September is National Emergency Preparedness month in the United States. This is the perfect opportunity to take three major steps in getting you and your family ready for any natural disasters: research, make a kit and make a plan. This entry will discuss the second of these steps, making an emergency kit.

Assembling a stockpile of emergency supplies is a key component to emergency preparedness. It is recommended that you store enough food and water to last you and your family for at least 3 days. The recommended amount of water is one gallon per person per day, and that is for drinking and cleaning purposes. It is very important to keep track of the expiration dates for the food and any bottled water you stock. To avoid any illness that could be contacted from eating expired food be sure and dispose of any food that is too old.

Depending on the type of food you decide to stock, you will need something to cook with. This can often lead to another danger if people aren’t very careful about what they use and where they use it to cook your food. Using gases to cook, such as propane or kerosene must be done outside in a well-ventilated area to avoid carbon dioxide poisoning. If it is unlikely you will be able to cook out doors you should consider meals that don’t require heat or an alternative fuel source. Jelled ethanol products; such as BLAZE can be a great alternative to cooking simple meals in emergency situations as they can be used safely indoors.

In addition to your food and water storage it is also important to have a flashlight and battery powered radio, in case of a power loss. You will also need to double-check the battery size that all your equipment takes and be sure and stock up on those as well. Candles and matches are also good things to have on hand as a back up. A tool kit is also important to have in you supply to open things or turn off utilities if need be. Stock some baby wipes/moist towelettes to help keep clean.

Customizing your kit specifically to your family is very important. Make sure you always have enough of the medications you and your family need to take in case of a disaster that will shut down your pharmacy. If you have young children be sure and have food that they will be able to eat.