Preparing for Disaster

After the tragic events of the past several days it has probably become clear to some of you that disaster can strike at any moment.  Many lives were lost and thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed and now local area store supplies are quickly being depeleted as the community rushes to gather resources for those in need. 

Yes, I understand the feelings associated with helping out your community, but this isn't what I want to discuss.  I want to discuss how you can prepare yourself for future disasters.

What I've witnessed with the recent blizzard and tornadoes is that as soon as disaster strikes everyone goes rushing out for supplies.  They wait until the last minute and then rush out to gather items before everyone else gets them first.

Wouldn't it be a better idea to build your supply stash over a period of time, buying items here and there as you go so you eventually have a large inventory of resources to pull from?  To me it makes more sense that instead of waiting until the last minute we should have our supplies ready to go all the time. 

Unfortunately most people have come to believe that disaster can't or won't happen to them and thus fail to prepare at all in advance.  Then when disaster occurs, they are completely unprepared which often ends tragically.

A few things you might consider keeping around the house:

Several gallons of clean unopened water
Several Flashlights / Candles / Glowsticks / Lighter / Water Proof Matches
Extra Batteries
Gloves
First Aid Supplies such as gauze, alcohol, bandaids ect
Extra Food
Spare change of clothes
Spare Blanket
Whistle
Cutting tools

These are a few of the items in my bug out box; although, this is not anywhere near a complete list.  You should design your supply box for the environment you live in so that you only have items that you need and can use in event of an emergency.

For a more in depth read on survival and how you can be prepared, I recommend the books "98.6 Degrees The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive" as well as "When All Hell Breaks Loose" both by Cody Lundin.