Christmas Gifts: Backpack

A backpack (or duffel) is the critical beginning to every go-bag.  A go-bag is essentially a portable emergency kit for one person.  At my house, we each have a go-bag containing everything we might need for a week if we had to live out of a hotel room, a friend's house, a shelter, or our car.  But this kit starts with a backpack large enough to hold what we need and small enough that each can carry our own bag (smaller bags for the kids.)  Backpacks are ideal because they leave your hands free and help you carry a load more safely than other styles of bags.

Get someone on your list started on their go-bag or emergency kit with an appropriate backpack and a list of starter supplies.  Or better yet, get their kit started with a flashlight and batteries, a can of soup with a pop top, a mini first aid kit, and a few other emergency items.

In an emergency four eyes are always better than none

I am blessed to be fairly functional without my glasses. I've even arrived at work more than once without them. I do need mine for reading, fine detail and computer work. My husband, on the other hand, can't do anything without his. A long term loss of our glasses and we'd both be sunk.

Make Your Own Basic First Aid Kit

Sure you can run to the store and grab a boxed first aid kit.  Go for it!  But with four young kids I'll use every last bandage on the first outing. I decided this summer to put together my own kit for the car that could last through a busy, fun-filled week and will suit our needs better.  I also found it's easier to restock using standard sized packages. (And my kids prefer pirate or princess bandages, anyway!)

Getting ready...

What a busy summer we've begun, and it promises to get even crazier.  Last week, I attended a class in Jefferson City, Missouri, to learn to better run an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during a local disaster.  This week, I'm building a radio campaign to help promote and educate about basic emergency preparedness.  (You'll hear more about that later.)  I love talking to people about readiness because it's important and it's easy to do.

What is your readiness level?  How many of these boxes can you check?

• Family emergency plan is written and practiced for a variety of hazards.
• Family communications plan is written and understood.
• Out-of-State emergency contact is known (memorized) by all.
• Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and CO detectors are installed.  Fire plan and meeting place are practiced.
• Evacuation (go-bags) are packed and easily accessible.
• Home emergency kit contains 72 hours of food, flashlights and batteries, and other supplies.
• Shelter in place kit contains plastic sheeting, duct tape, and a bucket.
• Critical documents (legal documents, banking, insurance, and medical) have to-go copies assembled.
• Other emergency kits are in place: car, commuter, work, school, etc.
• A NOAA radio in your home, workplace, etc. is always on - someone is listening for alerts.
• Likely evacuation routes and destinations (hotel, friends, family, etc.) identified.
• Small business owners have a business disaster plan and expectations developed.
• Key employees (management, medical, government, etc.) have a plan for your family in a disaster.
• Alternative "utilities" identified for your home. (Heat, lights/power, cooking, etc.)
• Necessary medical needs have back-up and stock-up for a week or more during an emergency. (Power, medication, supplies, treatments, etc.)
• Safe room and wind mitigation prepared for high winds (straight line winds, tornado, hurricane, etc.).
• Earthquake mitigation begun (attach shelves, support water heater, reduce overhead storage, etc.)
• Get a little training, certification, and practice in your area of interest.  (First aid, search and rescue, Ham radio, alternative power, volunteer assistance, first response, home safety, public education, etc.)

Functional Friday: 10 Things To Know About Flooding

Flash flooding can happen anywhere. Any location that might collect water and drain after a strong shower can flood.

Never walk or drive through moving water.Submerged debris, strong currents and compromised bridges and roadways claim the lives of flood victims every year.  Stay away! Evacuate before you are stranded or seek the highest ground you can find without crossing water.

Avoid standing water, as well. Flood waters contain chemicals and bacteria picked up from sewers and storage tanks. Even in still water, submerged items and compromised ground can present unseen hazards.

If you evacuate, don't count on going back soon. Take everything you plan to need for weeks.  Take your pets, medications, and other important items. Even if they advise a short time frame, there are no guarantees with flooding.

Flood insurance is available even if you don't live in a flood plain.Call your agent for details. Also, flood insurance doesn't include sewer backup.

Never enter standing water in your home, and plan to leave your home if it fails to drain immediately. Once the water rises to sufficient levels, it could contact electric wiring, hazardous chemicals, sewer backup, or even extinguish gas/propane pilots.

When the water recedes, you have about three days to get fabrics and absorbent materials clean and dry, or they must be disposed of.  Contaminants, mold and mildew cause a great health risk.  Get furniture and carpet professionally cleaned or pull it out immediately.  Launder clothes and fabrics.  Consult with local authorities and experts for your local situation before beginning.  Drywall and voids (like under the floor) often need powerful fans to dry these areas quickly.

Flood plains and building zones and codes are often reset immediately after a local flood.  Check with your city hall or flood recovery office before beginning expensive rehab.  Three weeks after the Nashville area floods of 2010, the rehab construction project that I worked on was halted and canceled.  After the first inspection, the location was no longer approved for new construction. All our work and expense was for naught.

Don't expect businesses to reopen soon.  Local flooding often affects business owners' homes as well, and they must care for their family first.  Many times receipt of inventory is slowed, too.  And many businesses never recover from the financial strains caused by lost revenue and weighty recovery costs.

Talk to your insurance agent before, during, and after a flood (or other disaster) to confirm exactly what is covered, what is out of pocket, what is reimbursable. Be creative with you questions.  Imagine and list every item and expense you need covered.  (Temporary hotel? Business supplies in garage? Jewelry? Work you do yourself? Recommended mitigation steps?)

Functional Friday: Go-Bag Part V - What's Next?

Where should I keep it?
Somewhere clean, dry and convenient to get to in an emergency (Not buried in a closet.) I don't recommend a garage because of the temperature fluctuations.  The basement is fine if it's clean, dry, and easy to get to.  A hall or coat closet might work.  Some families and households have each member store their bag in their own room.  (With kids you'll probably want to oversee this concept.)

But you said I need more than one bag!
That I did.  Keep something at work.  It can certainly be smaller, if you like.  But an emergency is as likely to happen while you're at work, and you want to be ready to stay or go.  A friend of mine tells a funny story about kissing his wife good-bye and going to work knowing that impending flooding would strand him at work for the next two to three days.  When he gets to the part about wading through flood waters to get from his office to the convenience store across the street because he was hungry, I stopped laughing.  He needed a go-bag at work.

My sister called me soon after starting her son at daycare.  In the first weeks after compiling these kits, she had unexpectedly used several items from his daycare and car emergency go-bags.  She needed an extra bottle (when one broke), a jar of strained prunes (You know what that was for.), and the hoodie from the car (during an unexpected cold snap).   She replaced them all immediately, of course, but she was thrilled to be able to solve problems so conveniently.

I have frequently used the extra clothes in my office.  I try to balance the outfit I keep at work.  It needs to be dressy enough that I can get away with wearing it when I spill coffee (or mustard) down my front.  But it needs to be comfortable enough that it's worth changing into in an emergency (like bad weather).

Keep something in the car.  I highlighted a news story last December where hundreds of people were stranded in their cars on icy highways.  Your four wheel drive won't do you any good in a traffic jam.  Once you're stuck in traffic you're there, no matter what you're driving.


When is my go-bag good enough?
Remember the list of risks and likely events you made a few days ago.  If your bags (and their location) suits each one of the risks you identified, then be done,  Go-bags (like any project) can be overwhelming and grow into a monster that you want to get away from.  I constantly tweak my supplies and ideas.  That may make you crazy.  When you're done and you're happy, put it away.  Know it's there when you need it.  (But don't forget to get it out next year to check over.)

This Series' Links
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Need
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Purpose
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Bag
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Basic Stuff

Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - What's Next?

Functional Friday: Go-Bag Part IIII - The Basic Stuff

Making a list
Hopefully by now you have a list of emergencies and scenarios that may require you to head out quickly.  Take a minute and make a list of personal items that you absolutely MUST have to stay healthy and sane in any 24 to 72 hour period.  You should consider your go-bag a comfort kit.  What items will help you physically, mentally, and emotionally if you have to act fast and get out, whatever the emergency.

Assembling your kit

Clothes
Pick a basic change of clothes.  Start with one outfit -- something comfortable and warm, maybe something you could sleep in.  Toss a pair of socks and underwear with it.  Put it in the bag.  See how easy that was?  You now have a go-bag.  Now, let's make it better.  You can pack more clothes if they'll fit, but more than three simple outfits will get bulky.  Pack layers for flexibility and warmth.  Pack familiar and comfortable clothes.  Consider a hoodie.  Hat and gloves - A summer ballcap and work gloves or a stocking cap and fleece gloves? You pick.  Flip flops for showering, maybe?

Water
Add a 1 liter bottle of water.  (I prefer this to be a new unopened bottle, not a refill.  It's going to sit there for a year.)

Food
Think of the food you might want to eat if nothing else were immediately available.  Keep in mind special dietary requirements, but don't try to get healthier than you eat everyday.  Watch the fat and sodium content.  Check the "best by" and expiration dates on food.  I try to stay within the listed date for most things, so look for food that lists a year or more before it expires.  Unless you further research food packaging, leave food closed in original wrappers.  (If you are going to store this in the garage or in the car, your choices are limited due to extreme heat and cold variations.)

Here are a few starter suggestions:

Tuna, chicken, or salmon in a pouch - easy open, no draining, low in fat and high in protein, long dated
Slim Jim-type snacks or beef jerky - saltier than pouches, but less messy and more sharable
Nuts and nut butter - I have an 8 oz. jar of peanut butter and packs of almonds in my pack

Crackers, cereal and chips - Often short dated for best taste, these foods take a little research if you want to drop them in the bag and replace them a year later.  Prepackaged flour tortillas often work.
Granola Bars and Oatmeal bars - These often contain whole grains.

Dried fruit or fruit leather - Make sure it's made of fruit, not added corn syrup.
Pudding and fruit cups - These are delicious, but they can rupture and leak. Pack carefully.
Chocolate - I include cocoa almonds and a chocolate Clif bar to get my chocolate fix.
Drink mixes - My pack has Gatorade mix (the kind WITH sugar) and artificially sweetened mixes.
Snacks - Mints, gum, and your favorite candy can be a big perk in an emergency.

You can also easily find ready-to-eat entrees (Pahd Thai by candlelight, anyone?)  And there are many just add hot water items (ramen noodles and instant potatoes), but these require the obvious - hot water! MRE's are a great option for nutrition and dating, but they can be bulky, expensive, and caloric.  I've eaten quite a few, and I've not had anything I wouldn't eat again.  I'll add lots of ideas and suggestions later.  To protect against spills and odors, seal your food in a ziplock-type plastic bag.

Personal Care and Hygiene Items
Medication - I recommend you keep at least two weeks of medication in this bag.  Most pharmacy meds have a year or more dating.  I exchange mine in September each year.

Also consider any special health care needs.  My son uses a special soap - I'd hate to deal with an outbreak of his sensitive skin issues in a disaster situation.  Put hygiene items in ziplock-type bags, as well. 

Soap
Antibacterial gel or wipes
Shampoo
Razor and shaving cream
Comb
Mirror
Tooth brush, paste, floss
Nail trimmers
First aid kit
Bug repellant, sunscreen
Kleenex, toilet paper
Cotton swabs
Deodorant
Feminine hygiene
Contact solution and case

Tools
Here's where things get a little weird for some people.  Up until now, we have included the items you might need for a trip to grandma's or the Holiday Inn.  But we're about to add a few items that may seem a bit dramatic.  Remember that you are trying to stay healthy and comfortable in an unpredictable situation.  Add what you like and leave the rest out.

Extra glasses - Put last year's prescription in your bag.
Hair ties - These are useful for more than just putting your hair up.
Pen, pencil, marker and a notebook - You may need to make notes, signs, or just doodle.
Hand towel and washcloth
Light sticks - I buy 15 bracelets for $1 and keep a pack of them in every bag. 
Air mattress - The cheap plastic swimming pool kind on clearance in August for $2.
Emergency blanket - The silvery plastic one they wrap around the hero at the end of the movie.
Extra ziplock-type bags - I always pack a few extra gallon sized bags.
Rain poncho - I buy them for under $1 at Wal-mart.  (Disney sells them for $7 every time it rains.)
Pocket knife or scissors
Chapstick with sunscreen
Small flashlight or penlight and extra batteries (stored out of the flashlight)
Extra cell phone charger
Extra set of keys
Radio with extra batteries (stored out of the radio)

Preparedness and Personal Items
A copy of your plan - with phone numbers and addresses
Cash, credit cards
Family Photos
Copies of insurance cards, bank cards, and birth certificates
Vaccination records and other important documents
Map and/or directions to safe places

Remember that this is a work in progress.  It took me literally three years to assemble an basic go-bag for all six members of my family.  Hopefully these tips and suggestions will encourage you to get started and help you know which direction to proceed.

This Series' Links
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Need
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Purpose
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Bag
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Basic Stuff

Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - What's Next?

Functional Friday: Go-Bag Part III - The Bag

Like any project you see on Everyday Providence, a go-bag will never get done unless you start it.  Preparedness is a process.  Start something.  You can improve it later!

Now, go get a bag.  (One per person, please.)  A plastic or paper bag will not work.  It needs to close completely with a tie or zipper and should be at least big enough to hold a change of clothes, some snacks, and personal items.  I use backpacks.  Duffel bags work fine.  A piece of luggage will suffice.  That tote bag that you got from the National Association of Something at last year's conference and trade show will work too.  Don't pick something that's too big or cumbersome to carry for a short walk.  When I start a new preparedness project I prefer to use things I have around the house - less investment, less commitment, more room to tweak later.  You may prefer, however, to run to the store and buy a shiny new go-bag.  Go for it!

When you've got a bag, you're ready for next week's Functional Friday post. We'll fill it with the things you need.

This Series' Links
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Need
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Purpose
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Bag
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Basic Stuff

Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - What's Next?

Functional Friday Go Bag Part II - The Purpose

Scenario One: The teen-ager that live a few doors down pulls out of the drive and heads by your house to go to school.  Her cell phone rings, and as she pries it out of her pocket it falls on the floor.  She reaches down to grab it, but in her distraction she rams the corner of the lawn chemical truck servicing your neighbor's house.  Thankfully, she is wearing her seat belt and her airbag goes off.   She is safe, but the truck is in the middle of the neighbor's lawn and the the tank of lawn chemicals has split open like a dropped watermelon. In a scene reminiscent of Batman, green goo is flowing down the neighbor's sloping yard across the drive and into your landscaping.  As the police arrive, they ask you to leave your house until they can assess the risk and confirm the contents of the tank.  The officer asks you to safely exit your home in the next five minutes.  They have a hazardous materials crew and containment unit on the way, and they aren't sure when you'll be able to return.  What do you grab on your way out the door?

Let's mix it up now.

Scenario Two: You plan to stay at work till 5:30 since the train was late getting you there this morning.  Your 18 month old is at the company run daycare in your building, and your 12 year old just called to say his homework is done.  Your husband is at a job site today and will try to be home in time for dinner at 6:30.  A thunderstorm rolls through about 4:30 as predicted.  Strong winds cut power to many homes and businesses, including some in your neighborhood.  Your building is fine, but the sister office across town is without power, and all calls and transactions are forwarding to your site, leaving everyone a bit flustered.  No one is answering the phone at home.  When you try your husband's cell a message plays saying all circuits are busy.  You take a ten minute break to run down and check on your daughter in daycare.  She's fine, but two workers left due to storm related emergencies and you'll need to pick her up promptly at 5:00 pm.  To make matters worse, they forgot to tell you yesterday that they are out of her baby food and are running low on diapers.  And you just found out that flash flooding has closed one of the bridges you cross to get home.

I hope I'm not frightening you.  I cannot predict these or any other scenario will happen to you, but they are events that will occur in some form, somewhere soon.  Admittedly, they are both pretty dramatic, but I hope you can see that they are plausible.  Knowing you have a plan will help you navigate both of these situations with some degree of confidence.  Preparedness planning is a support that may sustain you through a difficult situation.  Both of these situations emphasize the need for a pre-planned supply kit at home, at work, at daycare, and in the car (or your commuter bag.)  Next Friday, we'll pick a bag that suits your needs.

This Series' Links
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Need
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Purpose
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Bag
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Basic Stuff

Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - What's Next?

Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Need

Some of my best emergency and disaster training comes from watching movies.  Action movies are especially ripe with examples, suggestions, and references for anyone wanting to increase their preparedness in an emergency.  Example: This week my husband and I watched SALT (starring Angelina Jolie) after the kids went to bed.  As the action builds, she grabs a bag that contains EXACTLY what she needs and executes a plan that she has been contemplating for years.  The moment came and she was ready... with the perfect go bag.  (I'm sorry that it's difficult to see in this photo.)  Although, it's doubtful that your go bag will contain magnetic explosives like a CIA agent, I hope to help you start planning what you need to include in yours.

First, a glimpse into emergency planning.

1) Consider your likely and possible emergencies.
Your Home (fire, sewer back-up, gas leak)
Weather (tornado, thunderstorm, blizzard, drought,winds)
Natural Location (flood, tsunami, volcano, wildfire, earthquake)
Man-made (hazardous material spill, nuclear plant malfunction, crime)

2) Consider your special needs, situations, and/or circumstances.
Household members include young children, elderly, mental/emotional/physical disabled.
Very urban and very rural settings can present special challenges.
Work requires you come in during an emergency. (medical personnel, emergency service, small business owner, company management or engineers)
Resources available to you will determine your capability.  (ie Those with a Hummer will fare better during a storm.  Those with a motorcycle will fare better when there's no power to pump gas.)

3) Make a plan.  (...even a little plan.  We'll make it better later.)
Write it down and hand it out.
Your plan may dictate what you need with you.  Keys, money, tent, 50 gallons of gas?
Make sure your friends, family and emergency contacts know your plan.

4) Consider your friends, family, and neighbors in your plan.
Do you have an elderly neighbor or single parent neighbor you'll want to help?  Plan for it.
Does your grandmother live across town?  Plan for her.

Now make a basic last of the things you think you would need if you had to go right now, and you weren't sure when you'd be back (hours? days?).  Next Friday, we'll look at why and when you might need and use a go-bag.

This Series' Links
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Need
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Purpose
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Bag
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - The Basic Stuff
Functional Friday: Go Bag Part I - What's Next?