by Nora Carver

Created on: April 17, 2008

With the recent natural disasters affecting large portions of the world, people are wondering if they are prepared. "What would I need? What would I do?" are the questions many people are asking themselves as they watch in horror and dismay at the effects of wide spread floods, wild fires, tornadoes and other natural disasters that have occurred over recent years. Creating and maintaining a natural disaster survival kit may just save your life or the lives of someone you know.

Depending on what type of area you live in may impact your decision on what to provide for an emergency survival kit, but there are several items that are recommended to build a basic survival kit that everyone should be aware of.

1. Food and Water - necessary to survive over periods of longer than 24 hours in an emergency situation. Experts recommend keeping at least 2-3 gallons of distilled drinking water per person in the household. Food items which are best to keep in an emergency pantry include: prepackaged dry goods such as dried fruits, trail-mixes, nuts or beef jerkies, canned foods with pop off tops making access to the foods easier during electrical outings, and items that are packaged to be held for long periods of time at room temperature such as peanut butter. Basically anything that is packaged to keep out moisture or contamination, can be held for long periods of storage and does not need to be heated or have water added to it to be edible. Food and water items should be replaced as recommended by dating on the packages. Most experts recommend at least once per year.

2. Emergency lighting - Experts recommend storing in your emergency kit one or two flashlights with spare batteries for each. Candles are no longer recommended during power outages because of the risk of fire. Also convenient are small headlamps with their own power source such as the type auto mechanics use to leave hands free while focusing the light where it is needed.

3. Bedding - keeping a sleeping bag or blanket handy and easily accessible to the other items in your emergency kit is recommended. Not only convenient for sleeping arrangements, they are also useful should someone go into shock from injuries and medical professionals are not immediately available, as well as protecting against frost bite or hypothermia in cold climates.

4. First aide kit - A small first aid kit reasonably supplied with basic first aid supplies is a necessity for a survival kit. Items inside the kit should include several sizes

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