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You can never be too prepared. Have an emergency kit packed and ready at all times.
You can never be too prepared for an emergency. No matter how old you are or what stage of life you're at, an emergency kit can be the difference between life and death for you in a crisis situation. Make the responsible choice and follow this guide on how to pack an emergency kit.
Step 1:

Find a suitable container. In order to keep the contents of your emergency kit safe and dry, you need to find the right container. Ideally, it should be plastic with a seal-tight lid. (Either that, or pack all of your contents in a plastic bag within your plastic container). Choose something sturdy that won't easily crack either. Chances are, this emergency kit will be expected to last you many years, so you want to be sure that container lives up to your expectations.

Step 2:

Gather your supplies. Now you need to gather everything you want to keep in your emergency first aid kit. You can always add or subtract items, depending on your family's needs. But in general, a standard first aid kit contains the following supplies:

  • Blanket
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Lots of bandages (of varying sizes)
  • Diapers / baby wipes (if necessary)
  • Gauze
  • Sterile dressings
  • Tweezers
  • Scissors
  • Ice packs / heat packs
  • Candles
  • Lighter / matches
  • Flashlight (preferably a self-charging one)
  • 2-way radio, if possible
  • Self-charging am/fm radio
Step 3:

Make an emergency phone list. As an added precaution, you may also want to include an emergency contact list in your emergency kit. You never know when the internet will be down. You may not be able to look up important phone numbers when you need to. So keep a list of the following numbers handy:

  • Fire
  • Police
  • Ambulance
  • Poison control
  • Family doctor
  • Local pharmacy
  • Emergency family/friend contact
Step 4:

Consider adding extra items. Depending on the type of emergency that you're preparing for, you may want to put some additional items in your emergency kit. These include:

  • Cash (ideally, 2 week's wages)
  • Toilet paper
  • Soap
  • Towel
  • Canned goods / can opener
  • Granola bars
  • Extra batteries
  • A needle and thread
  • Large bottles of water
  • extra set of car keys

The contents you add to your personal emergency kit will vary slightly depending on where you live. It matters whether you're preparing for a hurricane, a tornado, or an ice storm. So pack your emergency kit accordingly.

Step 5:

Consider some time-killers. During an emergency, you will likely be without your treasured personal things like computers, television and iPods. How will you keep yourself busy while you're waiting out the emergency? Consider packing one or a few of the following to take your mind off of the emergency:

  • Deck of cards
  • Pen/paper
  • Crossword / word search book
  • Backgammon
  • A few family photos to spark up conversation
  • A novel (or picture books for the kids)

You will never be fully prepared when an emergency strikes. But by packing an emergency kit for you and your family ahead of time, you can rest assured that the time you spend in an emergency situation will be made just a little bit easier.

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