Catastrophes Aren’t The Only Time Emergency Supplies Come In Handy

When you think about an emergency kit, the first thing that comes to mind is usually some sort of disaster.  It could be a hurricane or a tornado.  It could be an earthquake or a car crash.  However, as much as those are definitely times when you’d need emergency supplies, those items can come in handy even when catastrophe hasn’t struck.

For instance, on June 6, 2017, the entire country of Kenya and its 40 million people found themselves in the dark for more than 4 hours.  The blackout went nationwide after a monkey managed to make its way into a power station.  There was no flood and there wasn’t an ice storm.  It was simply rogue wildlife.

The fact is that power failures and other similar problems can happen out of the blue and it can be hard to know how long they’ll last.  Having emergency supplies on hand at all times – instead of waiting for the forecast to predict something scary – can work very well in your favor.

As you plan emergency supplies for your own home and vehicle, consider the type of emergency that could strike.  A power failure is a major consideration because it doesn’t need any specific occurrence from natural disasters.  Sometimes, they just happen.  A transformer could explode…or a rogue monkey could attack.  You just never know!

The first thing you’re likely to need is a flashlight.  While many of us typically turn to our smartphone app, those are a rapid drain on the battery.  Therefore, you’re either going to want a backup battery pack on hand so you can recharge your phone a few times (depending on how long the power outage lasts) or you could save your phone battery and just use your power bank to run a USB light. Either way, you’ll have light and will be able to recharge your phone, too.

If the power’s down for quite some time and if it’s hot outside, you’ll likely need to either consume or cook the food in your fridge before it spoils. A BBQ is a great solution for cooking while your stove, oven and microwave are unavailable so don’t let your propane run out completely, or have an emergency backup.

Keep lots of bottled water and canned goods to be sure everyone will have enough to eat and drink – especially to drink – throughout the length of a power and water failure.