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Prepare
Yourself Ahead of Time
Plus 5
Basic Survival Skills
- Car Kits
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Shopping
for an emergency car kit is like shopping
at FOREVER 21 clothing
store for one shirt - too many choices
in what seems
like an endless space to search; and frankly,
who has the time? But seriously, you don't
have to purchase a complete kit for your
car, you can prepare your very own; tailored
to meet your needs.
The
first thing you need to do is consider
the space you have in your car/trunk where
your kit will be stored. This will determine
if you will use one large container, or two
smaller ones. Once you go over your space
and checklist of items, you'll want to select
what type of container you will use. For
example, do you want to use a plastic tub,
backpack, duffle bag or zipper pouches?
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Next, you
might want to have your emergency "car" needs
separated from your emergency "personal" needs.
Keep in mind that should you be in
an emergency situation, you will want
to keep your car needs either separate,
on top of, or off to one side for easy
access as they will be your first priority. |
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Here's
a list to get you started! |
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There are many ways to customize
your emergency car kit. Remember, this is your
kit so feel free to add or make appropriate
changes as you see fit:
- Case
of bottled water for drinking and cooking
- Food
and snacks that won't spoil, such as
dried fruit and canned goods. (compressed
high-energy snack bars are excellent
because of their ability to withstand
most
car temperatures)
- Manual
can opener and basic eating utensils
- Flashlight
with extra batteries (batteries last
longer in LED flashlights)
- Whistle
- First
aid kit with burn care dressings and
gel
- Maps
and compass
- AM/FM
radio
- Chemical
light sticks are recommended because
of
their safety
- Road
flares (some people choose the chemical
light sticks over
flares for safety
reasons;
their personal preference)
- Candles
with waterproof matches
- Blankets
- Extra
clothing/shoes in a zip bag to keep clean
and
dry
- Knife
(a Swiss army
knife is
excellent
for emergencies)
- Jumper
cables
- Spare
tire
in good condition,
lug wrenches
and a
car jack
- Car
repair
kit
- Try
to
always
maintain
at
least
one-half
tank
of
gas
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Other
useful items to remember:
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- Cell
phone to report any emergencies (many disconnected
cell phones may still be able to call "911" when
charged)
- Fire
extinguisher
- Paper
and pencil for leaving notes or recording
any thoughts
- Toys
and other special consideration items for
children
- Books
and games for entertainment
- Short
rubber hose for siphoning
- Some
small cash (bills and coins)
- Small
shovel
- Antifreeze/windshield
washer fluid
- List
of emergency contact numbers
- Sanitation
and sundry items including toilet
paper and
soap (hand sanitizer
is a great idea because
it does not require
any water.
Tip: You might want to date certain items
in your kit to help you keep track when
you packed them. I like to use a sharpie
to mark cans, water bottles, or boxes of
food, even packages of batteries.
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Don’t
forget special needs! |
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It
is also important to consider special needs
such as those with diabetes or hypoglycemia,
babies, elderly, and people with allergies
or chronic illness. For a person with diabetes,
remember to have extra insulin on hand. For
a person with hypoglycemia, store high energy
snacks in addition to their ration of food.
For babies, store extra diapers, formula,
blankets and other clothes.
If you have no way of calling for help,
tie a bright red piece of cloth on your
antenna. This is generally recognized as
a call for assistance. Remember to always
let someone know what time you left and
what time you expect to arrive at your
destination.
By taking these precautions, you can prepare
your family for an emergency and feel more
confident in your travels.
Happy Trails!
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5
Basic
Survival Skills
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The following survival skills were taken
from SurvivalTopics.com:
First
Basic Survival Skill
–
Fire
Knowing how to build
a fire is the best survival
skill you can have. Always
have at least two, and preferably
three, ways of making a fire at
you immediate
disposal. With waterproof matches,
a butane lighter, and a magnesium
fire
starter or firesteel you should
be able to create a fire anytime
anywhere
no
matter how adverse the conditions.
- Fire
provides warmth, light, and comfort.
Even if you do not have adequate
clothing, a good fire can allow you to survive in the coldest of environments.
- Fire
will cook your food and purify your
water.
- Fire
will dry your clothing.
- Fire
and smoke can be used for signaling very
long distances.
Second
Basic Survival Skill
– Shelter
Shelter protects your body
from the outside elements; heat, cold, rain, snow,
the sun, and wind. There are
different layers of sheltering:
- The
first layer of shelter is the clothing
you choose to
wear. Your clothing is of vital importance
and must be chosen wisely
according
to the environment
you are likely to find yourself in. Be sure
to dress in layers in order to maximize
your
ability to adapt to changing conditions.
- The
next layer of shelter is the one you
may have to build yourself, a lean-to
or
debris hut perhaps. If the situation
requires, your
shelter can be insulated
with whatever is at hand for the purpose.
Being prepared, you may have a space
blanket
or tarp with you, in which case creating
a
shelter should be relatively
easy.
- Before
you are in need of making a survival
shelter, be sure to practice
and experiment
with a variety
of materials and
survival scenarios
on a regular
basis.
Third
Basic Survival Skill
– Signaling
Signaling allows
you to make contact with people who
can rescue
you without having to be in actual
physical contact with them. There
are a variety of ways to signal
for help:
- Fire, smoke, flashlights, bright colored
clothing and other markers, reflective
mirrors, whistles,
and Personal Locator
Beacons. Three
of anything is considered
a signal for help: 3 gunshots, 3 blows
on a whistle, three sticks in the shape
of a triangle.
Fourth Basic Survival Skill
- Food and
Water
Whenever you plan to travel, be sure
to always bring extra food and water.
Having
more on hand
than you think you will
need will
give
you that extra measure
of safety should something happened and
you have to stay out longer than anticipated.
- It
is important that you know how to ration
your water and food as well as
find more
in the environment
in which you find
yourself.
You can go without
food for a number
of days, but living without water for
even a few
days will cause
your efficiency to drop dramatically.
- If
possible, boil any water you find
in order to kill
disease organisms that may
be in even
the cleanest
looking water. Filtering or chemically
treating
water is second
best.
Fifth Basic Survival Skill
- First
Aid
Always bring along your first aid kit
and a space blanket.
- Most
injuries you are likely to encounter
in the wilderness are relatively
minor scrapes,
cuts, bruises, and
burns. Larger injuries
are going to need better facilities than
that
which you have at your
disposal, which means
you will need outside
help.
- Panic
is your
number one enemy when you are
in any emergency, be it injured,
lost, or stranded.
What you need in these situations
is first
aid for the mind.
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