Articles
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Emergency Water Storage Basics
Humans can survive only for 3 days without water, making water storage one of the most important parts of your emergency supplies. Just as with your emergency kits, at a minimum you need 72 hours worth of water. As the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake showed us, one week’s worth of water is a better goal to work towards. Then move up to a month’s worth of water.
The recommended amount of water storage is one gallon per person per day. This gallon is meant to include drinking water as well as cooking and cleaning water. As those who have survived a disaster will tell you, one gallon a day is really a minimum. In situations of medical emergencies, nursing mothers, children, or very hot temperatures for example, more water will be needed. There are a few different options available for water storage:
Water jugs or plastic bottles: Water jugs or plastic bottles such as the ones that you buy in the grocery store are the most common form of water storage, but in fact the least desirable. Due to troubles from bacterial growth in pre- used containers, this is the least recommended form of water storage. If you choose this option, your water supply will need to be replaced every 6 months and make sure to follow the cleansing instructions for water containers found at FEMA’s website.
Commercially bottled water: Commercially bottled water has a longer shelf life than water you bottle yourself, about one year. Note the expirations dates on the water containers and set replacement reminders in your calendar based on those dates. Keep the water in the original containers and do not open until you need to use it.
Aqua Literz: Aqua Literz is commercially packaged water with a shelf life of 5 years, the longest available on the market. Aqua Literz is water stored in non-transparent containers in 1-Liter sizes. With a 5 year shelf life, it is an affordable and practical solution for starting your water storage supply. A 4-liter package costs about $12 from Ready Set Go Kits. As with all commercially packaged water purchases, keep the water in the original containers and do not open until you need to use it.
30 gallon storage containers: These U.N. approved 30 gallon water storage containers are available for storing large long-term water supplies. The containers are made of hard, non-transparent plastic and come with a pump for dispensing the water. These containers obtain a 5 year shelf life for the water by including the EPA-approved Water Preserver, a sodium hypochorlite formula that keeps the water free of bacteria, viruses, mold and fungus. A 30 gallon water storage container package runs $110 from Ready Set Go Kits. At a gallon a day, a 30 gallon water barrel will store enough water for 4 people for 7 days.
Whatever water storage solution you choose, make sure to store your water supply in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight. Keep your supply away from stored gasoline, kerosene, pesticides or other similar substances.
Don’t have your 72 hour emergency kit yet? Get one at Ready Set Go Kits today.
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5 Emergency Preparedness Goals for the New Year
Start the new year right by getting ready for emergencies. These five goals are easy to do and will put you in the envious position of being prepared for life’s unexpected changes headed your way in 2010.
1. Build a rainy day fund.
A rainy day fund is a financial safety net. The fund is there to cover unexpected expenses, such as an unanticipated breakdown of your water heater, medical bills or loss of employment. Many financial experts recommend setting aside 6 to 12 months of living expenses but sometimes that is too much to tackle in just one year. Make it your goal to save a minimum of one month’s living expenses this year. Break it down to monthly increments and stash it away in a separate savings account.
2. Make an emergency plan, or if you have one already, review it.
Making an emergency plan is really quite easy and can be done in as little as a half hour. Use The Ready Campaign’s Family Emergency Plan template for your family plan and our Pet Emergency Plan template to make a plan for your pets. Once finished, store the plans in your 72 hour kits.
3. Get a 72 hour kit for your home.
72 hour kits contain essential belongings in a backpack to be used if you and your family need to evacuate quickly. The kits contain food, water, first aid supplies, emergency blankets and much more to keep you going for the first three days of a disaster. It’s less expensive to buy a pre-made kit than to put one together yourselves and the pre-made kits often contain products with longer shelf-lives. Get a pre-made 72 hour kit for each member of your family at Ready Set Go Kits.
4. Get your neighbors involved in emergency preparedness.
Only about half of Americans have some kind of emergency supplies set aside. When disasters strike, roadways and bridges can become impassable, isolating neighborhoods from emergency responders and services. Talk to your neighbors about what kinds of needs they will have in emergencies and what kind of skills and equipment they have. The Map Your Neighborhood program offered by many local emergency management offices can help you in starting the conversation with your neighbors.
5. Take First Aid/CPR/AED training.
You never know when you might need to use CPR, first aid, or AED training to save the life of your children, family, neighbors or friends. The First Aid/CPR/AED training is a one-day training offered at your local emergency management office or at your local Red Cross chapter.
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Keeping Children Safe in Winter Weather
Winter can be a magical time for children. Snowball fights, sledding and holiday celebrations can keep your children excited and full of wonder for the entire season. You can keep the magic in your child's winter experience by protecting them from the winter elements and being aware of the symptoms of hypothermia, frostbite and more.
Check out these great tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on keeping your children safe and warm during winter months.
What to Wear
- Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Clothing for children should consist of thermal long johns, turtlenecks, one or two shirts, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
- The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
- Blankets, quilts, pillows, sheepskins and other loose bedding may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be kept out of an infant’s sleeping environment. Sleep clothing like one-piece sleepers is preferred.
- If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be tucked in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as your baby’s chest, so the infant's face is less likely to become covered by bedding materials.
- Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to colder temperatures. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet. It can occur more quickly in children than in adults.
- As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. His speech may become slurred and his body temperature will decline.
- If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets or warm clothes.
- Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that her skin burns or has become numb.
- If frostbite occurs, bring the child indoors and place the frostbitten parts of her body in warm (not hot) water. 104 Fahrenheit (about the temperature of most hot tubs) is recommended. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears and lips.
- Do not rub the frozen areas.
- After a few minutes, dry and cover him with clothing or blankets. Give him something warm to drink.
- If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.
Winter Health- If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in the child's room at night. Saline nose drops may help keep tissues moist. If bleeding is severe or recurrent, consult your pediatrician.
- Many pediatricians feel that bathing two or three times a week is enough for an infant’s first year. More frequent baths may dry out the skin, especially during the winter.
- Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into the bend of her elbow may help reduce the spread of colds and flu.
- Children between 6 months and 18 years of age should get the influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of catching the flu.
- The sun’s rays can still cause sunburn in the winter, especially when they reflect off snow. Make sure to cover your child’s exposed skin with sunscreen.
Winter is a time when household fires occur. It is a good time to remember to:
- Buy and install smoke alarms on every floor of your home
- Test smoke alarms monthly
- Practice fire drills with your children
To stock up on emergency supplies for your kids and your home, visit our store at Ready Set Go Kits.
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Winter Weather Car Check-up
Winter weather is upon us! Here in Portland, Oregon we've got frosty conditions and a nearby mountain full of snow for fun winter sports. A few winters ago, some friends and I made the mistake of driving to the mountain without a set a jumper cables. After a full day of snowboarding, it was devastating to find we had left the lights on the car mistakenly and in sub-30 degree temperatures our car wouldn't start. After a half hour of panic, a Good Samaritan stopped by to give us a jump. Now I always travel with jumper cables, extra blankets and some food and water in my car.
A little preparation means you won't have to repeat my mistake: make sure your car is ready for emergencies with the Ready Set Go Kits handy winter weather car check-up.
Vehicle Checklist:
- If you need a service, get one now before you find yourself stranded on a snowy mountain pass.
- Are your heater and defroster working properly?
- Is your battery fully charged? Check battery age and make certain the connecting cables are not loose or corroded.
- Test all lights, replace if needed.
- Keep wipers clean and in good condition.
- Use antifreeze that is good to -25 degrees.
- Check your tires, do they still have good traction and are they properly inflated? Check your spare tire as well.
- Carry chains or use traction tires.
- Keep an auto emergency kit in your vehicle.
- Rechargeable flashlight
- Extra food and water
- Flares
- Tools: jack, lug wrench, shovel
- Blanket/sleeping bag(s)
- First aid kit
- Pocket knife
- Matches or lighter
- Battery jumper cables
- Ice scraper and snow brush
- Paper towels
- Extra washer fluid
- Chains or traction tires
- Extra warm clothes, boots, hat and gloves
- Cell phone and car adapter
- Road maps
- A full fuel tank
** Don't have these items? Get started with the Ready Set Go Kits Road Warrior Auto Kit.
Safe and happy winter travels from Ready Set Go Kits!
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Cyber Monday Sale!
Cyber Monday 2009 is here!
Cyber Monday is the Monday after Thanksgiving and the unofficial online holiday shopping kickoff. You'll find deep discounts on sites everywhere, including 20% off the entire store at Ready Set Go Kits.
Emergency kits make great gifts for all your loved ones. Make sure to check out our Road Warrior Kit, an emergency kit made especially for cars that will keep your loved ones safe during winter storms. Browse our selection of 72 hour emergency evacuation kits. Every American should have one, but only about half of the American population actually does. Let your loved ones know you care, in good times and in emergencies.
Check out all our kits at Ready Set Go Kits.
Happy Shopping!
Cyber Monday is tomorrow, November 30th, 2009. Use coupon code: CYBER MONDAY to get 20% off the entire store.
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NASA, where are your PR folks?
With the release of Columbia Picture's new movie 2012 highlighting world destruction, and the internet rumors flying about solar flares and wayward asteroids ruining the planet in 2012, NASA launched a new website of frequently asked questions regarding 2012. Designed to calm fears and provide reassurance, the website tackles important questions such as "Is there a planet or brown drawf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris that is approaching the Earth and threatening widespread destruction?"
Coming from a highly respected organization such as NASA, it seems reasonable to assume that 2012 fears will be quieted for a few people. But NASA has made one big goof-up that threatens to ruin the credibility of the site.
It's the answer for question number one: "Are there any threats to the Earth in 2012? Many Internet websites say the world will end in December 2012." The first sentence of the answer is this: "Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012."
NASA, who are you to predict there will be no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no typhoons or natural disasters of any kind that will occur in 2012? Even I, a non-science degree college graduate, recognize the trouble with blanket generalizations such as that one. And I resent the condescending tone.
NASA, you had the chance to further improve your image as the leading science institution on an issue that has a lot of hype and press time. Why did you use that opportunity to treat us like we were stupid?
The 2012 NASA FAQ website is here.
Photo source: Columbia Pictures
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Computer Model Highlights Oregon's Need to Prepare
"An earthquake such as the big one that hit the Pacific Northwest in 1700 would wipe out many of Oregon's bridges, cause billions of dollars of damage, make much of U.S. 101 and Interstate 5 impassable and sever all road connections between the coast and the Willamette Valley." 1
The Oregonian reported today that the Oregon Department of Transportation and Portland State University have created a computer model that for the first time gives bridge-by-bridge estimates of the damage and traffic delay costs the next big Cascadian Subduction Zone earthquake will cause to the Oregon coastline and Willamette Valley.
The computer model estimates are staggering: an 8.0 to 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake would destroy 399 bridges and heavily damage 621. The bridges built before 1975, before seismic standards, would suffer immense damage or collapse. Roads to the coast would be entirely cut off.
While the model estimates are sobering, they provide a unique preparedness tool for Oregonians. The state can now prioritize which of the 2,671 bridges in the state highway system should get seismic upgrades.
The Cascadia Subduction zone is the large 600-mile fault line about 75 miles offshore that runs from Northern California to British Columbia. In January of 1700, an estimated 9.0 magnitude quake ripped open the fault line, causing violent shaking and a huge flood; and created a tsunami that hit Japan.
Researchers estimate that the region is past due for another such earthquake, perhaps within the next 50 years.
When it comes, thanks to this new computer model, Oregon's state highway system will be a little better prepared. But preparedness doesn't stop at the state highway level. This computer model shows just how important it will be for individuals and families to have emergency supplies. With roads and bridges impassable, it will very difficult for first responders to reach neighborhoods to provide emergency medical services or provide food and water. You will need to have emergency supplies already stocked, enough for a minimum of three days.
Oregonians, let this computer model be the incentive to prepare yourselves. It is no longer a question of "what if" but "when." Only half of Americans have emergency supplies set aside. You now have a chance and the incentive to be the other half.
Buy a three-day emergency kit for your home and car here.
Brush up on your earthquake safety skills here.
Check out the article in The Oregonian here.
Photo Source: United States Geological Survey
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