Ideas on making a disaster bag?

[samplegirl]

Seriously im thinking of packing a disaster bag
something i could grab quickly just in case im put in that circumstance.
What would you pack??? In what would you pack it?

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

1. Bottles of water , toiletries , batteries , flashlight , first aid kit ,

blanket , even a pillow , include clothing , radios ( if you can , get one of those that are solarpowered or that you can crank up and use ) small bottles of dish detergent , small boxes of washing powders , bleach , copies of your important documents like personal IDS , Marriage licenses and birth certificates , copies of prescriptions , family contact information , photos IDs of yourself and your loved ones - I have been thinking about making the exact same thing .

Edited because I forgot to add non perishable food and to keep your sanity calm , books ...

[Splatter Phoenix]

5. Books?

Why books? ._. this isn't a vacation bag, it's a disaster kit.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

6. Ummm for kids ?

Kids need a sense of normalcy . Never said this was a vacation bag ... big darn . Its been said time and time again when disaster strikes the kids need every bit of normalcy to keep them calm . So thats why , I put in books .

[Splatter Phoenix]

9. Ohhh...

I thought you were going to wander along reading War and Peace...

XD my mistake.

[samplegirl]

13. i think you listed some very good things

what would you keep these things in? A duffle bag?

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

15. Duffle bag or another carrying bag ... something that is waterproof ...

and something easy to carry . I am no expert - I only included books because I have a lot of kids in my family ( my cousins ) and I always think about them and how to keep them calm .

[skygazer]

2. I keep one in my car

And we keep a bunch of stuff in the house in a large bag. We're in earthquake country.

First aid kit
Flashlight with extra batteries
Battery operated radio
Water
Non perishable food items
Prescription meds
Blanket
Change of clothing
Whistle

That's off the top of my head.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. plus a Swiss army knife

or at least one sharp or serrated edge knife, a bottle/can opener and a slot screwdriver. Handy tools in many emergencies.

Absolutely have a photocopy of personal IDs, birth certificates, marriage licenses (divorce decree if applicable), insurance policy and bank account #s, deeds, etc. Cash is important, even if just a few dollars.

[samplegirl]

14. good list

i would of never thought of a whistle but im going to pack some
flares.

[Splatter Phoenix]

3. Let me think.

A flashlight
a lighter
matches
a box cutter
a small bottle of water
several packets of trail mix/granola/candy perhaps
a cell phone
a watch
an air-horn

...mmm...for right now that's all I've got, really...

[Lady Freedom]

4. go here They have tones of stuff that can help you get an idea!

http://www.disasternecessities.com/?OVRAW=Emergency%20bag&OVKEY=emergency%20bag&OVMTC=standard

[samplegirl]

20. good site thanks

[HawkerHurricane]

7. Something you can carry.

A backpack works.
Items include
Swiss Army Knife. most useful tool known to man.
Can Opener. Yes, your Swiss Army Knife has one. Have two. Better safe...
1 liter of clean water. It takes weeks to starve, only days to dehydrate.
Iodine tablets. It tastes better than disease laden water.
Water filter. To get the chemicals out. (Filter first, then Iodine.)
Water and Airtight food packages of food you don't have to add water to. Believe it or not, the Navy uses hard candy (not unlike life savers). They don't fill you, but the sugar provides energy, and even 2 year olds can eat them. Other food, heavy in carbs. Low salt items.
A weeks supply of any medicines you HAVE to have.
Local maps, preferable plastic coated. Mark on them with permanant ink. Compass.
Pencil Flares. Call attention to yourself.
Waterproof matches.
Sweatshirt/waterproof jacket. Yes, both. You can get hit by hypothermia in warm weather if you're in a windy spot.
Not complete, I'm going from memory. You want a good list? Steal a copy of the Boy Scout's Handbook from the local pervert, and use their ideas.

[samplegirl]

16. no shortage of local perverts

good idea

[TransitJohn]

10. Doobies and beer.

Ya never know.
Seriously, what others have said is very well put..but if you're gonna need to get around/out of where your home is, take topographic maps of your area and a good compass, and know how to use 'em.

[samplegirl]

17. i could get lost going to mall

[Mutley]

11. We have disaster bags.

They have a couple swiss army knives, big knife with knife sharpener, bottle/can opener, matches, lighters, bottled water, canned food for us and dogs, winter and summer clothes, aspirin, band-aids, neosporin, ace-bandage, fleece blanket, umbrellas, important documents, and a tent (maybe a few other things I can't think of right now). All this is jammed into two camping backpacks and the tent folds up into it's own carrying case. There are two people and two dogs in my family.

[hobo_baggins]

12. bah, if theres a disaster, i don't need a bag...

i'll just go ahead and roll with the punches, staying alive isn't so important to me that i need to be prepared for armageddon

[samplegirl]

19. i 'd like to think if i was stuck ontop of my roof

i would have a few things anyway quite a hike
to a store for me to loot anything.

[SW FL Dem]

18. When we lived in SO Cal

we were told to have an old pair of tennis shoes in your car along with water, food rations and an emergency blanket, flashlight batteries.

Here in FL where we may need to evacuate we have all our important papers, insurance, birth certificates etc. in a waterproof container that is easy to grab and go. If there is a threat of a hurricane, I pack all my irreplaceable stuff, family photos and collectibles in easy to grab containers in the guest room. If we are going to stay, we have at least 10 gallons of bottled water, one for each person and 1/5 for each pet for several day (my pets are all under 15 pounds) We will fill the bathtubs and every other container we have with water for cooking and hygiene. We have a generator and several empty gas cans, a bbq with propane so that we can boil water if we lose power (no natural gas here). Every June I stock up on canned fruit, veggies tuna and chicken, every December, I donate my supply to the food bank.

[SOteric]

21. The American Red Cross has a fine website

devoted to helping people prepare for various disasters natural and man made.

You'll find their information here:

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/

[samplegirl]

23. thanks

[Omphaloskepsis]

22. Vodka and some pills..

and a copy of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

[DS1]

24. 2 quarts of water, 3 mres, one pint of iodine

fresh undies and socks, travel toothbrush and toothpaste, one hundred dollars in small bills, small utility knife, poncho, 100 yards of thin rope, big first aid kit, a book

you'll easily be able to get all of that inside a decent sized backpack, the military's ALICE pack is excellent for stuffing countless things inside and around.

and a map of your area - laminated, flashlight, compass, change of walking boots, and a little packet of sponge earplugs in case you have to get on a helicopter - because daayum those things are loud.