Answer this as honestly as you can: can you survive an emergency with just your bare hands?  Probably not.  Most of us will require a weapon, a device or some gear of sorts in order to protect ourselves.  It’s a good thing that prepackaged survival tips are now being sold freely by retailers both online and off.  With these kits, you’ll have better chances of living through an emergency.  These advantages will explain why you need to buy one today:You never know when you’ll need a survival kit.

An example of a prepackaged survival kit : Quakehold! Grab-n-Go Emergency Kit – a 72 hour kit for 1 person.

A prepackaged survival kit comes complete with the kind of tools you’ll find very useful during an emergency.  Having one means you’ll be ready for any situations that will require you to act quickly. There’s no need to build a kit yourself. Most civilians and homeowners are not really familiar with the basic tools and equipment required to make a survival kit.  When people are asked what tools they’ll need for survival, they’ll probably think an old Army knife would do.  Probably… but it’s not always complete.  For example, in a survival kit, you’ll find items you’ll probably never consider taking with you, such as fish hooks, flint or tinder, a poncho, mosquito net, hat, water filter and a sewing kit.

Prepackaged survival kits also have the advantage of including tools and equipment that are the right size for travel and better mobility.  If you build a survival kit yourself, it’s likely that you will have oversized bottles and other items that won’t fit the basic kit.You have options regarding which kit to buy to fit your needsPrepackaged survival kits are put together by companies who rely on the experience and expertise of survival professionals and experts.  It’s likely that all you’ll ever need to survive any situation can already be found in one kit.  However, there are also kits that are modified depending on their main use.  Survival kits designed for desert areas, for example, contain slightly different tools and equipment than kits designed for use in urban or tropical areas.  The contents of a survival kit for a mountain climber will be different from that used by a seafarer, for example, or a hiker.

Prepackaged survival kits are handy in an emergency, the last thing you want to do is to run from one room to the next to collect your supplies.  A prepackaged survival kit contains everything you’ll ever need in one bag or box.  During an emergency, you only need to grab one and go.Items included in a prepackaged survival kit are also listed for easy reference, so they are easy to find and identify.

Prepackaged survival kits have multi-purpose uses. Prepackaged survival kits can be used for travel, adventure, racing, trekking, hiking and even tactical operations.  They are as useful as they are lifesaving.

Until very recently, scientists have not been able to predict when and where a tsunami will strike, making emergency preparedness very difficult. Caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides on the sea floor, today we can make and educated guess about when they will happen after such an event.

Today, regions at high risk may use a tsunami warning system to warn people before the wave reaches coastal areas. Computer models are used to predict the time and location of impact. Until now, the exact location where tsunamis will strike cannot yet be predicted. But once an underground earthquake occurs, an alert is sent to coastal communities that something could go in that direction. Emergency preparedness efforts are more likely to succeed when these alerts are timely.

The famous “Ring of Fire,” where many volcanoes have occurred along the lines where tectonic plates meet in the Asian Pacific, was not adequately protected by an early warning system in 2004. This was a valuable lesson for coastal areas around the world, and scientists are working hard to prepare for future events in that area.

Emergency preparedness for tsunamis begins with early warning systems that include four elements: information, advisory, watch, and warning. When the system detects an underground earthquake, Hawaii’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center releases the news to the effected communities. Because it is too early to predict the size, time, or location of the potential tsunami at this stage, a more general advisory will be delivered to likely targets. It may take hours from the siesmic event to the actual tsunami.

Where evidence suggests that a tsunami is likely but hasn’t been witnessed or verified, early warning systems issue a watch alerting populations to the likelihood. Emergency preparedness plans dictate that, at this time, people in coastal areas should be alert and watch the sea for signs, like a quick receding of ocean waters, that a tsunami is on its way. A siren may be used to alert the people, anywhere from three hours before the event is expected. If the water does begin to recede, a mandatory evacuation will begin.

Once a tsunami has been seen and verified, they issue a warning with more detailed information about where and when the giant wave will hit. A siren will again alert people. Once a warning is issued, people should already be moving out of the danger zone. They can go to high ground or try to go farther inland, taking fresh water, food, and extra clothing with them as they go. Part of the emergency preparedness effort includes announcements that will be made over the radio telling them when it’s safe to return.

The early warning system continues to work during and after the event. People will remain in the area to monitor the situation and to cancel the warning if the tsunami does not materialize.

World leaders now recognize how important emergency preparedness is to potential tsunami victims. They encourage community leaders to develop plans and conduct exercises so that they know how long it will take to evacuate vulnerable areas. They should also have current estimates on the number of people in the area so that they’ll know if people are missing after the crisis has passed.

- changing the batteries in your flashlights and other emergency electronic equipment.  Lithium batteries can last a whole lot longer than alkalines, but I would still check.

- check the expiry date on your food and water supplies. Rotate if needed. You might have to eat canned and preserved food for the next few days, but that’s better than throwing it all away

Don’t have a survival kit yet? It’s not too late to prepare. Here’s a couple of pointers :
- creating a 72-hour food kit
- creating your own survival bug out bag for $30

You can either choose to put together your own emergency kit, or better still, you can buy a pre assembled kit from one of the many suppliers online. A pre-assembled survival kit can offer you a variety of emergency supplies that are designed to meet special needs. Here’s what to look for when you’re shopping for a survival kit.


A Comprehensive Kit

Your survival kit should contain enough items to meet the requirements of the emergency situation. For instance, no matter what the size of your survival kit, it should make adequate provisions for your most important necessity in a crisis – water. Thirst increases doing an emergency situation, leaving you at risk for dehydration. You would be surprised at the number of emergency kits out there that contain very little provision for water.

A High Quality Kit

Sure, you could buy a cheaper, lower quality kit, but do you really want to be caught in an emergency with flashlights that don’t work or a lighter that’s gone damp? Some people believe that having a low quality kit is better than having no kit at all. However, there’s really no point in having an emergency kilt that doesn’t do what it’s meant to do – keep you safe, warm, and comfortable till help arrives.

A Complete Kit

Imagine opening your kit, and finding four Band-aids for first aid. You need a kit that’s stocked with enough items to last you through an emergency. For instance, a wilderness kit will need enough items to last for at least 36 hours, which is how long it could take before rescue teams do arrive. Your survival kit order form will have a picture of the kit and its contents. Count the number of items to make sure you’re not paying for stuff that isn’t in the bag.

An Expensive Kit

This doesn’t mean that you go out and buy the most top dollar product you can find without looking into whether it meets your needs. However, be wary of buying something that’s priced way too low. Remember, broken GPS systems, flimsy knives, and cardboard film sunglasses do not a good survival kit make.

An Easy to Open Kit

You don’t want to be caught scrambling to unzip your kit during an emergency. The kit must come in a durable, waterproof, easy-to-open bag that has easy-to-find compartments to hold items separately. Avoid kits with complicated locks and clasps.

An Easy to Use Kit

Your survival kit needs to be designed with your skills and handling skills in mind. For instance, a well traveled trekker will find it easy to handle a sophisticated, cutting edge survival kit that includes all modern gizmos. If you’re not too comfortable with tools, on the other hand, you might want to look for an easy to use basic kit that doesn’t requite too many high tech skills to use.

A Fresh kit

Remember, even though items like food bars and water will come with a shelf life of many years, warehouse storage and bad transport conditions can decrease the life span of the items in your kit. While this doesn’t mean that these items will be spoilt and fit to discard, it does mean that checking the expiration dates of the items in the kit is something you need to do seriously.

A Versatile Kit

Look for a kit that has at least a few tools that can be used for a number of purposes. For instance, duct tape is one those things that can be used in a dozen different ways, and so are large plastic garbage bags. More high tech versions would be a compass that doubles as a torchlight that doubles as a whistle that doubles as a …you get the point.

A Kit for Every occasion

While everybody needs at least one basic survival kit, certain people might need more than one kit to meet all their emergency needs. For instance, if you’re an avid hiker, you’ll need a wilderness survival kit that contains air horns, body warmers and shelter gear, and supplements your basic survival kit. It’s also a good idea to have more than one kit, and stash them at home, in the car, at office etc.

Civilization’s come a long way since our ancestors learned to make fire we drive cars, fly planes, and communicate with each other instantaneously across the globe but Mother Nature can still remind us who’s boss from time to time. Every region of the country and the world faces the threat of a natural disaster. Snowstorms can bring down power lines in the Northeast; floods and hurricanes make seasonal visits to the coasts and the heartland; and anyone in a state that has the Pacific Ocean as a neighbor knows what to do when the ground starts shaking. But today, it’s when the storm dies down, or the earthquake ends, that the real challenges begin. We all need a plan to ride out the strains on normal life that accompany any natural disaster.

The United States Department of Homeland Security publishes a list of items to keep on hand in the event of an emergency at www.ready.gov. The government’s list includes three days’ worth of food and water, a first aid kit, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio to listen for emergency bulletins, local maps, a whistle to signal for help, and a portable, battery-powered light source. Most items will be available at grocery or home supply stores, but one useful alternative to a flashlight is available only over the internet.

The Stick Up Bulb combines the portability of a flashlight with the power of a lamp. This battery-operated solution works both as a stationary light it can illuminate an entire room from its stable base and as a flashlight, thanks to its compact, portable design. The Stick Up Bulb, in fact, often serves as a permanent light source in rooms that didn’t have sufficient lighting to begin with places like attics, closets, and sheds. Its wireless design lets the Stick Up Bulb transition effortlessly and conveniently from a fixed, conventional light source to a versatile combination lamp-and-flashlight.

The Stick Up Bulb can play an important role in emergency preparedness, but it represents, of course, only one step in this vital process. Every household should keep a working supply of all the items recommended by the Department of Homeland Security at home, and should keep a smaller version in the car. We can’t prevent natural disasters yet, but we can prevent their aftermath from harming the things that really matter: people.

Jeff Marshall is a freelance writer dedicated to providing thorough and accurate information to readers. Additional information on the Stick Up Bulb is available at www.stickupbulb.net.

There can be a chance for a disaster to strike maybe at unpredictable times. As there may not be enough time to prepare for such events, it can be a good idea and step to make necessary preparations in early times because there may not be enough resources available to survive after a disastrous event if necessary steps are not taken.

There may be slightly different preparations for different types of catastrophes. Preparations for an earthquake may differ than preparations made for floods and other events. Emergencies can also be caused without natural disasters like in a severe power outage.

In an emergency, the resources of a group can decrease significantly and some time may be needed to restore some of the resources and facilities. Due to lack of facilities, it can prove to be a good idea that some backup is kept to fulfill the basic needs of the human being.

Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) rations are easy to store and contain a complete meal. However, watch out for the sodium content. Shown above : Mainstay Emergency Food Rations

Food and water should be at the top of the emergency preparedness plan because a human needs food and water to remain conscious and alive. The food kept should be useable without storage and cooking issue. After a disaster or power outage, absence of electric supply can be faced due to which there may be no way to heat and cook the food.

Purification tablets help get rid of bacteria in water. Do check the expiry date. Shown above : Potable Aqua Water Purification Iodine Tablets

Storage and freezing facilities also possibly cannot be accessed so the food should last and remain eatable without storage. Such food products can also be known as non-perishable food. Water should also be kept and water purification tablets should also be kept in case the water may get contaminated.

An emergency LED flashlight like the Kaito Emergency Hand Crank Dynamo 5-LED Flashlight with AM/FM radio could come in handy.

Preparing for the night time should also be part of the total plan. A hand powered flashlight and radio should be kept for lighting and listening to the recovery status on the radio. Extra batteries should also be kept because they can be used in any utility and can also power up a flashlight and radio for longer operation time. Warm clothes and blankets can also be used for keeping the body warm in cold weather.

Another necessity of human is sanitation. So, a few sanitation products should also be kept in order to help in this purpose. One thing that can matter is that a person should also prepare their mind that an emergency can occur which we may have to face. A prepared mind can work efficiently and remain relatively calm enabling it to think better.

GhillieGear.com is an online store that specializes in the latest Emergency Preparedness equipment, 72 Hour Kits, First Aid Experts, Survival Food and water. To purchase survival products visit: http://www.72hourkits.ghilliegear.com

Leatherman has had such a great success in the funny-looking Skeletool, they came up with a sequel : The FreeStyle.  The FreeStyle shaves some weight from the Skeletool, which was already relatively lightweight compared to “traditional” multi-tools.   The Leatherman 831082 Freestyle CX Multi-tool features durable DLC-coated stainless steel construction with a pair of wire cutters, a dual-action set of pliers, and a blade that can be easily opened with one hand.

Add a pocket-size frame and an outside-access blade to the list of conveniences.

For corrosion-resistance, the handles of the CX are DLC-coated stainless steel.

Premium Blade Holds Edge Three Times Longer
The Freestyle CX boasts long-lasting, multi-purpose strength in a pocket-size 3.45-inch frame. This multi-tool features DLC coating for scratch and corrosion resistance as well as a 154CM stainless steel blade that will hold its edge three-times as long as a traditional stainless steel knife. A carbon-fiber handle insert allows the CX to offer a superior strength to weight ratio.

Designed for Superior Control, Power, and Comfort
Designed to act as your “go to” pocket knife without giving up multi-tool functionality, the CX boasts an ergonomic grip to ensure comfort and ease of use. The outside-accessible blade is easily opened with just one free hand, so while you’re holding the fishing line or the flashlight in one hand, you can swiftly make cuts with the other. The CX’s two-in-one needlenose/standard pliers sport both hard and regular wire cutters.

The CX also includes a removable clip, allowing you to store it on your belt or pocket for easy access at all times.

The CX is covered by Leatherman’s standard 25-year (!) warranty.

What you get

- 154CM Stainless Steel, Clip Point Knife, Locking blade

- Needlenose Pliers

- Regular Pliers

- Wire Cutters

- Hard-wire Cutters

- Removable Pocket Clip

Buy the Leatherman Freestyle CX Multi-tool at Amazon

It’s always good to have a source of power available for emergencies. The Dome EXPower Dome EX is a multi-purpose portable & rechargeable emergency power source. It can be used as a power source for computers, TVs, fax machines, audio, fans, electrical tools, supporting 110volt AC or 12volt DC. It can also start your car engine in an emergency situation.

There are many safety features including overload protection and short circuit protection. As with most portable power sources, it’s recommended to fully charge the Power Dome EX 24-36 hours before initial use. You should also fully charge it after each use and every 6 months.

The Leatherman Skeletool Multitool is designed to be light weight yet fully featured:
- blade
- full-size pliers with wire cutters
- interchangeable screwdriver
- carabiner clip/bottle opener

This review by raptor660kid compares the Skeletool with other Leatherman models like the Wave and Juice.