What are the most important things to remember in an emergency?
- Keep calm and think clearly.
- Make provisions for shelter first, including clean dry clothing and protection from cold, heat, rain, snow, sun.
- Secure a water source, if contaminated have and know at least 3 different methods to purify water to make it safe to drink, cook with, and clean with.
- Have foods that are high in calories and low in sodium so they do not generate undue thirst.
- Learn basic first aid and stay current.
Why 7 days bags and not 3?
Emergency situations are unpredictable at best and many situations can take more than three days to resolve to the point where you no longer need supplies. Having extra supplies can help in a few ways. First, when dealing with an emergency it is always better to have more than you might need than run low or out of critical supplies. Second, it may allow you to help a friend or someone without access to supplies.
Don’t skimp, be completely prepared.
Why canned food rather than freeze dried or MRE's?
Freeze dried meals are light weight and work well but they require water to hydrate and if water is at a premium then freeze dried meals may not be the best product for you. In addition they are relatively expensive.
MRE’s are dense and effective in providing nutrition and calories in an emergency but again they are relatively expensive and MRE’s do not contain water.
Low sodium canned food is great because they are cost effective, last for years as long as the can maintains its integrity, and they have the calories, nutrition, and most importantly, water. This helps to hydrate you without having to locate a clean water supply.
What personal items are recommended to put into the Emergency Kit?
Document Copies
Driver's License
Prescriptions
Prescriptions
Passport
Insurance Documents
Living Will
Power of Attorney
Clothing
Gloves, to size
Sun Glasses, to size
Underwear, to size
Socks wicking, to size
Shirts, 2 to size, long sleeve
Pants, 2 to size
Boots, water proof, to size
Belt
Thermal/Rain Jacket, to size
Local Topographic map
Cash ($200, small bills)
Gold (10 x 1/10th oz)
Extra Set of Important Keys
Prescription medications (enough for 2 weeks)
Baby Care for a week (if necessary)
Formula, powdered
Diapers
Food
Juice
Pet Care for a week (if necessary)
Food
Leash
Collar
Rabies Tag
What sorts of things should I have in my home to prepare of an emergency?
- Fire Extinguisher, kitchen, garage
- Smoke Detectors, Kitchen, bedrooms, stairs, utility / furnace
- Carbon Monoxide Detectors, furnace, bedrooms
- Garden Hose
- Tub Liner in bathroom storage closet
- Good quality locks and dead bolts on all exterior doors
- Interior and exterior security system and cameras (monitored if possible)
What is the best place to store my Emergency Kit?
One of the best solutions is to keep supplies in a number of areas. Our recommendation is to keep your primary family Emergency Kit at home in an easily accessible area so you can grab it and go within 30 seconds. Keeping it in the house keeps the water and canned foods from freezing, it is safer than in a car and maybe most importantly it will be near you when needed so it can be taken with you whatever direction you must flee. If you are traveling by car take it with you.
Your home supplies should be kept where you will most likely need them. For example your fire extinguisher in the kitchen, your tub liner in the bathroom or a closet very near the bathroom, etc.
Keep your car and travel kit in your car, obviously.
Make sure all your family members know where your Emergency Kits are stored and exactly what needs to be taken in an emergency.
Many people also purchase a second personal bag and keep it at work in case they cannot make it back home in an emergency like tornado, fire, or earthquake.
What types of emergencies will this prepare me and my family?
Your Emergency Kit from TASK is designed to provide for your emergency needs for at least a week regardless of the emergency. However we have taken special care to provide the supplies most important to flood, fire, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, wind, snow, rain, terrorism, etc. Some emergencies like nuclear and radiation situations may require the addition of potassium iodide tablets available on-line. High intensity EMP bursts from solar flares may present other needs like manually operated power devices. But for the most commonly expected emergencies your TASK Emergency Kit will easily provide for your basic shelter, water, food, medical and safety needs.
What kinds of canned foods are good to put into an Emergency Kit?
- Low sodium meat and vegetable soups
- Low sodium chili and stew
- Canned tuna, salmon, chicken (packed in water not oil)
- Canned fruits (real fruit not just sugar) applesauce, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, mandarin oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, purple plums, strawberries, sweet bing cherries, tomatoes (stewed and whole)
- Canned asparagus, beets, carrots, corn, green beans, mushrooms, peas, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potatoes, ripe olives, and white potatoes
- Canned black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo, navy, pinto, red kidney and white kidney
Canned food safety notes.
- Always use your oldest cans first, or FIFO, meaning: First-In, First-Out.
- Before opening, discard any badly dented, bulging, rusty, or leaky cans or jars that have broken seals.
- Discard contents (do not taste) if there is a strange odor or appearance.
- Discard any can that spurts when opening.
General Do's and Don'ts.
Do:
- Keep food in covered containers.
- Keep cooking and eating utensils clean.
- Keep garbage in closed containers and dispose outside, burying garbage if possible.
- Keep your hands clean by washing them frequently with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected.
- Discard any food that has come into contact with contaminated floodwater.
- Discard any food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more.
- Discard any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
- Use ready-to-feed formula, if possible, for formula-fed infants. If using ready-to-feed formula is not possible, it is best to use bottled water to prepare powdered or concentrated formula. If bottled water is not available, use boiled water. Use treated water to prepare formula only if you do not have bottled or boiled water. Breastfed infants should continue breastfeeding.
Don't:
- Eat foods from cans that are swollen, dented or corroded, even though the product may look safe to eat.
- Eat any food that looks or smells abnormal, even if the can looks normal.
- Let garbage accumulate inside, both for fire and sanitation reasons.