The Top 9 Items You Need In Your Emergency Kit (#6 Was Surprising)

Are you prepared for a disaster?

Millions of people aren’t, and disaster can strike at any time. We recently did some research, and found that the average citizen has 14 minutes to prepare for an evacuation. According to the Red Cross, the number of disasters across the world has risen significantly in the past 3 years.

A new survey reveals that two-thirds of American households are unprepared in the event of a natural disaster. Even after hurricanes, storms, typhoons, and tsunamis, people are not taking the time to educate themselves on the necessities needed if a life-threatening situation were to occur.

We’ve compiled a list of 7 things you need to have with you in case of an Emergency Situation. Whether it’s a natural disaster or something more sinister, keep these 7 items in your house or your car… just in case.

One gallon of filtered water per person per day for a minimum of three days. This is the most essential life necessity and will keep you hydrated and help sanitize if water sources are contaminated. You should have a lot of bottled water ready in your house, but what if you need to leave the house in a hurry?

Then the Fixt Survival Filtration Straw is what you want. It works like a regular straw, except you put the bottom end into contaminated water you wouldn’t normally think about swallowing. Then you drink! You have to exert extra force to pull the water up, almost like sucking a milkshake through a straw. The reason for the resistance is you need to pull the water through the dual cleansing chambers that remove 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, and parasites (including parasites like e-coli, campylobacter, shigella, vibrio cholera, and salmonella). The 9” straw is built to last and the filter will provide 1000 liters (about one year’s worth) of filtered water. Take it camping, hiking or carry it “just in case,” and be able to drink worry-free from streams, rivers, ponds, lakes and more. You can even drink dirty toilet water by using this straw!

If you don’t have water, there won’t be any way you for you to survive a disaster situation. Make sure this is the first thing you include in your survival kit.

Non-perishable food items or food with a long shelf life. Preferably with protein or vitamins to keep you nourished and energized. Obviously you need food if you and your family are going to make it through a disaster situation, but what kind of food you need is very different from everyday life. Natural disasters—a flood, hurricane, blizzard—often come with little or no warning. Stocking up now on the right nonperishable food items will help you weather the storm with less stress.

Because you’ll probably expend more energy than you normally would, you should eat high-energy, high-protein foods. And because you’ll have a limited supply, the higher-quality foods you eat—and the less of them—the better. “In a disaster or an emergency you want those calories,” says Barry Swanson, a food scientist at Washington State University. “You want some nutrients and some fiber—something to keep your diet normal.” Some foods you should keep with you include peanut butter, whole wheat crackers, nuts and trail mixes, cereal, granola bars, dried fruits, canned protein (tuna, chicken, or turkey) and canned vegetables.

One of the best portable kits you can purchase to make sure you have the right food in preparation for an emergency situation is the Lindon Farms emergency food kit. It has a shelf life of 25 years, is easy to stack and store, and its the highest quality food you can get in an emergency situation.

A waterproof storage kit with bandages, scissors, emergency blanket, tweezers, and important phone numbers. This is really important to have in an emergency situation as there will most likely be injuries and by having a proper first aid kit ready you’ll be able to have a better chance of survival for you and your loved ones. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to help other  people who have injuries. You’ll also be able to trade supplies with other people. In a big disaster situation, paper money has no value, but supplies have tremendous value in these situation. Don’t think it can happen to you? That’s why two thirds of Americans end up unprepared for these situations and you see them rushing to Costco to prepare at the very last minute. Don’t be one of those people.  You can purchase a great first aid kit directly on Amazon, we recommend this 299-Piece Kit.

A strong flashlight is something you’ll definitely need in an emergency situation. It should have at least 500 Lumens and not need you to change the batteries very often. The perfect flashlight for emergency situations is the Gladiator Flashlight. This was built to withstand anything! You might be thinking that you already have a flashlight. But do the U.S. Navy Seals and the U.S. Coast Guard rely on the kind of flashlight you have? The Gladiator Flashlight uses military-grade LED technology that can illuminate a field or blanket a work area with 800 lumens of light. It can also blind an attacker. The skin is tough aircraft-grade-aluminum. Throw it, drive over it—it’ll still work. Drop it in six feet of water—it’ll still work. This tough gadget is also versatile. It comes with a strobe setting if you are stranded and need to signal for help, and you can zoom and focus its LED beam to see far, far away. 3 AAA batteries give it 1,000 hours of life. That makes it ideal for reliable, abundant light during a prolonged natural disaster or emergency…and for lots of everyday uses. This is standard gear if you want to be prepared.

Over the counter medication that quickly and effectively respond to common ailments such as pain relievers, aspirin and ibuprofen. These medications can come in extremely handy during emergency situations, and not many people think of carrying them. If you or a loved one requires prescription medication (for diabetes or anything else), make sure you keep an extra supply stored in your emergency kit at all times. It would also be good to carry an Epipen in your emergency kit in case you or anyone you know suffers from severe allergies.

Charging station for cell phones and other personal devices that will be your main source of contact for others. It would also be great to have a AM/FM Radio with you in an emergency situation. One specific product is actually perfect for emergency situations.
It’s called the Trusty Charge, and it is an emergency device designed to keep you connected, no matter what the scenario is. It has a built-in flashlight and is solar powered which means its reliable when power outages occur. The AM/FM radio can provide important information in a time of crisis and, most importantly, a solar and handcrank powered outlet with a USB port that will charge your cell phone or any other devices.

It’s waterproof too, which makes it ideal for bringing on boats or if you’re caught in a flood. Once again, the great part about it is that it has a hand crank to manually charge the devices in the event there is no power source or it’s nighttime (the device has a solar charging feature too).

Just thinking about what I would do in the event of a disaster, if I couldn’t get in touch with my family or 911 gave me chills. They have a special going on right now so it would probably make sense to purchase more than one and give them to your friends and family.

In emergency situations many people forget that it might be best to have your hands free, so on top of having a flashlight it would also be great to have a tactical headlamp with you. The TL900 LED HeadLamp is perfect to have for any emergency situation. This Tactical Headlamp is survival gear at its best. It blasts a massive 1000 lumen beam, enough to illuminate a field, blanket an emergency work area or a fill a room with light. With five settings, you can focus the beam to pinpoint targets at a distance of 500 meters! (That’s over 1640 feet…or 546 yards.) The design is the result of multiple attempts at perfection. It seems these guys have nailed it with a 90° pivoting spotlight and a completely water-resistant head unit. The beauty of this equipment, though, and what makes it a top-tier tactical tool, is the hands-free capabilities it gives you. You never know into what situation you might be forced to work or search in the dark, and being able to freely use both hands could be the difference between success and failure…even in mundane use when there’s no pressure.

This isn’t a necessity in emergency situations but it’s always a good gadget to have with you in case you need to keep track of items and make sure you don’t lose them. The TrackR bravo is a tiny tracking device that you can attach to anything. You then just need to load the app and you can get the last known coordinates with your smartphone. You can use this to keep track of your hidden supplies and make sure that they aren’t touched. When you attach this coin-size tracking device to an item and lose the item, you have a 20,000-times chance of getting it back. The accompanying app enlists the network of 20,000 TrackR users to locate your lost bag, bike or dog. You can also track your lost wallet (or whatever) yourself. The TrackR app displays how far you are from your keys or briefcase you dropped, and it will sound the alarm to help you pinpoint its exact location. If you realize you left your bag in another location, all other TrackR users in the network are notified, and when one passes your missing article, you’ll get an update sent to your phone. What if you can’t find your phone? Use TrackR to ring it, even if it’s on silent mode, and you’ll find your phone fast. TrackR helps you keep your stuff…especially if you’re a chronic (keys/wallet/bike/car/bag) misplacer.

If you don’t have spare lighters with you or matches then the next best thing is the EverStryke Pro. Let’s face it: besides shelter, water and food, fire is what you’d crave if you were ever lost, stranded or washed up on deserted island. (Chances are slim, but you never know. Did you ever see the movie Castaway?) It’s probably more likely you’ll be hunkered down in a prolonged state of emergency. Whatever your survival situation might be, use of fire is vital. That’s one reason you have so many product options to obtain fire quickly, easily… and in style. The Everstryke Pro is one such option—a sleek little canister that delivers a flame with a flick, 30,000 times! It’s waterproof, rain proof, sleet proof and snow proof, and it won’t leak lighter fluid. The O ring sees to that. This item can easily be carried around on your keychain or in your pocket. Its effectiveness and its size make it ideal for bug out bags as well.

When all defenses fail, or are removed from your possession, the Hoffman Richter Stinger Spy Pen might be all you have left on which to rely. Because of its rugged, tacti-cool appearance, you won’t mind carrying it around with you wherever you go. And because it’s a pen, it’s less likely to be taken from you, either by security or by an enemy. That is, it won’t stand out a gun or a knife. The glass-breaking tip is insurance if you’re in a car, especially not your own (because you already have an escape tool in your own vehicle, right?). It’s re-engineered with a flat head to allow your thumb to apply pain-free pressure or force, and the lid will stay secure in either location. Ultra-tough titanium coats the aircraft-grade aluminum frame and ensures durability. Great to keep on you as a back-up defense device. And as a working pen.