Emergency supply kit

1st aid kit and knowledge on how to use it, EPIRB or equivalent

Just for starters

Cheers Sir Kev

One area a lot of us fall down in is leaving batteries in items when not in use (practically in emergency kits) , torch, transistor radios, etc. Depending on the quality of the battery, the item and the general environment the batteries can run down or even start corrosion in the item. So a good idea is to buy batteries with the longest expiry date and leave them in the packet and write what they are to be used for on the packet and place them in the kit.

Also place a list of emergency contact details in the kit, telephone numbers for Police and Ambulance Stations in the areas you are going to visit and a list of ABC radio stations. As well as your own family contact details and if you or your family have any medical conditions.

There may come a time when one of your children needs to get help and letting them know the contact numbers is a good start including 000.

That is a tough question. It depends where you are going. Our basic is an oversized first aid kit that contains the items you have listed plus an EPIRB and satphone. It also contains a variety of additional drugs. It should contain any required personal emergency drugs like ventolin for asthma or adrenoline for sever allergies. So if anyone is asthmatic, ventolin is a must. If you need the kit there is a good chance something bad has happened. There may be burns etc. If we go walking we put the kit into a backpack, who said you would be in your car when you need it. If you get caught out overnight the space blanket in the car is not of much value. You need to be location aware. Your purification tablets are useless if you have no water to put them in. If there is no water around then second item out better be 20l of water! You can live for quite a while (4-5weeks) with no food but only a few days with no water. A 70kg individual can sweat 6l/day in a hot climate with minimal exercise. Exercise can increase this to 10l. A 10% fluid loss can be life threatening. So 20l is one day grace in your situation.

Steve

IMHO it depends just where you are going to be travelling. Are you following the main highways & caravan park residing or are U going off the beaten track into remote areas. Once U decide that U can better determine what level of safety equip you need to carry.You can spend a lot of money & carry a lot of gear you dont really need if you dont think it through first.

This is my 'emergency grab bag' I have it in the front with me when driving or on my back if I am more than 20 meters from the vehicle.

I travel alone a lot so it suits me.

I also have a full Outback 1st aid kit in the vehicle plus additional EPIRBS etc in the vehicle

[img][/img]

This is a list of the contents:

GRAB BAG – Contents

3 x Back Country Freeze Dried meals c/w utensils
1 x kookaburra Emergency Stove (includes Fuel tablets)
1 x Katadyn portable water purifier
1 x pkt emergency drinking water germicidal tablets
1 x Lge hunting knife
1 x Garmin GPS60
1 x UHF handheld (5w)
1 x Accusat MT410G EPIRB
1 x SPOT Messenger
1 x Orange smoke Flare
1 x Red night flare
3 x 12 hour red snaplight nightsticks
1 x snake bite kit
1 x large orange plastic sheet (water trap, signalling aid)
1 x large clear plastic bag (water trap)
1 x large thermal blanket
1 x plastic poncho
1 x fly/mosquito net
1 x signalling mirror
2 x compasses
1 x headlight
1 magnesium block firelighter
1 x gas lighter
1 x box water proof matches
1 x bottle insect repellent/sun block cream
1 x tin Maya dust
1 x pair reading glasses
1 x length fishing line and 6 small hooks
1 x length of s/s steel wire (snares etc)
1 x gas signal horn
1 x s/s wire cutter (snare, cut branches etc)
1 x backpack
1 x 3lt water bladder
6 x AA batteries
Numerous various lengths of nylon string and rope
1 x small btl hand sanitizer
1 x pkt pocket soap (50 leaves)
1 x small notebook and pencil
1 x Orange E Flare
1 x leatherman multitool
1 x waeco Dynamo wind up torch
1 x small fold up binoculars
1 x small magnifying glass

hope this helps you with your question

I think you probably already know most of what you will need so I will only add a couple of small items that you may not have thought of.

Anti itch cream. If you have small insect bites and scratch them they can become infected very easily and that leads to other problems.

A couple of small disposable eyewash cups. About 10 cents each from first-aid suppliers.

Anti-histamine tablets, and make sure you keep the outer packet instructions as kids do not need an adult dose.

Also, keep some tinned food aside that does not require heating and can be used straight from the can without heating eg. rice pudding. It comes in tear top tins, contains cooked rice, sweetener and some liquid. It gives a great energy boost.