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What will you miss most if a disaster happens and you have nothing when you run out of the house or down into the basement. Anyone who has had to take cover in a tornado or run out into the night in an earthquake knows how it feels when you have nothing. It is a necessity to provide you and your family with a survival bag (used during power outages and disasters) and place it where you can get to it on the way to safety. If your area has tornadoes just put the bag in the shelter area you have set aside. If your area has earthquakes make sure to put the bag in an area you will have to go past in order to get out of the building.

Many suggest that the contents of a survival bag contain enough to keep you going for 72 hours and up to a week. That would have to be a very large bag and not too many people would have the money for that or be able to grab and run with a bag that large. If you are one of the lucky ones that can do this, that is great. If you are not then just make sure your bag has the essentials for a few days.

Get a back pack because in an emergency you can sling that over your shoulder and carry it on your back so it will not be separated from you. You can even have a back pack for each person in the family. Just be sure everyone knows where they are and make sure to do drills, especially if you have children. Drills make it so there is no panic when an emergency actually does arise. It will be automatic for everyone to quickly stop and grab their survival bag and proceed to a safe area.

Contents of a survival bag vary but high on the list is a flashlight that runs by battery and include new batteries. You can also get what is called a crank flashlight and these work better if you are going to be in the dark for more than a few hours. The handle must be cranked for a few minutes and the flashlight will work for a couple of hours. Once the light goes out you just start cranking again and you do not need batteries. Another good thing to have is a battery operated radio or a crank radio that works on the same system as the flashlight.

A first aid kit with antiseptic and bandages or band aids is essential. Put in some aspirin or other medication for pain and antacids. If you have to take regular medication every day put a pill bottle in with a few doses. Always rotate your medication. Every so often when you refill take the ones out of the bag and replace them with new. You will not have to concern yourself with out of date medication. If you take insulin or other medication that needs to be refrigerated place the syringes you need in the bag and if you can safely stop and grab the insulin you should get it on the way to safety. Do not try to get to it if it is too dangerous because Red Cross will be on the way and has supplies of this type of medication.

Contact wearers might want to think about putting a contact case and extra solution in the bag so you can take them out if needed. Keep an old pair of glasses and put them in the bag just in case. Women need to add feminine products just in case the emergency happens when they might need them.

Make copies of important documents and put them in the bag. Good things to copy are state ID cards, driver’s licenses, social security cards, health insurance cards, the papers for your house or renters insurance and anything else you might need. Do not put originals in the bag. Put in as much paper money as you can afford. You will not be able to go to the ATM machine for quite some time when there is an emergency.

It is imperative that you put a little bit of food and water into the bag. Rotate the water every two months or so and watch the expiration date on the food so you can use it if it starts to come close to the date. Include tuna that is packaged in a bag, crackers, energy bars and candy bars. You will find a pocket knife and some matches useful in some situations. Include some clean clothing if your bag is big enough and if not just put in some clean socks and underwear. Purchase a light weight blanket that will keep heat in if needed and reflect it out if it becomes hot. Put some pictures of the family in the bag. If you get separated you can show the pictures to officials that will search for loved ones. Put a whistle in the bag and if you cannot get out of where you are blow on it so that rescue teams can hear you.

A survival bag can make a big difference during a disaster or severe power outage. It can mean the difference between life and death in some cases. Place it in an area that is easy to get to and take it with you on the way to the basement or outside to a safety area. Even those that do not have a lot of money can get a bag ready to take with them if they need to vacate the area quickly. You do not know how much it can save you if you need it.

Learn about the important essentials you will require if there is an emergency today! There are many supplies needed for 72 hour kits to be effective. Having a survival bag can protect you and your family if there is a disaster!