Week 13: Assemble an Emergency Kit for your Car and Office

This week's task: Assemble emergency kits for your car and office

Car Emergency Kit

Your car emergency kit should contain supplies to help you if your car breaks down and/or if you end up stranded because of infrastructure damage after a disaster.  Of course, the types of items you will need will depend on where you drive and the weather in your area.   Here is a list to get you started (taken largely from this book):

Basic Emergency Supplies:

Flashlight
Water
Food
Sturdy shoes
Rain poncho
Coat or sweatshirt
Emergency whistle
First Aid kit
Heavy blankets or emergency blankets

Basic Automotive Supplies:

Jumper cables/jumpstart battery booster
Roadside triangle reflectors or flares (Cyalume flares, LED flares)
Small tool kit (screwdrivers, adjustable wrench, pliers)
Spare tire, jack, lug wrench,board
Maps and/or GPS units
ABC or BC fire extinguisher
Spare fuses

Additional supplies:

Work Gloves
Small gas can
Tow strap
Bungee tie-down cords
Fix-a-Flat tire inflator and sealant (quick temporary fix to flat tire)
Tire pump and guage (fill or check a leaky tire)
Cell phone charger

Cold-Weather supplies:

Windshield ice scraper
Bag of coarse sand (to provide traction in mud or snow)
Hand-ratcheted wench (to pull vehicle out of mud or snow)
Folding Shovel (for digging out tires)

I also keep backup child supplies in my car (diapers, sunscreen, food for the kids) both for emergencies and for run-of-the-mill forgetful parent moments.

Office Emergency Kit

I keep water, a flashlight, an emergency whistle and a little food in my office.  In some types of emergencies, you could be stranded in your location for awhile.  If you have to drive over a bridge to get home, you could be stranded for a few days.