Emergency Supply Kit recommendations (updated 9.6.23)

Summer 2023 was full of weather warnings around the world. Southern California had a single weekend with a tropical storm warning for the LA county region...and..

 .. a tornado warning to the south in San Diego...and..

... an earthquake to the north (near Ojai)!

It was starting to feel like the next announcement would be Godzilla approaching.

Mud and rain impacted areas, but overall So Cal was very fortunate the worst of the predictions didn't happen. 

It was a good "dress rehearsal" for everyone's emergency preparedness.

Take stock of what's in your emergency supplies kit. We all know about the basics like food and water for 3-7 days. Medications. Supplies for pets etc. But following guidelines for what to have in your kit, and actually using it and realizing what's working, and what's missing, was very educational. This post is where I'm sharing some recommendations.

In So Cal we tend to be "earthquake ready" when it comes to supplies. While earthquakes are rare, we do have occasional power outages. My main concern during these is having flashlights handy... and equipment to recharge electronics. A prolonged power outage could put cell phones out of service... but also tablets.. and in my case, my insulin pump. All items that need to be re-charged to work! I haven't purchased any home generator option, but always have items in my kit that can recharge devices (mostly via solar panels or hand cranking). The most essential item for any emergency is a good flashlight. Yes.. I know you can use your cell phone. But it that really how you want to be spending your phone's battery? Not to mention having a hands-free lighting option can be important.

Top Pick for Flashlight -- My favorite flashlight is this versatile, lightweight model I found at Target. I bought even more of these after the storm weekend. These come with batteries inside, which makes them more expensive to purchase than flashlights that come without batteries. But these have features that are priceless. 

This flashlight uses 3 AA batteries instead of the heavy size C or D ones. It's still really bright and can be a stand alone lantern as well as a flashlight. It also has red light and blinking options. These are great to have in your car as well as home and office emergency kits. Be sure you have lots of extra batteries.

Headlamp -- A headlamp is handy as a hands-free option. Campers may be familiar with these. The thought of a possible extended power outage started my search. Online recommendations  for "Best headlamps" seem to focus on a slick looking “Everlyte” brand -- but the links don’t work. I opted for the Black Diamond brand popular with the camper set. It's powerful and lightweight, with a rechargeable battery. 

 https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-headlamp/

Solar lanterns -- These LuminAid solar lanterns are lightweight and waterproof. I like the Titan model. They have the brightest light and fastest recharge time for devices. They twist up to open and collapse down flat, so they are easy to pack and store. They do require 10 hours of sunlight for their initial charge, but last a long time after that. https://luminaid.com/products/titan-2-in-1-phone-charger

The photo below shows a "Max 2-in-1" -- a slightly smaller model, with a snap strap instead of velcro. This model also needs to be manually blown up w/ a valve -- no twist-to-open feature.

 I am looking at portable "power bank" type rechargers that are larger units that uses multiple solar panels (or electrical power). But I don't have one of these yet. If you have access to your car -- the USB sockets there can be used to recharge devices as well. Another reason to keep your car's gas tank at least half-full at all times.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-power-banks-for-camping/

Emergency Radio -- If cell phone towers go down, you'll need some way to get the news alerts. I was very pleased with this "Midland" emergency radio. https://midlandusa.com/products/midland-er40-emergency-crank-radio?variant=41915064385713&gclid=

I recommend setting up and trying it out before you need it on the day of an emergency. It has a rechargeable battery, but the radio can also be recharged via hand crank or solar panel—both attached to the unit. It can also be used to charge cell phones. 

Keeping  your home landline phone active is also a good idea. If cell phones go down, landline phones will still work. Have an out of state contact person you and your family can check in with.

First Aid Kits -- 

https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/reviews/best-first-aid-kits?fbclid=

remember that items inside them can expire. You made need rolls of gauze and tape for larger wounds in your emergency kid first aid supplies than what you have in your kitchen or medicine cabinet for every day cuts and scrapes. Pack a thermometer that you are familiar with using. I recommend a digital one with disposable sleeve covers. Check the battery life on this important tool! Be sure to pack lots of disposable gloves, as well as some heavy duty gloves and masks. We think more about earthquakes in So Cal. A disaster on that level may mean lots of dust and clean-up, where items like boots, gloves and KN-95 masks will be essential. Baby wipes and disinfecting wipes are also must haves. As well as toilet paper and other sanitary supplies.

A bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol should be in your kit. For everyday use, I recommend having this particular brand of disinfecting prep pads. They are handy and durable. Other brands can be flimsy pads that aren’t fully saturated with rubbing alcohol. This brand has sturdy pads in packets that stay sealed.

Misc -- Here are some other items your might want to add: 

First Aid shears (sturdier than regular scissors -- to cut clothing as well as bandage wraps). 

A Multi-purpose tool. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-multitool/

Water gear  -- The fact that my review of our emergency kit happened during a storm warning pointed out some items that our kit was lacking: Duct tape. Tarps. Waterproof boots. Sandbags are often available free at local fire departments and city yards. As an experiment, I tried making some sandbag "dupes" -- using 10 lb bags of kitty litter double wrapped in large garbage bags. 

They worked pretty well. Though I would recommend taking the litter out of the paper bags that it comes it and dumping it into the garbage bags. The litter is more malleable outside its original packaging. You may find more uses for extra kitty litter than sandbags after a storm.

In the event of a serious natural disaster, having some sort of protection from sun or rain may be very helpful. Summer time often means sales on E-Z up canopies. You want this brand because they truly are easier to set-up and take down. I learned about these from my days showing collies. You can use alligator clips to attach tarps, sheets or mesh panels to the sides for additional coverage. You may need sandbags or stakes to help secure the legs, depending on the terrain. 

https://www.ezup.com/shelters/shelters-by-use/fun-in-the-sun.html