DIY Emergency Survival Kit

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It is always smart to be prepared for any emergency, especially at a time when we are faced with the current covid-19 pandemic. This DIY emergency survival kit should help you prepare for any disaster.

I must admit, I should have had an emergency kit packed all along, but it is something that slipped my mind through the years of moving, having kids and always trying to de-clutter and organize. The next thing I needed was another storage bin to find a place for.

When I decided to make this emergency kit earthquakes had been a big concern in my California. There are many other natural disaster emergencies that can arise at any time, without any time to prepare. Whether you live in fire danger areas or your town is at risk for hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding or other emergencies disasters, this kit is helpful to have handy in case of any emergency.

If you are needing to evacuate your home with no time to waste, grab this emergency survival kit to help you survive in the event your town is destroyed, communication is lost and resources may become non-existent. Keep in mind, this kit can be modified to fit the needs of your family, the area in which you live and the risks that you may face.

As a family with three young kids, having food, water, diapers, first aid supplies and blankets were most important to me. In the event our home, city streets and community is destroyed, this kit would get us through a few days until we can find help.

DIY Emergency Survival Kit List:

First and foremost, you will need a storage bin or container that can be carried or wheeled by someone in your household in the event a disaster strikes and you are in emergency survival mode.

1. One gallon of water per person per day for 3 days. With 3 little people and 2 adults in our family, I went with 4 gallons of water. More than this might not fit in our emergency kit or may be too heavy to lift. There was no way I can pack 15 gallons of water in a bin.
2. Non-perishable foods. I prefer canned food with the easy open lids so that no can opener is needed. The tuna and chicken pouches are also great as well as canned vegetables, soups, broths and beans.
3. Emergency crank radio
4. A flashlight with batteries.
5. Trash bag.
6. Zip ties.
7. Scissors. I also added a screw driver just in case.
8. Matches or lighter.
9. Newspaper or paper product for starting a fire. I added a paper grocery bag to my kit.
10. First aid supplies. I added a small first aid kit.
11. Gloves.
12. Face masks. These will be helpful if there is debris or the air quality is poor. Since my son has asthma, these are a must for us! I added 5 respiratory masks, one for each of us.
13. Emergency blankets like these. I added two with the intention we could share.
14. Hand sanitizer.
15. Bar soap and/or multi-purpose soap like castile soap. I added both a liquid and bar version of this soap.
16. Toilet paper or tissues.
17. Paper towels or hand towels.
18. Baby wipes or wet wipes.
19. Disposable cups and utensils.

Also don’t forget these extra items:

1. Diapers.
2. Baby food and/or formula, bottles, etc.
3. Feminine hygiene products.
4. Personal hygiene supplies such as toothbrushes and toothpaste.
5. Phone charger or backup battery.
6. Medications, contacts/glasses or other necessary medical supplies.
7. Copies of documents – insurance, IDs, etc.

If you aren’t up for making your own emergency survival kit, you can purchase one for the size of your family. Are you prepared if there is an emergency?

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