Introduction to your Survive-it kit
If you have purchased one of our Survive-it kits then congratulations, you can feel assured that you now own a very well designed survival kit which will help you and your family survive under the most trying situations. You are now a long way ahead in being prepared for any emergency. There are a few things you should do to complete your preparations, please see the following section; “What to do next”. You should store your survival kit in a location where you and your family can easily find it in an emergency. Please see the following section; “Where to store your survival kit”. You should store important information, in major kits we provide a Survive-it Handbook which has sections which contain emergency contact numbers and other important information. There is also space to add some of your own important information; you should fill this in before storing your kit away. What to do next Now that you have a survival kit there are a few more steps you should take to prepare yourself and your family for an emergency:
Fill up the water container(s) in the kit with fresh drinking water. This water is best replaced every 6 months.
New plastic containers can taint water and make it unpleasant tasting. You can improve this by filling new containers with a vinegar solution, about ½ cup vinegar to 20 litres of water, and leaving it overnight. Flush out thoroughly the next day, fill and store.
Fill up extra water containers and store them in a cool dark place such as in a garage or shed. Again replace this water every 6 months.
Add any medicines to your kit that you may need (or think may be useful such as paracetamol including any personal prescription medicines). Remember to replace these on a regular basis so that they stay in date.
Add warm clothing for each person. Thermal under garments are not bulky and an excellent emergency backup.
Develop a detailed family plan.
Where to store your survival kit. Storing your survival kit in a safe and accessible place is something worth spending some time thinking about. If your house is badly damaged will you be able to get at the kit? Will the kit survive in a particular location? Somewhere dry and clean is ideal.
Places to consider are:
- The garage.
- The shed.
- By the front door.
- Any other location that may suffer little damage in a severe earthquake.
Survival checklist: This is a list of items that should be in a survival kit. Many of these items are already included your Survive-it survival kit. It is recommended you check off each item below and consider adding items not already included in your kit. You should keep a record of your equipment and dates when some items may require replenishing.
- Food and water for at least 3 days
- Water: minimum 3 litres per person per day
- Water containers
- Emergency food supply
- Food for babies
- Food for pets/animals
- Can opener
- Cooking facility (Stove and appropriate fuel)
- Water purification tablets
- Survival equipment
- First aid kit
- Emergency survival blanket or bag
- Poncho (emergency waterproof clothing)
- Plastic rubbish / sanitary sacks
- Rope or line (general purpose)
- Torch (Batteries if not dynamo)
- Whistle
- Compass
- Candles
- Matches (waterproof) / lighter
- Light sticks
- Leather gloves
- Toilet paper
- Multi-tool / knife
- Radio (batteries if not dynamo)
- Dust masks
- Paper and pencil
- Shelter / tent
- Groundsheet
- Sun screen
- Insect repellent
- Tissues and/or wipes
- Spare prescription glasses
- Extra clothing
- Wet weather/waterproof gear
- Warm clothing
- Sleeping bags
- Strong outdoor shoes
- First Aid Equipment
- Medical gloves
- Triangular bandages
- Plasters
- Tape
- Eye pads
- Sterile dressings
- Sterile wipes/swabs
- Sterile irrigation solution
- Resuscitation aid
- Safety pins
- Crepe bandages, selection
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Pencil and paper
- Personal hygiene items (tampons, nappies, wipes etc)
- Personal medical items such as pain killers
- Personal prescription drugs
- Important documents and paperwork
- Emergency Services contact details
- Personal family contact details (family, friends, schools, work etc)
- Family Plan – description of what you plan to do and who you plan to contact and where you plan to meet)
- Personal medical information – lists of any medication, who it is for and how it should be administered
- Emergency shutdown procedures for your property, e.g. gas, electricity, water etc
- Contents checklist of your survival kit
- Other personal items such as spare cash, banking information
Medical checklist: The Survive-it medical kit provided in our 3 day kits provides a comprehensive medical kit for most first aid situations. We are unable to provide prescription or other drugs within these kits. You may wish to enhance this kit by adding additional items. This is particularly important if you have specific medical needs. You should discuss with your own medical practitioner/ consultant/ doctor the specific needs of yourself, your family and any other adult or child that you will be responsible for, such as elderly parents or relatives. It is helpful to keep a list of the drugs, who they are prescribed for, their purpose and dosage and any other important information. Remember It may not be you who has to administer these medicines so make certain you have written down clearly the appropriate information.
The following table is designed to help you to decide what information you need to record.
Medicine (name) | Person prescribed for (if specific) | Purpose | Warnings | Dosage |
---|---|---|---|---|
e.g. Drug xxxxxxx | Mum/Mrs Smith | Heart problem | Do not give if… | Two tablets… |
Emergency Information and contact details It is important that you have appropriate emergency contact information stored carefully. It is not always easy to remember this particularly if you are in a stressful situation. It is also helpful to other people should they require it. Store this information at the back of the Survive-it handbook and in easy to find locations around the house.