So the kids and I have been working on a disaster kit/go bag/bug out bag since sometime last year when we attended a disaster preparedness class they had for homeschool day.

I posted  this picture of the (almost) end result on Instagram:

 I offered to share the contents if anyone was interested.

Lots of you responded, so I decided to share.

First of all, please note that I am not now, nor will I ever be a "survivalist".

I'm a prepared-alist.  Maybe a realist.  And quite possibly an overachiever.

This kit is not for an apocalypse, but rather for a little peace of mind that in the event of an earthquake, tornado, inland hurricane (which we now know exists), or civil unrest we just might be able to survive in a somewhat comfortable manner.

I compiled this list from several internet sites (Red Cross, CDC, and Ready) and also some items that our family compiled that were missing from those lists.

Our bag is nowhere close to being as light as it could/should be because we added a lot of unnecessary duplicate items, but I intend on adding a second (or third) bag in the future to divvy up the weight and I also intend to add a few more items (I'll list those as well).

Also, we have five in our family and I realize that 10 bottles of water is not nearly enough for survival but we have large containers of water in our basement and this bag is for if we need to leave our home quickly and lightly.  I'm adding water purifying tablets in the future to remedy that situation.

Okay.

You ready?

Here's the list:

Survival handbook--I got mine at Amazon for like $5...there are a ton to choose from and they explain how to use the rest of the items that you'll pack with the most benefit

Water--as I explained above, I only packed what we could realistically carry

Lighters--in excess but they came in a 10 pack

Flashlights--with the batteries removed so they don't corrode

Can opener--self-explanatory

Paper, pen, pencil, magic markers and sticky notes--because you never know when you may need to communicate the "old school" way

Shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste,lotion--because sometimes being clean makes you able to tolerate trying circumstances

Sanitizer--mostly because it makes you think you're hands are clean even if they really aren't

Floss--in case you get food in your teeth, but mostly for multiple uses as a rope-like material (fishing line etc.)

Chapstick and sunblock--for comfort
 Gauze, medical tape and antibacterial cream

Toilet paper and paper towels

Baby wipes--for cleaning anything

Duct tape--for fixing everything

Scissors--I bought the kitchen kind so they would be stronger

Tweezers

Shovel--the tiny garden kind...for digging holes obviously

Bible--because we read ours and draw comfort from it

Sewing kit and safety pins

Aspirin

Cotton balls

Thermometer

Face masks

Hand soap--to clean what the sanitizer doesn't actually clean
 Hair brush and mirror

Deodorant

Garbage bags and zip lock bags

Matches--stored in the little metal watertight containers

Knife

Bungee cords

Two sets of a knife, fork and spoon

Tissue

Razor

Earplugs

Zip ties

Sterno--little cans of fuel for fires

Dog leads and collars--in case we take our dogs with us so we can keep them under control

Coffee filters--several sites talked about how these could be used for filtering water
 Watertight containers--holding the matches and can be used as bowls

Skillet, pot, plate and cup--I found these at a thrift shop and they weigh nothing at all but would be very useful to cook in

Coffee can--for storage or to make a fire in

Tampons and maxi pads--for the obvious and also could be used as gauze in a medical situation

Rubber gloves--for icky stuff
 Vaseline

Fish hooks

Wash cloths

Magnifying glass

Candles

Plastic wrap

Whistle

Compass

and

Rubbing alcohol
I also included a laminated list of the contents of the bag (so I can remember what ISN'T in it and a laminated list of emergency contacts and phone numbers for the kids).

For our setup, everything in the first picture (and the following close ups) fit nicely into our backpack and the last three pictures of the paper/lightweight items we put in the bucket so it would be easy to carry.

Our backpack also has wheels so it would be easy to strap the bucket to the backpack (with the bungee cords) and wheel it along.

Notice that I removed big items from their boxes and put them in zip lock bags which have a dual purpose.

As we go along we realize more things that could be useful and because all of this stuff adds up money wise there are still some things I'm planning to purchase as well.

Here's what we're missing so far:

Saline solution--for cleaning wounds and myriads of other things

Bug repellent

Clothes--specifically underwear and socks...we plan on vacuum sealing them to save space

Flint/steel--in case the 10 other ways I have to start fire won't work

Aluminum foil

Ponchos

Rope

Pup tent

Radio

Ibuprofen

Work gloves

Epipen

Bread ties

Watch

Money

Wire saw--weighs nothing and can cut down a tree

Bleach tablets

Sunglasses

Batteries

Blanket

Small crow bar

Sugar, salt and pepper

Light sticks and flares

Liquor--for drinking or trading

and

Dehydrated food supplies

So there ya have it.

I hope this is helpful in helping you to get your kit ready.

Please chime in with any ideas you may have to add to ours or make it better.

And one last thing...

You can go out a buy a bug out bag/go bag/disaster kit, but they can be quite expensive and if you pick up a cheap backpack and add a few items to your grocery list each trip it actually comes together quite fast.

Besides, it's fun!

At least the kids and I think so.
B