Are You Prepared?

Last year, I asked a few friends whether they had an emergency kit prepared in case they Bay Area is hit with an earthquake.  4 out of 5 of the people I asked said they did not.  After the recent earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan, I've asked again and although many people are still not prepared, they are all feeling more compelled to get their acts together.  Mr. CP and I decided to tackle this task this weekend. 

I found that the Red Cross and http://72hours.org/build_kit.html provided good lists for building our kit.  We tackled and water, food and batteries portion of the kit with a trip to Costco.  In addition to a kit of freeze dried food to which you just add hot water, we are including items like canned tuna, beef jerky, dried fruit and peanut butter which don't require water.  I also ordered a first aid kit from drugstore.com.  After it arrives, I'll assess what other first aid items and medicines I will want to get from a local Walgreen's to supplement the kit.

First Aid Only - 200 piece hard kit

Next week we'll gather the clothes, blankets, tools, flashlight, radio, and documentation that should also be included.

It's recommended that you put the kit into a large waterproof container with wheels so that it's easy to move around.  Mr. CP and I haven't yet decide the best for us to keep the kit together in a safe and convenient place.

We will also prepare a smaller kit to keep in the car, in case our larger emergency kit is somehow rendered inaccessible by a disaster or if we aren't near home.  This one from REI is expensive, but looks pretty complete and self-contained, which would be good for keeping in the trunk with a few additional granola or energy bars.