Top 10 items to put in an emergency backpack

During a disaster, it may be necessary for you and your family to leave your residence and seek shelter elsewhere, sometimes over a long distance. Prior to leaving the majority of your possessions behind, it is important to list and take the most-needed articles for your survival. Of those items, the ten most needed are listed.

1. Water: You will need to provide one gallon of water to each member of your party each day, for a minimum of three days, for drinking and sanitation. Mayday Industries produces water packets that can be exposed to high temperatures without spoiling. Also, order and keep a product called "Water 2GO" in your kit for use with tap water. It is a sixteen ounce water bottle with a built in purifying filter.

2. Food: You should pack at least three days of packaged non-perishable foods. Write out a meal plan of how this food is expected to meet your needs for you family in order to store enough for this time period.

3. Radio: A battery-powered or emergency hand generated radio is important to receive broadcast information from various emergency agencies in your area. Take note of these stations and agencies.

4. Flashlight: pack a flashlight with fresh batteries. If there are no lights on roads you maybe travelling in darkness or bad weather, you will want to see, and be seen to avoid being run over by traffic.

5. First aid kit with instructions: Pack a first aid kit that is sized correctly for your party, complete with moist towelettes for personal use. Read the instructions prior to travelling, and keep them with this kit.

6. Dust Masks: Disasters such as volcano explosions, or a tornado, can whip up dust that is either toxic, such as asbestos from destroyed building insulation, or suffocating ash. Having dust masks on hand will help with breathing and limit the inhalation of health threatening material.

7. Medications: Pack critical prescription medications, and over the counter medications for allergies and pain. If a predicted disaster is imminent, have your prescriptions refilled well in advance.

8. Cash and pertinent documentation: Do not depend on electrically operated devices, such as ATM's, to be operational after a disaster strikes. If communications are down, electronic funding through debit and credit card will not be possible. Keep an emergency cash supply, in small denominations. Also pack important documents that you wouldn't want to leave behind, such as deeds, titles, insurance policies, and medical records.

9. Fire starter or waterproof matches: These are sold as kits through survival-goods.com and are easy to use. You will need one or the other to start a fire to keep warm, cook food, or serve as a location marker.

Clothing and sturdy footwear: Survival during disaster will depend on your ability to stay clothed despite the circumstances. Clothing and footwear that will endure long walks and manual labor are a critical part of your planning.