Disasters—whether in the form of natural disasters, tech emergencies, or a ripped seam in your only pair of dress pants—are all about preparedness. Here are eight kits you should keep in your home to prepare yourself for the most common emergency situations you might face.


Everyone has slightly different needs, and while a few of these (like emergency preparedness kits) are a good idea for everyone, some are more specialized depending on your needs. Still, variations on these kits should be useful for nearly everyone, so here they are, loosely ordered from least to most essential.

The Stain Removal Kit


In last week's open thread, reader MsCassLopez suggests keeping a stain removal kit with the following items:

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White vinegar

Baking powder

Nail polish remover

Liquid soap

Toothpaste

Goo Gone

Based on what we've seen before, we'd also add lemon juice to the list, since it seems great for a few different things. Photo by Zach Klein.


The Office Survival Kit

It sucks to spill coffee on yourself before a big meeting, or to suddenly split the seam of your pants on your lunch break. For this reason, Simple Productivity recommends you keep an office survival kit in your desk for emergencies. They recommend a few simple (and small) things:

Sewing kit

Instant stain remover

Basic medical supplies (painkillers, sinus tables, stomach medicine, cough drops, etc)

A small toolkit (small pocket knife, a little screwdriver, nothing outrageous)


Depending on the type of work you do, you might also consider items like an extra tie, deodorant, mouthwash, or a lint roller.

The Sick Day Kit


Getting sick stinks no matter what the situation is, but it's even worse when you suddenly realize you have no supplies. As we've mentioned before, this is all about stocking up on cold medicine, and foods. Your exact choices for foods is going to vary (we'd recommend soups, teas, and other easy to cook, non-perishable items), but you'll also need a few different medicinal supplies:


Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin

Dramamine

Benadryl

Imodium

Sudafed

Cold/Hot pack

With these supplies, you should be able to pull through any minor illness on your own so you don't have to call your mom for help. Photo by Kelley Boone.


The Traditional Go Bag

As the name implies, a traditional go bag is a single bag you can walk out of your house in case of an emergency. The bag should have survival supplies to keep you fed and with water for at least 72 hours. A few variations on the bag exist, including the Bug-out bag for hardcore suvivilists, and the Go Bag aimed more at urban residents. Which type is better for you really depends on your survival skills, and location. Regardless, here's what every go bag needs (and you can expand as needed):


Copies of important documents in waterproof container (photos IDs, insurance, etc)

Extra set of house and car keys

Bottled water (or water purification tablets) and non-perishable food

At least $100 cash

Flashlight

First aid kit ( pocket-sized should do the trick


After the above list you should pack in different items depending on your area and needs. The main goal is to make sure you have the supplies you need to survive in a single bag.

The Tech Go Bag


While a basic survival style go bag is great for the majority of people, those of us who rely on technology to get get things done need a different set of tools. We've walked you through creating a tech go bag before, but here are a few things that most of us can keep in our bags at all times:



Obviously your tech go bag is going to vary depending on what you use, but the above should cover most people's needs.

The Household Oh Sh*t Kit

Whether you're owning or renting a house, things can go horribly wrong on a seconds notice. Perhaps a drain pipe explodes water everywhere, or a crack of thunder rattles a chandelier loose. While a basic toolkit is great (see above) in most situations, it's not always enough. Sometimes you need to patch things up to survive long enough for a real repair. Here's what you'll need:

All of your appliance manuals (including how/where to turn off gas and water)

Duct Tape

Tool kit (see above)

Plumbers putty

WD-40

Rags/Buckets

Lockpicking Kit


Your house (or apartment) is likely going to dictate a few other items to keep on hand depending on the situation. The point isn't that you can do a massive repair with these items. It's to get you through the night when Home Depot is closed or your maintence guy is out of town.

Tool Kit


Obviously most people need at least a standard tool kit around the house. Your hobbies often dictate what types of tools you need, but most people can get by with just a few simple tools:


That's really all most people need. Obviously you'll expand your tools on a project-by-project basis, but for nearly every simple DIY home project you can get most things accomplished with the tools above. Photo by Erich Ferdinand.

First Aid Kit

Even if you don't fancy yourself a DIYer, everyone needs a basic first aid kit in the house. We've talked about first aid kids that fit in your pocket and first aid kids for your car, but a basic first aid kid for your house is a little more expansive (and useful). According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, a first aid kit should include:

Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin

Cough suppressant, antihistamine, and decongestants

Activated charcoal and Ipecac

Bandages

Safety pins

Gauze and tape

Scissors

Antiseptic wipes

Antibiotic ointments

Hydrogen peroxide

Cold packs

Tweezers

Your first aid kit should also include any specific medications or supplies tailored to your own heath.


Emergency Disaster Kit


A basic emergency disaster kit is pretty much essential for everyone. Depending on where you live, you'll need different types of tools, but according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency every kit needs the following items:

Water (one gallon per person a day)

Food (ready to eat or requiring little water)

Cooking and eating supplies (can opener, utensils, plates)

First aid kit (we'll talk about this in the next section, but it should be separate from your day-to-day first aid kit)

Warm clothes, blanket, and rain (or snow) gear

Hygiene items (toilet paper, toothpaste, hand sanitizer)

Basics tools (hammer, crowbar, wrench)

Plastic bags for garbage disposal

From there, you can prepare a customized kit based on the type of disaster you're more likely to face over at 72 Hours. You can customize it for earthquakes, fire, power loss, and more. Photo by Global X.


Preparing for emergency situations isn't exactly the most fun activity in the world, but it's certainly more enjoyable than getting stuck without supplies. Once your kits are packed, you can forget about them until an emergency strikes, and then save the day at the last minute.