A good portion of emergency preparedness is dedicated to helping people prepare theirfamilies and their homes for a time when leaving will be difficult, and when they will have tosurvive on their own. Authorities recommend food and water storage, as well as othernecessities (like alternative sources of light) in preparation for an emergency that forcespeople to remain in their homes.But what about those emergencies that force people to leave? Disasters like fires,hurricanes, or floods are all emergencies where people will generally be better off leavingtheir home than staying in it. These natural disasters--floods especially, since literally everylocation in the U.S. is considered a flood zone--happen just as frequently as those thatencourage people to stay in the home, like violent storms, earthquakes, or health risks.That’s why it is just as important to have an evacuation plan and a grab-n-go kit for thesesituations as it is to have food storage in the home. Some disasters, like hurricanes, willhave more warning than others, like toxic spills; either way, however, it pays to beprepared.Grab-n-go bags are different from other emergency kits, because they include everything aperson will need to imitate their normal life, even while traveling. Many other emergencykits only include flashlights, some food, and first aid materials. And while these are greatthings to have, especially if thoseemergency kitsare for thehomeor for thecar, anevacuation kitis going to need many more items in order to be complete.The full list of items that need to be in a grab-n-go bag is quite long, but it can be brokenup into a few categories: food and water, first aid, tools and sanitation, clothing and shelter,and documents.

1. Food and water

First, food and water are imperative to include in any disaster kit, since without sustenance,it’s not going to matter whether or not there is anything else in the kit. Food should benonperishable and instant. Storing staples like wheat or honey here isn’t going to work,since there will likely be little or no time to stop and cook. Havingdehydrated foodorfreeze-dried foodis a much more practical idea; and though they are more expensive than straight flour, they are worth the price tag because of theirconvenience.Wateris perhaps even more important than food--since food may be found wherever peopleare evacuating to, but clean water would probably be a good deal harder to come by.Storing enough water is also difficult because it can become easily contaminated and heavybarrels of water are difficult--and sometimes impossible--to lug around. Emergencypreparedness businesses likeThe Ready Storesell easy-to-managepouchesandboxesof water that can fit inside any grab-n-go kit.

2. First aid

The next category of important supplies for any grab-n-go kit is first aid. Anyone canunderstand why it would be important to have in an emergency kit--particularly anevacuation kit. If families are traveling, there is no guarantee that there will be anyemergency medical personnel to help them. They may have to deal with sickness and injuryon their own until they can reach a safe place. Even then, if the disaster is bad enough,there still might not be enough people assisting with the emergency to help everyone.First aid kits, however, are much more than some antiseptic and adhesive bandages. Thoseare important, of course, but comprehensive first aid kits will also include items likescissors, over-the-counter medications for allergies and pain, and a large variety of bandages, including different sized adhesive and cloth bandages. The kit should also holdgauze dressing pads (all sizes), a thermometer, tweezers, burn relief and insect repellant.These kits can be purchased at emergency preparedness stores, or people can buy all thenecessary items so long as they are careful to include everything. People should alsoconsider their and their family’s individual needs. If there is any kind of medication orequipment particular to a certain family member, steps should be taken to include thosethings in the kit as well. Remember, with a natural or manmade disaster, there will