Surviving the Workday

In my copious amounts of spare time, I’ve been trying to get our emergency supply kit together for The Big One. We do live on the San Andreas fault, after all. It’s not that we don’t have emergency supplies. We do. They are just everywhere in the house. And porch. And back deck. And closets. And we’ve had kits before, but inevitably we end up borrowing the pliers or paper towels when we run out.

In my rummaging around on-line, I found some of the longest emergency supply lists known to human kind. I mean, yes, it would be nice to have sleeping bags and a camp stove in the “kit”, but we have those anyway around the house.  And an emergency kit that is the size of our bedroom is hardly ideal.

Here’s the best list* that I’ve found (it’s short, but I would add cash and pet supplies to the list). I think I could fit all the supplies in one of those enormous Tupperware tubs:

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps

Wired Magazine has a more comprehensive list, but I fear it involves just about everything in the house.

*Hot pot is not an item on the emergency list. It takes electricity.