ADVENTURE: Everyday Preparedness, Summer Storm Shakedown-Edition & Go-Bag Basics

• Severe Weather is the Second* Best Time To Prepare Your Emergency Bags
• You Need an Emergency Go-Bag… Packed
• No Emergency Kit? No Time? Try this…
• What’s in Our Emergency Bags?
• Quick List for an Emergency Bag
• Household Items to keep Ready for Emergencies
• Resources to Learn More & Help You Pack Your Own Emergency Kit:
• More Preparedness Resources, Checklists, & Ideas

Severe Weather is the Second* Best Time To Prepare Your Emergency Bags

*But the BEST time is BEFORE the bad weather. Seriously.

We hope all of y’all Chicagoland neighbors are safe from the storms that passed through this week! There were multiple tornado warnings and sightings in the suburbs, and possibly in parts of the city, and flights grounded and people sheltering-in-place at both airports, CTA trains and Amtrak halting service… Yikes.

Meanwhile, friends in Vermont and upstate New York are dealing with torrential rain and flooding from different storm systems, some stuck on their mountaintop farms, others with friends and family affected by the flooding.

Lots of flooded basements and impassable streets here too, and a few homes with a lot of storm damage. Other folks down south and out west are dealing with deadly heat waves that wreak havoc on the power grid, or make it unsafe to get caught outside or in your car without some basics.

The world we live in is unpredictable, and increasingly, it feels like these “unprecedented” events are happening more and more often.

 Since we’re in the city and were under the tornado watch, we were hunkered down in our basement and watching the radar…

And I was reassessing our go-bag situation, or the relative unreadiness therof, as we also looked at the pile of assorted emergency bags and things we grabbed on the way down to the basement when the weather alert sirens went off on our phones and later in our neighborhood.

 We’re finally all clear of the storm warnings, but here are the confirmed ones so far…

It was thankfully fine (where we are, at least tonight) but events like this are a good wake-up call and readiness check. These weird weather events aren’t going to happen less often! I’ve been here since ’99 and can count on one hand the number of times that I can remember tornado warnings happening here. Three of these were in the last couple years!

This Is Fine…

So, how did we do this time? Were we ready?

Why have ONE go-bag when you could have 7 (for 2 people and a dog. 2 of those bags are for the dog and one is for my partner, though TBF the rest of the bags have a lot of shared stuff that’s both of ours)… Um, one bag (or even two or three) would definitely be better. This could use some work!

It also took us multiple trips back upstairs this time to get stuff that we forgot.

We grabbed the dog’s travel bag, that stays mostly packed between trips, but forgot his leash and car harness? So for the future, I’m putting a back-up dog leash in the bag (I think it’s in the car now, which isn’t the worst place) and a spare collar (he always wears his buckle collar with ID and tags, and we don’t have a spare prong collar, but I put a slip collar in his travel bag as a backup if we didn’t have time to grab his prong from where we hang it up).

Luckily this potential emergency turned out to be a drill, which is a good thing to do to figure out where the gaps are in your plan (or lack thereof)! Just like running a fire drill at home, work, or school, systems work better when they’re practiced to iron out the kinks and refine them.

Wins: What did we get right?

We did get the laptops and hard drives, and wallets/documents from our desks, and our childhood teddy bears and a few other sentimental items that I keep packed or easy to grab though, so the most important or irreplaceable things were covered (after people and pets)?

Some of the stuff I’d want in an emergency are things that are always already in our day hiking packs, so it’s easy enough to grab that pack and know it’s going to have the Big 10 Essential Stuff for staying safe and comfortable outdoors, like some snacks, water, first aid kit, a rain jacket, and a pair of dry socks & underwear, at least!

Conveniently, all of these items are also things you might want to have if your roof gets torn off by a tornado, or you end up camping in a school gymnasium because your neighborhood flooded or a train full of toxic chemicals derailed near your house (like the incident in Ohio recently).

We try to keep those hiking bags packed anyway so that if we decide to go for a day-hike on a whim, we don’t lose our window in traffic while running around looking for stuff… since a 20 minute delay leaving our house can sometimes make the difference between a 30 minute drive and a 90 minute drive. We just put fresh water in our bottles, check the snacks, make sure the extra clothing layers are weather-appropriate, and go.

We definitely need to streamline this and keep our backpacking packs packed with our bigger stuff instead of the assortment of other bags strewn about in our closet and gear shelf.

I used to keep our large backpacking packs at least halfway packed back up with our camping gear after airing it out after a trip, but we’ve mostly been car camping lately and all that gear is stored in a less luggable Rubbermaid tote. The tote is easier to load in the car and find gear in than our packs, but also harder to carry for any distance.

Life is full of tradeoffs, right? But the important thing is not to have the perfect go bag for all emergencies at all times. Anything you can do to prepare before you need to have it will help you get out the door or to a safe space in your home ASAP.

What’s in Our Emergency Bags?

Well, obviously we’re still working on this, and everyone’s emergency bag is going to be different. Some people keep multiple bags for different situations. I think most people are best served by thinking modularly.

Pack like-items together and have things for different scenarios stored in the same place so you can decide quickly, pack a bag, and go.

If you also like doing outdoorsy stuff, congratulations, you have a head start. A LOT of the gear and stuff you use to make life more comfortable while you’re outdoors is also helpful when indoors is lacking the usual comforts of home, or you need to leave home in a hurry!

weather-appropriate clothing:

A couple of separate stuff-sacks or packing cubes, a cold weather bag and a hot weather bag, would do for most people if you have enough clothing to set some aside to have dedicated items in your go-bag.

If that’s too complicated, even knowing what clothes you would want to take, and storing them in the same place, is better than not thinking about it at all (and means you don’t have to buy or set-aside separate clothes).

A good way to do this is to use lightweight packing cubes as drawer organizers in your dresser or closet. Do you have some expensive everyday basics (like merino wool performance clothing & base-layers) that you can’t afford to duplicate but that would be most helpful in a go-bag? Put them away in your dresser or closet in a packing cube or at least on one shelf or basket. If you’re packing in a hurry, grab the packing cube or everything off that shelf, then throw it in your luggage or go-bag.

You can also use a carry-on backpack as a dresser drawer or on your closet shelf, especially if it’s the style that zips fully open to easily access the contents. If you’ve ever traveled frequently or had to live out of a backpack for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with this. Have one set of things that get rotated out of and through this bag, or keep spares there if you can afford the extras in your clothing budget. Do a quick check, replace anything that’s missing or in the laundry, and you’ve got a head-start on getting out the door or to a safe place in a hurry. Using packing cubes makes this an even better system, as it’s easy to see what’s missing quickly.

Always always always bring at least one change of underwear (preferably quick-drying synthetic or merino wool blends) and a few pairs of clean, dry socks (merino wool if you’ve got ’em; never cotton!), and a good rain/wind shell jacket.

shelf-stable snacks:

These are easy to eat, non-perishable snacks that don’t require cooking. If you camp and already have camp cooking gear, easy camping meals can be a separate category, though usually you will be best served by easy snacks that you can eat on the go.

Don’t forget to rotate these out occasionally so when you need them they’re not stale. We like to pack tasty basics with some nutritional value, like granola and protein bars, bags of trail mix or nuts and dried fruit, jerky or summer sausage, pouches of olives, corn-nuts, cheez-its or sandwich crackers, and nut butter pouches.

You want calorie-dense foods, and salty snacks can help if you’re going to be sweating a lot (like if your AC is out). They’ll also make you thirsty though, so make sure you have plenty of…

water:

In our kits, we keep a couple sturdy Nalgene or stainless water bottles filled in the daypacks, a Sawyer mini-filter, and various water purification tablets in the small “everything kit”.

There’s a Lifestraw in the camping bin we got as a gift too (and a Steri-pen and Grayl bottles are on the “gear wishlist”). We use hydration bladders when we hike in warm weather, but don’t keep those filled as they get gross and are harder to clean.

We also have some larger water storage jugs that we use for car-camping that we also keep full in case of emergencies, though those are heavy and not portable for keeping in a light-and-fast bag. I’ll talk more about them in the last section.

first-aid kit(s) :

Separate from our household first aid supplies in the medicine cabinet, I have a standard first-aid kit in the car (from Costco), and a small Outdoor Research Backcountry Organizer pouch (I think they stopped making these, which is a shame- it’s a nice little piece of lightweight kit) that goes in my bag whenever we leave the house to go anywhere farther than the grocery store around the corner.

It’s an EDC & first aid kid with a few other essentials and has saved my bacon so many times!

• Eye drops (for dry eyes or when a gnat or stray eyelash almost ruined a bike ride or work day)
• Flonase & loratidine for when the pollen is thick or I end up visiting a house with a cat (achoooo!)
• Ginger tea & candy, pepto-tablets, simethacone and TUMs for tummy trouble
• Immodium for problems those can’t fix
• Vitamin A(leve) and I(buprofen) & baby aspirin (analgesics/anti-inflammatories), Benadryl for allergic reactions
• Emergen-c packets & electrolyte tabs for dehydration/hangover remedy & immune support
• Assortment of band-aids & triple-antibiotic ointment & wipes, nitrile gloves, superglue for things band-aids can’t fix (if I’m somewhere where getting stitches isn’t an option)
• burn cream & hydrocortizone packets, tiny tin of Tiger Balm, mini-sunblock stick or packet
• Moleskin for blisters
• small nail clippers & file, lip balm, hair ties, applicator-free tampons
• Travel toothbrush & paste, floss & floss picks
• a mini-Clif bar (I hate these, so would only eat it in an actual emergency, haha) and some hot sauce packets (for bland food emergencies?)
• Firestarting stuff (Bic lighter, magnesium or ferrocerium bar and striker)
• water purification tablets (it’s a good thing I just checked my kit, bc these need to be replaced!)
• (I keep a couple tiny CPR shield/barriers on my keychain & on the outside of my pack), so that’s not in here, but it’s a good idea to throw in if you have CPR training)

Is that overkill to have in your messenger bag to bike across town to work or wherever? Probably. Does it take up any more space than a small book? Have I ever regretted bringing it with me? Nope, and nope. Have I used it all the time for small inconveniences to make me or my friends more comfortable? Absolutely.

good masks: 

Ideally these should be N95, KN95, or equivalent. Choose a style that fits well on your face and that is comfortable for you to wear, ideally a flat-fold style for portability.

You’ll want these for protection from COVID, flu, or other airborne germs in indoor shared spaces (like a crowded shelter), or to protect your lungs from wildfire smoke or dust and airborne debris or other inhale-able pollutants.

Other hiking/daypack contents:

• a headlamp or flashlight and spare batteries
• loud emergency whistle
• wayfinding things like:
  • a compass
  • paper maps of the area where you’ll be (Chicago CDOT bike maps are great for this, and we keep a print atlas or two in the car in case we’re somewhere without a signal and need to deviate from downloaded directions)
  • GPS if you have one and spare batteries or charger
• shelter: small ultralight tarp or tyvek sheet with lightweight cordage and a couple lightweight stakes or emergency bivy shelter
• emergency blanket (ultralight mylar)
• a bandana and/or a buff
• a hat (something with a brim to keep rain and sun off, and a warm hat in winter, spring, and fall)
• hygiene kit:
  • some TP (partial roll, cardboard core removed), A Kula-cloth is nice to minimize TP use, though a bandana or soft leaves can work in a pinch if you’re remote and you do not possess shake-to-dry anatomy. :)
  • a lightweight plastic or titanium trowel (for when there’s no pit toilet)
  • hand sanitizer
  • a pStyle in a ziplock or waterproof case (in case nature calls and there are no facilities nearby). These things are awesome for hiking and also for gross porta-potty situations. I bought one for Burning Man (I know, lame, it’s a long story) and now never hike or travel without it.
  • Homemade wet-wipes (ziplock with paper towels or cotton pads soaked with witch hazel and a couple drops of lavender or tea tree oil- great for freshening up on the trail or before you get in the car) are also nice.

pet (and/or kid) bags: 

• food and treats (rotate these just like your snacks to keep them fresh)
• a portable water bowl
• doggie bags, puppy pads, disposable litter box
• leashes/collars/harnesses/ID tags
• vet records (especially of immunizations, which you should also scan or photograph and keep on your phone, laptop, and a thumb drive)
• pet first aid kit
  • benadryl for allergic reactions or anxiety,
  • pet-safe ointments,
  • paw wax/salve,
  • vetwrap or other stretchy bandage and gauze for injuries
  • any medications your pet takes regularly like heartworm or other meds,
  • flea and tick collar or other prevention if you don’t use topicals or tabs
• A brush or comb for pets who need grooming
• A favorite toy and maybe a small blanket or packable towel is a good idea too.

Our dog is allergic to poison ivy, so we keep Technu scrub and ointment and alcohol wipes in his backpack (good for people too) for when we go camping.

Something we don’t have but should is a packable muzzle. Our dog is a very good boy, but it’s not a bad idea (and he was muzzle-trained by the foster at his rescue, as his previous home had a sometimes aggressive dog who also wore one). It would be especially helpful if we ended up sheltering somewhere with a cat, because he thinks they look like raccoons, which he’s bred to hunt… no bueno. TBF, most cats *are* pretty suss, or so my immune system has decided… achoooo! but we would never want him to hurt someone’s pet… it’s something you might also consider, especially if you also have a large dog.

Household Items to keep Ready for Emergencies

Some items you may want to keep in a safe, but packed in fireproof bags that you can grab and go with if you need to:

• important documents, both hard copies and digital copies (birth certificates, passports, SS cards and other ID, insurance information, titles & deeds)
• small valuables and jewelry 
• cash for emergencies… ATM’s run out or lose power, and theft (physical or virtual) of your cards can leave you waiting on replacements without access to your accounts. Also… try to have funds in multiple banks, and don’t carry all your cards with you… if your wallet gets stolen or a card gets hacked, you have alternatives!

Other items, you should store near where you’d need to use them:

• a wrench next to the utilities you might need to shut-off in an earthquake, or a wildfire in the neighborhood, or if you lose heat in freezing weather so you can drain the plumbing and protect pipes from damage
• a non-electric can opener (several is better than one, but if you just have one, make sure it’s a heavy-duty model).
• a larger supply of fresh, potable water

Home water storage for emergencies:

You need at least one gallon of water per person (or pet) per day for drinking & cooking. Most experts recommend keeping a 3-day supply minimum, and ideally a two-week supply. Anything above that is a good idea if you have room and the patience to rotate it, but most people won’t. Focus on the basics though!

Lots of things can interrupt the access to the fresh, clean potable water most of us take for granted… pipe bursts, flooding and freezing events, power interruptions and other issues with water treatment plants, and more. A long boil order or service interruption is no fun, but it’s easier to get through if you aren’t also waiting in line for bottled water at the store.

We have a couple blue plastic 7-gallon Reliance water cubes that we use for car camping trips in remote places, and we store those in the basement with water in them, because why not? These work well for light-duty emergency and camping use, though I’d get something sturdier and easier to carry like these 5-gallon Scepter water cans if I were planning to use them regularly to haul water over any distance, or at least keep an extra spigot cap on hand for the Reliance jugs (I’ve had to replace one of these).

These water jugs take up as much space empty as full, so they might as well be full! We change them out with fresh water whenever we take them on a trip, and rinse and refill them when we get home (oops, I realized as we were grabbing stuff to go downstairs that we didn’t refill the cube we took with us on our last trip- it was half-full… I’ll address this today.)

Keep them somewhere ideally cool and dark, and always out of direct sunlight (so they don’t grow algae, and because plastic breaks down in the sun).

If you’re also a homebrewer, and have any empty carboys, food grade buckets, or other fermenters sitting around, why not fill them up with water and put a solid stopper on it (or even an airlock, but you’d have to keep that topped up)?

Worst case, you can water your plants with it or even dump it out next time you need it for a brew, best case, you’ve got an extra one to seven gallons of H2O in an emergency (although I suppose not needing it is the best case, and needing it is the worst case? Either way, it can’t hurt)! 

Resources to Learn More & Help You Pack Your Own Emergency Kit:

Digital-preparedness note: You’ll note that a lot of these resources below are from US-based .gov websites… It would be a good idea to download copies (ctrl-p for pdf files if there isn’t an easy downloadable document linked already) or print out physical copies of anything that you want to refer back to, given the uncertainty of the continuing availability of a lot of online resources that are federally funded. This is always a good idea, as internet-services can be disrupted during natural disasters and power outages, but especially right now!