6 Tools You Need To Have To Be Ready For Any Emergency
Many situations can be declared emergencies depending on the situation. Whether it is a natural disaster, an injury or you’re just caught in a blizzard; many different tools help you to be ready and prepared for any emergency. The best way to be prepared for any emergency is to have the proper tools and supplies on hand. Your emergency kit should include:
1. Cash
Even if you’re not in a major city, ATMs and credit cards still work. This would be useful for getting out of disasters zones or buying yourself some time until you can get hold of your family. Money is often the deciding factor in the survival of a person in an emergency. It is necessary to have money when buying food, water, and clothing. If you don’t have money, learn more on how to get a quick loan for emergencies. With the additional money, you can recover from most emergencies such as an accident, house damages, and others.
2. Medications
Even if you are in good health, it is important to have medications with you just in case there was an accident or someone was to get sick. Having the proper medication for allergies, headaches, diarrhea, etc. can save many hours of discomfort. Many medications are available without a prescription. This is a good thing if you have a sudden illness or injury. The following medications should be in every person’s medicine cabinet: acetaminophen or ibuprofen, cough syrup or cold medicine, antidiarrheal medication, and over-the-counter allergy medication.
3. Basic First Aid Supplies
You never know when you’ll need a bandage! Keeping your first aid kit fully stocked with all different types of bandages will allow for almost any ‘owie’ that may come about no matter where you are. Also included in basic first-aid supplies should be gauze pads, alcohol wipes/swabs, hydrogen peroxide mixture (to clean wounds), antibiotic ointment packets, and latex gloves. Don’t forget to keep in mind any medical issues you may have, such as allergies.
4. Knife
A knife is one of the best multi-purpose tools you can have. You can cut kindling for a fire, protect yourself with it (although not recommended), and split small branches into smaller pieces to fit inside your cooking pot. Knives are super versatile and should be kept on everyone! Make sure the knife comes without serrations or ridges as they make cutting harder. A multipurpose knife or multi-tool has different functions such as opening boxes, cutting rope, screwdrivers, and knives.
A practical example of using a multipurpose knife during an emergency is cutting up food to make it easier to cook, cut off clothes from a burn victim, and cutting your seatbelt after an accident. Multi-tools are very small and easy to bring with you anywhere, so there is no reason not to have one!
5. Lantern/Flashlight
Whether the lights go out or you’re caught outside in pitch-black darkness during any emergency, having a lantern of some sort will always help brighten up the situation! Having something like an electric lantern would work best since it does not require any type of fuel to run. Candles do work, but it makes it hard to see more than just a few feet away. Make sure you have access to lots of extra batteries if your lantern needs them!
You don’t want the power going out in the middle of the night and be without a flashlight or light source. During emergencies, electricity can become scarce, and keeping alternative sources of lighting will allow you to see and navigate through dark rooms or outside at night for safety measures. A headlamp or lamp that runs on batteries would be great for this since they provide hands-free lighting that’s convenient when other supplies may need your hands.
6. Emergency Radio
If the power lines are down, having an emergency radio will allow you to get weather updates on what’s going on around you and how severe it may be. You can also use this radio for entertainment; by listening to music or even catching up on the most recent news headlines – all without using any type of electricity! An emergency radio can be powered in many different ways like hand crank, solar-powered (a small one), battery operated (AA/AAA or rechargeable ones).
With the right tools, you have no worries if you face an emergency. This article has shown you the different tools that are essential to have in any kind of emergency. Having cash, medications, basic first aid supplies, a knife, lantern/flashlight, and an emergency radio will be very helpful during any type of disaster or emergency!
