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Pictures of families lined up for water after the recent Haiti earthquake prompted many Americans to organize emergency supplies, but with the plethora of information available it can be confusing to determine what should actually go into an emergency survival kit. The reason it is so confusing is that you actually need to address two emergency situations: if you're stranded at home, or if you have to evacuate. Essentially, you need to prepare two kits, the at-home kit and the go kit. Use this list to get you started.

What should go in an emergency survival kit?

A proper emergency survival kit (at home or go) should address the following needs:

· Water

· Food

· Warmth

· Shelter

· Light

· Communication

· First aid

Water

The recommended guideline is one gallon of water per person per day for your at-home kit. Consider using commercially packaged water (including the kind that is good for 5 years) or water storage barrels. For your go kit, pack your emergency kit with any combination of the following: water pouches, water purification tablets, water filters or emergency water straws. A good guideline is to have at least 1 liter of water per person for drinking and plan to obtain the rest through use of your tablets, filters or straws.

Food

For your at-home kit, you have more space, so you can pack food stuffs that can be eaten cold, are self-heating or can be heated/cooked over a camp stove. MRE's, camping food, canned foods are all good choices. Make sure to pack a manual can opener and/or camp stove. For your go kit, you will need lighter food stuffs, so try packing 72 hours of MREs, energy bars, self-heating meals, or meals that just need water. These tend to be made out of dehydrated food stuffs, so are lighter and easier to carry.

Warmth

If you're stuck at home without power or gas, it might get awfully cold. Add blankets or sleeping bags to your at-home kit to combat the chills. For your go kit, purchase a space blanket or emergency survival sleeping bag: they are tiny and compact, yet still will keep the chill away.

Shelter

If you are stranded at home, your shelter needs are met. If you have to evacuate however and for whatever reason cannot stay in a hotel/motel, car, or emergency shelter, pack a tent in your go kit. You can use a regular camping tent if it fits in your go kit, or look into tube tents: a 2 person rope and tarp system. These fold up extra small, space savers for your go kit.

Light

Nothing is as irritating as having the power go out in your house. Check your supply of flashlights and batteries to make sure they are still good and to determine if you need more. Camping lanterns can also be kept in your at-home kit. For your go kit, there are many rechargeable options, such as crank flashlights or solar flashlights. These are small and eliminate the need for batteries.

Communication

It never fails, during any disaster big or small we are all glued to the news, just waiting to see what happens next. Pack a radio in your at-home and go kits so you can hear the latest, including important information such as road or bridge closures and locations of nearest shelters. A good choice are the radios that are crank powered and receive NOAA weather stations.

First Aid

Knowing that you will have to wait for emergency responders to arrive, empower yourself and your family by packing first aid kits in your at-home and go kits and by taking first aid classes. This way you can offer comfort and aid to yourself and your neighbors.

How should it be packaged?

Your at-home kit can be packed in plastic tubs, the ones with rollers are especially handy. Place the tub in an accessible location in your house, consider a ground floor location in case you cannot manage stairs. Your go kit should be packed in a backpack and stored near your emergency exits (doors or windows). Practice walking around with your backpack go kit to make sure it is manageable for you and not too heavy.

Where do I get supplies?

Emergency supplies are just an internet search away. You can buy each item separately, or look into purchasing ready-made go kits. By buying in a package, you can often get a deal. Your local outdoors store is also a great resource for buying compact-sized items.

Amy Sandoz is the owner of Ready Set Go Kits, an online source for emergency kits and disaster preparedness products for your family. You can read more of her articles at Ready Set Go Kits Blog.

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