As you may know, I live in Marin County, where the devastating Northern California wildfires raged in October. The terrible orange smoke went on for days and the many alerts were a major wake-up call for me, saying: “Take time to get your emergency preparedness kit together…now!”

An emergency supply kit shows how much you care about yourself and others. It lets you be prepared whenever a disaster might (or might never) hit, which for me is at the core and deepest form of etiquette.

It doesn’t matter where you live in the world. Disasters come in all forms: wildfires, city fires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, tsunamis, a car accident, an unexpected avalanche of mud, rocks, and snow. Who knows what else can happen in life? Here’s the list my husband and I are using to put our own emergency kits together. I truly hope it’s helpful to you, no matter what your survival need may be:

A. Important documents: Keep all documents named below on a computer thumb drive. Back them up on your computer, off-site, by perhaps using Dropbox (a free site) where you can create a folder of documents to share among trusted friends and relatives. Among the top 12 documents to have on hand for each member of your household:
1. Birth certificate
2. Government IDs, such as a Passport, driver’s license, etc.
3. Insurance papers:  Home, auto, health, and other insurance policy names, contact info and policy numbers
4. Banking and other financial accounts, contact info, and account numbers
5. Living Trust, Will, Power of Attorney, Medical Directive and other documents. Send copies to your doctor, executor, and others, so they will have the proper documents to act upon, should the need arises
6. Health information, a list of all health insurance companies, types of doctors, and their contact info
7. List of medications, dosages, and when taken
8. List of household items and valuables (and photos), including jewelry and furniture. Take photos of each room in the house, including contents in each cabinet and closet. If you need help getting these photos on a thumb drive, consider going to places such as FedEx Kinko’s for assistance.
9. Emergency contacts: List of names, phone numbers, and emails of close relatives and friends to contact with info on your situation. They’ll no doubt be concerned.
10. Planned escapes:  Send all close relatives and/or friends a list of strategic gathering places you would go when a disaster hits. We set several locations, depending on where we may be near, such as a family member in San Francisco and Las Vegas, and close friends in San Mateo, Washington, DC., and Florida.
11. Small collection of keepsake photos, perhaps videos, and other images of family, friends and events you will treasure should all else be lost.
12. Listing 3 to 5 maximum small keepsake items to grab at a moment’s notice, without having to think.

B. Preparing the emergency supply kit. This is the main project I’m working on this month and I highly advise you do the same. Use an old suitcase and/or backpack for clothes, etc., plus a plastic storage bin for food, water, and all other items. After you create the kit once, you’ll be at ease to know you can just grab the bags/container to flee in a moment’s notice.

Contents to include, and not limited to:
1. Thumb drive of documents as listed above, plus for quick access, copies of your Government IDs in a protected envelope
2. Water & Food:  Minimum of 3-days’ supply of non-perishable foods such as energy bars, canned foods (don’t forget a can opener) and perhaps dehydrated foods; plus 3 gallons of water per person.
3. Medications:  3 to 5-day supply of all medications. Tip: Purchase an extra one-week pill container. Fill it and switch out with fresh meds every 1 to 3 months. I’ve marked my calendar to do it regularly from now on.
4. Complete change of clothes: from underwear to sturdy shoes, jacket, gloves, and hat. Go through your closet. I’m confident you will find all you need.
5. Sunglasses, eyeglasses, and extra contact lenses.
6. Warm blankets and/or jackets: For us we set aside our sleeping bags, in addition to hooded sweatshirts
7. Extra cash in small bills up to $20s. Keep at least $100, or more as you choose.
8. A flashlight for each household member, with extra batteries. We have a crank camping lantern we also put in the kit.
9. Radio:  A crank or battery powered radio, with extra batteries.
10. Sanitation supplies such as facial and toilet tissue, paper towels, hand sanitizer, wipes, and feminine pads, etc.
11. First Aid Kit for whenever needed
12. Extra chargers and power cords for smartphones and laptops.

Bonus… time permitting:
13. Grabbing 3-5 max. keepsake items identified ahead of time.

C. *Keeping items current. Make a list of all items in the kit and any expiration dates on items… batteries, medications, contact lenses, food items, water, etc. Mark your calendar for every 6 months to 1 year maximum to monitor the list and refresh items in the kit, including water. This truly could be a lifesaver in future years!

Bonus: Many sites suggest you keep all the same items (in smaller quantities) in the trunk or boot of your car for an away emergency. It is also suggested to keep an extra pair of shoes beside your bed for when you must flee from bed. You never know what may hit while you are staying elsewhere, on the road, or asleep.

One item we didn’t have (until now) is a change of clothes in our car. We’ve had a blanket, flashlight, water, bag of nuts, candy bars, and even a small bottle of wine (leftover from a past trip). This is yet another kit you may want to put together for your car, especially if you enjoy long car trips as we do.

I recognize this sounds like ‘a pain’ to do… it is! Yet once it’s done, you’ll have great peace of mind knowing it’s in place forever. I can’t be more adamant in saying how important these tips are. I strongly suggest creating such be among the most important tasks you do for yourself and others a.s.a.p. in the immediate months ahead. Truly, by gathering all these items to have in place, you are showing great care and etiquette for yourself and others.

For additional information on emergency preparedness, visit www.ready.gov. and www.readyforwildfire.org/Go-Evacuation-Guide/.

If you prefer to purchase an already made kit, here’s one to consider. Several others are also listed on Amazon and other sites:
www.amazon.com/Emergency-Zone-840-2-Survival-Disaster/dp/B008HHX15Y/ref=sr_1_8?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1509465428&sr=1-8&keywords=emergency+preparedness+kit

BTW, I recognize this sounds like ‘a pain’ to do… it is! Yet once it’s done, you’ll have great peace of mind knowing it’s in place forever and those who care about you will be grateful you did it too.

Happy practicing!