This review is from: Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit, 2-Person, 3-Day Backpack (Tools & Home Improvement)
I purchased this as kind of a starter kit, and while it helps to give you an idea of some useful things to put together, it really falls short in delivering several of them. What I found was that it had the cheapest possible versions of everything it was providing. After getting this and looking what was in it, I pretty much started from scratch with a new bag (the one that came with the kit has a single stitch that was already failing when I first opened it with a 3-inch tear by the zipper).
For ~$40, you get a good starter kit, though: Emergency food bars Water Emergency Blankets VERY basic first aid kit Light sticks Dust masks Nitrile gloves Whistle Ponchos Tissue
My problems are as follows: The backpack was falling apart from the get-go. The first aid kit was too basic to be very useful (it’s the kind that you might toss in your back pocket for daily carry). The emergency blankets are pretty standard and cheap to buy. The 12-hour light sticks are easily and cheaply upgraded to the 200hr LED glow sticks for $5 per 3-pack at Home Depot. Dust masks can be had at the dollar store. Gloves are really cheap (the ones that came in my kit were replaced immediately as they were just too cheap to rely on). The whistle is just a whistle. Ponchos are pretty standard and cheap to buy. Tissue could be replaced with a ziplock bag of tissues and be just as effective.
If you’re looking to build a cheap emergency kit, look at the individual contents of this and decide what you need. If I were ever to rely on this, I would be a bit afraid. That said, after buying this I had a lot of fun rebuilding it with an “I can get better” attitude and ended up spending quite a bit more buying “better” versions of its contents and filling some gaps. $40 isn’t too bad a price to get at least part way there, but I can’t see why they even bothered with such a low quality backpack to hold it all, as I’m pretty sure I use higher quality grocery bags.
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This review is from: Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit, 2-Person, 3-Day Backpack (Tools & Home Improvement)
This bag tempted me: it’s one stop shopping for not only an earthquake bag but a bug-out bag. We don’t have earthquakes (well, not true, we had one last summer that shook my office like a rag doll, but we ARE subject to tornadoes.)
So a bug-out bag is a good idea.
But this one is a bit light on content and I think you could do better.
What it has: Emergency food bars Water Emergency Blankets First aid kit Light sticks Dust masks Nonlatex gloves Whistle Poncho raincoats And a not very sturdy backpack.
Here’s what I suggest:
Take a big backpack you have already bought (one the kids think is gross, or you have as a spare, or go find one at Goodwill or buy one new, a good one.)
Buy energy bars you like, because there’s nothing like eating a horrible one. Add the water, ponchos (you can find ones that button up into a palm-sized bundle), roll up hat, stocking cap, mittens, emergency crank radio, some batteries, hotel toiletries like soap bars, disposable toothbrush and small tube of paste, basic first aid kit in a box (drugstores have these) a flashlight, a disposable camera (! yes, your cell phone might be out of power), a deck of cards, space blankets, matches in a waterproof box, or a fire striker, possibly 2 blow up travel pillows (you might be sleeping sitting up!) extra underwear and a tee shirt, socks, a pair of sneakers (you might be in sandals or in the wrong shoes), some sugar candy, some cash, some packs of instant drinks WITH sugar (can be made up or eaten), an air horn, some MACE. (attack dogs?) and an all purpose knife or Leatherman tool. If dust is an issue (earthquake, other destruction) add that mask.
And go read Build your Bug Out Bag for better suggestions, and don’t forget the dog. If he’s as big as mine, he needs his own pack to wear.
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Nice start with a lot of cheap filler,
For ~$40, you get a good starter kit, though:
Emergency food bars
Water
Emergency Blankets
VERY basic first aid kit
Light sticks
Dust masks
Nitrile gloves
Whistle
Ponchos
Tissue
My problems are as follows:
The backpack was falling apart from the get-go.
The first aid kit was too basic to be very useful (it’s the kind that you might toss in your back pocket for daily carry).
The emergency blankets are pretty standard and cheap to buy.
The 12-hour light sticks are easily and cheaply upgraded to the 200hr LED glow sticks for $5 per 3-pack at Home Depot.
Dust masks can be had at the dollar store.
Gloves are really cheap (the ones that came in my kit were replaced immediately as they were just too cheap to rely on).
The whistle is just a whistle.
Ponchos are pretty standard and cheap to buy.
Tissue could be replaced with a ziplock bag of tissues and be just as effective.
If you’re looking to build a cheap emergency kit, look at the individual contents of this and decide what you need. If I were ever to rely on this, I would be a bit afraid. That said, after buying this I had a lot of fun rebuilding it with an “I can get better” attitude and ended up spending quite a bit more buying “better” versions of its contents and filling some gaps. $40 isn’t too bad a price to get at least part way there, but I can’t see why they even bothered with such a low quality backpack to hold it all, as I’m pretty sure I use higher quality grocery bags.
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|Take the time, get what you need for a bug-out bag,
So a bug-out bag is a good idea.
But this one is a bit light on content and I think you could do better.
What it has:
Emergency food bars
Water
Emergency Blankets
First aid kit
Light sticks
Dust masks
Nonlatex gloves
Whistle
Poncho raincoats
And a not very sturdy backpack.
Here’s what I suggest:
Take a big backpack you have already bought (one the kids think is gross, or you have as a spare, or go find one at Goodwill or buy one new, a good one.)
Buy energy bars you like, because there’s nothing like eating a horrible one.
Add the water, ponchos (you can find ones that button up into a palm-sized bundle), roll up hat, stocking cap, mittens, emergency crank radio, some batteries, hotel toiletries like soap bars, disposable toothbrush and small tube of paste, basic first aid kit in a box (drugstores have these) a flashlight, a disposable camera (! yes, your cell phone might be out of power), a deck of cards, space blankets, matches in a waterproof box, or a fire striker, possibly 2 blow up travel pillows (you might be sleeping sitting up!) extra underwear and a tee shirt, socks, a pair of sneakers (you might be in sandals or in the wrong shoes), some sugar candy, some cash, some packs of instant drinks WITH sugar (can be made up or eaten), an air horn, some MACE. (attack dogs?) and an all purpose knife or Leatherman tool. If dust is an issue (earthquake, other destruction) add that mask.
And go read Build your Bug Out Bag for better suggestions, and don’t forget the dog. If he’s as big as mine, he needs his own pack to wear.
0
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