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2 months ago
Survival Cache (Emergency Cache)
This is an instructional video on how to make a survival cache - which is like an emergency safe. It is a place to store items that you will need in the event of a serious emergency. (Pay no attention to the politics.) In the event of an emergency, like your house burns down with all your worldly goods, it is a good idea to have some important items outside of the house that you can retrieve.
My list for what’s most important should you lose everything:(1) A flashdrive with scans of all your important documents. It is important to triple protect this from moisture. I suggest an altoids tin, a bottle or thermos with an O ring, with an oxygen absorber inside. I would place the bottle in one baggie after another, and then place the buddle inside a water tight kitchen storage container that will fit inside the cache.
(a) your birth certificate (b) your property deed (c) your insurance policies - health, home, car, life (d) bank accounts and credit card information (e) other account numbers; utilities, internet, cable, and any other subscription services (f) military discharge form (g) copies of prescriptions and general medical information (h) car titles and registration, and proof of insurance (i) any irreplacable documents that are kept in your home
(2) Spare keys to your house and vehicle. If your house is not a total loss, and there are still doors, it will likely be locked when you return to it. If you have electrical keys this could be costly, but the expense is best paid in good times rather than bad. You will want to make sure these are protected from moisture as well.
(3) If I were to lose my laptop, I would lose a great deal of music, and quite a few photos. It is important to have a separate memory card, flash drive, or hard drive with any media that would be lost were you to lose your laptop or PC.
(4) Cash, a spare ATM card, spare credit card. - If everything is gone, you will need cash immediately, and a way to access your money in the bank. It’s also not a bad idea to have one credit card with a small credit limit that you don’t use except for emergencies. You will need to get by for a few days before your insurance company can get you a check. This is especially true if you live far from family and long term friends who could take you in for a few days.
(5) Contact information - most of us who use cell phones rarely commit numbers to memory anymore. It’s good to have a hard copy of your contacts. You can put them on a memory card or flash drive, but that should be a back up. Stored digital information won’t do you any good if you are without a computer. Think immediate needs, short term needs, and long term needs when planning for emergencies.A small phone book is perfect. Don’t forget to include emergency numbers, agencies, insurance agents, and employers.
(6) First aid kit - if you are far from assistance, you will need to tend to your immediate needs. It’s best to have supplies to do this. Bandages and antiseptics are most important. Also include pain relievers and other OTC meds with far off expiration dates. If you wear glasses, a spare pair is a good idea. Though your prescription is likely to change before you access this cache again, they will be better than stumbling around unable to see. I keep my last prescription in my bug-out-bag. The pair before that could go in your cache.
(7) Emergency food and water - if the emergency isn’t limited to you, like a catastrophic weather event or natural disaster, you made need provisions. If you have advanced warning then you will have food and water in your bug-out-bag and your evacuation bag. Since your cache could be buried for years, you need just the basics, high calorie emergency food bars (with long shelf lifes) and water purification tablets.
(8) Other emergency supplies: (a) flashlight and batteries, (b) bandanas, (c)medical alert bracelets, (d) travel size toiletries (toothbrush and toothpaste, would be first on my list - most everything else will be available wherever you go, some baby wipes and hand sanitizer are also a good idea), (e)shelter - an emergency poncho, an emergency space blanket, and small bivy tent and sleeping bag are small enough to fit in the tube and just may come in handy if you are stranded with no where to go or can’t afford a hotel. (f) warmth - a hat, gloves, and socks could also make a big difference in certain circumstances (g) disposable cell phone might also be a good idea, in which case you would also need a crank charger (h) map of the local area, and to anywhere you might go to outside your local area (i) emergency whistle (j) a few black plastic trash bags (multiple uses)(9) a comfort item - for me, that would be an mp3 player (and batteries) and a book of crossword puzzles, and a pen. wherever i was after a traumatic event, i would feel better if i could listen to music and do puzzles. for you, it might be a book you’ve always intended to read.
(10) a vinyl bag, something that folds up or rolls up small to carry away all the times in your cache. You won’t want to carry the cache around with you as it makes your items very difficult to access.
If you have a family, then you may need more than one cache. You can start with a larger one that contains all the essential survival needs, and then smaller versions, with the needed additional food, clothing, warmth, and comfort items for each member of the family. If you have pets, you will want to be able to take care of their needs as well - food, water, collapsable bowls, a toy, a leash, a separate first aid kit, and proof of vaccinations. Don’t forget a few bags to clean up after your pet. If you have to refugee to a hotel, know which ones take pets, both close to home and outside your immediate area. Notes
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