Make a Disaster Survival Kit

If you want to know how to make a disaster survival kit, it helps if you have some idea what kind of disaster you're preparing for.

Human beings need three basic things to survive: drinking water, shelter and food. Please note that the order I have listed them is the order of priority. I assume we have clean air to breathe, because if we don't then the other items will not help you.

It's a good idea to make your disaster survival kit good for three days. After that time, you can hope that there might be some aid coming in from outside authorities... but who knows?

First, your survival kit needs enough drinking water. Store one gallon per person per day. Strong plastic containers are your best choice here. Glass is tasteless but breaks easily. Metal containers corrode and add a taste to the water. If you like, you can add a few drops of household chlorine bleach to each water container, to sterilize it. But for most tap water in the city, this is not necessary - no matter what the people selling water filters will tell you.

Second, your disaster survival kit will need gear for shelter... in the form of clothing for warmth and protection from the elements - rain, snow, blazing sun. It depends where you live and what season of the year it is. You also need shelter for sleeping - so a good sleeping bag for each person is a must. So is a bivy bag or tarp to keep off the rain, and maybe an insect net to keep the mosquitoes and other bugs at bay. A small tent with insect mesh would do well here, as long as you have a place to pitch it.

Pack a complete change of clothes and boots for each person. Boots are stronger than shoes and give you some ankle support to protect against twisted ankles. Extra woollen socks and cotton underwear are a bonus.

Third, your disaster survival kit will need some non-perishable food for three days. Now you can't starve in just three days, but feeling hungry doesn't help you to think straight. (A healthy adult can live as long as 30 days without food, as long as they have water and shelter, and don't expend much energy.) So muesli bars, chocolate blocks and other candy works for short-term energy bursts. Breakfast muesli cereal can be eaten just as it is, without the need for milk or sugar, and is very sustaining. Dried fruits and nuts are also wonderful energy food. MREs are good too, so buy some if they're available to you.

The fourth category to pack in your disaster survival kit is some tools. Your most basic survival tools are those to make fire and to cut with; so a good-quality pocket knife (like a genuine Swiss Army knife or a Leatherman tool) will do the job without breaking apart when you need it most. A small plastic gas cigarette lighter will take care of the fire-lighting. Carry at least two lighters plus a box of waterproofed matches, in an airtight, waterproof container.

Other useful tools include a small flashlight or LED light, with spare batteries, and a kettle or billy can to boil water, make soups etc. You can spend a little bit more and have a small propane gas cooker and a compact cook kit if you like, but a tin can and some wire works quite well. Some instant coffee or tea bags, whitener or powdered milk and sugar sachets give great comfort and a little energy when you need a boost. So do packaged soups and simple one-pot or dehydrated meals.