In the event of a natural disaster, having additional emergency supplies would be worthwhile. These items are not in our 72-hour backpacks. You can separate these items into 5 or 6 gallon buckets, totes, or additional bags. Obviously you can't carry all of these on foot yourself, but you could load them into a vehicle. And having them ready to go if you had to evacuate would save a lot of valuable time. Here is a list of some emergency supplies our family is gathering.
5-gallon Bucket #1 -
List of items in bucket
Bucket lid (not Gamma lid if adding toilet seat)
Large flashlight or solar flashlight (put near top)
Batteries for flashlight
Family-sized First Aid Kit (update every 6 months. Could be used to help others. Put near top)
Radio, battery (put near top)
Batteries for radio (replace every 6 months)
Sun block
Insect repellant
Travel wet wipes
40 Waterproof matches
Butane lighter
Emergency flares
Emergency candles
50 Purification tablets
Water filtration bottle
Can opener
12-Function Army Knife w/scissors
Sewing kit
Large 30 gallon trash bags
13 gal. plastic trash bags (to line your bucket as a toilet)
2 Mess kits
Paper plates, paper bowls, paper cups, plastic utensils
Paper towels, small roll
Foil
Small bottle of dish soap or camp soap
Small bottle of disinfectant
American Red Cross brochures
5-gallon Bucket #2 -
Leather work gloves (put near top or in 72-hour kit)
Large tarp
Folding shovel
Hatchet
Whet stone
50 ft. nylon cord
Duct tape
Small folding cook stove with fuel
Small hand broom
Pliers and wrench
Crowbar/prybar
50 ft. nylon cord
Duct tape
Small folding cook stove with fuel
Small hand broom
Pliers and wrench
Crowbar/prybar
Additional Items:
Family tent (in its own bag)
Family tent (in its own bag)
Toilet seat lid made to fit on bucket
Cases of bottled water (*what you can't put in your backpacks)
Water container to refill at evacuation shelter: tote, bucket above, or jug with spout
Walkie Talkies
Battery powered TV
Chainsaw w/extra blade
Extra fuel 5-gallon gas cans
Printable:
Family Emergency Supplies List
Go here for 72-hour Kit Container ideas
Go here for 72-hour Kit Food Pack ideas
Go here for Personal Supplies ideas
Go here for Evacuation Grab & Go ideas
Cases of bottled water (*what you can't put in your backpacks)
Water container to refill at evacuation shelter: tote, bucket above, or jug with spout
Walkie Talkies
Battery powered TV
Chainsaw w/extra blade
Extra fuel 5-gallon gas cans
Printable:
Family Emergency Supplies List
Go here for 72-hour Kit Container ideas
Go here for 72-hour Kit Food Pack ideas
Go here for Personal Supplies ideas
Go here for Evacuation Grab & Go ideas
These are excellent lists. Pretty similar to what we carry in our van. We rotate our bucket contents by season. Spring and again in Fall.
ReplyDeleteI'd add one item to your bucket #2. A small whet stone for the hatchet will come in very handy. From experience I can tell you they dull quickly when used.
I added the whet stone to bucket #2. Thank you, LJ!
ReplyDeleteJust a thought but, evacuation by car doesn't seem practical. At best it will be nothing short of 5 o'clock traffic magnified 100 times over, grid lock will result and you will be stuck in your car. wouldn't it more practical to make a "bugout" backpack?
ReplyDeleteOur evacuation by foot items are our 72 hour Kit Backpacks. These buckets hold additional supplies if we had more time to evacuate. I'll try to make that clear in my post.
ReplyDeleteWhy not use the Gamma lid?
ReplyDeleteI'm curious.. Why did you specify no Gamma Lid??
ReplyDeleteTiff: A Gamma lid is good for long term food storage and costs about $6.00. Most of the time industrial buckets come with their own lid. It is an extra expense to buy a Gamma lid. However, if you want to use one for your emergency supplies, go for it.
ReplyDeleteDo the standard lids come off easily? I'm just thinking for the future - when I'm going to have to replace batteries, etc. Will I have to "ruin" the standard lid to get it off, or will it come off and go back on with no issues?
ReplyDeleteA gamma lid would obviously do those things, but I don't want to spend $$ I don't have to.
And seriously - thanks for all of your detailed lists! I'm finally starting to get everything together!
I just remembered why I said not to use a Gamma lid. It has a ring insert that fits on the bucket. Then you attach the lid. If you decide to use the bucket for a toilet it might be difficult to attach an emergency toilet seat.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that you didn't add the whet stone on the pdf download.
ReplyDeletethanks for the great tips and lists.
considering hard-side luggage in place of the buckets. what would you recomend and why?
ReplyDeleteHi biochemgeek,
ReplyDeleteJust an opinion. Wheeled luggage would be useful if you had to walk. However, buckets keep things waterproof and could be put in a cart and the bucket could be used as a water carrier or toilet. Just do what you think is best for your circumstance.
I don't see the tv as a necessity, maybe if you have a laptop bag you can grab & go with if you have a converter or other way to charge it. I would like to add a DIY solar cell phone charger and a spare cord. In most everyday emergencies (weather, fire, etc) you'll still need these and I would prefer to have my phone and laptop as opposed to a portable tv or DVD player.
ReplyDeleteA potty training seat that sits on a regular toilet fits on buckets! Not the most compact solution but a cheaper alternative, I have seen them at thrift or discount stores. I sanitize everything I buy used and its not any worse than a public toilet or port a potty!
Add in a way to wash clothing as well, bar of laundry soap (I like fels naptha) and a plunger (sturdy one you can take apart to fit in the bucket) or if you can find one to fit a washboard and a plastic scrub brush the kind for floors not dishes, a metal dog chain and clothes pins is a great laundry line because you can keep the tension better than rope.
I have a small tote we use for camping that I keep accessible JIC that has a small wash bin, set of plastic dishes for each of use, a metal pot and skillet, cooking spoon & spatula, flex cutting board and good knife, spare can opener. 2 bottle of alcohol (to refill the alcohol heater we can cook over) and some scrubbies, small bottle of blue dawn, and a couple sham towels. I use the small bin to wash in and the empty tote for rinsing, I keep an alcohol heater (sealed very well) in each BOB and another and spare bottle of alcohol in every extra supply container. This ensures that I have a small heater and method to cook if nothing else is avalible. Alcohol is cheaper (need the higher concentration though) and I can put a large recycled can with holes punched in the bottom over the top for a suitable sturdy cooking surface. This may not be for everyone but it works for us.
We have a huge heavy family tent and a small light to carry one. The small one sleeps 6-8 (there are 6 of us) so enough room to sardine in and keep warm with our gear. This stays with our BOBs, te large one we would only grab if we have plenty of advanced warning and time and knew we would have room to use it and haul it to our BOB location. It is a 16 man tent divided into 3 rooms we plenty of room for comfort if we had to be inside for an extended period of time.