How a DIY Prepping Kit Can Help You Respond to Emergencies Faster
By Daisy Luther
A common discussion around prepper tables is how and where to store all of your stuff. One method I like to use is making prepping kits that are geared to respond to certain types of emergencies or situations.
The best example of a prepping kit that almost every prepper has is a bug-out bag. Our bags are geared toward providing us with what we need to survive for 24-72 hours away from our homes. In them, we keep food, water and filtration devices, lighting, navigation tools, emergency shelter supplies, and first aid gear. Because this is a standalone, contained set of gear organized for a specific purpose, we pare out the things that aren’t necessary for that type of emergency survival.
But you can easily expand the kit philosophy far beyond the bug-out bag. Not only do prepping kits help you to respond quickly, they also help you plug any holes you might have for a particular type of event. You can quickly find the things you need in one place, instead of searching around in the dark with a flashlight clenched between your teeth.
Here are just a few examples of the prepping kits you can create. Use this as inspiration to make kits that are most likely to be needed in your setting, for your family
Power Outage Kit
I keep a power outage kit in my hall closet, where it’s easy to find even on the darkest night. The kit is kept in a Rubbermaid container with a lid. In it, I keep the following:
- Flashlight
- Headlamp
- Batteries
- Tealight candles
- Lighters
- Small indoor-safe emergency stove (this one folds flat)
- Fuel canister for the stove
I keep extra fuel canisters and candles elsewhere, but I always have the basics together so I can function. Plugged in to keep it charged, I keep my small solar generator in a closet that has a plug, with the accessory package and the folding solar panels on top of it and behind it respectively. The goal is to keep all of your related things together so you have all the bits and pieces you need to handle things quickly and efficiently.
Water Kit
I have another kit in a decorative cabinet that resides in my front hall. This is where I store all things water-related. This prepping kit is larger but neatly stashed away, and like the other kit, it contains the basics. Extra supplies are stashed elsewhere.
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In my water kit, I keep:
- A water bob for my bathtub
- 5 1-gallon jugs of water on the bottom shelf
- Iodine for treating water
- Pool shock for treating water
- A basin for doing dishes or washing produce
- A Sawyer Mini
- A couple of Lifestraws
The things you keep in your own water kit may vary and could also include things like testing strips for your well, a vessel for collecting water from an outside source, and other miscellaneous water-related supplies.
Tornado Kit
This is an example of a more regional kit a prepper might want to put together. Anyone who lives in tornado country knows that their immediate response could be the difference between life and death. When we had a house in a tornado-prone area, I kept my tornado kit in the part of the basement where we’d go if a twister was inbound. You might want to keep a similar kit in your storm shelter.
Here’s what we kept in ours:
- Helmets (any kind will do – including bicycle helmets, which are inexpensive and easy to acquire)
- Water
- Protein bars
- A blanket to throw over ourselves to protect from debris
- First aid supplies
- Sanitation supplies in case we’re trapped in there for some time
Your kit will vary based on where you live, how many people are likely to be sheltering, and any special needs you and your loved ones may have.
What kind of container should you use for your prepping kit?
You can use a variety of vessels for storing your prepping kits. Here are some examples of how I store my supplies.
- Stackable Rubbermaid Totes
- Suitcases slid under the bed
- Small, decorative cabinets that are dedicated to one specific type of prep
- A shelf in your pantry or hall closet
- A nightstand or side table with drawers
- A basket on a shelf
The sky is really the limit when it comes to places in which you can compile a kit. The main goal is to keep things that you might need together, together. Often when you use the kit philosophy, you duplicate certain supplies. For example, I have a Sawyer Mini in my home water kit and my bug-out bag, and I also keep one in my purse at all times. But two is one and one is none, right?
I prefer opaque containers for this purpose so that a casual glance doesn’t spy my preparedness supplies.
The next time you have an emergency, you’ll be incredibly glad that you put the things you’ll need for it all in one place, where they were easy to find.
For some thorough checklists, take a look at The Prepper’s Interactive Book of Lists.
Do you use the prepping kit philosophy?
Do you keep your prepping supplies dedicated to specific emergencies in one place? Can you share what type of prepping kits you have and what you keep in them? Let’s discuss the humble prepping kit in the comments section.
Source: The Organic Prepper
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
