I have a small fairly-crap earthquake kit that is pretty out of date. I’m reviewing/upgrading what’s in there. I really like this guy’s list of what’s in his kit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/cokp53/my_emergency_aargh_world_is_ending_go_bags/
Anyone else have a kit or interested in putting one together? If so - watcha got in there, what bag do you use, etc.?
Funny I just had some friends over on Monday to go over what’s in our
respective emergency kits. I’ve also done a short talk on this at the VECTOR
Radio Skills course for the last couple years.
I guess it really depends on what your focus is. I have all the usual
supplies but my kits are heavily skewed towards water, both carrying and
purifying, and power, battery packs, solar etc. The former as it’s probably
the hardest to get clean versions of once your stockpile runs out and the
latter for communications, lighting etc.
Happy to bring my gear by for a show and tell one day.
If you haven’t listened to it, well worth listing too CBC’s Podcast on the
big-one happening here.
If I get a chance, will put all the stuff on the table and send a photo over
the weekend.
From same meeting on Monday, these came up in discussion
In my current kit:
1 week of dry rations
1 week of individually packaged drinking water
life straws (although I hear those are hard to use)
waterproof matches
rope
toilet paper
first aid kit (including eye wash)
folding shovel (this came with the first kit I bought…heavy not sure I need it…could be good for fighting zombies)
mylar blankets
radio
hand-crank flashlights
glasses etc
soap/toothbrushes/etc
garbage bags
tarps
work gloves
gorilla tape
waterproof tape
N95 masks
water purification tablets
prescription meds
common drugs - tylenol, whiskey, etc.
tinned cat fud
cat litter/collapsible litterbox
cash in different sized denominations
government id
pen knife
paracord
emergency candles
I’d suggest a Sawyer water filter, I tried one in the backcountry and works great, they’re $30 on amazon and super light, better in practically every way to the old style filters that you find at MEC ($100++ bulky and fragile).
And given the current climate probably adding some iodine pills is not going to hurt (probably similar probability as the big one I guess).
This would make an excellent talk/night.
Bring a kit, talk about your rationale for what you need, what situations you feel you are protecting against, and even how to use certain equipment (such as water filtration).
If someone has an MRE (or something similar) maybe it would be fun to bust one out and see what they are really like.
Between @Janet @hjsvhsweb @3bien or any lurkers that are keen on this, can someone set up a night? It doesn’t need to be a big event, but even just walking through the disaster plan and why certain things are more important than others would be great.
I know I’ve dug into emergency kits and scratched my head when looking at proportions of supplies, but I also don’t do much research on the subject.
I can probably scare up a MRE… And some dehydrated options…
I’m in. So when?
That’s up to you; pick an empty date on the calendar. If you don’t have access to the calendar, ask for help on slack (or here)
An excellent article on water filters is
I have multiple Lifestraw products (original lifestraw, lifestraw steel, Lifestraw Go and Lifestraw flex). The Lifestraw Go is with me all the time.
Sawyer SP194 - 4 litre, 2 bag system, first one I bought about 7 or 8 years ago, rated for 1 million gallons, crazy! Also have a couple of small inline carbon filters for use with this.
Aquamira Frontier Max - bought for 2 reasons, it works inline with a Hydration pack and filters viruses.
Plan to add the Katadyn BeFree and the Steripen Ultra at some point, the latter before the former.
Never done an event before. Will look at my calendar. Off the top of my head, I am thinking Thursday or Friday this week.
I’d love to come but I’m away until Sept 10, if needed I can organize a pt 2
Would be good to get everyone together. I am cool with post Sep 10, Janet?
Sorry I am super-busy right now with a book launch coming up and don’t have a ton of free time - but forge on without me!
Understood Janet
3bien, how about Friday the 13th 
In terms of outfitting kits, this is a nice low cost option for a multitool.
https://www.cabelas.ca/product/87131/cabelas-multitool
I use one of these as my EDC. The case wears out pretty quickly but
otherwise small, and lightweight for everyday use.
I plan on having two types of kit:
Weight is the big issue obviously with the bug-out bag so I’m thinking of passing on a tent or anything like that and putting in a bivy bag.
Edit: should add I expect to have to leave our building if there is an earthquake. The bin is more for the '98 eastern Canada ice-storm scenario (lived through that).
Steve Roy reminded me that prep for Maker Faire will be occuring on the 13th
so maybe do it on Thursday Sep 12 instead? Though Friday the 13th is just
such a cooler day
Thoughts.
I think the Thursday might work better for me (despite the thrill of tempting destiny with Friday)
Heh, tempting destiny LoL.
Okay Thursday the 12 of September it is. I assume you can bottomline and put
it on the calendar? What time do you want to start, 7pm say? Typically
when I’ve done my talk at the VECTOR Radio Skills course it’s about 25
minutes long and mostly consists or my rationale for what’s in my kit and
pass the interesting items around for people to look at. Answer questions,
make recommendations for where to buy certain things and done.
But given there’ll be multiple “presenters”, at least you and me and Janet if
she suddenly gets a bunch of free time from LaserMoose book launch prep
Anyone else want to be a presenter?
Maybe 10 minutes per person to demo their kit and then questions from the
audience after all kits shown? Then just round robin disucssion?
Did this get a bottom-liner (if so, whom)
Can we get this on the calendar? If you don’t have access, please post the:
Title
Date/Time (start/end)
Description you’d like on the event
Bottomliner
Thanks