Emergency Prep - Are Your Bags Packed?

 I promise that this isn't a SHTF prepping post but instead a life happens, try to be prepared post.  

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We never know when an emergency will happen (hence the word emergency) which means that you can never be truly prepared.  That being said, you can put yourself into the position of being as prepared as possible which is peace of mind while you're dealing with the actual emergency.  Today we're talking about go-bags.  Do you have any emergency bags in your home or car?  If you don't, it's something worth thinking about.  There are a number of things that can happen at any time in our lives requiring us to move quickly.  Because of this, it's not a bad idea to have some basics packed.  

For instance, if you live in an area prone to tornadoes or hurricanes, you might need a week or more worth of emergency & food supplies plus a go-bag in case of evacuation.  If you have known medical issues that will result in frequent unexpected emergency trips to the hospital, you can cater a bag to that.  If you, like us, live in an area that gets very cold weather in the winter and very hot weather in the summer, you might cater emergency packs or bags in your vehicles specific to this.  

Although I've certainly understood the value in having some preparations for a number of potential emergencies, it really hit home for me when Oliver (our french bulldog) had ongoing and ever-increasing medical issues and fairly frequent medical emergencies.  I learned very quickly that I had to move fast to make the 40-minute drive to the emergency veterinary clinic and that meant I had little time to try to think about what I needed to grab on my way out the door.  

I created a "go-bag" for him which included a print-out of all of the emergency veterinary clinics within a 3-hour drive for us because those in our tri-state area are frequently at maximum capacity.  I also added things such as a list of all of Oliver's medical diagnosis including dates of diagnosis, vaccination information, his neurologist and primary veterinarian's information, a list of his medications including times given, a very brightly highlighted reminder of his severe pancreatitis and instructions to use the food I brought for him, and enough of all of his medications for 3 days.  I've detailed more of the veterinary emergency bag below, but these are just examples of personalizing it to your specific needs.

I have worked on putting together a couple of bags with basics based on what we've dealt with in our own home.  Our power outage and unexpected hospital trip bags are the same with the exception of the addition of a list of passwords that I would bring if we were to need to evacuate because of a long-term power outage.  This way I would have access to all of our accounts as needed.  Also, if we had to leave because of a power outage, I would grab our cat Jacksons veterinary emergency bag as well which would provide us with his necessities.

With all of our prepared bags or packs I include a very short list of things that need to be grabbed in addition to the bag.  This is mostly because I don't want to forget anything on my way out the door.  This list includes things that I wouldn't be able to pre-pack such as my handbag, a cell phone and potentially prescription medications.

If you pre-pack prescription medications and/or snack foods, remember to change them out regularly so they don't expire.  For the snack foods I like things such as Lara or Kind bars.  Make sure to pack things you like and would want to eat.

Here are some lists to start with for commonly pre-packed emergency bags.

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Hospital Go-Bag:

This is packed for being both the patient and the patient's advocate/caretaker so regardless of why you have to suddenly leave, you are prepared.

Hospital Go-Bag's May Include:

• Change of Clothes Including Pajamas, Warm Socks, a Sweater (if you tend to be cold), Comfortable Go-Home Clothes, & Underwear
• Medical Documentation Including List Of Medication
• Cell Phone Charger
• Water & Snacks
• Prescription Medication
• Book/Activities/Entertainment
• Toiletries & Personal Items Including Deodorant
• Eyeglasses
• Lip Balm & Lotion
• Wipes
• Ear Buds
• Small Amount Of Cash In Small Bills For Vending Machine
• List of Items You Need To Grab On Your Way Out The Door (i.e. wallet, cell phone, prescription medications if not already packed)

General Emergency Go-Bag:

Customize this to the types of emergencies that may be common in your area.  You can also leave some of these items in a bag in your vehicles if you want to prepare for possibly being stranded somewhere or are away from home a lot and may not be at home when you need to evacuate.

General Emergency Go-Bag's May Include:

• Flashlight & Batteries
• Water (a gallon per person per day)
• Non-Perishable Food
• Sanitation & Hygiene Supplies (i.e. toilet paper, wipes, toothbrush & toothpaste, feminine hygiene supplies, deodorant)
• Basic First Aid Kit
• Emergency Blankets
• Change of Clothes & Shoes
• Matches/Lighter
• Rain Gear
• Health Information & Health/Personal Documentation Such As Insurance Papers, Passport, etc.
• Prescription Medication
• Eyeglasses/Contacts/Contact Solution
• Battery Powered or Hand Crank Radio
• Multipurpose Tool
• Cell Phone Chargers
• Cash In Small Bills
• Pet Supplies
• Games/Activities for Children
• 2-Way Radios
• Manual Can Opener & Basic Silverware
• Garbage Bag
• List of Passwords For Bank Accounts, Utility Company Accounts, etc.
• List of Items You Need To Grab On Your Way Out The Door (i.e. wallet, cell phone, prescription medications if not already packed)

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Veterinary Emergency Go-Bag:

As I noted above, I learned the value in this after a very hectic and scary emergency.  If you have pets, regardless of whether or not they have any medical issues, I highly encourage you to think about preparing a bag just in case it's ever needed.  Add to it as their needs change and it will always be ready to go.

If your pet has one or more serious health conditions that may have complications, I've found it helpful to ask my veterinarian to write out specific information that I can keep in the bag that will assist the emergency veterinary staff, so unnecessary testing doesn't need to be run and so that they fully understand where your pet is with their condition.

Veterinary Emergency Go-Bags May Include:

• Water & Non-Perishable Snacks For You And/Or Your Pet
• Collapsible Water Bowl For Your Pet
• Pet Food (if your pet has a special diet)
• A Printout Of Your Pet's Medical History Including Vaccinations, List Of Medications, Insurance Policy Number, Any Allergies, Doctor Information, etc. 
• Wipes
• Poop Bags (Dogs)
• Book/Entertainment For You
• Warm Sweater For You (if you get cold easily)
• Blanket For Your Pet
• Prescription Medication
• Harness/Collar & Leash
• Cell Phone Charger
• Ear Buds
• Small Amount Of Cash In Small Bills For Vending Machine
• List of Items You Need To Grab On Your Way Out The Door (i.e. wallet, cell phone, prescription medications if not already packed)

If you don't already have emergency go-bags prepared, I highly encourage you to do so.  The hope, of course, is that you never need it, but if you do, you'll be grateful it was there for you.