Emergency Essentials Every Family Should Have
When you’re unprepared for a disaster that strikes unexpectedly, your family’s basic needs and well-being can be in jeopardy. What if all the grocery stores are closed in your area, or your local emergency shelter turns you away because of total capacity? What will you do then?
That’s why it’s so critical that you gather certain supplies, food, and water as part of your family’s emergency preparedness plan so that your challenging situation doesn’t go from bad to worse. For those of you who have a family, that means thinking about stockpiling larger quantities and having the supplies that a particular family member may require. These are emergency essentials that every family should have. Hand Warmers
Emergency Essentials Every Family Should Have
Food
When stocking up on food, consider these ideas: try to stick with non-perishable food items with a much longer shelf life so that they aren’t out of date when needed.
Also, focus on gathering foods that don’t require refrigeration or don’t necessarily need to be cooked before eating. Your emergency food supply should be able to feed everyone in your family for a minimum of 3 days.
It would be best to consider purchasing food items your family likes. You don’t want to have food for a disaster that no one in the family wants to eat. Take a look at these few examples of food that would be wise to stock up on:
- Canned meat, vegetables, and fruit (don’t forget a manual can opener and utensils and paper goods)
- Nuts and dried fruits
- Fruit and protein bars
- Beef sticks and jerky
- Peanut butter
- Crackers
- Comfort foods for children (snack cakes, fruit snacks, chips, etc.)
- Gatorade and Pedialyte
Don’t forget food for your pets and any unique food requirements for certain family members.
Drinking Water
Water is arguably your number one essential on this list because you’ll only last a few days without it. When a disaster strikes, there’s the possibility that you’ll only have contaminated drinking water available, or no water for that matter.
The general rule is that an individual needs an average of one gallon of water daily for drinking and personal sanitation. Be sure to gather at least a 3-day water supply for each person, so if you have four people in your family, that’s a minimum of 12 gallons of water.
I’ve always told my readers that we need four gallons per person daily. I get thirsty just thinking about only one gallon a day. So, for a three-day supply for a family of four, you should have 48 gallons stored away. That amount should cover hydration, cooking, personal hygiene, and limited laundry for at least your underwear.
If you’re feeding your infants their infant formula or you happen to have pets, you’ll also need to take that into account and have extra water on hand. If you have to evacuate your home, a portable water filter can be used to filter the water from almost any source. That way, you’ll have fresh and clean water no matter where you are. I like water filtration systems from Big Berkey and PortaWell.
First Aid Kit
Don’t be caught in a disaster without a first aid kit, especially if you have younger children. Your family may likely get roughed up a bit, depending on the type of emergency. You’ll need to be able to dress and bandage up various kinds of wounds. In case you missed one of my first aid kit posts, First Aid Kits by Linda
Your kit should include latex gloves, dressings, adhesive bandages, scissors, tweezers, antibiotic and burn ointments, soap, antibiotic and moist towelettes, an eyewash solution, and a thermometer. You may also want to consider having a splint for broken bones.
Over The Counter Medications (OTC)
When you’re under a lot of emotional and physical stress from the trauma that disasters often cause, there’s a good chance that you could get sick. Be sure to stock up on several over-the-counter medications to help with the symptoms. It would be best if you considered some of the following: aspirin, non-aspirin pain relievers, cold medicine, anti-diarrheal, antacids, and laxatives. In case you missed this post, 35 OTC Medications You Should Store
If you or other family members are on prescription medications, you’ll need to have those set aside too, particularly if you have to be evacuated.
Hand-crank or Battery-powered Radio
It could be the difference between life and death if you don’t have a radio to stay updated on weather reports and alerts of conditions near your home. Get yourself a hand-crank radio or battery-powered portable radio so that you can know whether to evacuate or take shelter.
It is very helpful if you have a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) capable weather radio. It meets the standards necessary to obtain critical weather information that could guide your decisions.
Multiple Flashlights with Extra Batteries
Don’t be left in the dark following a disaster. Consider stocking up on enough flashlights and extra batteries for each member of your family. I have some solar-powered flashlights that I keep charged by placing them on my window sills. I recently purchased some battery-powered lanterns so I can light up a larger area. We also have a hand crank unit to recharge the batteries and give us light when the power goes out.
Wrench, Pliers, and Other Tools
If you need to turn off your home’s utilities, remember to have a wrench and some extra pliers. It may not be necessary, but it’s best to be prepared, just in case. Having a fully stocked tool chest or portable tool kit provides you with the comfort that you could at least make some minor repairs.
Duct tape
Duct tape is handy for any job, whether helping to hold a shelter together or repairing damaged clothing or broken windows. In case you missed this post, Duct Tape: Why You Need To Store It
If you need to build a temporary shelter, it doesn’t hurt to have some plastic sheeting to accompany the duct tape.
Fire Extinguisher
A fire extinguisher can help you put out minor fires in your home so that your home doesn’t wind up being a total loss. In case you missed this post, Fire: How Can I Prevent One In My Home
Additional clothing
Be sure to have an additional change of clothes prepared and set aside, such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants. If the emergency occurs in winter, sweatshirts, jackets, gloves, snowsuits, and sturdy shoes or boots will all be necessary.
Extra shoes
It’s miserable once your shoes are soaking wet and your feet get cold. This is why you should have an extra pair of shoes for each family member. Extra socks are also important, particularly if you must change your shoes due to moisture.
Blankets
You can never have too many blankets, especially when your family tries to stay warm after the power has gone out. Here are 6 Reasons To Store Blankets For Any Emergency. I’d keep extra quilts and warm blankets for each member of the family.
Depending on space available, consider having a sleeping bag for each family member. It can provide extra warmth when needed, particularly at night for sleeping.
If you have to go outside in bad weather, having some rain gear for the adults is important.
Whistle
You may need to be rescued from your home by emergency crews, but you may not have enough strength left for you to be heard if you try to scream or yell out. This is why a whistle is so critical for you to have since the sound carries such a long distance. I have several of these Whistles for Emergencies.
Heat
Depending on where you live, please check out items that would be safe for heating your home. I live in the desert, and I’m going to use blankets—lots of blankets. It’s hard if you live where fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are not allowed. For the first 40 years of my marriage to Mark, we always had a fireplace with a wood-burning stove or insert. Our new home doesn’t have a fireplace and I miss that option to help stay warm.
Important Family Documents
In many disasters, we are directed to evacuate even when we’d rather shelter in place. An evacuation scenario means things are getting pretty bad and you and your property are at risk. You never know what condition you’ll find your home in when you return. That’s why I tell my readers to put together a binder with copies of all the important documents relating to their family. That should include birth certificates, trust deeds, your will, divorce decrees, identification papers, limited bank and investment information, and critical medical information.
Additional Items Depending On Your Family’s Needs
A vast majority of all the emergency supplies and essentials that every family should stock up on will look fairly similar, but there will certainly be several differences. That’s because every family is unique from one another and has different needs. What works for one family makes entirely little sense for another. These are several other emergency essentials that you should consider stocking up on in your emergency kit if they relate to you and your family:
- Prescriptions and medications (rotate periodically)
- Respirator/Nebulizer/Inhalers and a backup power source like Goal Zero to keep them running
- Other Essential medical supplies (blood pressure and glucose monitoring equipment)
- Glasses, Contacts, and Solution
- Cell phone chargers and walkie-talkies for neighborhood communication in case cell service is down
- Personal hygiene items and feminine products, along with hand sanitizer
- Diapers, wipes, and baby formula
- Baby food
- Dog or cat food
- Cat litter
- You need additional water for your pets based on their weight: one ounce of water per pound (weight of the pet) each day. So, if your dog weighs ten pounds, you need ten ounces of water each day.
Final Word
When you’re prepping for an entire family, there’s a lot more that you have to consider than when you’re living on your own. These are several emergency essentials that your family should have in case a disaster were to ever happen to you. What other supplies do you think may not be on my list? I’d love to hear your thoughts. May God Bless this world, Linda.
Copyright Images: First Aid Kit AdobeStock_333791400 by Vitalii
WOW, Linda! I didn’t realize I had these already. Thank you so much for the reminder.
Hi Deborah, yay! Isn’t it funny that sometimes we wonder if we are prepared in every area. We are usually prepared more than we may think. Life is so good! Linda
Linda, Yes ma’am it sure is! It can get worse, but it can also get better. I’m not going to complain. God has been good to me.
Hi Deborah, Yes indeed! Linda
Defensive measures can not be ignored nor are they with 17 million guns being sold in 2020. I’ve yet to find the numbers for other weapon types but I’m sure it’s astronomical.
You have to be able to keep what you have.
Hi Matt, I totally agree with you! Those numbers tell it all! AND in 2020! Great reminder on the numbers, I have not seen the total, thank you. Linda
I agree with Deborah – it is great to see in print what is needed and then realize that I have all those things. When the pandemic hit and Gov. Inslee (Washington state) locked everything down, I did find some holes in my preps but those have been closed up now and I feel confident that I am good to go for now.
It is interesting to see the numbers of new gun owners or perhaps the gun owners who are beefing up their armaments! I always carry a weapon with me – not always a gun but I have a key ring weapon that goes with me every time I leave my apartment. At night, if I go outside my apartment, I have the key ring weapon and a flashlight/taser along with… Well you get the drift – I don’t want to be caught unaware and without protection. Believe me, I am not paranoid! I just want to be prepared for anything that might happen. I live in a relatively safe environment and have not, in the last 5 years, felt unsafe but I do want to be prepared as some of the demonstrations/protests/vandalism are within a mile of my home.
One thing that I didn’t see on the list is communications. I always carry my cell phone when I am out and about. In an emergency situation, being able to communicate with family members might be critical as well. If the grid goes down, cell phones might not work. Since I live alone and quite a ways (70+ miles) from family, if I cannot use my cell phone, ah well – it is what it is! But, I suggested to my daughter and son-in-law to have some form of communication with their family members. I know they will have his sister with them in an emergency situation and I suggested walkie talkies for the adults and possibly for the older kids (9, 7 1/2 and 6). They are looking into it.
I am pretty sure my daughter and son-in-law are now fully on-board with prepping! My daughter recently told me that they had to up their food budget now that their oldest son is 9 years old. Then she told me that the 9 year old suggested that he eat less to help save money on the food budget. My daughter laughed but then said, seriously that that scared her and made her concerned about what would happen if/when SHTF and they might not be able to give the kids what they needed in the way of food, shelter, safety. FINALLY – I was about to run out of oxygen talking to them about preparing!!
Christmas is all about prepping this year! Well not ALL about prepping – there are some toys under the tree for the kids as well!!
Hi Leanne, great comment as always. I have a post on communication in a few days ready to go. I love hearing the preps for Christmas gifts! And your grandkids are at the age that is so fun to put toys under the tree! Life is so good!! Linda
Leanne, I just read about the 4 gifts for children.
1. Thing wanted
2. Thing needed
3. Thing to wear
4. Thing to read
Since we are grandparents, we are only giving one gift to each. Not to wear though. The couples are getting their gifts together. One gift per couple. I decorated some wooden trays I found at Dollar General.
I *love* the crank/solar flashlights! I’ve now got several, covering barn, kitchen, and bedroom. Thinking of flashlights and power outages (lots of those nearby this week-end)… I read somewhere about putting a bracket with a flashlight over/by the door in every room, so there’s never one more than a few feet to a flashlight if the lights go out unexpectedly..
To go with the duct tape–some WD-40. If it moves and shouldn’t, use duct tape. If it should move and won’t, use WD-40. (And that doesn’t even get into how farms can’t run without baling twine and baling wire…)
Hi Rhonda, I love those crank/solar flashlights as well. I love your duct tape/WD-40 idea!!! Linda
One thing I would suggest, is an alternate heat source of some type.
Hi Janet, great reminder. I will go add that right now. Thank you, Linda
Being in a HOA is too restrictive for my tastes. I have friends that live or have lived in an HOA and didn’t like it. I want to be able to do my own thing and not have someone else tell me what to do. Just saying. I live the country and grew up in the city. As soon as I possible I got out and have never looked back.
Hi Cheryl, I totally agree with you. If I could move I would leave this HOA. It’s not in the cards right now. But it’s part of my plan as soon as the door opens. Linda
This article made me think of an interesting idea and that is to use a different approach to get others into prepping without them even seeing it as prepping. If we suggest to them that “there are things that people need to have on hand all the time” some might see the logic of it and actually take some action.
We all know what it’s about, but for those “anti-prepper” types…. you know, THOSE people (LOL) we can help them to be prepared by working under their radar.
In reality, besides stocking up for times of possible famine, lack of access or availability of essentials, being prepared to care for ourselves is what prepping is all about. Even as I read the article I began to think of things I have, don’t have and would want desperately if stores were closed or I was shut off from them.
Hi Frank, you are so right, we never know what may come our way. We prep and we prep more. My biggest fear is a power grid outage. A major one, our country is not prepared for it to happen, and it will happen. We can only do the best we can and move on. We are survivors, we will get through it whatever it may be. It may be hard, but we can do it. Linda
Hi Linda, Thanks again for the turkey advice. Read the list and have been “plugging” holes as well.
One thing I have IF you can stock the batteries is those electric candles. Having little grands (and sometime us older ones) having a flame candle can be hazardous. The candles do give off a bit of light and I can rest easy if they get knocked over it won’t burn the house down. And if you get the timed ones, they make GREAT nightlights for the bathrooms. Mine are set to go on about 2 am and turn off 6 hours later. Makes it easier for the little ones and the rest of us to use the bathroom at night with out blinding ourselves by turning on the big lights.
Do have to tell you though, this old lady may not be so crazy after all, we were talking to oldest son the other day and he was telling us how he and DIL were talking about how this pandemic has affected them ( no job,money, etc) and I believe he is now understanding why I keep asking about how they are doing and making suggestions. He said he told my DIL “we have to get ready MUCH BETTER than we’ve done in the past as we may experience this again and again ” or words to that effect. He and I WILL be talking in the very near future about how to go about this. I know my DH isn’t “discussing” (crabbing) about what I have been doing anymore or hauling into the house. At least not to my face that is, LOL. I hope you all have a safe and blessed Christmas and may we have a better NEW YEAR.
Hi Kathy, I LOVE your comment, we are examples to our family and friends. Good job, MOM!! I like your nightlight idea, I am going to watch for those. I was asked to give a few comments this last week at a local church young women group (pre-college age) on 72-hour kits. I was so proud that their leaders were introducing these 16-17-year-old girls to put together some emergency kits. They had purchased soooo many items from the dollar tree. I was in awe of how many things they were able to find. It made my heart swell! Merry Christmas, Linda
Under “Heat” I would put mylar emergency blankets, and hand and foot warmers. Also, the space heaters you can make using 2 terracotta flowerpots, 4 tea lights ,a piece of foil and a grill pan. Look up flower pot heater and you find it.
Hi Diana, thank you for the reminder on the mylar blankets. I have seen those terracotta flower pots on Pinterest. I will go check them out. Merry Christmas, Linda
Good afternoon Linda, as usual I was reading through your daily email and saw a link for Power Outage Kit What You Need. I printed the article and checked to see what supplies I had and what I needed. We have been told to start getting supplies together; they are talking about a very HOT summer and possibly brownouts and maybe a blackout. I realized I have most of the things needed. I have to purchase some sanitation supplies, batteries and a bbq lighter. My son will help me with the inverter and possibly a solar generator. I just gave him a portable radio (Kaito); I had 3 of them. Thank you for the reminder, time to get busy. Have a great weekend and Mother’s Day.
Hi Mildred, I hope you don’t have to many black outs or brownouts. Full on or rolling power outages are not fun. Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day to you, my sweet friend. Linda
You can add to your list – Solar items: Solar generators, solar flashlights, solar radios, solar chargers, lanterns, heated shower.
With the Solar generators you can run your frig, coffee maker, microwave, toaster oven, TV without worrying about the dangerous fumes from gas generator and noise. That is important if you don’t want to advertise to people that you have power.
Become what they call a Grey-man, someone who blends in.
Hi Barb, great reminder about blending in like Grey-man. Solar is the best, I have a small solar generator that will do small appliances, not my frig. That would be an awesome one. No noise, no gas to store. Love it, Linda
Linda,
Good post today. We have all of the items fairly well covered.
Hi Harry, me too, I picked up chips and dips for the two of us for this week’s election stuff. It will take a few days for sure. Linda
Always great to read the comments! Brings to mind those things that I started to do back when the post was first published but then went on the back burner!! I need to get into my storage closet in the next week or two! I have my emergency lighting and my butane burner handy but there are things packed away in my storage closet that I really need to get out and have ready. I know what my first taste of WY winter was like, last year was very mild apparently but who knows what this winter will be like? I may be snowed in with drifting snow, my vehicle might not start or be able to navigate the roads. YIKES – gotta get more water, need more shelf stable broths to make soup, need more chocolate!!!
Oh, and something I did when at the grocery store yesterday! My grocery store has a “bargain bin” and I check that frequently. I scored! there were 2 bags of sea salt caramel candies in the bin that had a best by date of 2025! They were half off! I purchased them and asked the cashier why they were in the bargain bin. She said they put things in the bargain bin that are close to the best by date or not selling well to make room on the shelves for things that will sell well. Those caramels are soo good. I have repackaged them in quart jars and vacuum sealed them. They will be a great treat if I am not able to get out this winter.
Something else that I think needs to be on the list for being prepared now that winter is coming on fast: handwarmers – I know my SIL will be plowing snow at his place, and it can get bitter cold here in WY. He has really good outdoor winter clothing but having handwarmers would be great. That is what his Christmas gift will be.
Hi Leanne, oh my gosh, caramels and chocolate are my favorite! You got a great buy! Yes, I need to add hand warmers to todays post, they work great. Linda
Linda,
Thanks for this article. It reminded me I need to re-supply my first aid kit with XL bandages. Had a basal cell carcinoma cut out of my right arm a few days ago and I’ve used up too many of my 3″ bandages keeping it clean.
Linda, you might want to add a fire blanket the section for a fire supression section. Extinguishers are great but not always easy to use. With the fire blanket, you pull it out of the covering and toss it over the fire. We have one in our kitchen, one in the basement apartment kitchen and one in our camper. You can find them on Amazon with prices from affordable to “you gotta be kidding”
Hi Topaz, great reminder, I have seen those, thank you! I need to add that to the post as well. Linda