Beyond First Aid Kits: 5 Unexpected Survival Kit Essentials

Gallon jugs of water, fire extinguishers and first-aid supplies are the essentials of any good survival kit, but our survey of those who outlasted disasters suggests a few more unexpected items. Read their amazing stories of surviving fires, blizzards, hurricanes and tornadoes here.

By The Editors

Published in the October 2009 issue.

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1. Beer

“Buy a lot of it,” says Trey Click, a magazine publisher who rode out last year’s Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas. “It’s one of the only things you can use for money in the aftermath.” Need your neighbor to help you clear trees out of your yard? A case of Bud is a better motivator than a $20 bill when all the stores are boarded up.

2. Handheld CB Radio

Think no one uses CB radios anymore? Think again. These things can be a direct line to emergency crews and tow trucks, exactly the folks you might want to get in touch with after a disaster. Plus, they work when cell towers don’t. Look for one that also tunes into NOAA weather channels.

3. Contractor Bags

Thick, sturdy 3-mil contractor bags are the multitool of the disaster world. They’re tough enough to stuff with sharp debris, they work as an impromptu poncho or water barrier for leaky structures, and you can use them to drag heavy objects.

4. Glow Bracelets

When the electricity is out, you may not feel like celebrating, but these party favors can come in handy. “Houses get dark really quickly with no power,” says Mark Vorderbruggen, who went five days without electricity after Ike hit Texas. “I used them to mark the location of radios, flashlights, batteries and door handles.”

5. A Good Book

When stuck in his Jeep for two weeks, Daryl Jané would have killed for a good book. “I had water and a sleeping bag, and that’s all you really need to survive,” he says. “But it gets so boring after a while. If I’d had a book I would have been set.”

• PLUS: How 4 Men Faced Disaster and Made it Out Alive

• ANALYSIS: How Self Reliance Can Get You Through Anything

• SURVIVE ANYTHING: PM's Complete Guide to Disaster Prep

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