5 Gallon Bucket

When disaster strikes, the first things you'll need include a supply of non-spoiling foods and drinking water, a disaster-proof or mobile source of heat to warm food and water, and enough clothing suitable to the situation.  Those are the most essential of the essential.

After that, though, there are still a lot of items you don't want to be caught without in the case of an emergency.  I've discussed Bug Out Bags on this blog before (what with that being the eponymous feature), but today I've decided to share another strategy for having a number of useful items ready: a five gallon bucket.

You can fit a lot of survival gear in a 5 gallon bucket.  An example list would be:

General Supplies

§  glow sticks (12 hrs)

§  flashlight

§  liquid candle

§  matchbooks

§  mylar blankets

§  hand warmers

§  AM/FM radio

§  whistle and lanyard

§  sewing kit

§  blank notebook

§  pencils

§  extra batteries (for flashlight and radio)

§  zip ties

§  P-38 can opener

§  trash bags

§  N95 dust masks

§  duct tape

§  small tarp

§  paracord

§  safety goggles

§  split leather gloves

Hygiene Supplies

§  bar soap

§  kleenex

§  floss

§  baby shampoo

§  hand lotion

§  sunscreen

§  toothpaste

§  toothbrushes

§  feminine hygiene pads

§  comb

§  toilet paper

§  wash cloths

First Aid Kit

§  basic first-aid guide

§  moist towelettes

§  antiseptic towelettes

§  latex gloves

§  acetaminophen (Tylenol)

§  ibuprofen (Advil)

§  aspirin

§  diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

§  loperamide (Imodium A-D)

§  burn cream

§  sting relief towelettes

§  hydrocortisone cream

§  triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin)

§  cough drops

§  earplugs

§  instant ice pack

§  tweezers

§  nail clippers

§  scissors

§  digital thermometer

§  cotton balls

§  waterproof adhesive tape

§  gauze rolls

§  gauze pads

§  moleskin

§  band-aids

§  butterfly bandages

§  ace bandage

§  triangular bandage

§  hand sanitizer

§  Q-tips

§  petroleum jelly

§  RAD sticker (personal radiation dosimeter)

§  potassium iodide (radiation emergency thyroid blocker)

     Now, this is only one potential list of things to include.  You will need to tailor the list to yourself.  For example, if someone in your family has allergies, especially ones that could be life threatening, you will want to include something like and EpiPen.  Remember to keep a record of when you packed your emergency supplies.  A good emergency kit can last 5 years or more, but certain materials might need to be replaced more frequently, like the EpiPen (which is only good for about 20 months).

So, keep this in mind, and decide if this is something you want to add to your family's supplies!