Emergency kit

Right on the heels of Ondoy, Pepeng is threatening the country again... with the strength of Milenyo, this isn't gonna be something we can ride out easily.

With relief efforts still on-going, people may be caught off-guard when Pepeng hits.

The last thing we need is more casualties... so please be as prepared as possible.

An emergency kit should be packed and ready to go at a moments notice. This is my recommended kit contents good for 3-4 days per person. Although this kit is meant for extreme evacuation situations, pray you NEVER have to use it... but it's always good to have one ready for each member of the household.

Food rations:
try to carry at least 9 small canned items... sausages, spam, anything ready to eat.
Libby's Vienna sausages are small and easy to carry... no need for a can opener
1 can of Spam should be equal to 2 cans of corned beef or sausages so volume-wise easier to carry. Cookies, biscuits... individually wrapped. They contain sugar and can lessen the impact of hunger if you should be stranded for prolonged periods with nothing but your rations. Oatmeal cookies are slow to digest and can offset hunger and make canned foods last longer. Do not pack perishables in your emergency kit. Keep these at home. Emergency kit should only contain absolute necessities and compact food items that are sealed, water-tight, and ready to eat. Instant noodles/rice are out... keep these at home. A bag of pad de sal should be on hand as well. Although bulky, it's an easy source of carbohydrates and can extend rations longer. All this food, good for approx 3-4 days will weight about 2kgs, and will fit in almost any backpack with room to spare. Pre-pack everything.

Water... unfortunately, 3-4L of water per person would be the minimum needed... 1L a day to prevent any kind of severe dehydration. 2L would be best. That's 1kg of weight per liter of water. Hydration packs, and Camelpacks are recommended if you have them since they distribute the weight of the water as you carry it.

Medicine: fever & diarrhea pills, bandages, band aids. Keep some toilet paper in a ziplock bag as well

Clothing
Jackets, heavy raingear, anything to keep you warm IN the rain.
Boots if possible... hiking, trekking, or anything heavy duty. Military boots are cheap and can withstand anything. As goes for any military clothing. Wear a belt... nylon webbing if possible (military belts) they can be used to lash yourself to something if flood currents are too strong... and are strong enough to lift up a person in an emergency situation.

Equipment:
Heavy Duty LED flashlight. Buy one if you can. Waterproof, shockproof... LED. LED flashlights don't burn out, and make batteries last much longer. Have at least one ready and one spare battery set in a water tight container.

Ziplock bags... VERY handy. These can keep celfones, documents, money, etc dry and safe inside you bag. They are tougher than garbage bags, and can be reused after the calamity has passed. Keep at least 5 of them in your bag.

If possible, have a dry-box, dry-bag, or water-tight bag for all these items... if not, a garbage bag inside a heavy cloth/canvass/nylon bag will have to do.

Swissknife or any multi-tool. Even if it's just for the can-opener, these come in handy in all situations.

**For computer users... back-up! Laptops can easily be replaced... data can't. It's easier to save a removable HDD than carry a laptop in a flood. Backup all important data to a portable external HDD. This fits in a Ziplock bag or dry-box and can be brought in the event of flooding. If you don't have a portable HDD... burn all data to CDs and DVDs. These can withstand water damage (yes I've tried) and are much easier to bring with you should you need to evacuate your home or office.