Kitty,

I have had an extensive emergency kit under my bed for the last few years. I lived in NYC on 9/11/01, so that was impetus to get prepared. But now that I'm in LA I have to get my vehicle prepared, too. I'm thinking of buying Mainstay Water Packets because they have a long shelf life (5 years) and you don't have to worry about plastic bottle issues. I'm also going to get a radio and particle masks, as well as the items you already mentioned. I think instead of going around town buying everything one piece at a time, that I'll buy a kit from online. It is expensive, but it's worth the piece of mind. Good luck!

Kitty,

Fear not, you are not alone! Starting around the Y2k scare I had my 3 emergency kits, one at home, in the car and at work. After moving, getting a new car, and our office space downsizing…well, a year later, I still haven’t reconsolidated my kits, but I did get water into my car!

Here’s what I did:

I made sure the jugs weren’t totally full—that way they didn’t expand and contract as much with the heat. Add eight drops of household bleach (containing 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of water. This amount of bleach will kill microorganisms, but it won't make you sick. I’d suggest swapping them out every 4 months. I also made sure the jugs were in a box so they didn’t slide around and get punctured.

Next I’d like to stash a kit outside (in case the house itself is damaged) but does anyone have hints on how to ANT proof your earthquake kit? It’s hard enough to stop them from coming into a sealed house, let alone a plastic box outside!

Then, after I get the physical kits together my next goal is an electronic version of all my records on one small portable device or on a set of CD's I can mail to relatives in other parts of the country. After the countless NPR stories of people who didn’t have their social security, birth certificate or insurance cards I want to be prepared.

I am glad you keep reminding us about the emergency kit on the air, and you’re right, it is hard to be motivated about these things. I think that putting together a kit like this can be a strong reminder that our safety and society is held together by a lot less than we’d like to believe.

For me, water in the car isn't too big a problem. Ordinary water bottles in clear PET plastic (1 litre or less) hold up pretty well -- I've never had one break. (I've had a few of those milky-plastic refrigerator jugs of water break -- they don't hold up long under any conditions.) I like to keep a few of the small water bottles in my car inside an inexpensive plastic cooler (with a lock-down lid) so they don't get superheated. Then I just drink them and replace them as I think of it. A small cooler like that is also a good place to keep energy bars or whatever other food you want to stash, and any needed medicines, glasses and whatnot.

For storage outside, I like Rubbermaid Action-Packer plastic boxes -- they are not the cheapest, but they are waterproof and hold up well to weathering, and are available in several sizes. And the boxes themselves can be used for water collection, dishes and bathing in an emergency.

As to your listener's question, I don't think any outdoor box is "ant proof", but if everything consumable is in a sealed container (like water bottles and cans) or in Ziplock storage bags, it doesn't seem like that would be a big problem. If you really had to, I suppose you could get a roll of that large-size plastic shrinkwrap that is used by movers and to hold boxes onto loading pallets -- mummify whatever you've got in that and I doubt any ant could get through. But I also doubt that stuff is UV & weatherproof in itself -- it would still have to be inside some kind of box if you are keeping it outdoors.

As for Kitty's interest in saving money on items -- don't forget to raid the hotel amenities from your travels. Aside from basic personal items like shampoo and soap, you can also often pick up sewing kits, shower bonets, mouthwash and other potentially useful stuff.

Keep at it, Kitty. We'll keep checking on how you're doing.

I'm so focused on making it from one day to the next that fear of
"the big one" is not something I have given much thought to in the past. However, I recently heard that it is not a matter of IF it happens but WHEN it happens and now I am giving more thought
to being prepared for it. I would think (hope) that maybe the State
of California might have information available to the public on
a web site or a publication recommending what items one should
have stored in case of an emergency. Does anyone have any idea
where such information might be found?

What do people do about MEDICATIONS and FOOD in their emergency kits during the SUMMER?! They don't survive in the car or outside more than a few days to a few months (depending on the item and the heat) during Southern California summers. We have no place to store these kits anywhere near the front door either, and the ol' pantry is stuffed. What do other people do about this? I hate the idea of replacing all those items throughout the summer. Actually... I haven't replaced some of that stuff in 2 years! Anyone want some really old Pepto Bismal, Trader Joe's precooked rice and dog food?