Step 8 – Other Essential Items
There are other items that you will want to have on hand in an emergency. Some of these may not be needed in an evacuation situation, so they don’t need to be in the bug-out-bin.
But before I give the list, I have to tell …
My funny story
After I decided to get serious about being prepared for the next earthquake, I marched down to Home Depot to buy some of the items on the list below. I walked into the store and a nice young, guy asked if he could help me.
I said: “I need an ax, a crowbar, a folding saw, rope and duct tape.”
At first there was no response from him. Then the color started to completely go out of his face. He was just staring at me … almost like he was studying my facial features.
Yea. At about that point, I realized what I had done and started yelling, “Emergency Supplies! Emergency Supplies! I’m just trying to get ready for an earthquake!”
That’s when I saw the guy exhale for the first time since he had come up to me. He told me that was the craziest list of things anyone had ever asked him to find. We laughed over it and then I got my things. I had a feeling he kept a visual memory of me for awhile … just in case he read a story about some crazy red-head murdering her husband. 🙂
OK … on to the other items. Some of these things are bulky (like the wrench, axe, crowbar, etc) and need to be stored outside the house. Create an outdoor bin where these can be easily found by all family members.
Safety Items - gas wrench, duct tape, plastic and tools for removing debris after disaster ...
| Product | Description/Links | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas and Water Shutoff Wrench This is important to own! Make sure you can turn the gas off. Store the wrench in an outside location. Make sure everyone knows where it is stored and how to use it! | FEMA Basic Kit Item IMMEDIATE SAFETY A gas leak is dangerous! This is a priority purchase! You want to be able to turn off gas or water if the pipes break during a disaster. PG&E recommends that you only turn the gas off if you smell gas, hear gas escaping, see a broken gas line or suspect a leak. Only a PG&E employee can turn it back on, so don't turn it off unnecessarily. It could be a long time before someone could get to your home after a major disaster. |
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| Duct Tape | FEMA Basic Kit Item This is on the Ready America list for sheltering in place. There are so many uses for duct tape. I keep a roll in my Bug Out Bin. It is important to have this on hand in case you need to seal windows in doors. |
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| Plastic Sheeting | FEMA Basic Kit Item This is on the Ready America list for sheltering in place. I recommend heavy duty plastic sheeting because you will want something easy to cut if you have to cover windows and doors. |
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| Fire Extinguisher | Make sure you have a good fire extinguisher! It will give you the ability to put out any small fires after a disaster. | |
| Car Safety - Window Breaker and Seatbelt Cutter | Imagine being trapped in a car because the electric windows won't work or the seatbelt won't release! Make sure your loved ones have this tool in their car so that they can escape if needed. It has a hammer for breaking the window and a razor for slicing the seatbelt. | |
| Multi-Function Tool | A multi function tool gives you an assortment of tools in a very compact package. I keep one in each car. | |
| Rope | Rope is like duct tape. There are a lot of uses, especially in an emergency situation where there is a lot of debris. I keep rope in each car and in the Bug Out bin. | |
| Chainmate Pocket Chain Saw for car | This is low priority but useful in some situations. I keep one in the car in case we were stranded and needed to build a fire. It's useful for those that live in rural areas that might find themselves stranded or driving on roads with fallen branches during winter time. | |
| Folding Saw for home To cut through debris or to cut wood for a fire | A saw may be needed to clear debris after a disaster. This is a good option if you don't own a saw. | |
| Leather Gloves | Leather gloves are recommended for clearing debris after a disaster. I keep a pair in the car as well. | |
| Axe (OPTIONAL) | An axe is useful to have to cut wood for fuel or to reach someone if a building as collapsed. Make sure you keep these in a single, well-remembered location where you can get to them quickly! I keep them all in a bin in the backyard in case part of our house has collapsed. | |
| Crowbar (OPTIONAL) | Another tool for clearing debris or getting into hard-to-reach areas to rescue someone. Make sure you keep these in a single, well-remembered location where you can get to them quickly! I keep them all in a bin in the backyard in case part of our house has collapsed. |
DISCLAIMER: I participate in the Amazon Affiliate program which allows me to earn a commission for any sales that I refer. You can easily find these items at other web stores, but I would be grateful if you could buy some of the items through my Amazon links. It helps fund the work I do to maintain and expand this website.
Paper products ...
| Product | Description/Links | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet Paper | I have a friend who went through a disaster situation due to flooding. Power was down for a long time and the stores were wiped out. He said the one commodity that was in highest demand was toilet paper! No one wants to run out of toilet paper, so keep a good stash of it on hand. ** Put a roll in every car in case you get stranded. ** |
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| Paper plates and utensils | You will not want to waste water on washing up after meals, so it’s important to have a good stash of paper plates and utensils. I keep every single chop stick and plastic utensil that is given to us when we get takeout meals. I can collect a gallon-sized zip lock bag of these items in just 6 months. OK … we do get asian takeout every week, so this helps. But you would be amazed at how fast you can build a free stash based on the things that get sent home with takeout meals. | |
| Paper towels and napkins | Again, you won’t want to waste water cleaning dish towels, so a big supply of paper towels and napkins is important. |
DISCLAIMER: I participate in the Amazon Affiliate program which allows me to earn a commission for any sales that I refer. You can easily find these items at other web stores, but I would be grateful if you could buy some of the items through my Amazon links. It helps fund the work I do to maintain and expand this website.
Sanitation - outdoor toilet and manual washing machine ...
| Product | Description/Links | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor Toilet | If your home is completely destroyed, you may find yourself having to rely on an outdoor toilet. I saw a news story a woman who survived Katrina and was still using a bucket even 6 months after the hurricane. I decided to make sure my bucket had a toilet seat! Don’t forget to purchase garbage bags with ties. | |
| Garbage Bags for toilet | ||
| Portable Washing Machine( | If there is no electricity for a long time, then you won’t be able to run your washing machine or dryer. You probably have enough clothes to cycle through, but underwear will need cleaning. There are crank washing machines that can handle 5 lbs of laundry in a couple of minutes. It’s not ideal, but better than hand washing everything! |
DISCLAIMER: I participate in the Amazon Affiliate program which allows me to earn a commission for any sales that I refer. You can easily find these items at other web stores, but I would be grateful if you could buy some of the items through my Amazon links. It helps fund the work I do to maintain and expand this website.
