FIRST STEPS on how to put together a Go-Bag for adults.
Your Go-bag is for situation where you may have to evacuate your home immediately and may not be able to return for at least several days. Home or wildfires, tornadoes, flooding, a local earthquake with a Tsunami are just some of the events that could force you from your home.
Building a Go-Bag does not have to be time-consuming or expensive. Most of the items you need are already in your home. The most important thing is to get started. Do one thing at a time.
Make time one evening this week to assemble Go-Bags with your family. While you are working on them, talk about a family plan that includes safe evacuation routes from your house and meeting places for different kinds of emergencies, as well as who is an out-of-area contact person.
Go shopping in your own home first for the items on this list. Grab an old backpack, duffle bag, cloth shopping bag, or whatever you have on hand. You may be surprise how many of these items you may already have. It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes to find some of the items in your home.
To get started, print this guide:
· Check off each item as you add it to your kit.
· When you are finished shopping at home, place your Go-Bag and this list at the front door.
· The next time you go shopping, take the list with you and get more items for your Go-Bag, checking them off as you go.
· Eventually, you will have a complete your Go-Bag.
· You can upgrade items in your Go-Bag over time.
Here’s how you can “upgrade” your Go-Bag:
1. Ask for a hand crank radio and/or flashlight, a good water purification kit, or a phone charger for your next birthday or for Christmas.
2. Upgrade from a duffel bag to a backpack that you can carry more easily. Again, make sure the weight remains around 15 pounds or a weight you can easily carry for some distance.
3. Look for items on sale. Buy more to create additional Go-Bags for your family or your car
4. Keep an eye out for a better version of an item, or an item that is more multi-purpose and could replace several other items in your bag to reduce weight.
5. Be sure to check your Go-Bag once a year for expired items and to make sure it still meets changing your need.
Ideally everyone in your home should have their own Go-Bag. Again, this can be done over time and supplies can be purchased when they are on sale.
What are the essential items to start your Go-Bag?
1. Water: You need a gallon of water per day per person to survive. Water is heavy, one-gallon weighs over 8 #s. So, you should only carry a small amount of water in your bag. We recommend having several 4 oz water pouches or small water bottles in your bag.
2. Filtration device (such as Sawyer Point Filter) and /and or water treatment tablets to use when an additional water source is available.
3. Food: You need an easy to carry 3-day supply of non-perishable food that is “ready to eat”. We Recommend the Coast Guard approved Food Bars provide 3000 calories per day for 3 days and only weigh 1.6 lbs. (There are other options for high protein/high calorie food.) However, using canned foods are not a good one due to the large number of cans required for 3 days.
4. Items to keep you Warm and dry!
*Mylar Sleeping Bag and/or a lightweight sleeping bag
* Poncho/ multi-purpose and rain repellent
* Change of clothes
* Disposable hand warmers
5. First Aid Kit to treat cuts and abrasions
6. Hand Sanitizer Solution for hand washing to reduce infection possibility (water to wash may not be available)
7. Headlamp/Flashlights and batteries to provide light (Try to get equipment that all use the same type of batteries-most common are the AA type)
8. Emergency whistle to call for help
9. Leather Gloves and Hard Sole Shoes [@bedside] to keep your hands and feet from getting cut
10. A small Multi-tool with a knife
11. Additional personal special needs items including required frequently taken medications and possibly pain relievers, batteries for your hearing aids, and prescription glasses (extra pair/last pair replaced) of or contact lens supplies, cleaning products for dentures Consider other personal hygiene supplies. Toothbrush and toothpaste, toilet paper, tissues, ETC
12. An AM/FM NOAA radio (Battery-Crank type) for information and local disaster instructions.
13. Other important stuff:
a) Including home and medical insurance information, contact names and numbers (do not depend on a cell phone). This information can also be encrypted and saved to a thumb drive. This is small light weight and can later be easily accessed from a computer via a USB port.
b) Have an extra house and car keys.
c) Cash in small denominations of bills and coins for expenses
Keep your Go-Bag in an easily accessible location and freshly stocked. You may also consider keeping emergency supplies in your vehicle and at your place of employment.
There are many other things you may want to add or think you would like to have in your Go-Bag. The above list is what is considered essential but will help keep the bag weight under 15 pounds or an appropriate weight so that YOU can easily carried uphill or for a lengthily period of time.
Under the Bed Kit
[Important information to have that would protect you after an earthquake]
An “Under the Bed” kit takes just minutes to assemble ahead of time and have at your bedside. Having this kit will protect you in the event of a sudden emergency at night such as an earthquake. It will help prevent cuts to your feet or hands from broken glass or other sharp objects that may have fallen during the event. Cutting your hands or feet can place you at high risk for wound infections and could also drastically affect your survival by limiting your ability to walk or use your hands.
Place one under each family member’s bed, inside a large plastic bag (clear if possible) or a grocery sack tied to the leg of the bed to keep the items from moving during an earthquake.
What should be inside:
Set of light weight clothing
Pair of sturdy thick-soled shoes
Pair of leather-palmed gloves
A whistle to call for help
Flashlight with batteries, a headlamp or a glow stick to see in the dark
Small crowbar to pry open stuck windows and doors
Your local evacuation route map. Go to http://nvs.nanoos.org/TsunamiEvac
Safety helmet (optional)
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