Must-Have Safety Gear for Natural Disaster Survival

Commonly, here comes a surprise with no warnings or with least warnings-if it happens, every second would count. One type of safety gear in the right moment can make history of being-someone survives or gets seriously affected. Being prepared has nothing to do with living in fear, but instead being ready in order to safeguard yourself and your loved ones whenever something unexpected happens.

Each disaster brings a variety of threats. Do earthquakes shake apart buildings? Do floods arrive to wash away neighborhoods? Do wildfires fill the air with smoky poisons, or does a hurricane down powerlines? One should have one set of tools from a sturdy helmet to a reliable first-aid kit against injuries and provide shelter until one can survive the chaos or an ambulance comes. Preparation today is one's safety for tomorrow.

Essential Survival Supplies That Everybody Should Carry

No matter what sort of disaster you face, there are some essentials to survival that every household should always keep ready. Below are the core components of your emergency kit and will sustain you for 1-2 hours of essential function after an event.

• Emergency backpack (Go-Bag) - We recommend you have an emergency backpack (Go-bag) packed up with emergency supplies ready to go and made of a durable, waterproof material, if you need to evacuate and grab and go.
• First-Aid kit - You should include bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain medication, tweezers, plus any prescription medications you or your family may need.
• Flashlight with extra batteries - Power is lost during most disasters, and a flashlight will be an important safety issue to walk at night but will, also, help you see what is around you.
• Multi-Tool or Swiss Knife - Handy for small cutting, minor repairs, can opener, and a bunch of little emergencies.

These basics count as your first line of defense, and should be built and stored in an accessible place where everyone in the family knows to grab them.

To see how different disasters unfold and why having the right gear matters, check out Most Recent Disasters in the World: A Comprehensive Look at Global Catastrophes.

Safety Equipment for Different Disasters

While some equipment may apply to more than one disaster, some disasters will require you to have a type of specialized equipment to help keep you safe. When planning for the types of dangers you have locally you want to have the necessary equipment when you need it most.

• Earthquake Equipment - A solid hard hat to help protect your head from falling debris, heavy duty gloves to move debris, and dust masks for dust in the air and harmful particles.
• Flood Related Equipment - Waterproof dry bag for your important documents, life jackets, and portable water filters to ensure you are going to have clean drinking water.
• Wildfire Related Equipment - N95 respirators to help protect you from smoke exposure, fire blankets for protection, and heat-resistant gloves to help you handle hot items and debris.
• Hurricane Related Equipment - Sturdy hard hats to protect your head, emergency whistles to call attention, comfortable sturdy closed-toe shoes to help avoid cuts and abrasions when walking through the debris.

Understanding your local risks will help you choose the right gear — Top 5 Myths About Natural Disasters – Debunked can help you rethink what’s really needed.

Communication and Navigation Devices

In most disasters, traditional communication channels may fail. You may lose connectivity to emergency updates and communicate with loved ones due to a casualty of a power outage, your mobile phone towers damaged or the Internet logged off by cyclists. Communication and Navigation Devices gives you reliable information and references to your safety.

• Battery or hand crank radio – lets you hear emergency news and weather updates even if the power is out.
• Satellite Phone or Walkie-Talkies - If mobile networks don't function you can often keep your family in touch or your team engaged in more resourceful scenes.
• Maps and Compass - Is your GPS no longer functioning, your phone is out of battery or the GPS is not sending signals, at least you have a backup navigation device mission.

These tools help to keep you connected to critical information as well as guide you on your path when you don't know how much time you have left.

Supplies That Your Family Needs: Food and Water

If something awful happens, or disaster strikes, safe food and clean drinking water may become impossible to find in as little as a few hours. Roads may become blocked, stores may close, and water may not be safe to drink. Therefore, it is important to store enough safe food and long lasting food to sufficiently last your family for a number of days. You can turn unsafe water into safe drinking water by using a portable water filter or water purification tablets.

The food you need can be emergency food that provides quick nourishment without the need to cook, as well. Options for storage containers include collapsible water containers that lay flat in your preparedness supplies and can be filled on demand. Stocking emergency food and water preparations in your emergency pack will help make sure you have enough strength and health until help arrives, or supplies return to normal.

Conclusion

Natural disasters can occur with little warning and little time to gather supplies or have a plan. Having a plan and organizing your own safety equipment prepared ahead of time is the best way to escape a natural disaster with your life and get your loved ones to safety. Each piece of gear, even if you have not thought of it in previous sessions, gives protection and the means to act quickly, if and when. When considering preparation, it is not really about having tools, it is about having confidence and the ability to act in an unexpected situation. It's a great time to start making or updating a survival kit! You never know when disaster will strike. You also never know what being prepared can mean to being safe.