You just do not know what things you will need to survive during a disaster until it is too late and you need it. Those that have gone through a natural disaster like a tornado, earthquake, or severe power outage usually learn too late what they should have had at hand. It is a good idea to make a survival bag and put it in a place that you will be able to grab it on the way to a safe area. Those in areas prone to tornadoes can actually put the bag in the safe area. Those in earthquake prone areas can place it near a door that where they will make their exit from the building.

It is suggested that a survival bag be stocked with supplies enough for a 72 hour period and even a whole week. It probably is not likely that most people will be able to do that. If you can not prepare a bag that extensive you should include the following essentials at least.

Get a back pack because in an emergency you can sling that over your shoulder and carry it on your back so it will not be separated from you. You can even have a back pack for each person in the family. Just be sure everyone knows where they are and make sure to do drills, especially if you have children. Drills make it so there is no panic when an emergency actually does arise. It will be automatic for everyone to quickly stop and grab their survival bag and proceed to a safe area.

There are several things that a disaster bag should contain and one of the most important is a battery operated flashlight with more batteries. There are crank flashlights that can be purchased also and these can be more practical if you are going to have to go several hours without lights. You just crank them for a minute or two and they will give you several hours of light. Once it stops you just crank it again so no batteries are needed. You should also have a radio that runs on batteries or a crank radio that works the same way as the crank flashlight.

Always include a first aid kit with bandages, antiseptic and gauze. You may want to include some antacids and pain medication as well. If you take medication on a regular basis you will want to include a few days worth of each medication in the survival bag. Just remember to rotate it. When you get a new bottle of medication take the one out of the bag and switch the pills in there for some new ones. That way you will never have to worry if your medication is out dated. If you are a diabetic and take medication that has to be refrigerated you can put needles you might need in the bag and if you can stop at the refrigerator to grab your vial of insulin on the way to safety you should do so. If it would be dangerous to try and retrieve it leave it alone and find someone from Red Cross as soon as possible after the disaster is over.

Contact wearers might want to think about putting a contact case and extra solution in the bag so you can take them out if needed. Keep an old pair of glasses and put them in the bag just in case. Women need to add feminine products just in case the emergency happens when they might need them.

Make copies of important documents and put them in the bag. Good things to copy are state ID cards, driver\’s licenses, social security cards, health insurance cards, the papers for your house or renters insurance and anything else you might need. Do not put originals in the bag. Put in as much paper money as you can afford. You will not be able to go to the ATM machine for quite some time when there is an emergency.

It is imperative that you put a little bit of food and water into the bag. Rotate the water every two months or so and watch the expiration date on the food so you can use it if it starts to come close to the date. Include tuna that is packaged in a bag, crackers, energy bars and candy bars. You will find a pocket knife and some matches useful in some situations. Include some clean clothing if your bag is big enough and if not just put in some clean socks and underwear. Purchase a light weight blanket that will keep heat in if needed and reflect it out if it becomes hot. Put some pictures of the family in the bag. If you get separated you can show the pictures to officials that will search for loved ones. Put a whistle in the bag and if you cannot get out of where you are blow on it so that rescue teams can hear you.

A survival bag can make a big difference during a disaster or severe power outage. It can mean the difference between life and death in some cases. Place it in an area that is easy to get to and take it with you on the way to the basement or outside to a safety area. Even those that do not have a lot of money can get a bag ready to take with them if they need to vacate the area quickly. You do not know how much it can save you if you need it.

Find out more about the important essentials you will need if there is an emergency today! There are many supplies needed for 72 hour kits to be effective. Having a survival bag can protect you and your family if there is a disaster!