Japanese Emergency Earthquake Kit Unboxing

Thought some of you might be interested in the above. It's a live stream of an expat living in japan (He's the creator of the "only in japan" channel); first half is an unboxing of the kit and the second half is some chatting about the 2011 tohoku earthquake and some q&a's.

Interesting!

Rather marginal quality for many of the components.
A climbing or motorcycle helmet will provide much better protection than a standard construction hardhat.
The flashlight in the kit is a joke. You can easily do much better. The quality and quantity of cordage is minimal.

one small bottle of water - give me a break! Some real food would be nice.

Evidently there is no provision for emergency sanitation, not even TP. FAK??

Still, this is way better than nothing, even if it is not really adequate

The fellow is obviously not a prepper in any real sense; just a pop consumer who has a Walmart grade 24-hour kit. He isn't aware of how much water is consumed per day (5 litres for 4 people per day isn't anywhere close to what you really need i.e. 3 litres per person). The kit is better than nothing but knowledge is a whole lot more compact and useful. Unfortunately he appears to have little of the preparedness mindset and if he is going to rely on this kit he is going to be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, there are a lot more of his uneducated mindset than the type of person on this forum in society.

If I lived in an area prone to earthquakes I would invest in the highest quality I could afford. Earthquakes aren’t exactly that rare in that part of the world so I can’t imagine why anyone would cheap out on such important prep gear.

Better than nothing as some mentioned. Could be a lot better though.

This comment took me to REI's climbing helmets page. Lots of good the very good helmets. I’m not a climber, but it seems that something lightweight and breathable (so you don’t feel a need to take it off) would be a good option. Buying one of these on-line though is a non-starter; I would need to try it on for fit and comfort.

Any recommendations by the climbers or cavers here? Color, shell material, favorite brand...

Mom and I have friends who have access to the same information we have (information I can't discuss in this forum due to the religious and political nature) and yet they do not prepare.

Mom talks to my sisters, in Texas, on their respective levels. One prepares some, the other nat at all.

If my friends and family don't prepare, even with the information they have, why would I possibly expect others to prepare?

It's both sad and scary when you think of it this way: a city gal with mental health problems, including anxiety, is better equipped to handle a major disaster than the average American.

Jeanette Isabelle

A construction helmet is far cheaper and protects against more things than most climbing helmets. Vents on a climbing helmet cause it to fail any test regarding splash/sparks, etc.

Construction helmets I’ve seen seem designed to protect the head from falling objects, but not from side or rear impact. I guess all helmets are specialized to some extent. Since my current bike helmet is way out of date, I’ll probably get one of the new helmets from Bell or Smith with the MIPS rating. Bike helmets are designed to protect from some serious falls and the new ones with polycarbonate shells look fairly well built.

I would much rather wear a climbing helmet than a construction hard hat in a serious situation, and I have worn both at various times. Climbing helmets are tested or both side impacts and retention when subjected to force, as well as impact from above.

In searching for data to respond to this post, I ran across the following:

https://www.bna.com/safety-helmets-replacing-n73014461149/

Apparently, the standards of climbing helmets are replacing the traditional construction requirements, which is good all around. Just do something better than the trad had hat, and if that is all you have, at least equip it with a chin strap...

True, hard hats are cheaper than climbing helmets, but the cost of either is insignificant when compared to the costs of medical treatment or even a funeral.

I use a Black Diamond Half Dome climbing helmet, and closures are available for its side vents, if desired. Nice in cold weather.

Recommendations? Sure! You are correct in going to a store and trying one on. My experience is that they are rather comfortable. i formerly wore out an Elios (Petzl?)and currently wear a Black Diamond half Dome which I have worn for long periods.

The most recent episode was a dig where we were at the base of a steep crumbling cliff, full of rocks ready to fall. we all wore helmets with no events until the last day, when there was a very loud clunk! as a rock hit a helmeted fellow worker (she was wearing my old Elios) who came up with a smile on her face and no cuts or bruises.

Without the helmet protection, I am sure there would have been at least a nasty scalp wound and a precautionary X-ray, tricky because we were in a remote locale.

I really believe in head protection. I have seen quite a few cranial injuries, and they all involved body recoveries.

Usually the cleanup efforts following a disaster (hurricane, EQ, whatever) often cause as many injuries and fatalities as the disaster itself. Good PPE does a lot to counteract that...

Just back from REI checking out helmets, they had a few. I ordered the Black Diamond Half Dome, up close I liked it better. I was initially drawn to the Petzl Boreo because it comes in white which I like for visibility; I’ll remedy that with white reflective tape.

How about a bicycle helmet like this Nutcase Zone?

[img:left]https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0228/2...pg?v=1547670301[/img]

It all depends on the certifications the helmet meets. That helmet is certainly better than no protection at all.

I don't care for the dark color. Bike helmets should be highly visible.

It’s available in “cream” at REI - https://www.rei.com/product/872780/nutcase-bike-helmet-mens

Looking at the REI illustration, one can see that there are cooling vents in the top of the helmet. They make perfect sense on a bike helmet, but are not optimum when you might deal with falling objects.

Cream is a decent color. I commuted regularly by bike for many years and i became a firm believer in bright clothing for the cyclist.

Of course, when an EQ strikes, how likely are you to have a helmet handy. It will be critical during the aftermath and during cleanup. Lots of potential hazards there....

Another helmet I considered was the Petzl VERTEX BEST ANSI, White. No vents which in some climates would be just fine. Other climates and the helmet is a tad warmer. However, for construction or work in the aftermath of an EQ, this might be a good option. In any case, better than the classic hard-hat.

On a sidenote, when I ride my bycycle I have this jacket on:
https://www.arktisoutdoor.co.uk/image/ca...y-2000x2500.jpg

So the color of a helmet does not make a big different, be it light or dark.

Note that there are different standards for hard hats.

As noted, the lightweight plastic shell type (ANSI Type I) doesn't do a lot. It's not much more than a bump cap, though that's still better than a ball cap.

The CSA-approved Type 2 hard hat, for example, has substantial side impact (lateral) protection all around. These are required on all industrial and construction sites up here. They are heavier and more expensive, but designed to protect against concussion, so well worth it.

I believe there's an ANSI Type II as well, though the testing methodology and underlying assumptions are quite different.

EDIT: It's also worth considering whether your respiratory protection system will work with your head protection. Industrial hard hats and respirators are commonly designed to work together.