Social Icons

Pages

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Main Facts Relating To The Use Of Emergency Survival Kits

By Harriett Crosby


Emergency survival kits are just that; a tool for surviving. They need to be with us at all times of the day because you never know when you will need them. At times, they may make the difference between life and death. When assembling your kit, there are a number of important considerations that you need to have in mind so that the main objective for which such a tool is created is well fulfilled. You need to decide, from the very beginning whether you need to use your kit just once or on several occasions.

Start by creating a list of the items that you consider very important in your life. List all the possible things that you can imagine. Narrow this list down to include only the most essential. This is to prevent the kit from become burdensome. One of the most important things that you can start with on your list is some form of shelter. This will help protect you from unfavourable weather in an emergency situation.

There are different forms of shelter that can be considered. If you cannot find ready-made forms of shelter, there are many ways of improvising. Commonly used forms of shelter include, among others, tents, trash bags and tarps. Nylon ponchos, when nicely folded, can make very good tents. The main consideration in choosing a material is the ease of packaging. Ropes and stakes should also be packed to be used for erecting your desired type of structure.

Related to the shelter is the need for warm bedding. The top two choices for bedding are wool and fleece. These have their advantages and disadvantages. Both are always warm even when wet. Wool has the additional benefit of being a flame retardant while fleece is also very lightweight. Foil type blankets are very easy to pack and very warm as well. Cotton bedding should be avoided whenever possible as they lead to loss of body heat.

Water is of course an essential need and must be included. Experts recommend that there should be at least 130 oz of water for each person per day. This is what is to be used for drinking only. The packaging can be done in many different ways including the use of reusable containers, water bags and sterilized bottles. On average, sterilised water lasts for about 5 years. Replacement should ideally be done at least once annually.

There are different options of foods to choose from. It is important to choose foods that are not only easy to prepare but those that can last for a while. Try to maintain a balance in the selection even if they are intended for emergencies. Generally, it is recommended that one person uses at least 2000 calories of energy on any given day. You can determine the quantity packaged based on this fact. Food bars and granola are usually an excellent choice.

There are many other smaller items that are not always a must but make life comfortable. Such items include toiletries and other personal items whose inclusion will depend on availability of space. A first aid kit should also be included if space permits. In this kit ensure that the following are included, painkillers, gauze rolls and antibiotics.

The importance of emergency survival kits cannot be overemphasized. One needs to plan in advance to avoid the confusion that arises whenever difficulties arise. You need to keep inspecting your kit regularly to ensure that it is always intact. In addition, make sure that all the persons in your household have a kit of their own.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment