Emergency Kit – How to Easily Build a Survival Kit
Why is an emergency kit important?
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) recommends that everyone should be prepared to manage on their own for at least seven days at home. This stems from a government decision from 2020, and it is something we should all take seriously.
The reason is that society is vulnerable in the event of a crisis, natural disaster, major accident or war. By ensuring your emergency preparedness at home, society’s limited resources can be used where they are most needed in such a situation. With a fully stocked emergency kit at home, you have all the important things in one place and you don’t need to worry about forgetting something important.
You’re not necessarily prepping for the end of the world. An emergency preparedness kit can also be of great use during prolonged power outages or snowstorms, for example.
What should a survival kit contain?
Emergency kit, survival kit, prepper kit or crisis kit – it’s known by a variety of names. But what should it contain? Essentially, the kit should contain the most necessary things you and your family need to keep you warm, clean, and fed, and for obtaining important societal information. Your survival kit should include the following basic emergency items:
Crank radio or battery radio: Allows you to obtain news and emergency population information (VMA) on Swedish Radio P4. A crank radio is also equipped with a light so you can always have light in the dark. The advantage of a crank radio is that you are not dependent on electricity or batteries.
Camping stove with fuel: To heat food and, if necessary, to boil and purify water.
Matches, tealights and candles: For seeing in the dark in the event of a power outage and to provide extra warmth.
Cans or plastic bottles with clean water: Make sure to have three litres of water per adult per day. The water is not stored in the emergency kit, but in a suitable place that is dark and cool.
Food with a long shelf life that can be stored at room temperature: For example, canned goods, dry goods, root vegetables and eggs. Choose food that you would normally eat and use, and restock the supply as the food is consumed so that the best before date is never reached. These items do not need to be kept in your emergency kit, they can be stored in a separate pantry.
Everything related to food storage
Hygiene products: Keep a little extra stock of things you use. Toilet paper, sanitary towels, nappies and wet wipes. Bin bags are also good to have – they can be used for waste and in case the toilet stops working.
Extra items for a complete survival kit
If you want to be extra prepared, consider including the following items in your emergency kit:
Torch, head torch, or lantern: These provide you much-needed light when your home is dark in a power outage.
Sleeping bags, warm clothes, and blankets: Your home is likely to get cold if there is no electricity in the winter. Make sure to have something warm for your body! You can also buy an alternative heat source that runs on kerosene, wood, gas or diesel. Just remember to ensure good the ventilation!
Medicines and first aid kits: You should always have these at home, but it is especially important in a crisis when society may not be able to respond immediately. If you take prescription or chronic medication, you should have enough to last you for a month, but do not put these in the emergency kit. Instead, use them as usual so that they do not expire.
Note pad with important phone numbers and other information: You may not have access to a mobile phone, computer, or the internet if the power is out for a long time. So it’s a good idea to keep all the information you need on a note pad.
Power bank, fully charged batteries and spare batteries: Make sure to have plenty of extra power for your phone, radio, and lights.
Entertainment: Don’t underestimate the importance of having something fun to do if you become isolated at home. Board games, card games, and books are great to have at home.
Everything in games and puzzles
Cash: Finally, it’s a good idea to put some cash in small denominations in your emergency kit. In the event of a power outage, crisis, or other disruption to society, your bank card may not work.
In addition to having a survival kit, there is more you can do to protect yourself. For a full list of what you should prepare, read our article on emergency preparedness at home.
Emergency kit size and storage
We have now gone through what you can buy for your emergency kit and what it should contain – but what type of box is best to use as an emergency kit? This depends on the types of items you want include in your emergency kit and your storage possibilities.
To begin with, your emergency kit won’t have enough space for all the water and food. Store these in a suitable, cool, and dark area in your home. The other items go into your emergency kit.
A strong plastic storage box is a good choice for your emergency kit. Just keep in mind that it has to fit somewhere too, such as in a closet, garage or attic. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a box. If you’re short on space, you can store items on shelves or in a drawer.
If you find it difficult to find space for a bulky box, it may be easier to have two smaller storage boxes. Another thing to keep in mind is not to overpack a single box that it becomes too heavy in case you need to move it, such as from the attic.
Lastly, we hope you found our tips useful, and we wish you the best of luck as you build your own prepper kit!