Bleach, bandanas, a good wrench, and a bad Chardonnay

Yesterday, I suddenly decided that I needed to complete our disaster/emergency kits. I had started on them a couple years ago, right after I quit my job, but when I realized how much it was going to cost to buy all that stuff that we hopefully will never use, I kind of let it drop. Not only will you probably never use it, but much of it will expire and have to be thrown out and replaced with more stuff you never use. I was more interested in spending our single income on my new kitchen floor, and a coat of paint for the fence, and replacing the broken window in the den.

But after all the hurricane coverage I thought, oh good heavens - a couple hundred bucks for emergency supplies is going to seem like the BEST investment in the world if the Big One hits. An even better investment than our homeowners insurance, which of course doesn't cover earthquakes, since that's something that might actually happen to us some day. Hey, insurance companies aren't stupid.

Plus, my friend Megan mentioned that she just updated her kits, and realized this was a really good time to do it. Watching all those dislocated people on the TV made her think of things that aren't on the standard Preparedness Lists, but which would really, really make life more comfortable. Like, Chapstick. And sunscreen. And a bottle of bad generic Chardonnay leftover from a party, which we were never going to drink under normal circumstances, but hey, after two days of living in our back yard, it might taste pretty damn good. And, thus - a corkscrew.

Watching the hurricane aftermath also brought to mind some additional things I would want for the dogs. Like, a muzzle for Nelly, in case we ever have to transport her around a lot of other dogs in a freaked-out state. And doggie sedatives.

I'm not quite done, but I'm getting close. Our years of backpacking have provided some creative tricks for rustic, lightweight living. All told I think it'll cost about $300 - which makes me think again about all the people left behind in New Orleans. If you don't have money to evacuate, you're certainly not going to have money to drop on an emergency kit you may never use. Somebody ought to be thinking about that here in Seattle.

And just to encourage you - here is our home kit list to get you started...additional suggestions welcome. (We don't have kids, and of course that adds another whole layer of things.) Also, our local Red Cross has a nice section on their Web site about emergency preparedness and supplies, and I'll bet lots of Red Cross chapters have this info too. Here's a link to Seattle.
http://www.seattleredcross.org/together/index.htm

• Clothes, shelter and warmth: Blanket, tarp, heavy-duty plastic dropcloths; shoes, socks, shirt, pants, hat and gloves for each of us; camp towels; sunglasses; rain ponchos.
  
• Nourishment: Water, Gatorade, food bars, nuts, tuna, canned fruit, Emergen-C, protein powder, plastic dishes & bowls.
  
• Cleanliness and sanitation: Bleach, iodine tablets (for drinking water purification), antiseptic towelettes, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, vinyl gloves, dust masks, plastic bucket with lid, garbag bags, ziplock bags.
• Toiletries: Toilet paper, bar soap, all-purpose liquid soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, lotion, sunscreen, lip balm, femine supplies, ponytail holders.
  
• First aid and medication: Well-stocked first aid kit, Pepto, antacids, immodium, benadryl, ibuprofin, poison control kit (ipicac & carbon), saline eye wash.
• Basic stuff: Batter-powered radio, flashlights, extra batteries, extra flashlight bulbs, candles, matches, laminated city map, paper & pens, army knife, whistle, rope, duct tape, rubber bands.
  
• Tools: Leather work gloves, hammer, crowbar, wrench, pliers, screwdriver, folding hand saw, shovel.
• Dogs: Leashes, harnesses, muzzle, doggie sedatives, protective booties, dog food, canine first aid manual.
  
• Paper: Copies of important documents, copies of dog licenses and shot records, extra cash.
  
• Underrated handy items: Bandanas (can be used as hairnet, hankerchief, washcloth, dish towel...lightweight, quick-drying, very handy); carabiners (handy for stringing, hanging and securing things).
  
• Luxury items: Solar shower, deck of cards, bottle of wine, corkscrew, rawhide chewies.