Updated:2006-06-16 09:42:48
Gearing up for an emergency: Testing disaster kits
By CHARLES PASSY
AP
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By CHARLES PASSY


The Wall Street Journal


The big one is coming.


At least that's what some disaster-kit retailers are saying - whether the big one is a hurricane, earthquake, tornado or bird-flu pandemic. After Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last year, preparedness has become a growing industry, with stores selling a range of emergency kits. They're generally designed to get people through the first three days after a catastrophe, stocked with flashlights, ponchos, food bars and even portable toilets.


As this year's hurricane season begins, we bought five one- or two-person kits online. Then we showed them to a group of South Floridians who have survived electricity outages and major property damage through three hurricanes in the past two years. We also sought advice from Red Cross preparedness expert Keith Robertory, who named five essentials for any kit: food, water, first-aid supplies, a radio and a source of light. Anything beyond that, he said, depends on location, climate and individual needs for medication and comfort.


The Preparedness Center's $199 kit had 31 items, from a knitted cap to a 13-function knife to freeze-dried food. One surprise: The food required boiling water to prepare, and the kit had nothing to heat up the water - or any water at all. (There's a five-gallon container to fill on your own.) Finally, the panelists found the elaborate restroom kit, including a "urinal bag," a bit much. "This is ridiculous," said one.


The rest of the kits had all five essentials, including sealed packs of water. (The Red Cross recommends keeping a gallon of water a day per person.) Frontier Survival's $92 Deluxe 2-Person 72-Hour Honey Bucket Kit held 29 items, including a gas and water shut-off tool, leather gloves and two ponchos. The bucket can double as a toilet, but the panelists doubted that was necessary, saying they had found plenty of post-storm bathroom alternatives. (We'll leave it at that.) Still, the combination radio-flashlight-siren won points, and two shortbread-like high-calorie food bars and a small supply of six boxes of water were included.


The remaining kits came with backpacks to hold the supplies. The 26-item Hurricane Go Bag Kit, for $90 from Camping Survival, had a small first-aid box and unappetizing ready-to-eat food rations. Even in a disaster, we might have trouble with the "restructured beefsteak," to say nothing of the high, thirst-inducing salt content. We did like the hand-powered flashlight.


Emergency Essentials' $100 Trekker 2-Person 72-Hour Emergency Kit held 49 items. The two food bars and 12 water boxes were complemented with smart extras such as sun-block wipes, toilet paper and multipurpose pliers that one panelist thought would have been useful in hurricanes past. "It sure beats rummaging through your tool box," he said. The kit also had a check-off list of everything else you might need, like prescription medication and extra clothing. The kit comes with two backpacks, and it's our Best Value.


For Best Overall, the judges went with Nitro-Pak Preparedness Center's Executive 72-Hour Survival Kit, with 77 items. A basic kit costs $136, but we ordered the $150 upgraded version, with a wind-up solar radio - a worthy choice, as some panelists said they had quickly run out of batteries after a storm. The basics were mostly well covered, with two high-calorie food bars, 24 water pouches (4.2 ounces each) and a good first-aid kit. The backpack was rugged and held plenty of extras: blankets, a light/heat candle, masks, gloves, ponchos, waterproof matches, a whistle, nylon cord and even playing cards to pass the time.


Is a prepackaged kit really necessary? It's not too difficult to buy the essentials and throw them into a bag. But the panel conceded that if this is what it takes to be prepared, the expense is worth it.