Keep an emergency kit for travelling too!

The Illinois earthquake has no reported damage or injuries as of first thing this morning, but it’s a strong enough quake that anything could have happened. We're all smart about emergency preparedness at home (especially since disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina) but do you think the same way when you travel?

Ready for Anything!My house has a kit, ready and waiting for disaster to strike (although I hope it doesn’t) but my travelling kit is usually just a passport and credit cards. Not enough to keep me alive if things really go wrong.

I challenged myself to come up with a better plan for the future.

It turns out that adapting an emergency kit for travel is a really smart step to take. And most of it comes in handy, (since you probably won’t need it anyway)

Ready America the government’s emergency preparedness advisors, suggest that in your home you should have a substantial kit to stay safe. You can’t bring it all on vacation, but you can adapt it to your packing style.

Water: Keep 3 days worth at home, or at least a liter on vacation. It’s easy to keep with you all the time (and you should drink plenty on vacation anyway).

Food: A few energy bars take up practically no room, they won’t keep you going for three days, but it’s better than nothing ; leave them in the hotel room if you have to (it’s ok to break into them for breakfast or a snack – just remember to replace them the same day).

First Aid Kit: Try to keep a tiny one in your purse, it’s easier than buying band aids on the go, and important if something goes wrong.

Other supplies: You should keep a radio, flashlight, whistle, and dust mask, shelter and sanitation supplies at home – but pick and choose what to bring when you’re on vacation. It all fits in the trunk for car trips, but might not be worth the room in your carry-on (bonus – a flashlight means you can find your way to the hotel light switch without getting nasty bruises).

Documents: Passport, id, cash, cards, maps and addresses of the consulate or embassy if you’re overseas. Make sure someone at home knows where you are, and that you have their contact information written down. You might forget it in an emergency, or be injured and unable to speak.

It sounds like a lot of extra stuff, but adding an emergency kit to your packing list won’t drag you down. And you’ll be thankful if it saves your life.

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