Prepare for the Unexpected—and Stress Less—With an Emergency Kit
One of the big benefits of decluttering and getting organized is feeling less stressed. When you get rid of things you don’t need, you can quickly and easily find what you do need. You’re not sorting through piles of clothes that don’t fit to find the outfit you need to wear or combing through stacks of junk mail to find the bill you need to pay.
Today I’m sharing one very specific organizing tip that can save you a lot of time and stress, even in the most anxiety-inducing situations, and that’s to build an emergency kit.
I’ll walk you through why you should build an emergency kit, what should be in it, and where to store it. This guide will make it super easy for you to be prepared for an emergency. Then you can focus on dealing with whatever lies in front of you instead of worrying where to find important items or how to pack everything you’ll need.
Natural disasters, like floods, are more and more common, so it’s important to be prepared for emergencies. (Photo by Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash)
Why you need an emergency kit
You never know when an emergency will happen, so you can’t really plan for it. But you can be prepared.
In some parts of the country, people regularly prepare for common emergencies. For example, in coastal areas typically affected by hurricanes, many people pack emergency kits to be ready if they need to evacuate quickly or in case the power is out for more than a day or two.
An emergency kit is helpful for more than just hurricanes. We see more and more natural disasters in the news—flooding, fires, tornadoes—and having an emergency kit ready to grab and take with you can make evacuating or sheltering in place less stressful.
Besides natural disasters, an emergency kit means you’re prepared for other unforeseen emergencies. If your power or water is out for an extended amount of time, your emergency kit can come in handy.
Now that you know the importance of having an emergency kit, let’s look at what should be in a kit, so you can start building your own!
What should go in an emergency kit?
There are two slightly different types of emergency kits you can put together.
One is an emergency supplies pack for sheltering in place or evacuating, and it should include enough food and water for each person in your home for at least 3 days. You will want to store this type of kit in something like a plastic tub. Remember to add food and water for your pets too!
The other type of emergency kit is more of a “go bag,” something you can grab and easily take with you if you’re going somewhere in a hurry.
Here is a quick list of some basic items for a grab-and-go emergency bag.
Food (ready to eat) and water.
Remember to pack food and water for your pets too! Parents with babies should include infant formula in an emergency bag.
Remember to pack food, water, medicine, or other necessary items for your pets! (Photo by Laszlo D., Unsplash)
Phone charger and battery bank
Copies of important documents, such as insurance papers, birth certificates, deeds, identification, and passports
You can bring paper copies of important documents, but you’ll also want digital backups. Emergencies make it clear that having digital files of important paperwork is invaluable. You don’t have to worry about fire or water damage when you know you also have digital copies. You can read more about our digitizing services here.
Small battery-powered or hand-crank radio
This is useful in case cell networks are unavailable and you can’t get access to the internet. You can still get news and updates on the radio.
Extra batteries
Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight
Small first-aid kit and personal medications
Remember to also include any medications your pets need.
Personal toiletries and items
This can include an extra pair of eyeglasses, contact lenses, hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene supplies, and any over-the-counter pain relievers or allergy medications.
Cash, in small bills
Local map on paper
You’ll want an old-school map in case GPS or cell phone towers are down or overloaded, which can happen during emergencies.
A blanket
Pen and notepad
A few toys or games for children
Be sure you know your child’s favorite toys. You won’t be able to pack them away in an emergency bag now, but in case of an emergency, simply knowing their favorites can help you grab them quickly. If your home is destroyed in a natural disaster, having a couple of toys they truly love would be comforting for your kids.
What you pack in a larger emergency supply kit or in an easy-to-grab go bag can change depending on your family and needs.
What type of bag or container to use for your kit
Now that we have our supplies, we’ll need to decide what to store our emergency kit in.
If you build a larger emergency supplies kit with enough food and water for everyone in your home for 3-7 days, you will probably need 1 or 2 large plastic bins. You’ll also want to be sure it isn’t so heavy that you can’t lift it in case you need to move it to a different room in your home or even into your car.
Ideally, you want any important documents stored in waterproof and fireproof bags or containers.
For an emergency go bag that you take with you if you evacuate your home, you can use a large backpack or duffel bag. Depending on the size of your family, you might need two bags.
Where to store your emergency kit
Try to store your packed emergency kit near a door you would use as an exit. That makes it easier to pick up quickly in an emergency. (Photo by Benjamin Hoppe, Unsplash)
Now that you have your emergency kit packed, let’s look at where to store it.
For a larger emergency supply kit, storing it at the bottom of a hallway closet or linen closet works well. It’s out of the way but easy to access when you need it in a hurry.
For a more portable grab-and-go emergency bag, try to store it near your front door (or whichever door you use most often). Maybe you have a mudroom or coat closet.
I keep an emergency bag in a cat stroller, so in the event of an emergency, I can load my pets into the carrier and leave quickly.
If you have smaller pets, you can use a pet carrier or stroller in an emergency. Then you can store your emergency kit in the bottom of the stroller. (Photo by Japeth Revelo, Unsplash)
Once you have your kit together and stored, you’ll want to review it once or twice a year. That’s when you can swap out food, so you don’t end up with anything that’s expired in your kit. You might decide to add a change of clothes or make other updates to what you’ve packed for emergencies.
It’s such a good feeling to have a plan and feel prepared in case anything unusual happens. It’s a small way to ease some of the stress of an emergency.
If you’d like any help preparing an emergency kit or clearing space in a closet for emergency supplies, reach out to me.
Xoxo,
Michelle
