Preparing a Survival Kit

With the recent disaster that struck Japan, it made me think of how powerless each of us can be in the midst of a calamity of this magnitude. We can only pray for God to even out the odds a little for us to survive. So my "praning" old self was suddenly thinking of the inevitable.. what if mt matutum, a supposed dormant volcano suddenly decides to wake up and join the current hoopla? what if the big one suddenly hit gensan?

In the event of the inevitable,
the only thing we could do right now is to be prepared. I know we might not stand a chance with disasters of that magnitude as the tsunami and the earthquake that hit Japan. But we could only hope that if we survive, we have provisions of some sort that will help us live the first 3days after the incident.

So researching the internet, I came up with the following things that might make up a SURVIVAL KIT to help sustain us for the first three days coupled with a lot of prayers and faith that God will follow through with helping us afterwards. We can prepare a survival kit for our family that we can take whenever we see the need to evacuate our homes on the onset of a disaster. Of course, we still pray that we won't ever have the need to use it someday.  But preparing it in advance gives us the  chance to be ready and not forget the essentials for us to survive. You can store it in a very accessible part of your house or just leave it in the trunk of your car.

picture from www.survivalkitsonline.com/ 

1. Change of clothes. Given that you will be evacuating in the clothes you are in, it would be nice to change into something dry once you reach a safer ground. Thermal clothes (if you have, or those sold in ukay ukays that are light,quick to dry and made of cotton are the best choices, but any other old clothes that will still fit you in  five year time period will do just fine). It is also nice to have comfortable shoes (your old ones that are comfortable) stacked along the clothes plus extra socks.
2. Raincoat or rain poncho. In the event that you need to walk far or stay in your roof in the rain.
3. Self powered flashlight. Ever heard of hand-crank flashlights? these are flashlights that you just turn a certain knob for it to gain power, usually sold at the local hardware store. Back up solar powered flashlights are a good idea too since batteries might be sold out quickly in stores in the event of a disaster.
4. Self powered radio. Same with the flashlights, these hand-crank radios that don't need batteries. Be equipped with one to be updated with the latest news and directions on where to go or information on safer grounds or evacuation centers that are nearest you.
5. Water. Its always best to be ready with gallons of bottled water since water in the tap (if there is still one standing) won't always be safe for drinking. There are also water purification tablets available in the local drug store that you can put in your survival kit just in case. Just replenish every 6months or so. 
6. Dehydrated food or power bars. Just prepare a stack of dehydrated food (available in outdoor gear/ camping supplies store) or power bars that can last you for 3 days at the least. Just check expiration and replenish every so often. Think of expenses for these as a term insurance. Hoping that you won't ever have the need to use them but a great relief on your part and your family if you have them in your survival kits. Don't stock salty food though as these may make you thirsty and you might deplete your available water rations quickly. 
7. Small sleeping bag and thermal blanket. In case you need to sleep in an evacuation center, these may come in handy. If you don't have a thermal blanket, a small wool blanket usually sold in ukay-ukay stores will suffice.
8. Old pair of glasses. In the event of a quick evacuation, you might not have time to look for your prescription glasses. It is better to have even your old pair of glasses on hand than walking half blind in the dark or in the rain, whatever situation you might find yourself into.
9. Whistle. Preferably each member of the family should have one so it is quicker to call attention to yourself in the dark or when you get separated from each other.
10. Dust Mask. you never know you might need this in case you are dealing with ashes of a  volcanic eruption. 
11. Moist towelletes. This might be handy not only for hygiene purposes but in the event of a fire, something to cover your mouth and nose with. since the dust mask won't work.
12. Garbage bags. Something to cover or put your supplies in, just in case you need to keep it floating in the event of a flood.
13. Plastic ties or a small rope. I know a lot of campers find the lowly rope a lot of help in the wilderness.
14. Swiss knife or pocket knife. In basic survival, can openers might not be around all the time. Or you might find that a pocket knife comes handy in cutting yourself free from something.
15. Duct tape. you might need it to water proof your belonging or to strap yourself into something. :) I'm not sure yet with the uses of the duct tape but I have a feeling, this might come in really handy. 
16. Hygiene kits or toiletries. Pack a small stack of toiletries including napkins for women or diapers if you have a baby in the house. 
17. Important documents. Store photocopies of of all your important documents and IDs in a plastic envelope and stack in your survival kit. You might never have the time to get the original copies once a disaster struck.
18. Cash. ATMs or banks would be closed and you might be needing  a small stack of cash to help you purchase additional needs or to get you somewhere. 
19. Local Map. You need to know where you are going so a local map of the area will help steer you and your family away from the disaster area
20. List of important numbers. To be able to ask for help, you have to know the numbers of the regional NDCC command center or agencies that can help you if you are stranded somewhere. This can prove to be useful if stacked along in a pocket of your survival kit. Given of course that the phone lines or your celphone is still working.
21. First Aid Kit. This might be one of the most important thing in your survival kit. Be sure you also have all your prescription drugs especially if you maintain drugs for diabetes, high blood pressure and others. Over the counter meds should also be in your kit. Just replenish and check your stock from time to time so you can still use them before they expire.

In America, there are ready survival kits available for sale. But since these are not available here in our country, we just have to be creative in sourcing out what is essential to complete our survival kits. I don't expect you to be as "praning" as I am, but I think  preparing a survival kit won't hurt us at the least. If not, it might prove to be beneficial if we are faced with a disaster and caught unaware.

Nevertheless, prayers are still the best defense we could ever have. And hope that God in His goodness will extend a helping hand and even out the odds for our survival if and when it happens to us. We are blessed since we are spared from impending disasters now. As we sit comfortably at home, please say a prayer for all the victims and poor souls lost in the recent calamity that struck Japan. Have  great day everyone! Thanks for reading!