Must-Have Gear for Your Survival Kit
Take a look at any crisis readiness supply list, and the dollar signs stack up quick. Backup power, long-term food storage, radios, water filtration, med kits, survival gear – none of this is cheap.
Buying everything on your wish list could add up to thousands of dollars. With most households tightening their finances these days, how can you become crisis ready on a budget?
If you’re staring down a long list of survival gear, but you only have a few hundred dollars to spend right now, here are some ideas for getting started.
Hand-crank emergency radio ($49)
A hand-crank radio allows you to gather critical emergency alerts from FEMA or other government agencies in the event of a natural or man-made disaster – even if you don’t have Internet or cell coverage. This kind of information could be key when making the call to shelter-in-place or evacuate.
Emergency Water storage ($230)
Humans can only function and survive for a few days without water. In a grid-down disaster, water treatment plants may quickly go down due to power outages. Having enough water on-hand to keep your family sustained for at least two weeks is arguably the most important crisis readiness investment you can make.
First-Aid + Trauma Kit ($100 – 300)
In your everyday life, you could be the first responder to an accident or traumatic injury. Having a first aid and trauma response kit could make the difference for a family member, friend, or even a stranger.
Make sure the kit you buy is comprehensive enough to cover first-aid injuries such as cuts, scrapes, minor burns, and broken bones, as well as a stop-the-bleed emergency. And even more importantly, make sure that you have the skills to use these items.
