I got the OK to hold a preparedness program at the library later this summer. This is a draft for a handout I plan to offer along with some starting supplies so patrons can make their own Altoids tin kits. Much of my day was spent writing out this document and editing Miss A.'s program instructions in between patron assistance activities. I need to add "editor" to my titles.

Survival Kits 101

In an emergency, you are your own first responder. A well-stocked survival kit can turn a disaster into a mere inconvenience. Sure, you could buy something pre-made, but if you assemble your own kit, you can customize it for your own needs and choose quality items instead of whatever some other supplier could get in bulk. Besides, it’s just more fun to D.I.Y!

A survival kit can range anywhere from an Altoids tin containing a few essentials to a rucksack loaded with enough supplies to sustain you for a week. We’ll be discussing two types of kits today: the Altoids Tin and the 72-Hour Bag.

Altoids Tin Kit

These kits are designed to fit in a pocket, purse, backpack pouch, glove compartment, etc. and contain a variety of useful items in one convenient package. Most kits contain a combination of tools, consumables (used/replaced regularly), and emergency survival items. Some suggestions:

Tools

Pocket knife
Folding scissors
Magnifying glass
Lighter/matches
Tweezers

Consumables

Band-aids
Antibiotic ointment
Medications
Alcohol prep pads or lens cleaning wipes

Survival

Mini fishing kit (line, hooks, and sinkers)
Emergency whistle
Compass
Water purification tablets

There isn’t a simple formula for these kits. Personalize it. What kinds of items do you often wish you had on hand, but never remember to carry? What is the bare minimum you would want in an emergency to MacGyver your way through?

72-Hour Pack

Also known as the Bug Out Bag (B.O.B), Get Home Bag, a Car Kit, and many other terms, this is a much more complete package designed to sustain you through a longer emergency. If you need to evacuate your home, or find yourself facing unplanned camping due to washed out mountain roads, what would you need? Several sources recommend the “10 C’s of Survival.” This list can also help focus your Altoids tin kit contents. How many of these C’s can you fit? I took the liberty of adding 3 more of my own following the C theme.

1. Cutting tool.
   A hatchet or hunting knife is much more capable than just a pocketknife.

2. Combustion device.
   Fire means cooking food, sterilizing water, or simply not suffering hypothermia. Lighters, matches, ferrocerium rods, and more can all work with a little tinder.

3. Cover.
   You may not keep a spare tent on hand, but do have a tarp and/or quality emergency blanket. A couple plastic tent pegs wouldn’t hurt.

4. Container.
   Carry foraged food. Boil water. Cook dinner. A single-wall (non-insulated) stainless steel bottle with a wide mouth is usually recommended, but a canteen with a cup works, too.

5. Cordage.
   Parachute cord, sailing line, tarred twine, fishing line, snare line, etc.

6. Cotton bandanas.
   Minimum, 2. Ideally, one should be large enough to work as a triangle bandage (3’ square), but even common 11-12” handkerchiefs can be used to bandage wounds, filter coarse sediment from water, start a fire, and more besides the usual kerchief chores.

7. Cargo tape.
   Duct tape, gorilla tape, gaffer tape, or similar products can repair goods, and most are flammable to help start a fire.

8. Compass.
   Get a good one. Take an orienteering course.

9. Canvas Needle.
   Any heavy-duty needle, really. Wrap it with a few yards of thread and you’re set.

10. Candling device.
    A headlamp is lightweight, hands-free illumination and a signaling device.

11. Calories.
    Freeze-dried food, MREs, hardtack, GORP, jerky, energy bars, etc. Don’t forget food for any pets you may have, too.

12. Communication.
    A battery brick and USB cable for your phone, FRS radios, a weather radio… and don’t forget to keep batteries on hand.

13. Comfort.
    This is a catch-all category. Some extras to ease discomfort and make the time go by can make a world of difference, especially if you’re trying to wrangle kids. Travel games, activity booklets, some kind of treat, a stuffed animal, or a special pillow and keep them (or you) calm despite the stress. On a more practical level, how do you handle hygiene? Toilet paper and a folding shovel let you build a latrine, and disinfectant wipes can keep your hands clean.

14. Clothing
    Have proper garb for the season, especially if you normally wear business attire.

15. Cash
    Money talks when the grid goes down.

An emergency kit is just one part of preparedness. Do you have an evacuation plan? Does your family know what to do? If you have some time to prepare, what keepsakes and documents would you need to gather? Take the 72-hour kit camping as a trial run to really find out what is missing and what is superfluous.

What First Aid training do you have, and what else can you learn? Hold a family fire drill. Get to know your neighbors and consider coordinating plans. Connect through your church or social organizations. What if emergency involves sheltering in place instead of evacuating? We already had a taste of lockdowns and panic-buying shortages in 2020. What happens when a blizzard knocks out power and blocks the roads with ice and snow?

The future is always uncertain. A little planning and preparation can go a long way to building peace of mind. For more information, you can search the catalog for books about survival and preparedness at your local library, or visit www.ready.gov for more suggestions.

And, of course, there are also plenty of subversive survivalist sites I'd like to recommend. We'll see what I can get past the Karens.