Over the last few hours, I’ve been thinking a lot about decluttering and reorganizing our emergency kit. It isn’t a coincidence that the “worst windstorm in decades” is looming over us in Southern California. This, coupled with the news about the horrible winter storms hitting the middle and eastern portions of the country, made it seem like a good time to think about emergency kits. So, if you are looking for decluttering tips for your bug-out bags or in-home emergency supplies, let’s brainstorm.
Check your dates
Our first aid kit is part of our emergency gear, and it includes a small tube of Tylenol and/or Advil. If your kit has one, look at the date to be sure your pain relievers haven’t expired. If they have, replace the ones in the tube with fresh doses. Don’t throw out the tube. Instead, grab a piece of tape and a Sharpie and write today’s date on it. Place the tape with the new date over the old tube.
Check things like alcohol pads. It feels like they last forever, but eventually, they will lose their efficacy. If you haven’t updated your first aid kit in years, definitely think about doing it now.
Have your protein bars gone stale?
When decluttering your emergency supplies, don’t forget about your shelf-stable food. Zone Bars, which are sadly being discontinued, used to be my go-to protein bar snack for emergencies, road trips, random Tuesday afternoons, etc. While shelf-stable food can last a very long time, it doesn’t last forever. Zone Bars have a “best by” date of about six months. Some protein bars claim a year. Give your supplies a once-over. You don’t want to find yourself in the midst of a days-long emergency with stale or inedible food.
Have you been eating your emergency food stash?
I get it. Some of those emergency snacks are pretty tasty – we wouldn’t buy them otherwise. But if you have depleted your stock during your last winter storm, it is time to stock up again. While you are there, take the time to grab some more emergency water. While water doesn’t go bad, it can start to taste pretty plastic-y if you have had the big plastic bottles sitting around for a while. Make sure you add the date of purchase to your new water bottles so you know which ones to drink from and which ones to use for household needs.
Have your health support drinks?
Declutter supportive health drinks that are beyond their “sell by” dates. If you have Boost or Boost Plus, you have about nine months to a year. They are worth replacing in your emergency kit because they are full of vitamins and minerals, don’t need refrigeration, and can be consumed at room temperature. I highly recommend not choosing things that must be refrigerated before consumption unless you live in a very snowy, cold place. Then you can put them outside using nature’s refrigeration (I’m almost kidding – you don’t want to go out into the elements during an emergency unless you are a survivalist or have no choice).
Are your battery-operated lights working?
We have small lanterns for backyard festivities, but they are great for lighting up a room after a power outage. They have different settings, including a flashing emergency light. With the wind rattling the windows today, I went around and checked/replaced the batteries in all of them. We also have solar lights outside. The same goes for battery-operated emergency radios. Give them a check today.
How does that sleeping bag smell?
I know—weird question. But if your sleeping bags are stuck under your bed, at the top of a closet, or in your garage, they may be a little worse for wear. Consider popping them into the washer and dryer now. Sure, you might not need them before summer camping fun, but if you do, you’ll be happy they are not covered in dust, dirt, or trunk grime.
Is your gear looking tattered? If you have the skills, this might be a good time to get out the sewing kit and make repairs. If your blankets or sleeping bags are beyond your ability to repair them, consider decluttering them. Rather than tossing them into your trash destined for landfill, see if your area has a fabric recycler. Some cities do have them. If not, there may be non-profits or fabric reworkers/recyclers who will reuse or recycle for a small fee.
Do those fire starters still work?
We started decluttering a bunch of those long-nosed lighters. While we do have some actual matches, I was amazed at how many lighters were out of fuel and still hanging around the house or the backyard grill/propane heater. If you lose power but have a grill, you’ll be happy to have a way to light it and cook. Same with outdoor heaters. I’d love to find truly refillable ones, but we haven’t had a lot of luck. Any suggestions?
Chargers, medications, and bears – oh, my!
When the windstorm warnings became more insistent this morning, we started charging our phones, kindles, and laptops. The warnings also made me search for my portable charging stick. And it doesn’t seem to work anymore. It was very old, so I’m not surprised. Still, while the dead charger is on my decluttering list, I will consider getting a new one. When I traveled more, it was far more useful, but it is worth thinking about for our emergency kit, even if we rarely need one on the road anymore.
Also, do you have enough medication on hand to get you through an emergency? I know that some insurance companies can make it difficult to get ahead on your prescriptions. If you are getting low, put the order in now. If your insurance company will cover getting more than one month of your meds at a time, consider putting in that request with your pharmacy. And while you are in your medication stash, is there anything in there that you don’t take anymore? It’s an opportunity for decluttering! Grab old meds, put them in a box, and deposit them at a safe disposal site (many pharmacies and hospitals offer med drop-offs).
That’s all I have for right now. I’m heading outside to tie down some of our seedlings and make sure that we don’t have anything else that is likely to go flying if the wind continues to gust. Such fun!