharge your cell phone. Some crank devices have USB chargers for cellphones.

  • Identification
    • Your identity is valuable. These may help you with access to benefits.
    • Driver's license
    • Passport
    • Social Security card
    • Insurance cards (health and car)
    • Automobile registration
    • Blood donor card

  • Food/Water
    • Power bars - for quick energy. Individual sealed packages. Get your favorite flavors.



    • Bottled water - Buy two collapsible containers. Fill with water. Keep one frozen. Containers with carabiners are best. You can refill when water is available.



    • Emergency meals - these even come with their own heating source.




  • Travel kit
      Most of you have a compact travel kit for vacations and business travel. Keep it always at the ready.
    • Personal hygiene
    • Shaving
    • Nail clippers
    • Toothbrush
    • Toothpaste
    • Hand sanitizer - Purel
    • Sunscreen
    • Handi wipes (Moist Towelettes) - You can get these for free from your favorite restaurants.

        



  • Tools/Utensils
    • Knife (Swiss Army) The medium sized one is best. The large knives are too bulky and not much more utile,



    • Rope (nylon) - About 15 feet. An interesting alternative is the paracord bracelet which can be worn and unraveled to give 9 feet of rope.

          


    • Cable Ties - They are extermely strong and can be linked together.



    • Twist Ties - They are extermely flexible and can be reused. These are large ties that can be found at camping and hardware stores.



    • Carabiner Hooks - Can be used to quickly link things together.



    • Metal Whistle



    • Crank radio - avoid anything with batteries



    • LED flashlight - I got this one from the FBI.



      This version can be used as a flashlight and opens to become a lantern.



    • Compass - a simple compass is OK but if you know how to use it, one with a sight is great.

          


    • Lighter - Most places recommend waterproof matches, but I like this waterproof lighter.



    • First aid kit - Many pharmaceutical manufacturers and organizations such as the American Red Cross www.redcross.org have recommendations for first aid kits.


  • Miscellaneous
    • Paper - waterproof



    • Pen - See the Fisher pen developed by NASA. See: www.spacepen.com. This thing writes under conditions of extreme heat or cold, in zero gravity, under water and just about any reasonable emergency condition. Besides, it's cool!



    • Permanent Marker



    • Zip lock bags



    • Collapsible cup/bottle



    • Light sticks (glow sticks) - get the ones with cords that can go around your neck.



    Load everything up. See if you can carry the bag for a significant distance/time. If you can then consider whether you want to pack:
    • Aluminim foil



    • Duct tape - Also known by the brand name "Duck Tape". Get the brightly colored tape.

 
Sometimes you can get a number of the items above in a kit such as the one shown below.



 
Exercise:     Identify five items not listed above that you would include in your go kit. Give a justification for each item.
 
Copyright © 2011 - 2016 Ken Sochats