Lately, these long days have been questionable. Either Mother Nature is kickn our butt, an idiot never learned how to safely dispose of a fire, a power grid failed, or simply we have to save on water .No matter what your politics are, your religious beliefs are, sexual preference ,gender, or even race is, these days are touching all of us.We figured what better way to start off our blogging history than posting an Emergency Tips and Tricks post. In the military there was that motto,“Rather have and not need than need and not have!” I hated that motto because behind that motto was a heavy shoulder bag of things I probably never would use. Years later and with a family I've found that exact motto to be a life saver.

The following is just a suggestion and based on our own experience. Please use it as a template if anything for your own custom bags or kits. We truly hope this helps and you can always come in or call with any questions or concerns.

I guess to start off, if I were to build from scratch I would probably need to answer first:

1. What can mother nature bring to me in my area?

Preparing for floods can be a lot different than preparing for an earthquake. We suggest not just taking your experience in account but also spend a few minutes on knowing what disasters hit your area over two generations. Sometimes just because we don't hear about it doesn't mean it cant happen again

2. Are there multiple scenarios I'm wanting to build for?

We suggest making a list of needs for each so you can see it on paper. Sometimes you can have one tool that can be used for many different occasions and seeing it on paper can help in the weight of your build

3. What is the fastest and safest route away from the disaster or disasters I'm building for?

It never hurts to know what roads lead out of town and to safety. We know many of people that take a few minutes with their local road and land maps to highlight routes. I personally would rather spend 10 minutes on a map to get an idea of routes vs. spend a couple lives getting lost during a disaster.

4. Do I have a ,”JUST IN CASE PLAN?”

O.k so you've spent a few minutes knowing what can possibly happen in your area. You've mapped out a couple routes to safety. The next task we always like to spend a lot of time on. Get together with whom you live with, grab some paper and make a game out of it. We've found with children if you get them involved in the planning they tend to want to act it out and that's what we want. If there's elderly involved their input on personal needs can be priceless during an emergency. Planning for something you have no clue about can be stressful so take a breath and relax. We believe the only question that should be asked during the planning stage is, “WHAT IF?” It can get pretty detailed and you can go down a deep rabbit hole but the plan is the difference sometimes between life and death. Having it discussed and down on paper is key!!

Now it's time to build your kit. Keep in mind that anything you put in this kit everyone that can know should know how to use it. Unfortunately, some people build a kit and think they'll just wing it if anything happens. The following is a general suggestion for your build.

•A supply of water

•A supply of non-perishable packaged food

If food requires a heater like an MRE ensure each meal has two heaters in case one is bad

•Clothing that can sustain you during wet weather and the cold. A good rule of thumb is layers and socks, socks, socks

•Medical gear and or a first aid kit that can be used on every member of your party at the same time if the case presents itself

•Blankets, sleeping bags and shelter systems

A Ranger Roll Sleep System works great if weight is a concern

•A good radio that can be wound for charge

•A small roll up solar charger

•A solid flashlight.

Personally, I have a rugged 18650 light that can be charged. I've found this saves on weight. If I carried a regular light then I would have to carry multiple sets of batteries in case of drainage, damage, or use. With the light that charges, I would just carry one extra 18650 fully charged in a small case. This light can be charged with the solar charger.

•Copies of important Documents

*A list of family doctors and must have medications. Also include reasons for medications.
*Copies of anything that will prove identities (socials, id's, etc)

We hope this info helps. Please be advised this list is just to be used as a general tip. Of course each family had different needs and different number of mouths to feed so amounts of items vary.