Are Emergency Supplies Still Relevant?
May 21, 2022 by Linda Loosli 27  Comments ,

Are Emergency Supplies Still Relevant?

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In this day and age, it’s important to be prepared for anything. Emergency supplies can help you weather a severe storm, floods, power outages, and other disasters. But are the supplies still relevant based on our own experiences?

I realize so many of us are prepared with emergency supplies, but some people may just be getting started. If you can share this article with those who may be interested in stocking supplies that would be a bonus for all of us.

It’s a bit overwhelming when starting out. Please gather a few items, and then add others to your inventory as needed. The dollar-type stores have some great prices, even if they have gone up a bit in price.

What are Emergency Supplies

Emergency supplies are those items that you would need in the event of all kinds of emergencies. This could be a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or tornado, or it could be a man-made disaster, such as a fire or power outage. Emergency supplies can include food, water, and clothing, as well as items like flashlights and batteries.

It’s important to have an emergency supply plan in place, along with the needed supplies, so you and your family are properly prepared ahead of time so that you’re not caught off guard if an emergency should occur. By being prepared, you can help to ensure your safety and the safety of your loved ones.

Are Emergency Supplies Still Relevant?

Are Emergency Supplies Still Relevant?

There’s no doubt that emergency supplies are still relevant. They’re actually more important than ever. With the increasing frequency of natural disasters and the cost of everything going up, it’s essential to be prepared for as many contingencies as possible. 

7 Reasons Why You Need Emergency Supplies

Emergency supplies can help you in many different situations. Here are a number of reasons why emergency supplies are still relevant:

Power Outage

If there’s a power outage, you’ll need food that doesn’t require cooking, some freshwater, and flashlights or lanterns to help you see around your home and property. Depending on the amount of time the power is out, you may also need blankets, a backup cooking device, a first aid kit, and more.  Emergency supplies can help you weather a power outage.

Medical Emergency

If there’s a medical emergency, emergency supplies can help you stay safe and comfortable until help arrives. You should always have an extra supply of those prescriptions you and others in the home take on a regular basis. Now is NOT the time to be out of stock, and out of luck!

Economic Emergency

If there’s an economic emergency, emergency supplies can help you stay afloat until things improve. The economic emergency can be a result of an accident, job layoff, sickness that keeps you home, a broken-down car, or unexpected home repairs. The sky is the limit when it comes to things that can affect your pocketbook.

It also may be a severe disaster that affects your whole community such that banks and ATMs are closed or shut down, making access to your funds very limited or non-existent. If you have food and water stored you can survive for a few days, or weeks, depending on the inventory in your pantry or storage room.

Read More of My Articles  Uses for Q-Tips

Car Breakdown

If you’re stranded on the side of the road, you may need a first-aid kit, water, snacks, a tool kit, a light source if at night, and more. Think about what could happen on your next trip and start setting things aside, just in case. I have a car emergency kit stored in my car all the time.

Natural Disaster

And, if there’s a natural disaster, you may need emergency supplies to help you survive until help arrives. Most people think some government agency will come running to their rescue. Don’t plan on it! If the disaster affects lots of people, who knows how long it may be for your turn to be helped.

I strongly suggest we all learn to be more self-reliant, and that includes food and water storage, along with all the other items I’ve talked about for years. Check out my archive on this website for many important posts that can help you determine what you should have, and how to get started with your own personal preparedness plan.

Inflation

Inflation is another reason to have emergency supplies. If the economy crashes, your savings will be worth much less, if you even have access to your funds. Emergency supplies can help tide you over until things improve. If you have food stored away you can use that instead of paying the current high prices for staples needed. Once things get back to a more normal state cost-wise, then you can replace them at a more reasonable level.

Gas Prices

Gas prices are another reason to have emergency supplies. Gas prices are soaring and they’re only going to go up. If you have emergency supplies, you won’t have to worry about getting to the store right now, or running out of gas because you can’t afford to stop and fill up.

They announced on the news today that certain “experts” are expecting the national average price of gas by the end of summer 2022 to be over $6.00! You don’t want to be using the gas you have just to go to the store every other day. You may need to hunker down and spend more time at home.

How to Choose Emergency Supplies

When choosing emergency supplies, it’s important to consider your needs. If you have allergies, you’ll need to include medication in your kit. If you have pets, you’ll need to include food and water for them as well. If you have a baby or elderly person in the home with special food needs, be sure to take that into account.

You should also consider the climate where you live. If you live in a cold climate, you’ll need supplies to keep you warm. And, if you live in a hot climate, you’ll need supplies to help keep you cool.

What Emergency Supplies Do You Need?

The supplies you’ll need depend on the type of emergencies you’re likely to face. If you live in an area that’s prone to hurricanes, you’ll need different supplies than someone who lives in an earthquake zone. But, there are some basic supplies that everyone should have.

Water

You should have a month’s worth of water for every member of your household. You should have 1 gallon of water per person per day. However, I would encourage you to stock more for cleaning and cooking. If you need more help with storing water, read How to Store Water for Drinking and Cooking.

Read More of My Articles  How to Make A Children's First Aid Kit

Food

You should have a month’s worth of non-perishable food for every member of your household.  Canned Foods are great non-perishable items. Check out some of my other posts if you need help with what to buy and stock up on:

You could also purchase ER bars. ER bars are 2400 to 3600 calorie food bars. They can provide an average person with about 72-hours of nourishment. Additionally, they are shelf-stable for up to 5-years and can be stored in fluctuating temperatures.

First Aid Kit

A first-aid kit is an essential part of any emergency kit. Be sure to include bandages, pain medication, and anything else you might need. Make sure to have one in your home, as well as in your car. Read What’s In Your First Aid Kit for a checklist.

Flashlights & Radio

Flashlights are essential for power outages. Be sure to include extra batteries. A radio can help you stay up-to-date on the latest weather and news reports. You can buy a crank radio as an extra precaution. Get a radio That has a weather band capability.

I love my solar flashlights. I keep them charged up by storing them on the front windowsill.

Hygiene and Sanitation Supplies

Hygiene and sanitation are important during an emergency. Include soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and feminine hygiene products.

Emergency Shelter Supplies

If you need to evacuate, make sure you have a bag packed with all the essentials. This should include a change of clothes, prescription medications, and important documents.

Some other items you might want to consider are:

How to Get Started

If you don’t have any emergency supplies, it’s not too late to get started. Begin by making a list of what you would need in different types of emergencies. Then, slowly start stockpiling items. Don’t forget to rotate your supplies so they don’t expire. Emergency supplies are an important part of being prepared for anything. So, make sure you have what you need to weather any storm.

Purchasing Emergency Supplies

If you don’t want to take the time to gather everything yourself, there are companies that specialize in emergency supplies. These kits come with everything you need to get through different types of emergencies. Here are a few companies that offer emergency supply kits:

  • Emergency Essentials: Emergency Essentials has a wide variety of Emergency Kits to choose from. They also have a great selection of freeze-dried food. 
  • Augason Farms: Augason Farms specializes in long-term food storage. They have a variety of Emergency Kits as well as food storage options.
  • Wise Food Storage: Wise Food Storage offers Emergency Kits as well as long-term food storage. They have a variety of meal options to choose from.
  • BePrepared.com: BePrepared.com has a variety of Emergency Kits to choose from. They also have a great selection of Emergency Food.
  • Ready Store: Ready Store specializes in Emergency Kits and long-term food storage. They offer a variety of options to choose from.
  • Shelf Reliance: Shelf Reliance specializes in Emergency Kits and long-term food storage. They have a variety of options to choose from.

Final Word

Whether you choose to gather your supplies piecemeal or purchase a kit, emergency supplies are an important part of being prepared. So, make sure you have what you need to weather any storm. May God Bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Emergency Supplies Depositphotos_110563802_S by Belchonock

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27 Comments

  1. A few winters ago we lost power. No big deal with a fan driven fireplace and medium generator for us. The neighbor was at work so I went and got his fired up for his family. I took note that he had 2 fuel cans. Few days later he’s stuck at work because so many other can’t get in from the winter storm. I don’t need fuel but decided to do a fuel run for them and top off what I had and grab another neighbors cans too that was out. It was a pretty good drive to find a station that was still on grid. The pumps were all full of folks doing the same.

    I learned how long most will make it before running out.
    I store my gas with PRI-G stabilizer and have tested it to 5 yrs. That fuel I bought has more than doubled almost tripled in value now.

    EVERYTHING is higher priced now. So you will save money with emergency preparedness but only IF you bought it at the right time.

    Look at ammo and food prices and availability.

    YES you need preparations and IMO the proper time for savings has already passed however that only eliminates one reason not to.

    RELEVANT!?! More than ever :
    What do we know right now? Gas is heading to $6gl in Oklahoma by July so higher in most other places, gas is already running out in Washington state and the NE is running outta diesel, food is already short, expensive and farmers are hurting so fall ain’t looking good, the economy is tanking, people are becoming worse. We are at the brink of war and/or back in a Cold War. Every power company and government is saying there will be rolling blackouts or brownouts this summer because EVERY grid is hurting due to bad decisions.
    You can’t ignore facts and not lay in preparations for hard times. I’m not declaring doomsday but hard times for sure.

    Reply

    1. Hi Matt, oh I totally agree with you. I have heard some states are “calibrating” (I think that was the term) gas pumps so they are ready for $10.00 or more per gallon. Never in history has gas been this high. I do remember a short time being over $5.00 but it didn’t stay that high for long. It’s not doomsday it’s reality, I’m with you. We could all see it coming. Thanks for the tip on storing gas, You have great neighbors and you are one of them! Great comment! Linda

      Reply

    2. I agree with this. I also buy gas when it is down and use Stabilizer in it. I started doing this long ago because I use so much with the riding mower to mow acres. I always make sure I have enough to go the whole summer. If the SHTF I will have that gas for the vehicle.

      Reply

  2. Harry, Ray and a few others that I’m pretty sure remember the fuel odd/even rationing days might should speak up and teach because we’ve had it good since then.

    Reply

    1. I remember the rationing all too well. Here in Texas, it started out with a limit on how much you could purchase at a time, usually ten gallons. I was lucky in that I had an import pickup with a 25 gallon across the bed auxiliary fuel tank. So, with that and the OEM tank, I had 40 usable gallons. At 26-27MPG, that gave me a 1000 mile range. So, once they went to the odd/even with no limit on quantity, I would fill up infrequently.
      For the current situation, I store a quantity of fuel for my two invertor generators. One of those is dual fuel and I have ten 20 pound propane tanks on hand as well as a quantity of gasoline. The gasoline I store is E0 and I use StaBil in it. I have had no problem with using some of that having been stored 18 to 20 months although I try to rotate it at after a year.
      Rest assured folks, fuel shortages resulting in rationing are not for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of planning to get by the best you can. Oh, and it also require a lot of patience.

      Reply

      1. I remember a guy attacking my moms car while we were in line waiting our turn. I was just a kid. He did several vehicles before some mens changed his thinking with a few properly placed adjusters.
        I can only imagine the meltdown’s that’ll happen now with society’s inability to cope and handle issues combined with narcissistic ways.

        Reply

        1. Okay, Matt,
          You obviously are a lot younger than me. Luckily, I was never around in line when such folks went berserk. But, there was more than enough of that happening. And, there were a lot of attacks on service station folks when the station ran out of gas before the entire waiting line had gotten fueled. Another thing about those lines, folks would leave their cars in neutral and push them along while in line to avoid wasting any fuel on numerous restarts to keep their place in line.
          And, with tempers flaring while waiting in line, today, with more folks carrying sidearms, those well placed adjusters may just wind up being life-ending. And, as you indicated, today folks tend to be even less capable of coping with any hardship. It will be interesting.
          And, these are some interesting times we could do without.

          Reply

          1. Hi Harry, I totally agree with some comments I see or read, people will go berserk even more so now. I have never seen so much anger in my entire life. Crazy times, Linda

      2. Hi Harry, oh I remember the gas rationing as well. Mark and I saved money to take the kids to Disneyland and we weren’t sure we would get there because of the so-called gas shortages. We would drive so far, fill up with as much gas as possible, and drive a little more. The lines were so long trying to get gas with no guarantee there would be any gas left for you once you made it to the gas pumps. Crazy, but we made it home. Linda

        Reply

  3. Linda and Matt,

    I use Pri-G just like you do. I also keep all three vehicles tanks topped up anytime they hit half full. I only buy premium as the higher octane gives me significantly better fuel economy and because one of my vehicles requires it. Six of the five-gallon gas cans give me a small reserve of fuel for my multi-fuel generator—which will allow me to keep a battery bank charged (should we EVER get a prolonged cloudy period here in my part of AZ that could interfered with my solar system).

    I also keep several twenty to forty-gallon propane tanks on hand for my grill as well as the multi-fuel generator.
    Gas rationing WILL happen again, if only as a result of it becoming so expensive people can’t afford to drive as much.
    Between inflation and rising gasoline prices the $100 is rapidly becoming the new $20, so being prepared is more important than ever.

    One further note. There are some truly superior batteries being developed right now that can power your entire home for between several days and a week. Ideally, they could be tied to your solar, wind or hydro system but they can also be charged by your car or your generator—and can also be simply grid-tied. Right now they exist but are expensive. However, prices are plummeting and I think they will soon be economical for most of us to acquire. Tesla, GE, Siemens, Fluence and Stem are some of the companies that either have developed or are developing such batteries and/or the software to control those batteries.
    Tesla and other such companies are already building battery farms capable of powering whole towns and cities as well as individual homes. Such farms are a less expensive alternative to building new gas-fired power plants. Oh, profits from building these batteries and battery farms already exceed those of electric vehicle sales for Tesla.
    I’m telling you about this because, if we can stave off the looming collapse long enough, the future could be a lot brighter for all of us. But if we can’t, well, that’s why it makes sense to be prepared.

    Reply

    1. I’ve instructed the family to go 3/4 is empty. It’s a pain sometimes but necessary I believe. Also NO EMPTY fuel cans.

      Reply

      1. Matt,
        Same rules around our house. If any of our four vehicles are driven more than a few miles, they are topped off on the way home. And, my motorcycle gets topped off on the way home no matter how much or how little it has been ridden. It is a Can Am Spyder with trailer hitch. I have an appropriate trailer for it as well. Might need that for bugout or for shopping trips.

        Reply

    2. Hi Ray, I LOVE your comment! I would love to live in a city powered by batteries via solar. WOW! We must all be prepared now more than ever before. Linda

      Reply

      1. Linda,

        As the batteries get cheaper we’ll be able to use them with our own home solar or wind systems. Also, Executive Order 2222 (probably the only thing Biden has done right) opens up the energy production industry to put small home type electric generation systems on an equal footing with the big monopolies.

        Reply

        1. Hi Ray, that would be awesome if I live long enough to reap the rewards from solar. The power grid is my biggest concern, of course, now food and gas. Linda

          Reply

  4. I think emergency supplies are more relevant than every before. What is happening now is like nothing I have ever seen before.

    I would appreciate the thoughts and wisdom on a specific issue. We leased a 2019 Buick Envision Essence, the summer before the pandemic. We leased because I no longer wanted my husband concerned about maintenance, and we get the GM employee discount. The car has 26,000 miles and has been very dependable, getting about 25 milesper gallon. By August we have to decide if we should buy this one or get another. Aside from the numbers we are concerned about the computer chips in a new one. Any opinions???

    Reply

    1. Chris,
      With only 26,000 miles on the Envision, having had proper maintenance, it should last many more miles. While you could possibly get a different vehicle that gets a little better mileage, I am not sure about your ratio of highway miles to city miles but that is respectable fuel mileage. Also, you know it has been dependable. You can’t be sure about a new vehicle now plus the prices have gone through the roof on new ones. And, that is assuming that you can even find one available that you like. I would think that the Envision is available to you at a reasonable price, so you could use the savings to keep up with maintenance and smile all the way to the bank with the savings. I suppose, if you are asking for a vote, I would vote to keep the Envision. LOL!!!

      Reply

    2. Hi Chris, it will be interesting to see how much you have to pay for the car at the end of the lease. Used cars are hard to find and the prices are through the roof. If the price is right, I would buy it and drive it until it literally dies. Hopefully, your GM family discount will help with the pricing. Linda

      Reply

  5. Thank you Harry for your vote. I forgot to mention we are locked in to a purchase price from 2019 of $22,000. that can not be raised.

    Reply

    1. Chris,
      I would jump on it in August. An equivalent Envision would most likely be in excess of $40,000. $22,000 sounds a lot better to me. LOL!
      Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

      Reply

  6. I can remember the gas lines. My husband was in the Coast Guard in Boston and we lived on the Air Force base on Cape Cod. Quite a drive. There were times he stayed on Base when Gas was short. I am glad that I did not have a child needing baby food at that time. It was hard enough when things got bad and I had to do what I had to do to feed my family. I would do it again if I needed to and I would not be ashamed either.

    Reply

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