What Is the Best Survival Gear for a Family to Have?
Natural disasters and man-made disasters are occurring with more frequency than ever. So it only makes sense to make sure that your family is prepared for any event. You preparation gear should always be in place before any disaster strikes.
You’ll want to gather your items and have them packaged and ready so that when the time comes, you can easily put your hands on what you need. Hopefully, you won’t experience disasters – but being prepared with the right equipment can help your family survive.
The equipment that your family should have can be packed (before it’s needed) into a sturdy backpack.
You should make sure that the backpack is waterproof so that it protects the contents from getting damaged by inclement weather. In the backpack, you should put enough gear to take care of each member of your family. If you have a larger family, you’ll need to prepare more than one backpack. One thing often overlooked is having a change of clothing for each family member packed inside the backpack.
Storable food should be included in your survival gear.
When packing food, obviously, you don’t want to pack foods that will spoil quickly. Pack things like high protein food bars and other foods that have a lot of calories (minimum 2,000 calories) and can take the place of a meal.
Water for every member of the family should be packed and ready.
But since bottled water can take up a lot of space and become heavy and awkward to carry, look for water that’s specifically made for survival gear that’s packaged in lightweight boxes. This purified water is packaged in a way that it can be safely stored in a wide variety of temperatures. I like having in each of my bug out bags a portable water filter such as the LifeStraw. This enables me to get drinkable water when carrying water is too cumbersome.
Protection is a must during a survival situation.
You may want to arm yourselves with weapons, depending on the situation. For natural protection, you’ll need a solar powered radio so that you can listen to emergency broadcasts. You may also want to pack your 2-way communications radio like FRS or Ham radio. Be sure to include some extra batteries, too.
You’ll want protection from the elements and protection against extreme weather.
This means, thermal blankets. Some survival experts suggest buying thermal blankets in packets of several at a time, and adding ponchos and emergency or tube tents. You’ll also want light sticks in the event that electricity isn’t available. You’ll need a functional knife such as a multi-tool Army knife on hand in case you need to cut rope for a tent or for other purposes.
Family members that take prescription medication should have their medication included in your survival gear backpack. You should have at least a two-week supply of any prescription medication put aside for survival situations. A first aid kit with medication such as medicine for headaches, bug bites and supplies for treating and bandaging cuts and wounds should also be included in your backpack.