Being the great son I am, I've decided to assemble a survival kit of sorts as a gift for my mother (and another for my aunt). As my father is a fireman, he has been at work during just about every flood, hurricane, ice storm or other natural disaster that has hit us in recent years. Thus, Mom's home alone unless I convince her to stay with us. This will not be a survival kit as defined by many of the seasoned folks on this site, but is more of a "Power Outage Emergency Kit." As such, many of the essentials will be absent. I just can't conjure up an image of my mother using brass wire to snare an animal for food, if you know what I mean. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've begun the list and the process of collecting the items, but would really appreciate any suggested additions or deletions from the collective wisdom here. I plan to keep the kits relatively small -- probably to be put into a clear Pelican 1040 box or something like that.

Anyway, here's what I have so far. For the generic stuff (e.g. folding knife) I haven't settled on a specific brand yet. Thanks for any thoughts.

FIRE

lighter
Waterproof / windproof matches
emergency candle

MEDICAL

dust mask
bandages - adhesive - 10
burn gel - 2
sting swabs - 3
antiseptic wipes - 4
antibiotic gel - 4
gauze
2x2 bandages - 4
3x3 bandages - 2
medical tape
advil
excedrin
benadryl
immodium
tweezers
safety pins
first aid card

CLOTHING/SHELTER

heat pack - 2
emergency blanket
duct tape
garbage bag
cord - 50'
rain poncho

COMMUNICATION

Bandana
Photon Freedom LED light (on outside)
Photon clip
signal mirror
PAL survival light (visible through clear lid for finding in dark)
whistle

TOOLS

note pad - waterproof
Leatherman squirt
pen - write anywhere
am/fm radio
spare AAA batteries
magnifying glass
corkscrew (don't ask) <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
folding knife
compass

WATER/FOOD

Power bar
water bags
water sterilizing tablets
ziploc bags

DOCUMENTATION

Emergency info card
survival cards
maps

Rasatter,

If this is a stay-at-home kit, you might want to add a battery powered lantern. It would throw more light than the Photon, and size shouldn't be an issue if it's for home use.

I hope a long tutorial session is included in with the kit because if shes like my mother she won't know what 60% of the stuff is for or how to use it.

Flip

Is this is a stay at home and rough it out kit, or a BOB to get out of dodge? What natural disasters might be expected? It helps to know why the kit is needed.

Make sure to check out the Frances thread. A couple things from that thread that come to mind include having a generator and a solar shower. Don't forget personal hygiene items like baby wipes, toilet paper, and "female" hygiene items. If your going to put in candles make sure there are plenty of them. I would get her a small backpacking stove and fuel so she can still cook.

If this is a BOB you might want to add a tent and sleeping bag. If it's a stay at home kit your mom probably has enough blankets to not need the emergency blanket. Also, make sure there are several trash bags. I would also throw in a wool cap and a pair of leather work gloves.

If this is a "power out" kit does it really need a signal mirror? Most people have a signal mirror so they can be found. Your mom already knows where she is, at home. I think the compass might be right up there with the signal mirror in usefulness to your mom. I won't argue with the whistle except to say she should have it on her at all times.

This post maybe a little disorganized. I was just typing as things came to mind. Also, I'm still new here and I'm sure the "experts" could pick apart your kit better than I can.


Robert

She's a mom; ya think she won't be able to figure out a use for it? She may come up with uses we haven't even thought of <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Something I forgot. You specifically mentioned a "power out" kit. Make sure your mom has a phone that plugs straight into the phone line. In other words NOT a cordless phone. A cordless won't work when the power's out, but a regular phone will work off the power in the phone lines.


Robert

Great idea - good for you for doing this.

I read that it's a "Power Outage Kit". If it's a bug-in kit for her at home, you can probably eliminate most of it by taking a walk through your folk's house. For example, why include a folding knife - they probably have plenty of (dull?) kitchen knives that can handle routine house chores.

If it's also something she will have on her, that's a whole 'nother topic.

In either case, I think you should add more illumination options. Regulated LED things that you load with 1.5V lithium cells but that will also run fine on whatever old alkaline, carbon-zinc, or whatever standard dry cells. We can get a little more specific if you wish.

My Mom feels obliged to maintain/lug around anything we load her up with (she could survive the sun going on just on what's in her car, I swear...) If you Mom is at all like that... less is better.

Tom

Good suggestions - thanks. I guess I'm trying to have it both ways: she's most likely to have the kit at home, but I want her to have the option of grabbing it if she needs to leave. While I know she's probably got a lot of this stuff available around the house, she's not as likely to find and/or use it if she has to collect items from all over, as she is if she has them all in one place -- especially in the dark.

Great idea. I am sure she will appreciate it. If she is anything like my mom, her first question would be "What is it?" After all the fawning of course.

A couple of questions.

What part of the country do you live in? This can make a difference on what to include. Up North, you may want to include or suggest clothing set aside just for getting out without freezing.

Also, you have included a way to make fire, but not necessarily a way to sustain it. Either buy or make some tinder. 6-10 cotton balls slathered with petrolium jelly will easily fit into a film container, and will burn for about 6 minutes or so. They keep well and are cheap to make.

For the medicinal area, include at least one package of "baby wipes". These come in very handy. Package them inside a quart sized freezer zip-lock, and you have an extra water container just in case.

Under the food catagory, remember that while the powerbars are great, if they are the coated type, they may get messy if they get warm (ie in the trunk of the car in summer) Also, heat makes the coco-butter seperate from chocolate (whitish texture on top of "old" cany bars). So, you may want to avoid these types of items. Shop around, there is a lot out there to choose from.

Good luck.

This thread is a few pages back already, but I had to add my 2 cents.

As the others mentioned above, you should tailor it to your Mom & her possible circumstances.

First, you might want to avoid scaring her off it ("I don't need THAT") and call it an emergency comfort bag (ECB <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />), etc. If she is older, keep it simple and familiar. Her most likely scenario is having something happen while she was trying to get home: sliding off the road & having to wait for help, being stranded in a place with few amenities, etc. The other would probably be getting "stuck" at home alone.

For the first, run through the "necessaries":
Shelter (PolarFleece blanket, emergency mylar blanket NOT in a hard-to-open plastic wrapper);
Water (ready-to-open bottles that she CAN open, or include gripper opener);
Food (granola bars, Snickers, dried fruit, cookies, crackers);
Signal (good flashlight, red or white cloth to catch in top of car window)
Firemaking kit (matches , lighter, simple firestarters like Coughlan's Waterproof FireSticks, left in neatly-opened original bag & tucked in a ZipLock bag);
Extra clothing (warm knitted hat, gloves, warm socks, maybe extra jacket, sunhat, etc)
Also make sure her car has "car stuff" & that she knows how to use it: extra water, oil (for oil light going on), window cleaner, FixAFlat (fresh), etc.

If she's at home (esp if she's getting on in years- my Mom was 79 when I moved here & did this), "regular" preparations that are familiar & that she can handle:

A couple of weeks stored canned & easy-fix foods in her pantry or cupboard (even though it wasn't likely that it would take me more than 4 days to get home in local, likely circumstances). Don't forget an easy-open NON-ELECTRIC can-opener if she uses an electric one.

Matches, firestarters, & easy access to firewood, stacked in a rack outside the back deck under shelter, in smaller pieces that she wouldn't have trouble lifting. Dry & seasoned. Leave this stack alone & get YOUR supply out of the woodshed.

And while you're having dinner with her, bring up the subject of what could be done in certain circumstances. It's amazing what useful ideas come back to people (even children) when info is simply talked about: in low temps, sleep in the recliner in the room with the wood stove. Bake Bisquick in a folding omelet pan on the wood stove. Use the old snow saucer hanging in the woodshed to drag firewood to the house (shouldn't come to this, but....). Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a quart of warm water for bathing, which cleans skin beautifully and doesn't require rinsing.

Stored bottles of water on the floor in the pantry, & on the bottom shelves of the kitchen & bathroom cupboards.

Extra pet food.

That old-fashioned phone, as mentioned elsewhere here.

The most common circumstances aren't necessarily disasters. She could be stuck with other people, in a place that can't provide for the number of people.

And sometimes the situation is one you would never expect. When I lived in NV, an Army truck carrying mortars caught fire & the road was closed for several hours in the heat of summer in a desolate area. The lucky traveles caught near "conveniences" had their choice of a small vest-pocket park with a privy, an ice-cream stand & a brothel.

Okay, now I'm finished! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

'Pup