Earthquake survival kit

C

cheung_victor

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Aug 10, 2005
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Hi everybody, i was just wondering what items i should have in a survival kit for an earthquake. At the moment I only have a first add kit:rolleyes: and my wilderness survival kit. So could some of you guys give me a general idea of what i need since i'm not to be doing the fine work right now?:confused:
 
Are you planning to stay put or leave?

I'd probably start with going to the Red Cross website and see what they list for starters. It most likely will tell you 3 days worth of food and water. Also squirrel away a little cash. I was in the '89 CA Bay Area quake and the power was out so no ATM's and stores could not accept debit or credit cards.

Have a wrench handy to turn off gas and water should the lines rupture. No point in storing all this stuff if your house burns down.

Keep a small transistor radio or scanner. too bad you're in B.C. No pistols...Get an inexpensive 12 ga. scattergun and learn to use it.

Check this site out: http://theepicenter.com/information.html

It has some free info to help get you started. If I were you, I'd be prepping for Avian Flu first and earthquake second.
 
Given the possibility that gas main breaks may force you to relocate, I'd think about collecting the gear the "camp out" for up to a couple of weeks: shelter; clothing and bedding; water; food; sanitation; meds and first aid; communiactions (radio w/ TV ban may be best); entertainment.

And the need could arise when it's cold and raining or snowing.

And you want it stored in a condition to be quickly accessed.
 
hatchetjack said:
Keep a small transistor radio or scanner. too bad you're in B.C. No pistols...Get an inexpensive 12 ga. scattergun and learn to use it.
Click to expand...

Hmm, not sure if I need a gun or not, I am not much of a believer in gun use. So my other question is why do I need a gun in my survival kit?!
 
Looters.

A point to ponder is, if a criminal, say someone who escaped from a damaged jail, breaks into your (broken) home with the obvious intent to rape your wife and kill you before stealing your "usefuls," do you shoot them? If not (which is perfectly fine), then what do you do? You should have some sort of a plan.

These situations actually happened to people after Katrina.

My point is not to advocate gun ownership and use, but to advocate planning for security.

Scott
 
Maybe in case someone is trying to kill you. I think that was the reality in the New Orleans floods when folks were on their own which is why you think you'll need to have a kit for an earthquake in the first place.

Don't want a gun, don't put one in. You can guard all your belongings with your gas wrench while you wait for the police to come. It was a random thought that came up and personally, I don't think it's a point worth quibbling over, it's your prep.

Anyhow, I think you have some very good websites to start you on your preparations. There's lot's of adequate foods at your market that will store fine. Canned food has been the storage food for folks for a hundred years. The freeze dried storage stuff is expensive and requires cooking. In a pinch, you can eat your Dinty Moore right out of the can. Just don't forget the manual can opener.

Don't forget flashlight and lots of batteries.

This is not planning for a weekend in the woods. You are planning for an emergency that is not designed to be fun. People might pull together for the first few days but when stuff starts running out and the government is not there to help, then you are on your own. No PSK or FAK is going to matter. It's your mindset and the comfort in knowing you can make it for an indefinite period of time.

BTW, the earthquake may happen when you are not at home so be prepared in your vehicle and workplace. Stash some comfortable walking shoes.
 
See the comment from BFC member ouchicutmyself, a survivor of the Kobe earthquake, in the thread linked below:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170078

He listed the contents of his BOB in this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172771

Below are listed some items that I carry or feel I should be carrying. I live just south of you across the border, so I am in an e-quake area too. These are items for *SHORT TERM* survival and care that should be immediately available and transportable (small daypack size bag maybe). This quick 'n dirty list assumes that you have with you clothes that can protect you from the environment and weather.
- cell phone, even though the cells will likely be dead or overloaded. It might work, so think of it like a bit of insurance. Plus many of the phones are tiny and light enough that there is little weight/space penalty for carrying them.
- whistle, your voice dies after a bit of screaming/yelling but you can blow a whistle intermittently for days. Flat whistles or the Fox 40 (or mini-40) carry small. Have several scattered around your kit & body.
- LED flashlights, note the plural, carry several. Be sure to carry EXTRA spare batteries, preferably lithiums. Power may be out after the tremor, so provide your own light. Headlamps preferred because they free your hands up for aiding others, working, balancing, etc. The Petzl Zipka is almost non-existant in terms of weight and space occupied. My EDC is 2 ea Inova Mini-LED single bulb lights that never leave my body, plus an Inova X5MT in a pocket during waking hours. For more info specific to flashlights check out the Candlepower Forums.
- bandanna (or several), useful as a dust mask (better when dampened) or bandage or ....
- swim goggles to keep dust out of your eyes. The minimalist ones are little more than two lens-cups and enough elastic to hold them together.
- dust masks like painters wear, carry lots since they nest together compactly, they are cheaply available at home centers or hardware store or online.
- gloves I just carry a pair of the rubber-palmed ones currently popular at home centers for a few bucks. They are reasonably durable. Their downside is condensation under the rubber part and no wind/weather protection. A pair of well-fitting leather ones might be better, as was recommended by the Kobe earthquake survivor.
- at least 1 liter water, preferably more, for hydration and sanitation of wounds. If your "grab 'n go" bag is a hydration pack, you should have 2-3 liters right there. At the office/vehicle location stash lots of extra bottled water. At home, large barrels are the size quantities you should be considering.
- sturdy but comfortable shoes/boots, you may need to traverse hazardous rubble/debris on your way to safety.
- a roll of toilet paper double-bagged in the heavier Ziploc Freezer Bags. If you have a vacuum sealer, I recommend vacu-packing it in their even heavier and sturdier bags to reduce its bulk.
- duct tape, preferably a full roll, to repair gear and improvise bandages.

If you think you may be inside a collapsed building after the shaking is over, consider carrying a prybar and/or other tools (fire axe/hatchet, geologist's or framing hammer, Hooligan tool (the ultimate ;) ), crescent wrench/Vise-Grips, carbide-tipped window breaker, etc) usually used to break *into* buildings or vehicles as your tools of choice to break *out* of the building. If money is no consideration, a Ti (titanium) prybar is lighter than steel.

HTH.
 
Have stores in your home, but also have some tools that will get you out of your broken home, shut down the gas and have stores located in a place that's as safe from damage as possible.

As for a gun. Your philosophy is a good one in a perfect world, but in a world, where there is a major crises involving a lot of people, there are some very bad people out there that will want what you have and will do anything to get it. And because you can't stock up enough stores for everyone around you, even the good people you think that you know can turn on you if you have the necessary gear, food and water and they didn't have the foresight to plan ahead and stock up themselves. Plus, you may need to plug into the wilderness food sources and a spear just aint gonna get it when you're faced by a hungry predator.
 
Hi c_v. I'm a survivaor of the 89 Loma Prieta quake. The epicenter is about 11-12 miles from my house. When the quake hit in 89 I was a full time firefighter/EMT and also state certified in Heavy Rescue. I was OD when the quake hit at 17:04 on Oct 17th and went back into work on the 19th. Later I became one of the early CERT instructors. In the days following the Q I was the main staging area manager and led each new team into the devestated area that was our downtown. My actual first job on scene was to provide water for the search dogs.

I won't provide a list of items I think are important, that has been done already, I'll just expand on the lists a little.

1. TL listed a battery radio w/TV band. Go one better and have a battery TV, one that charges from or runs off of a 12vdc car lighter socket. A working TV is worth the effort to carry for the info and images it will provide. A TV set on top of a car is also a social gathering point for neighbors.
2. Rescue or securing your damaged home means work clothes and cave man tools. Forget about fancy knives, not the place for a Swamp Rat or any other Rambo blade as your only tool. You need a heavy axe and/or a sledge hammer. Go to Home Depot or the like and buy a 10lb sledge and a full size axe both with fiberglass handles. While you're there pick up the biggest pry bar you can find, say 5" long. Add to that a 3' crow bar. Several pounds of various nails, an all steel claw hammer, and a cheapo nail bag should be kept together. A hand saw, hacksaw w/blades, channel locks, a pipe wrench, common hand tools all have their place. A pair of heavy scissors, type that medics carry, and a roll of duct tape will be worth their weight in gold as will be a roll of plastic. A square point and round point shovel are probably in your garage now.
3. Safety goggles, heavy gloves, knee pads, dust masks, a hard hat keep you safe.
4. Canned food and bottled water, a supply of power bars of course. But the point here is to eat and drink regularly. It is easy to work for 12 maybe 18 hours without remembering to eat and a;; of a sudden find yourself weak. Oh, and don't forget the toilet paper.
5. Sleep. You may find you need to force yourself to sleep. Our bodies and minds need to rest periodically to give their best. You may find ear plugs helpful.
6. More batteries and flashlights than you'll ever think you need. By at least two times. A headlamp is more usefull than a flashlight for disaster living.
7. Edited to add-Baby wipes. Have a couple of the jumbo size containers. Also after being on my feet for more than a day I like to clean my feet with rubbing alcohol.

In closing, take a CERT class and a Red Cross advanced first aid course. If your skills in disaster preparedness show up after the quake be advised your neighbors will rely on you for all sorts of things. Don't show or discuss your supplies unless you are willing to share them. If you have kids what will you do if the schools are closed but you have to be at work.
Good Luck!
 
Obviously, youre ALL aware how hard (read IMPOSSIBLE!) it is to legally own a firearm over here, but it cases of survival after an earthquake, flood, hurricane, etc Id say a weapon would be an invaluable addition to your kit.

Just imagine what the sort of guy who'd mug you to steal your wallet, bag, laptop etc when a cop MIGHT be looking, would do to you when he wants your food, water, radio, wife/girlfriend & all the cops are busy elsewhere.
Regretably, ALL I'll have are blades & batons. I wish I could have a pistol or shotgun though. I seem to remember reading a quote by a US Senator in the 1800s stating that "An Armed Society is a Polite Society.
 
Thanks for the invite, 2dogs, to come & live over there would be wonderful. Never thought Id say it, but sick of this ruddy silly country. I lurve Californian gals, too. I used to date a really lovely blonde from Van Nuys (bless 'er!) who was studying over here.
Im sure I could learn to speak American, and though Im from Manchester I DONT sound like Daphne off "Frasier" (her accent IS good, but is more of a Lancashire one!) & my voice is deeper too. LOL. And much as I liked her scrote family when they visited in the show, her brother Simon, sounded like a cockney/Aussie cross!!

Pretty soon, ALL we'll be able to carry here are plastic safety scissors! (Actually, its probably already illegal to carry them, you can probably own them, provided theyre locked away!!)
 
StuToffee, your country just cracks me up, with all the different accents. I would pay some serious money to have someone (who could) actually speak in all the different accents, just so I could hear them.

I heard cockney once, couldn't understand a word that was said.
 
Sodak, IF you think Cockney is unintelligible, you should hear a Geordie! (Someone from Newcastle in the NorthEast of England!) I worked with a gal from there who asked me if I was deaf coz everytime she said something I kept replying "Sorry? or Pardon? or WHAT!!!!?"

As an example, the phrase "I dont know about you" would be (read THIS aloud) "I divent nah aboot yah"
Im quite lucky that I dont have a very strong Northern accent, but the Manchester accent & especially Stockport where I come from is really rough & horrible.
 
cheung_victor said:
Hi everybody, i was just wondering what items i should have in a survival kit for an earthquake. At the moment I only have a first add kit:rolleyes: and my wilderness survival kit. So could some of you guys give me a general idea of what i need since i'm not to be doing the fine work right now?:confused:
Click to expand...
Cheung lose the lighter and matches or anything that can start a fire or sparks in your wilderness survival kit just in case there is a gas leak in the area around you... A spark could blow yourself and the people around you up if you are not careful...
 
darkhawk424 said:
Cheung lose the lighter and matches or anything that can start a fire or sparks in your wilderness survival kit just in case there is a gas leak in the area around you... A spark could blow yourself and the people around you up if you are not careful...
Click to expand...

This advice, if followed, would extend to all flashlights not certified safe in explosive environments.

Better advice would be to not use a tool that could ignite gas if gas is smelled. All commercially-supplied "natural gas" is treated to create an artificial, distinctive odor.
 
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