This is a list of things that will be usefull in a survival situation. Based on information gleaned from the people of Christchurch.
Here’s a list I have compiled from people who endured the Christchurch earthquake. A lot of this is common sense stuff, and you will already have a lot of it stored. As I was editing the list I found it was easier to leave it in the words of those that wrote it, it demonstrates how important some things were,
To begin though, here’s the basics that everyone agrees upon,
Wheely bin New and clean for putting everything in. (Or large and mobile container)
Water-and empty containers - Double what is recommended.
Water purification tabs
Hand sanitizer and bleach
3 buckets
Cash
First aid kit
Freeze dried food, sweets.
Tins of food
A pair of running shoes for everyone
Change of clothes for everyone or at least underwear.
Photocopies of all birth certs, passports and DLs
Tin opener
Radio and batteries
Torches, candles, more batteries and waterproof matches
Baby wipes and nappies
Gas burner to cook on and spare gas bottles FULL if you have space to store them.
A hardy pocket knife
Sleeping bags
Tent/Tarp
Ladies sanitary products. Birth control
Toothbrush /Toothpaste
Soaps
Pet food
Petrol
A landline phone that doesn’t use power, the ones that go straight into point.
Bin bags and bags for buckets if using as a loo
Emergency charger for phone
Spare car keys
An Axe
We also have glow sticks and a book for drawing and felts for kids
In their own words, these are examples from residents of Christchurch, New Zealand who endured and learned from the February earthquake of 2011.
A lot of things in here are repeated, that just goes to show how important some items were, and still are!
3 days of food per person, first aid kit, can opener, lighter, matches, candles, torch, spare batteries, copies or birth and marriage certs, pet food, backup disks of important photos, nappies, wet wipes, sanitary products, toilet paper, radio and batteries, list of important phone numbers, some activities for your kids to do, disposable plates and cups, blankets, a
corded phone, spare battery charger for your mobile or a car charger, empty bucket, plastic bags for rubbish etc, disposable gloves and something to keep it all in Even if you are not female, sanitary pads are great for a first aid kit, they are great for putting on cuts etc to soak up blood etc
One of the important things to remember is, you can round up loads of stuff in 5 or 10 min’s, but you won’t remember what to grab. Make a list of things you already have and tape it the top of your survival kit, ie, you don’t need to go out and buy 4 more sleeping bags, just remember to take them, there is heaps of food in the pantry, don’t forget it! torches, batteries,
medication, stuff that doesn’t keep, if its on the list you won’t forget it.
1 Keep a basic emergency kit with a weeks water & non perishable food, warm blankets, warm outer clothes, first aid, torches, batteries, radio, bog roll, spade, and equipment for cooking.( http://biolitestove.com/ )
2 Wear clothes and footwear in which you could walk 10 km in that days weather, and make sure your kids do too.
3. Don't forget your pets. Microchip, and cater for them in emergency supplies.
4. Have an agreed meeting place, but don't rush to get anywhere.
5. Have one out of town contact person, whose number you all know. Have their number as the pet's
microchip contact number too.
6. If something happens, get physically safe , then stop and think before doing anything else. Do what you can do, calmly, and don't do anything unsafe because you are worried about getting somewhere.
7. Help people near you before going elsewhere, because if everyone does this, there will be less people needing to travel, or to worry about those they are not near
I found Rescue Remedy invaluable. Good for the nerves and also something to sooth animals, they get very scared.
Car charger for your phone, family plan for where you meet up, treat foods in your emergency kit, wine in your emergency kit, - yes i'm serious, its important to be able to lighten the mood when you're as stressed as you're ever gonna get. A lot more sanitiser than you think you'll ever need. Big bottle of bleach - you can use this to make water drinkable if its from a dogdy source....
... And a notebook and pen, when you're in survival mode and everyone in your life is leaving town in a hurry, you forget things like where each person has gone, I wrote all that stuff down and found in reassuring. I also had the urge to write down my thoughts and what was happening, it sounds morbid but I also wrote down the death toll as it rose, I think it was my way of processing what was happening.
Be prepared for the shock, as much as you can, be prepared to make yourself commit to normal routines like eating and sleeping. I have never lost my appetite in my life, but the big one struck on Tuesday, and I couldn't eat without gagging until Saturday afternoon. You will react in ways you wont expect, be prepared for that, understand what shock is, how to recognise it in yourself and in others, how and when to treat it.
Have in mind a place you can evacuate to, know how to get there and where to find help when you do. I
mean in another town.
Make a deal with a friend or family member who lives a few hours away from you - that you will take each other and family members in if this happens - that is a big one, I know many people who left Chch in the early hours of Feb 23 and just drove with no idea where they were going, to hopefully find some kind of guesthouse or motel somewhere. Go somewhere where someone will help youwhen you might be falling apart. If you can't imagine yourself falling apart in the aftermath of something like this then think again.
Plug in phone in garage with electric door unable to gvet to it Try and have it in a place where things wont fall on it. Also try not to have stuff up high and make sure stuff is attatched or if breakable on floor. our fridge fell over and door opened on way down and all cupboard doors and crockery fell out child proof
locks but we had 4 big ones and different things happened each time.
Well, if you're in an earthquake of course you should be prepared for doors to stick shut, and often furniture or bookcases fall against them making them hard or impossible to open. If you happen to have a sledgehammer or axe handy, you'll be sweet. If not, it could be a bit tricky getting to your cached supplies in
the garage or sleepout or shed. The other thing to consider is time. If there is a tsunami threat, or if more earthquakes seem likely, you probably won't want to stick around for too long, trying to get to your supplies. For that reason, we have a purpose-built lean-to just inside our gate, so we can grab & go. Our supplies are in large weathertight bins. The lean-to is designed to look inconspicuous, and hopefully won't draw the attention of would-be thieves.
Cash, water, batteries, a radio, something to cook on if the power is off, plenty of tins of food or dried things like noodles, toilet making items (bucket, liners, spade etc etc) tarpaulins, a full tank of petrol in the car,
cellphone charger that doesn't use mains power.
And for the aftermath and dealing with EQC, insurance,etc; a diary to record conversations, names, dates and times of all interactions of the aforementioned.
Re Water:
A funnel can be very handy for filling water containers, especially if you have boiled the water first and are trying to get it from the pot into a soft drink bottle. On that note a kettle for a gas range is really handy to heat drinking water when the electricity is off, otherwise a small sauce pot- the kind with a slight spout bent into the side-does the same job re ease of transfer.
At work: I work at a hospital and although we had a supply of water it needed boiling and we normally rely on zips for that but they did not boil the water for long enough so we brought electric jugs in from home
for the patients and staff to have a cuppa.
Supply: My husband is a plumber so we were lucky in that he was able to turn our water off at the street
to stop contaminated water entering our pipes and then as we had a low pressure water system (header tank in roof) we had sufficient pressure to make use of the 180 litres of water that remained in our cylinder. By using the tap at the lowest point in the house we never ran out. You can fit a tap to the bottom of
your cylinder to get the same effect. Still boiled the water to be safe but saved lining up for it and there was hardly any emergency water available for the first few days so massive lines.
Showers: When the water came back on the pressure was limited for weeks due to the broken pipes again low pressure was our saviour as the header tank provided the cold water pressure needed to push the hot water out at a sufficient pressure to have a short shower- heaven after days of poor sleep and silt everywhere. If you have mains pressure I would recommend buying a solar shower which could be filled with water heated on BBQ etc.
I have one of my emergency kits next to the front door in a suitcase that is on wheels. I also have a getaway bag by the door. And I have another getaway bag in my car. And I have a backup emerg kit in my house. Overkill yes, but my goodness after feb 2011, don't tell me Sh*t does not happen.
PS: in feb 2011 our hot water cyclinder blew out and the water mains on the road erupted too, so no water in this house for about 6 weeks. Even all the water in the loo splashed out all over the floor. it was absolutely
unbelievable!!! Thank goodness I had heaps of stored water.
Heheh we lost all the water out of our cisterns (2 toilets) February as well and learned VERY quickly not to store the toilet paper near them :P I was left with ONE roll out of about 18 that was useable :P They are now kept in the wash house plus I have a stash in the boot of my car (paranoia RULES!!) lol
Oh and in most of the big ones the header tank upstairs lost all the water as well so there was a waterfall coming out of the manhole more than once.
*****************
Folding camping stools are handy and one can be converted to a toilet very easily if you don’t a specific camping toilet. One of those camping solar showers is handy plus of course l assume you have a decent tent and sleeping mats ?
disposable camera (taking photos of damage etc)
Duct tape - you can do heaps with it, including impromptu first aid, repair pipes, anchor tarps.
USB stick with copies of mortgage details, insurance info, birth and marriage certs plus some of my favourite photos of my
family all kept in a waterproof bag with our primary survival kit. Plus we have two mini ones in the cars.
We have a compact tent in ours and also a large tarp - can be used for shelter or catching water :-) Also a hand pump
torch so batteries not such an issue = except for the radio. Vivid and paper (for leaving notes if need be (or chalk!) Wooly hat x 1 each. baby wipes
Utensils/cups, pack of cards, candles - oh and I have a couple of those survival blankets - about $5 each at the warehouse. or you can buy them on trade me
Solar lights still have batteries which last for years. We bought ours inside and placed them by doorways so we could find our way.
We have added a thermette to our kit. A thermette heats up water with a minimum amount of fuel. I figure that with a thermette I can have hot drinks, hot water to add to noodles etc. and hot water for hotties. Do a search and you
will be amazed at how brilliant thermettes are - try you tube. Got both of mine off trade me - old dungers but perfect for meeting the need. Gas is fine but eventually the gas will run out. There will always be twigs etc. for thermettes. And everyone has been amazed at the amount of time it takes to boil water (in bulk) if it NEEDS to be boiled for health's sake. I thoroughly recommend thermettes
And on the subject of cash, I recommend several hundred dollars hidden in various places. After Feb cash was needed and we did not have much then. We learnt the hard way.
FOOD: Have plenty of food that doesn’t need water to rehydrate or mix in. Muesli bars, crackers, marmite,
peanut butter, Up n Go. Keep a spare carrier bag in your pantry so you can chuck a few more things in if there is time. And loads of chocolate for medicinal purposes only.
I've put liquid stock in mine, the Campbell’s chicken stock and vege stock in various sizes. This is great to use instead of
water for cooking and makes emergency kit meals more exciting. adds flavour to rice and pasta. makes boiled potatoes or mash more interesting, and saves on your bottled water!
I always full my flask's in the morning in case we need them, instant hot drinks :) also string and rope came in handy for the Feb quake, kid's games, gumboot's, a solar shower, and my chemical loo no more long drop's for us lol.4
Hot water bottles, if its winter and its cold, you can heat water and keep warm with a hottie. Don’t forget Tea bags &
coffee, and powdered milk , dunno how many people I know ran out of coffee during Feb quake and couldn’t get to shops
We bought a Campo-matic It opens out to a complete double bedroom within seconds and its fun for random camping.
Meds!!!...panty liners.... if you can't change your underwear at least you can change that and feel fresher! A large pot and buckets and rubbish bags. Definitely baby wipes even if you don't have a baby.... they are a quick shower in a packet! Solar powered lights from the garden are great too! safer than candles! Make sure your kit is somewhere you can get to it... eg not
in the garage if it is likely to be inaccessible because of things falling, walls caving or liquefaction... somewhere safe outside is great! WE also have small back pack kits in our vehicles with the basics... hats, survival blankets, a tarp, muesli bars, water, water purification tabs, toilet paper, meds, sanitary needs, phone numbers (for when you phone dies)rubbish bags -
which can double as waterproof jackets if need be, cash, first aid, picnic blanket ,dynamo torch etc(amazing what you can fit in an old kids school back pack)
More wet wipes than you could possibly imagine! we went through hundreds after sept and feb. they became a shower in a packet, and are also ideal for hand washing before food prep or eating. they also clean the surfaces you work on.
store some long life milk in your garage. it was impossible to buy milk for a few days. panadol. Keep your bbq gas bottle topped up - this could be your only means of cooking. might sound stupid, but get some of that shampoo you use on dry hair. in the days after a disaster you feel mentally stressed and emotionally sick, physically filthy & gross, so at
least being able to make yourself feel clean does give you a mental lift. the hygiene thing is so difficult - i had to run through raw sewerage to get to my kids and then had no running water to wash! Hand sanitizer. heaps of it. Far more than you think reasonable.
We have young children and my lesson from the Sept quake was to have a 'lantern' type torch as well as a normal one (Kathmandu have great ones)It feels much better if you can at least see each other if you are up in the middle of the night during aftershocks!
I have a fist aid kit in the house which I would be able to grab along with spare water and dried dog food for my boy, bbq outside, sleeping bag and chemical toilet in garage. In my kit is in the car in a waterproof clear plastic bag: blankets in car along with solar lights, radio, torch, plastic bags, tea, coffee, sugar sachets, Kleenex wipes, sanitizer, spare jersey,
socks, muesli bar, pen, paper, deck of cards, panadols and small bottle of shampoo & soap and copies of passport, berth Cert.
Yes, I agree re more hand sanitizer than you can imagine. After Feb we went through a barrel load when we were cleaning up our home. My kitchen had about a foot deep of muck, which took us a whole day to clean up. We had no running water for about 6 weeks, so hand sanitizer was critical. You need one hand sanitizer by the kitchen stuff and one by the toilet potty.
Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer, a torch and something to make a toilet, having no toilet and no
way of making one until the next day sucked. Also have in mind where you would go if you couldn’t drive and your house was unable to be lived in, having a backup plan of somewhere to stay is valuable. Another thing is have some way of
heating water or food, a cup of coffee is a life saver when stressed.
Keep change around, $5 notes $2 coins etc. for when all the eftpos machines are down, keeping petrol so you don't have to line up with 200 cars only to find it's all gone. These are the things we needed.
I do suggest gumboots too.
And that's the thing everyone was watching and we didn't know what the hell was happening so make sure you have a wind up radio too with a cell charger on it if pos, batteries run out quick!
When they talk about 'getting ready' in the ads, I personally would at least double the amount of water they suggest (more if you can). In a major disaster, re-establishing fresh water within 3 days isn't overly realistic. Coupled with this, a camp stove or gas BBQ so you can boil water, heat canned food, cook thawing meat etc would be pretty high up on the 'good idea' stakes personally. As robyn35 says, the ability to establish some sort of 'toilet' facilities straight are also vital, as are the sanitizer, & rubbish bags. I find baby wipes are really handy for lots of things, and I good pair of gloves (like gardening ones) for clearing away broken glass etc. Have some chocolate or barley sugars stashed away - sound extravagant, but when you're stressed and can't cook properly, a sugar hit isn't a silly idea, and they have a longer life expectancy than dried fruit and nuts. (which are also good. Have a basic first aid kit, keep any regular medications stocked up (esp asthma inhalers), some dust masks, bleach or water purification tabs. Keep spare petrol can full in garage, know where your cell phone chargers are kept. Get a good pair of gumboots or steel caps and keep spare socks in them. Have small change available. Know where your insurance docs are and have copies of your keys and ID (driver's licences, passport etc) in case your bag/wallet gets stuck in a
building. Make sure you have a torch for each person, a radio that runs on batteries and spare batteries. Don't rely on candles - if surfaces are damp, or there are lots of aftershocks, they're dangerous. If you can get an old style'plug-in' landline phone, these can be good if the power remains out and cell phones are overloaded or down. Know the parents’ names of your children's close friends and their phone numbers. Ensure elderly relatives have neighbours that you know will be able to check on them easily if you can't get to them or contact them. You're right, we could write a book..........
This is a tip really....what I found was don't panic when someone doesn't reply to your txt...they can take ages to receive.
Oh heck yes! I was receiving texts up to 24 hours AFTER they were sent.
Always have enough fuel in your car to head for higher ground. It was days before I could get petrol for my car.
I recommend a "headlamp" style torch. Useful to have your hands free. Hubby and I both keep one in our bedside tables so they are handy if something happens in middle of night. Also, after Feb quake I was really glad I had an ample supply of paper towels in the cupboard. Handy when your kitchen floor is covered in a mixture of broken glass, cooking oil, preserved
fruit and other misc. things from the cupboard, you need to clean it up and your water is off.
I found sanitary pads were good, condoms too. Just in case. Wine, chocolate, hand sanitizer, tissues, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, rice, and pasta. If you have anyone with food allergies in the house, make sure you have supplies that cater to their needs. A stack of torches, and a wind up radio.
Dried food for pets - cats and dogs - they are often forgotten. And footwear beside the bed you can slip into in the dark - if you leap out of bed in fright you can be cut with broken glass. Our other majors were cash and fuel.
Anti-skid mats in cupboards and shelves and if not already stated secure TV, rehang photos and pictures with LARGE picture hooks glad we did and nothing fell. And remember store water in approved container or the 2/3ltr
fruit juice bottles NOT Milk bottles (change water every 6 months day light savings time is good)
A supply of plastic bags [supermarket ones ok for rubbish, dirty laundry, etc also handy if you have to pick up
something foul and you have no gloves or to tie on to your footwear if need be.
Sanitary pads are sterile and are ideal to stem bleeding or to make a soft splint for an injured limb.
Have an analogue phone on hand Store your water and portable food supplies in containers THAT ARE NOT TOO BIG FOR YOU TO MANAGE to lift or move in case you are left on your own, If you are not very strong or are older you could injure yourself
Apart from all the very sensible suggestions already posted we found you really go without sleep and run on adrenaline for the first few days - it was at this point that having some sort of comfort food was such a help. I know it sounds funny, but to be able to make some mac cheese, have a bit of chocolate and a drink of coke, made all the difference. We all then got an afternoon nap in and once you've had a bit of sleep making decisions and coping becomes much more manageable.
At least 2 weeks supply of any meds you have to take, I was right out in Feb and was planning to get off the computer and go into town at 1pm, Keep a list of your meds too - I got a week's emergency supply from a chemist i had
never been to before, then had to see a doctor I'd never seen before.
Buy Wet Wipes, you cannot have enough, when there's no water, you need them for everything. And Goldilocks, no water no means to scrape things off, so scrubbing is needed, more with less water. Plastic bags, big enough to fit in a
bucket for a toilet. Candles , touches, matches etc. Solar or battery operated radio. And hand sanitizer as mentioned, heaps.
Definitely keep car fuelled up, cell phones & laptops charged, plenty of batteries for torches, radios etc. Phone that doesn't need power is a must, water containers - filled is good but at least having some to be able to fill is OK.
Car cell phone charger was invaluable; I always keep the fuel tank topped up, torches everywhere, some cash, water, food, disposable gloves, masks. The ideal container is a CCC rubbish bin
Lots of duct tape! Handy for all sorts of things - cracked glass, taping cupboards shut, first-aid. Easy to digest
food like crackers, up'n'go, cheese spread - you feel really hungry but your guts are churning. Instant hot drink sachets and chocolate.
A large tarpaulin or two to plug those holes where chimneys used to be (or a shattered window). Even if you have to leave your property, it might help protect it from the elements (and other people) a bit.
I have got my filled bottles of water in the chest freezer, as I had heard that it will keep your food chilled for longer when the power is out. Also they will last longer than if in the cupboard. I also sleep with a small torch under my pillow in case the power goes off at night. And yes, definitely have some cash on you. You don't think about things like Eftpos not working until the power comes back on.
Keep jackets in the car and a rug in case you can't get home or have to stay out there until daylight comes. Have a big heavy wooden dining table that you can shelter under, not a circular or refectory one. Keep a pair of sensible shoes by your bed; saves feet from treading on broken glass, mirrors etc. Put things you like to eat in the emergency food supply; otherwise when you're feeling most stressed, stomachs can react badly to unfamiliar food (I could barely eat for a week after Feb 22 through stress, and endless baked beans just made me want to throw up).
Don't go out from the office (or anywhere) without your keys and wallet and phone. Really. I had my head torch on all
night as I tried to make a path to my bed through my house. With so much silence and darkness it was comforting to have constant light and two hands free. USE candles as a last resort. Very dangerous in aftershocks. If you have to use them put them in a large container like a roasting dish.
Tools,,, and know how to use them. Small generator and fuel
Power lead and light nails and screws Plastic sheeting and or some cheap tarps Then you can cover a window, build a temporary shelter or toilet.
In eqs you need transport that will go places cars won't e.g. a scooter, motorbike or pushbike, walking is the second slowest, just in front of cars. Don’t get sick try to be aseptic, (think) in the event of eq and possible tsunami bridges should be considered off limits including going under them (this may block your escape route so (plan) if you need to get somewhere,
don’t wait for the eq to finish first (act) you will find most people will stand around like stunned mullets which will give you time to travel some distance before gridlock happens, (stay calm) as you will make stupid mistakes that may cost you your life. (watch out) for the aftershocks as sometimes they can be worse than the original shake, as we know! (think twice) before entering a multi-level building and listen to the floors and watch out for hollow bounce.
I have small pkts of salt and sugar, tea bags, and a pkt of dried soup mix small first aid kit, large sharp knife and ciggy
lighters...... along with small camp cooking gas unit and sleeping bag.
Toilets can be dug by making a small trench less than a foot wide, a foot deep and two feet long, then refilling enough to cover each time it is used.
*Don't forget the toilet paper lol* ( oh and a wind up torch/radio that seems to work great even after not being wound up since receiving.... and a very effective small magnifying glass lens )
Lots and lots of hand sanitizer (dispensers x 3 - one for by portable toilet, one by cooking stuff, another one floating around), packets of plastic plates etc. (saves dirty dishes), quite a bit of cash, thermette for boiling water, lots of lighters,
glad wrap to cover plates to be able to reuse them. I agree re more water than you realise (we have about 120+ litres in containers). Keep car full of petrol, keep mobile phone charged. We bought an inverters, so we can now charge phone using the car battery. Re food need some sweet food - choc and lemonade. Have heaps of easy food such as canned soup.
have more torches than you think you need. A a couple of battery radios are handy.
Our home in Mt Pleasant was severely hit, and no supplies were delivered, so I was grateful that we were so well prepared. I am also quite passionate about this and sadly it has been put to the test for me.
If you have wee kids have a wee mini pack of treats put away eg new highlighters, wee games etc. This was
very handy to give to my daughter for the first few days. She stayed under the table and played with these, while we picked up the kitchen.
Have a get ready bag by the door with ALL the essential items.
Worst thing was I got hub’s texts but he didn’t get mine, he was getting frustrated with me, man it was horrible, not as bad as not wearing my gumboots when i took off doing 80kms to get my daughter then had to walk back through silt/crap etc.....if you smoke, buy a carton to have in your emergency kit or your spouse may end up buried somewhere...lol
PLASTIC BAGS!!!! great for sitting in toilet, poke a few holes in the bottom of it, so the wee can get through, poo stays in
bag and can get buried....oh yeah, do you own a shovel/spade? After a natural disaster your bowels can act up, so you may need lots of toilet paper! (family of 4, we had 40 rolls ready and needed them)
Widespec, your comments about alternative form of transport SO TRUE! It was the owners of bikes scooters quad bikes [mainly awesome young fellas]among our lttle cluster who were the "hunter gatherers for us all getting food and water"
One lovely young man went and picked up another neighbour's frightened 80 year old mum on his motorbike!
The smile on her face as they came across the park on the cross country bike was worth a million dollars
Another toddled off on his quad bike and came back with a generator-,he kept our mobiles laptops etc charged.
To begin though, here’s the basics that everyone agrees upon,
Wheely bin New and clean for putting everything in. (Or large and mobile container)
Water-and empty containers - Double what is recommended.
Water purification tabs
Hand sanitizer and bleach
3 buckets
Cash
First aid kit
Freeze dried food, sweets.
Tins of food
A pair of running shoes for everyone
Change of clothes for everyone or at least underwear.
Photocopies of all birth certs, passports and DLs
Tin opener
Radio and batteries
Torches, candles, more batteries and waterproof matches
Baby wipes and nappies
Gas burner to cook on and spare gas bottles FULL if you have space to store them.
A hardy pocket knife
Sleeping bags
Tent/Tarp
Ladies sanitary products. Birth control
Toothbrush /Toothpaste
Soaps
Pet food
Petrol
A landline phone that doesn’t use power, the ones that go straight into point.
Bin bags and bags for buckets if using as a loo
Emergency charger for phone
Spare car keys
An Axe
We also have glow sticks and a book for drawing and felts for kids
In their own words, these are examples from residents of Christchurch, New Zealand who endured and learned from the February earthquake of 2011.
A lot of things in here are repeated, that just goes to show how important some items were, and still are!
3 days of food per person, first aid kit, can opener, lighter, matches, candles, torch, spare batteries, copies or birth and marriage certs, pet food, backup disks of important photos, nappies, wet wipes, sanitary products, toilet paper, radio and batteries, list of important phone numbers, some activities for your kids to do, disposable plates and cups, blankets, a
corded phone, spare battery charger for your mobile or a car charger, empty bucket, plastic bags for rubbish etc, disposable gloves and something to keep it all in Even if you are not female, sanitary pads are great for a first aid kit, they are great for putting on cuts etc to soak up blood etc
One of the important things to remember is, you can round up loads of stuff in 5 or 10 min’s, but you won’t remember what to grab. Make a list of things you already have and tape it the top of your survival kit, ie, you don’t need to go out and buy 4 more sleeping bags, just remember to take them, there is heaps of food in the pantry, don’t forget it! torches, batteries,
medication, stuff that doesn’t keep, if its on the list you won’t forget it.
1 Keep a basic emergency kit with a weeks water & non perishable food, warm blankets, warm outer clothes, first aid, torches, batteries, radio, bog roll, spade, and equipment for cooking.( http://biolitestove.com/ )
2 Wear clothes and footwear in which you could walk 10 km in that days weather, and make sure your kids do too.
3. Don't forget your pets. Microchip, and cater for them in emergency supplies.
4. Have an agreed meeting place, but don't rush to get anywhere.
5. Have one out of town contact person, whose number you all know. Have their number as the pet's
microchip contact number too.
6. If something happens, get physically safe , then stop and think before doing anything else. Do what you can do, calmly, and don't do anything unsafe because you are worried about getting somewhere.
7. Help people near you before going elsewhere, because if everyone does this, there will be less people needing to travel, or to worry about those they are not near
I found Rescue Remedy invaluable. Good for the nerves and also something to sooth animals, they get very scared.
Car charger for your phone, family plan for where you meet up, treat foods in your emergency kit, wine in your emergency kit, - yes i'm serious, its important to be able to lighten the mood when you're as stressed as you're ever gonna get. A lot more sanitiser than you think you'll ever need. Big bottle of bleach - you can use this to make water drinkable if its from a dogdy source....
... And a notebook and pen, when you're in survival mode and everyone in your life is leaving town in a hurry, you forget things like where each person has gone, I wrote all that stuff down and found in reassuring. I also had the urge to write down my thoughts and what was happening, it sounds morbid but I also wrote down the death toll as it rose, I think it was my way of processing what was happening.
Be prepared for the shock, as much as you can, be prepared to make yourself commit to normal routines like eating and sleeping. I have never lost my appetite in my life, but the big one struck on Tuesday, and I couldn't eat without gagging until Saturday afternoon. You will react in ways you wont expect, be prepared for that, understand what shock is, how to recognise it in yourself and in others, how and when to treat it.
Have in mind a place you can evacuate to, know how to get there and where to find help when you do. I
mean in another town.
Make a deal with a friend or family member who lives a few hours away from you - that you will take each other and family members in if this happens - that is a big one, I know many people who left Chch in the early hours of Feb 23 and just drove with no idea where they were going, to hopefully find some kind of guesthouse or motel somewhere. Go somewhere where someone will help youwhen you might be falling apart. If you can't imagine yourself falling apart in the aftermath of something like this then think again.
Plug in phone in garage with electric door unable to gvet to it Try and have it in a place where things wont fall on it. Also try not to have stuff up high and make sure stuff is attatched or if breakable on floor. our fridge fell over and door opened on way down and all cupboard doors and crockery fell out child proof
locks but we had 4 big ones and different things happened each time.
Well, if you're in an earthquake of course you should be prepared for doors to stick shut, and often furniture or bookcases fall against them making them hard or impossible to open. If you happen to have a sledgehammer or axe handy, you'll be sweet. If not, it could be a bit tricky getting to your cached supplies in
the garage or sleepout or shed. The other thing to consider is time. If there is a tsunami threat, or if more earthquakes seem likely, you probably won't want to stick around for too long, trying to get to your supplies. For that reason, we have a purpose-built lean-to just inside our gate, so we can grab & go. Our supplies are in large weathertight bins. The lean-to is designed to look inconspicuous, and hopefully won't draw the attention of would-be thieves.
Cash, water, batteries, a radio, something to cook on if the power is off, plenty of tins of food or dried things like noodles, toilet making items (bucket, liners, spade etc etc) tarpaulins, a full tank of petrol in the car,
cellphone charger that doesn't use mains power.
And for the aftermath and dealing with EQC, insurance,etc; a diary to record conversations, names, dates and times of all interactions of the aforementioned.
Re Water:
A funnel can be very handy for filling water containers, especially if you have boiled the water first and are trying to get it from the pot into a soft drink bottle. On that note a kettle for a gas range is really handy to heat drinking water when the electricity is off, otherwise a small sauce pot- the kind with a slight spout bent into the side-does the same job re ease of transfer.
At work: I work at a hospital and although we had a supply of water it needed boiling and we normally rely on zips for that but they did not boil the water for long enough so we brought electric jugs in from home
for the patients and staff to have a cuppa.
Supply: My husband is a plumber so we were lucky in that he was able to turn our water off at the street
to stop contaminated water entering our pipes and then as we had a low pressure water system (header tank in roof) we had sufficient pressure to make use of the 180 litres of water that remained in our cylinder. By using the tap at the lowest point in the house we never ran out. You can fit a tap to the bottom of
your cylinder to get the same effect. Still boiled the water to be safe but saved lining up for it and there was hardly any emergency water available for the first few days so massive lines.
Showers: When the water came back on the pressure was limited for weeks due to the broken pipes again low pressure was our saviour as the header tank provided the cold water pressure needed to push the hot water out at a sufficient pressure to have a short shower- heaven after days of poor sleep and silt everywhere. If you have mains pressure I would recommend buying a solar shower which could be filled with water heated on BBQ etc.
I have one of my emergency kits next to the front door in a suitcase that is on wheels. I also have a getaway bag by the door. And I have another getaway bag in my car. And I have a backup emerg kit in my house. Overkill yes, but my goodness after feb 2011, don't tell me Sh*t does not happen.
PS: in feb 2011 our hot water cyclinder blew out and the water mains on the road erupted too, so no water in this house for about 6 weeks. Even all the water in the loo splashed out all over the floor. it was absolutely
unbelievable!!! Thank goodness I had heaps of stored water.
Heheh we lost all the water out of our cisterns (2 toilets) February as well and learned VERY quickly not to store the toilet paper near them :P I was left with ONE roll out of about 18 that was useable :P They are now kept in the wash house plus I have a stash in the boot of my car (paranoia RULES!!) lol
Oh and in most of the big ones the header tank upstairs lost all the water as well so there was a waterfall coming out of the manhole more than once.
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Folding camping stools are handy and one can be converted to a toilet very easily if you don’t a specific camping toilet. One of those camping solar showers is handy plus of course l assume you have a decent tent and sleeping mats ?
disposable camera (taking photos of damage etc)
Duct tape - you can do heaps with it, including impromptu first aid, repair pipes, anchor tarps.
USB stick with copies of mortgage details, insurance info, birth and marriage certs plus some of my favourite photos of my
family all kept in a waterproof bag with our primary survival kit. Plus we have two mini ones in the cars.
We have a compact tent in ours and also a large tarp - can be used for shelter or catching water :-) Also a hand pump
torch so batteries not such an issue = except for the radio. Vivid and paper (for leaving notes if need be (or chalk!) Wooly hat x 1 each. baby wipes
Utensils/cups, pack of cards, candles - oh and I have a couple of those survival blankets - about $5 each at the warehouse. or you can buy them on trade me
Solar lights still have batteries which last for years. We bought ours inside and placed them by doorways so we could find our way.
We have added a thermette to our kit. A thermette heats up water with a minimum amount of fuel. I figure that with a thermette I can have hot drinks, hot water to add to noodles etc. and hot water for hotties. Do a search and you
will be amazed at how brilliant thermettes are - try you tube. Got both of mine off trade me - old dungers but perfect for meeting the need. Gas is fine but eventually the gas will run out. There will always be twigs etc. for thermettes. And everyone has been amazed at the amount of time it takes to boil water (in bulk) if it NEEDS to be boiled for health's sake. I thoroughly recommend thermettes
And on the subject of cash, I recommend several hundred dollars hidden in various places. After Feb cash was needed and we did not have much then. We learnt the hard way.
FOOD: Have plenty of food that doesn’t need water to rehydrate or mix in. Muesli bars, crackers, marmite,
peanut butter, Up n Go. Keep a spare carrier bag in your pantry so you can chuck a few more things in if there is time. And loads of chocolate for medicinal purposes only.
I've put liquid stock in mine, the Campbell’s chicken stock and vege stock in various sizes. This is great to use instead of
water for cooking and makes emergency kit meals more exciting. adds flavour to rice and pasta. makes boiled potatoes or mash more interesting, and saves on your bottled water!
I always full my flask's in the morning in case we need them, instant hot drinks :) also string and rope came in handy for the Feb quake, kid's games, gumboot's, a solar shower, and my chemical loo no more long drop's for us lol.4
Hot water bottles, if its winter and its cold, you can heat water and keep warm with a hottie. Don’t forget Tea bags &
coffee, and powdered milk , dunno how many people I know ran out of coffee during Feb quake and couldn’t get to shops
We bought a Campo-matic It opens out to a complete double bedroom within seconds and its fun for random camping.
Meds!!!...panty liners.... if you can't change your underwear at least you can change that and feel fresher! A large pot and buckets and rubbish bags. Definitely baby wipes even if you don't have a baby.... they are a quick shower in a packet! Solar powered lights from the garden are great too! safer than candles! Make sure your kit is somewhere you can get to it... eg not
in the garage if it is likely to be inaccessible because of things falling, walls caving or liquefaction... somewhere safe outside is great! WE also have small back pack kits in our vehicles with the basics... hats, survival blankets, a tarp, muesli bars, water, water purification tabs, toilet paper, meds, sanitary needs, phone numbers (for when you phone dies)rubbish bags -
which can double as waterproof jackets if need be, cash, first aid, picnic blanket ,dynamo torch etc(amazing what you can fit in an old kids school back pack)
More wet wipes than you could possibly imagine! we went through hundreds after sept and feb. they became a shower in a packet, and are also ideal for hand washing before food prep or eating. they also clean the surfaces you work on.
store some long life milk in your garage. it was impossible to buy milk for a few days. panadol. Keep your bbq gas bottle topped up - this could be your only means of cooking. might sound stupid, but get some of that shampoo you use on dry hair. in the days after a disaster you feel mentally stressed and emotionally sick, physically filthy & gross, so at
least being able to make yourself feel clean does give you a mental lift. the hygiene thing is so difficult - i had to run through raw sewerage to get to my kids and then had no running water to wash! Hand sanitizer. heaps of it. Far more than you think reasonable.
We have young children and my lesson from the Sept quake was to have a 'lantern' type torch as well as a normal one (Kathmandu have great ones)It feels much better if you can at least see each other if you are up in the middle of the night during aftershocks!
I have a fist aid kit in the house which I would be able to grab along with spare water and dried dog food for my boy, bbq outside, sleeping bag and chemical toilet in garage. In my kit is in the car in a waterproof clear plastic bag: blankets in car along with solar lights, radio, torch, plastic bags, tea, coffee, sugar sachets, Kleenex wipes, sanitizer, spare jersey,
socks, muesli bar, pen, paper, deck of cards, panadols and small bottle of shampoo & soap and copies of passport, berth Cert.
Yes, I agree re more hand sanitizer than you can imagine. After Feb we went through a barrel load when we were cleaning up our home. My kitchen had about a foot deep of muck, which took us a whole day to clean up. We had no running water for about 6 weeks, so hand sanitizer was critical. You need one hand sanitizer by the kitchen stuff and one by the toilet potty.
Make sure you have plenty of hand sanitizer, a torch and something to make a toilet, having no toilet and no
way of making one until the next day sucked. Also have in mind where you would go if you couldn’t drive and your house was unable to be lived in, having a backup plan of somewhere to stay is valuable. Another thing is have some way of
heating water or food, a cup of coffee is a life saver when stressed.
Keep change around, $5 notes $2 coins etc. for when all the eftpos machines are down, keeping petrol so you don't have to line up with 200 cars only to find it's all gone. These are the things we needed.
I do suggest gumboots too.
And that's the thing everyone was watching and we didn't know what the hell was happening so make sure you have a wind up radio too with a cell charger on it if pos, batteries run out quick!
When they talk about 'getting ready' in the ads, I personally would at least double the amount of water they suggest (more if you can). In a major disaster, re-establishing fresh water within 3 days isn't overly realistic. Coupled with this, a camp stove or gas BBQ so you can boil water, heat canned food, cook thawing meat etc would be pretty high up on the 'good idea' stakes personally. As robyn35 says, the ability to establish some sort of 'toilet' facilities straight are also vital, as are the sanitizer, & rubbish bags. I find baby wipes are really handy for lots of things, and I good pair of gloves (like gardening ones) for clearing away broken glass etc. Have some chocolate or barley sugars stashed away - sound extravagant, but when you're stressed and can't cook properly, a sugar hit isn't a silly idea, and they have a longer life expectancy than dried fruit and nuts. (which are also good. Have a basic first aid kit, keep any regular medications stocked up (esp asthma inhalers), some dust masks, bleach or water purification tabs. Keep spare petrol can full in garage, know where your cell phone chargers are kept. Get a good pair of gumboots or steel caps and keep spare socks in them. Have small change available. Know where your insurance docs are and have copies of your keys and ID (driver's licences, passport etc) in case your bag/wallet gets stuck in a
building. Make sure you have a torch for each person, a radio that runs on batteries and spare batteries. Don't rely on candles - if surfaces are damp, or there are lots of aftershocks, they're dangerous. If you can get an old style'plug-in' landline phone, these can be good if the power remains out and cell phones are overloaded or down. Know the parents’ names of your children's close friends and their phone numbers. Ensure elderly relatives have neighbours that you know will be able to check on them easily if you can't get to them or contact them. You're right, we could write a book..........
This is a tip really....what I found was don't panic when someone doesn't reply to your txt...they can take ages to receive.
Oh heck yes! I was receiving texts up to 24 hours AFTER they were sent.
Always have enough fuel in your car to head for higher ground. It was days before I could get petrol for my car.
I recommend a "headlamp" style torch. Useful to have your hands free. Hubby and I both keep one in our bedside tables so they are handy if something happens in middle of night. Also, after Feb quake I was really glad I had an ample supply of paper towels in the cupboard. Handy when your kitchen floor is covered in a mixture of broken glass, cooking oil, preserved
fruit and other misc. things from the cupboard, you need to clean it up and your water is off.
I found sanitary pads were good, condoms too. Just in case. Wine, chocolate, hand sanitizer, tissues, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, rice, and pasta. If you have anyone with food allergies in the house, make sure you have supplies that cater to their needs. A stack of torches, and a wind up radio.
Dried food for pets - cats and dogs - they are often forgotten. And footwear beside the bed you can slip into in the dark - if you leap out of bed in fright you can be cut with broken glass. Our other majors were cash and fuel.
Anti-skid mats in cupboards and shelves and if not already stated secure TV, rehang photos and pictures with LARGE picture hooks glad we did and nothing fell. And remember store water in approved container or the 2/3ltr
fruit juice bottles NOT Milk bottles (change water every 6 months day light savings time is good)
A supply of plastic bags [supermarket ones ok for rubbish, dirty laundry, etc also handy if you have to pick up
something foul and you have no gloves or to tie on to your footwear if need be.
Sanitary pads are sterile and are ideal to stem bleeding or to make a soft splint for an injured limb.
Have an analogue phone on hand Store your water and portable food supplies in containers THAT ARE NOT TOO BIG FOR YOU TO MANAGE to lift or move in case you are left on your own, If you are not very strong or are older you could injure yourself
Apart from all the very sensible suggestions already posted we found you really go without sleep and run on adrenaline for the first few days - it was at this point that having some sort of comfort food was such a help. I know it sounds funny, but to be able to make some mac cheese, have a bit of chocolate and a drink of coke, made all the difference. We all then got an afternoon nap in and once you've had a bit of sleep making decisions and coping becomes much more manageable.
At least 2 weeks supply of any meds you have to take, I was right out in Feb and was planning to get off the computer and go into town at 1pm, Keep a list of your meds too - I got a week's emergency supply from a chemist i had
never been to before, then had to see a doctor I'd never seen before.
Buy Wet Wipes, you cannot have enough, when there's no water, you need them for everything. And Goldilocks, no water no means to scrape things off, so scrubbing is needed, more with less water. Plastic bags, big enough to fit in a
bucket for a toilet. Candles , touches, matches etc. Solar or battery operated radio. And hand sanitizer as mentioned, heaps.
Definitely keep car fuelled up, cell phones & laptops charged, plenty of batteries for torches, radios etc. Phone that doesn't need power is a must, water containers - filled is good but at least having some to be able to fill is OK.
Car cell phone charger was invaluable; I always keep the fuel tank topped up, torches everywhere, some cash, water, food, disposable gloves, masks. The ideal container is a CCC rubbish bin
Lots of duct tape! Handy for all sorts of things - cracked glass, taping cupboards shut, first-aid. Easy to digest
food like crackers, up'n'go, cheese spread - you feel really hungry but your guts are churning. Instant hot drink sachets and chocolate.
A large tarpaulin or two to plug those holes where chimneys used to be (or a shattered window). Even if you have to leave your property, it might help protect it from the elements (and other people) a bit.
I have got my filled bottles of water in the chest freezer, as I had heard that it will keep your food chilled for longer when the power is out. Also they will last longer than if in the cupboard. I also sleep with a small torch under my pillow in case the power goes off at night. And yes, definitely have some cash on you. You don't think about things like Eftpos not working until the power comes back on.
Keep jackets in the car and a rug in case you can't get home or have to stay out there until daylight comes. Have a big heavy wooden dining table that you can shelter under, not a circular or refectory one. Keep a pair of sensible shoes by your bed; saves feet from treading on broken glass, mirrors etc. Put things you like to eat in the emergency food supply; otherwise when you're feeling most stressed, stomachs can react badly to unfamiliar food (I could barely eat for a week after Feb 22 through stress, and endless baked beans just made me want to throw up).
Don't go out from the office (or anywhere) without your keys and wallet and phone. Really. I had my head torch on all
night as I tried to make a path to my bed through my house. With so much silence and darkness it was comforting to have constant light and two hands free. USE candles as a last resort. Very dangerous in aftershocks. If you have to use them put them in a large container like a roasting dish.
Tools,,, and know how to use them. Small generator and fuel
Power lead and light nails and screws Plastic sheeting and or some cheap tarps Then you can cover a window, build a temporary shelter or toilet.
In eqs you need transport that will go places cars won't e.g. a scooter, motorbike or pushbike, walking is the second slowest, just in front of cars. Don’t get sick try to be aseptic, (think) in the event of eq and possible tsunami bridges should be considered off limits including going under them (this may block your escape route so (plan) if you need to get somewhere,
don’t wait for the eq to finish first (act) you will find most people will stand around like stunned mullets which will give you time to travel some distance before gridlock happens, (stay calm) as you will make stupid mistakes that may cost you your life. (watch out) for the aftershocks as sometimes they can be worse than the original shake, as we know! (think twice) before entering a multi-level building and listen to the floors and watch out for hollow bounce.
I have small pkts of salt and sugar, tea bags, and a pkt of dried soup mix small first aid kit, large sharp knife and ciggy
lighters...... along with small camp cooking gas unit and sleeping bag.
Toilets can be dug by making a small trench less than a foot wide, a foot deep and two feet long, then refilling enough to cover each time it is used.
*Don't forget the toilet paper lol* ( oh and a wind up torch/radio that seems to work great even after not being wound up since receiving.... and a very effective small magnifying glass lens )
Lots and lots of hand sanitizer (dispensers x 3 - one for by portable toilet, one by cooking stuff, another one floating around), packets of plastic plates etc. (saves dirty dishes), quite a bit of cash, thermette for boiling water, lots of lighters,
glad wrap to cover plates to be able to reuse them. I agree re more water than you realise (we have about 120+ litres in containers). Keep car full of petrol, keep mobile phone charged. We bought an inverters, so we can now charge phone using the car battery. Re food need some sweet food - choc and lemonade. Have heaps of easy food such as canned soup.
have more torches than you think you need. A a couple of battery radios are handy.
Our home in Mt Pleasant was severely hit, and no supplies were delivered, so I was grateful that we were so well prepared. I am also quite passionate about this and sadly it has been put to the test for me.
If you have wee kids have a wee mini pack of treats put away eg new highlighters, wee games etc. This was
very handy to give to my daughter for the first few days. She stayed under the table and played with these, while we picked up the kitchen.
Have a get ready bag by the door with ALL the essential items.
Worst thing was I got hub’s texts but he didn’t get mine, he was getting frustrated with me, man it was horrible, not as bad as not wearing my gumboots when i took off doing 80kms to get my daughter then had to walk back through silt/crap etc.....if you smoke, buy a carton to have in your emergency kit or your spouse may end up buried somewhere...lol
PLASTIC BAGS!!!! great for sitting in toilet, poke a few holes in the bottom of it, so the wee can get through, poo stays in
bag and can get buried....oh yeah, do you own a shovel/spade? After a natural disaster your bowels can act up, so you may need lots of toilet paper! (family of 4, we had 40 rolls ready and needed them)
Widespec, your comments about alternative form of transport SO TRUE! It was the owners of bikes scooters quad bikes [mainly awesome young fellas]among our lttle cluster who were the "hunter gatherers for us all getting food and water"
One lovely young man went and picked up another neighbour's frightened 80 year old mum on his motorbike!
The smile on her face as they came across the park on the cross country bike was worth a million dollars
Another toddled off on his quad bike and came back with a generator-,he kept our mobiles laptops etc charged.