How Are Your Medical Kits ? Evacuation Kits ?

This might be your Medical Evacuation Kit

These are the twin emergency evacuation bags I mentioned.  These would be referred to by many as "twin bug out bags". Certainly, a small family could take only one with them. People with small children or a baby would need two.

This is called a "Harvard Document Bag"   Use whichever color you wish, but this is where your documents go for safekeeping should you need to evacuate from your home in a hurry.  Of course, there are many different types of bags which approximate this type of bag which would also do the job well.   WE WILL TALK ABOUT DOCUMENT AND HEALTH CARE RECORDS IN THE NEXT POST...

    

This is wonderful to have. You can enclose your important documents in this, prior to placing them in your Harvard Document Bag.

        When I started this blog, there were an abundance of posts on beginning a variety of kits which could be useful in in an emergency situation of some kind.

This is the link to "Creating Your Own Medical Kit for Home Base"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/09/creating-your-own-emergency-medical-kit.html

This is the "Continuation of the Medical Kit for Home Base....Medication Listings"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/continuation-of-emergency-medical-kit.html

This is "Dehydration and Rehydration"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/11/dehydration-and-rehydration-solutions.html

This is "The Dental Emergency Kit"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/11/dental-emergency-kit.html

This is "Potassium Iodide and Potassium Iodate"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/11/potassium-iodide-and-potassium-iodate.html

This is "Wisdom with Antibiotics"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/11/wisdom-with-antibiotics.html

This is "A Great Emergency Surgical Kit"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/12/great-emergency-surgical-kit.html


This is "Assembling Your Own Excellent First Aid Kit"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/12/assembling-your-own-excellent-first-aid.html

This is "On Emergency War Surgery....A Reference Book"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/01/emergency-war-surgerythe-nato-manual.html

This is "Updated Information on the Diabetic E-case"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/01/updated-information-on-diabetic-ecase.html

This is "Emergency Flu Preparation"
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/02/emergency-flu-preparation.html

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   This in itself, is a great deal of information, and I needed time for readers to digest all of the medical information before adding more to what can be an overwhelming pile of things to do.

     I see things a little differently than "Dyed in the wool survivalists".   I believe that most families need first to address the need for a Home Medical Kit.   This was covered in "Creating Your Own Medical Kit for Home Base". In many families, this kit is going to include things like nebulizers and vaporizers and may not travel easily or well.  It may be best located in a shelved closet.  For smaller families, this home kit could be located in some medical kit bags, and could also be your "Medical Evacuation Kit".   In my family we have a small room with medical supplies (like a canning room), and then a separate medical evacuation kit, should we ever need to leave here in a hurry.
       Following the Medical Evacuation Kit, (and the home kit), the next thing to gather, really should be what I term, the "Evacuation Kit". (Some others call it a "Bug Out Bag")   At first, this may be supplies for three days for your family, but ours is packaged for a week.   This kit should allow you to grab it, and have emergency supplies, (the medical being in the other bag)    This kit, the general evacuation kit, probably fits best in a backpack. Large families might actually have to employ two backpacks for such a purpose.

 General Evacuation Kit Supplies:    This kit's job is to get you where you are going when you have to leave home.

   At the very least must start with:

     Water, sufficient for each family member.  This is heavy, so certainly, you will likely only be able to carry enough for travel.   Some people use plastic water bottles.  I use the foil covered variety from Sam's Club because they have a longer shelf life and can be stored a bit longer than plastic bottles without rotation.  These should be spread out between a couple of backpacks should you have a large family and should you use 2 backpacks as a General Evacuation Kit.

       Many people bring a Katahdin brand or a Berkey small portable water purifier should they need to drink other water where they are going.  I also include some water purifying rablets.
  (Like these:        http://beprepared.com/category.asp?start=0&c=140&sid=google&gclid=CMHcrZfKza4CFUXc4AodEGC8Ew               )

        Secondly, some food bars, granola bars and some small packages of freezer dried, "backpack meals" are a good idea. I bought some of these on sale recently that are the "Mountain House" brand.  These are very light and easily reconstituted. We also have a few plastic forks and spoons.

        We also keep gatorade powder in small individual containers should someone be dehydrated and require a but more than water during travel.

         Third, we have packed small plastic bags for sanitation, packaged wipes with benzalkonium chloride, for quick cleaning, and toilet paper with the cardboard roll inside extracted.  We flatten the paper once it is without the cardboard roll and it travels much easier.  We like the Scott brand, if you are in the US or Canada.

        We would place any medications we use daily in our Medical Evacuation Kit.  

  These are other items which you might consider stocking:

 Quick change of clothing (see below)  especially socks
 Bug repellant
 Fire starting supplies
 US and good regional map
 Magnifying glass and compass
 Cash and change (which I keep with my documents)
 Flattened portable water collection bag
 Your favorite flashlights in multiple sizes
  Lightsticks (great for children.)
  Small radio or portable HAM if you have it.
  survival knife or small axe
  handgun and ammunition if appropriate for your area
  shotgun or rifle may be more appropriate for some areas, with ammo also.
  gloves
  all weather plastic ponchos
  female sanitary supplies
  deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, small shampoo, other toiletries.
   underwear for all.
   Duct tape and rope

   Keep in mind, if you have an infant, then diapers, wipes and formula, possibly powdered varieties will be necessary.

    Because we have so many animals in an evacuation, we keep a completely outfitted truck for their evacuation, and would still need outside assistance which we have arranged, in the event of a complete and urgent evacuation from this farm.  For this reason, our evacuation kits do not contain animal food, bowls, or their meds. It is quite possible though, that your kit should.




Since we would evacuate from here using our cars, I keep some items in the car in a backpack already.
These would include a pair of rugged boots or shoes, a couple of pairs of socks, a shirt which could be changed.  I also always have a couple of tarpaulins in my car, and a blanket sealed in a Space Bag.

          Keep in mind, this is a starting point only, and that your own needs and location will dictate what you truly need to have with you.
 
            

Many families find that they can stock certain evacuation items in their car, and recheck them and adjust them for season, about every four months. This may reduce the number of things you need in your Evacuation Kit backpacks.  Some of the minivans have an astounding amount of hidden space and nooks and crannies suitable for emergency evacuation storage.  This can be a good idea, unless of course, your car is in the shop when you need to evacuate, or you stock things that age too quickly in your car.   I have seen garaged cars, SUVs and even sedans pre-stocked well with this in mind.

Of course, the best and most complete source for all this information is my book:

 

    Rational Preparedness: A Primer to Preparedness