What should a emergency kit contain?

The word emergency kit may sound a little dramatic, which it does not have to be at all. With small, usually simple preparations, you can get through most things. A ready-made emergency kit can be a good start to your crisis preparedness package and prepare yourself well if the crisis really comes

Our ready-made emergency kit´s contain products to help you meet the basic needs of a shorter emergency. Throughout, our emergency kit´s contain high quality products, selected and tested by ourselves. A kit from us can therefore always be trusted.

Throughout, our ready-made emergency kit´s contain products that fully or partially cover the needs of heating, water, food and information. However, a ready-made emergency kit may need to be supplemented by you, to suit your specific needs. If you want a checklist of what an emergency kit should contain, you can get it from us.

What should a ready-made emergency kit contain – The best emergency kit

We are all individuals with different specific needs and what is the best emergency kit varies depending on who you ask. But we all share the same basic need for heat, water, food and hygiene. In  emergency, it is also good to be able to be updated with the latest news. If you go to extremes, a human can last about 3 weeks without food and 3 days without water. But long before, the body's functions and ability to think deteriorate. In a crisis situation, it may be especially important that the body and mind function fully, therefore access to clean drinking water and food is a necessity.

In the event of a major social crisis, access to electricity is likely to disappear completely or at best partially and sporadically. A social crisis of this kind can be caused by weather, wind or fires, which we have unfortunately seen become more common in recent years. A power outage can also be caused by an attack by a nation or organization with private interests. Around the world, there are many examples of how large parts of the electricity grid and society's infrastructure have been shut down by well-targeted cyberattacks. The potential profit for private organisations in these contexts far exceeds the risk, which means that these attacks will become more common.

If the emergency comes

Whether a longer power outage is caused by weather, war, terrorism or pandemics and solar storms, an alternative to the function through the normal electricity supply will be needed. In the event of a major power outage, our entire existence is affected and everything we take for granted today stops working. In the larger infrastructure, traffic management systems cease to function, red lights, escalators and elevators stop, hospitals, shops and other vital social functions can no longer stay open. Many vital social functions today have an alternative energy source but they are intended for short interruptions. In the home, tv, internet, fridge, freezer and stove stop working and quite quickly it affects our way of life.

Your emergency kit should therefore contain what you need to meet the basic needs of heating, water, food, information, hygiene and first aid

Heat in your emergency kit

The crisis box needs to contain something to help you warm up your property or at least maintain body heat. If you can combine this with tools you can cook with at the same time, that's a plus. These include heating blankets, tea lights, gas stoves, and LPG or liquor kitchens, to name a few. However, always remember to use only live flames in well ventilated spaces.

Water in your emergency kit

You need to be able to transport and clean water if you don't have access to water you can rely on. The average person needs about 3 liters of water a day as a drink and for cooking. Access to clean drinking water is an urgent need. Ingestion of bad water can lead to symptoms where an even greater need for water is needed. Water can be cleaned by boiling it, filtering it or chemically killing harmful particles. The most effective way to clean water is to first filter it and then boil it.

Food in your emergency kit – Food rations

Without food, you quickly break down the body's functions and the ability to think and act deteriorates. In a crisis situation, it can be extra important to keep your mind and body intact and therefore your crisis package should contain food. Preserves and dry goods such as pasta and beans are an excellent option but if canned food is not part of your everyday diet, they risk becoming old and unusable once the need arises. Today, freeze-dried food with 25 years of shelf life is available, which is intended for your particular crisis preparedness. The freeze-dried food also has a high nutritional value and is today available as gluten and lactose-free for allergy sufferers as well as as vegetarian and  vegan for those who wish. The food only needs water to be cooked. Hot water is preferable but the food can also be prepared with cold water

What's new in your emergency kit

In the event of a power outage, the TV stops working and the mobile phone is dependent on the internet. Therefore, the crisis box should contain a radio and preferably a radio that does not depend on external energy sources, such as a  crank radio. A  crank radio charges a built-in battery by spinning the built-in crank that rotates a dynamo that generates electricity.   

First aid in your emergency kit

When the crisis comes and the emergency departments overflow, it can be good to be able to deal with minor injuries yourself. Everything from minor cuts and fractures can be treated through the contents of a well-received first aid kit while an untreated cut injury can become infected and cause even greater damage in the long run if not treated. Having a first aid kit in your crisis box is therefore good but be sure to supplement with any medications you are addicted to.

Hygiene in your emergency kit

Without everyday amenities such as hot running water and working garbage collection, hygiene and sanitation can quickly suffer. You need a way to clean both body and home. Sanitary bags can be put down in the toilet to catch what you can no longer flush down and wet wipes are an excellent alternative to a shower without streaking clean water. Wet wipes therefore have a given place in your crisis preparedness package

Cash in your emergency kit

If the electricity supply stops working, the payment systems also stop working and then it is no longer possible to pay by card, or Swish. Most likely, the stores close quickly as electricity is needed to keep the store open safely and of course that fresh produce quickly becomes bad without the function from the fridge and freezer but the cash can buy you precious time and also be exchanged for goods and services.

Another important content in your crisis box is more about yourself. You need to know and understand your equipment. If you try to use a LPG  or liquor kitchen for the first time during an ongoing crisis, a bad situation can quickly get even worse. Under safe conditions, you should learn how the equipment works.

When you are able to take care of yourself for some time, without the help of society, you help society get back on its feet more quickly during a crisis. A good exercise to do is to turn off the electricity at home for 24 hours, to see how it affects daily life. If nothing else, it's a great way to spend time with your family and in a different and fun way, get a valuable experience

Checklist for your emergency kit

Heat

A longer power outage during the colder part of the year can quickly become difficult. Tips on keeping warm are to insulate floors and walls with blankets and carpets. Alternative heat sources can be:

• Light
• Blankets - wool/ fleece/ reflective blankets
• Gas stove/ Gas stove/ Kerosene stove
• Matches/ Lighters/ fire diffusers

Water

Access to clean drinking water is vital. In the event of a longer power outage, the taps may stop working and an alternative water source needs to be available. If you are unsure about the water, it needs to be treated, best by filtration. Good to have available are:

• Vattenfilter
• Water cans/ PET bottles
• LPG/ liquor kitchen for boiling water

Food

Humans last a long time without food but quickly affect mood and the ability to think clearly. It is important to have nutritious food with a long shelf life or food with shorter shelf life that is rotated frequently. Examples include:

• Preserves
• Freeze-dried food
• Rice, pasta, dried beans
• Spices, salt, sugar
• Honey
• LPG/ liquor kitchen for cooking

communication

Being able to get information from authorities and news stations is of course important. Having access to a radio that works is crucial. Examples include:

• Battery-powered radio
• Crank radio (radio with built-in battery that is charged via the crank and does not require electricity from the wall)
• Powerbank with solar cells

Hygiene

Good hygiene is always important. Good things to have at home are:

• Bags (for handling waste)
• Våtervetter
• Handsprit

First aid

In a crisis situation, not having to go to an overcrowded emergency department is desirable, both for yourself and to relieve the pressure on emergency personnel. Minor injuries are therefore good to be able to treat yourself. Good to have at home is:

• First Aid Kit
• Extra of the necessary medications
• Painkillers/ anti-fever

Other

• Batteries
• Cash, preferably in smaller denominations
• Important phone numbers, paper addresses
• Maps for nearby surroundings
• Prepackaged bag in case of rapid need for evacuation
• Försvarsspray
• Sleeping mat
• Sleeping bags

If you have questions about the contents  of your crisis box, you are always welcome to contact us directly. Email  us at info@generalprepper.com and we will respond quickly.