I’ve been on this project for almost 2 years now and I’ve developed some pretty strong opinions about survival kits, emergency food, emergency survival and, most important, your survival kit list. I live near Bastrop Texas where we recently had a huge wildfire. We weren’t harmed but do live just a few miles North of one of the wildfires. Our house wasn’t in danger as we were upwind but we did host an evacuated family. During the week of the wildfire, I had plenty of time and inspiration to consider and discuss my survival kit and survival kit list. I’ve also begun to notice the people in the stores who are reviewing and purchasing survival kits – OK, I spend too much time at Academy! My biggest concern and strongest opinion is that you should create your own survival kit list.
Creating a Survival Kit List is Hard!
Yeah, I hear you. Starting with a blank sheet of paper for any project can be daunting. That said, it doesn’t have to be hard. I’ve shared my list here on this website and a few Google searches will quickly point you to a whole lot more examples of a survival kit list that other people have built. Here is what I think is most important – build your own survival kit list! Use what other people have created and then customize it to your family’s needs. For example, I’m the only male in my immediate family – the rest are females. You can bet that my survival kit list contains feminine hygiene products!
Why Should I Create My Own Survival Kit List?
I consider my survival kit and my survival kit list to be just as valuable as my life insurance and balancing my checking account. When I buy life insurance, I do my research, learn as much as I can about my options, ask for recommendations and then consult a professional, BUT, I make my own decision about what is right for me and my fmialy. Likewise, I balance my check book. I am just unwilling to rely on the intelligence of some unknown person to make the decision about what I or my family might need in the event of an emergency. I’ve come to view my survival kit and survival kit list as a form of insurance – more like life insurance than property insurance. I’ve learned that life insurance makes me feel good when I write the check for the premium. After all, I’m not going to be around when it comes time for it to pay out. While I do expect to be around to use and benefit from my survival kit, I draw the most of my satisfaction from knowing I’m doing the right thing for my family.
What Needs to be in My Survival Kit List?
That’s a big “That Depends.” You have to balance what you think you need with what you can easily access and transport. Too much and you’ll get bogged down. Not enough and you’ll find yourself wanting. I found benefit in categorizing my family’s different needs against time frames and came up with a categorized survival kit list that is valuable immediately and grows in value over time. Your needs might be different – they probably will be. Your survival kit list may look like mine and it may not – learn from what I’ve done and what others do bu do your own thinking.
OK, So I Have the Survival Kit List – Now What?
You can easily sink a ton of money into commercial survival kits. Don’t believe me? Just look at your nearby sporting goods store. Even after dropping an easy $50, you’ll only walk out with a little bitty bag of ointments and bandages. That’s a first aid kit, not a survival kit. Once you’ve gotten started with your survival kit list, start accumulating survival gear – including emergency food. I budget $25/month to add an item to my survival kit – I just reference the survival kit list and make a trip to the store to get what is next on the list. I’ve been doing it for almost two years now and it is building slowly. That said, I’m confident that we could have taken the supplies we have in our survival kit and been just fine if we had to evacuate the recent Bastrop Wildfire for as long as a couple of weeks. Build your survival kit list. Write a plan to begin accumulating survival supplies. Do something every month. Update your survival kit list and plan every three months. That’s it – only takes $25 and about an hour every month.
Summary of Create Your Own Survival Kit List
Don’t underestimate your need for a survival kit and a good survival kit list – the recent wildfires in Bastrop were a very good reminder for me and my family. Begin today – research what others have done to create their survival kit list and use that as a start – but customize it for your family. Think carefully and talk with your family about what they think you might need – involve the entire family. Then, create a small budget and a plan and get to work. Start today! Use your survival kit list to build a plan and start accumulating what you need.
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