When we went on our first vacation Jackson, was 9 months old, we drove 8 hours to the outer banks of North Carolina. Jackson was 9 months old and the thought of traveling that far in a car and to be away from home for a week without all of his things was overwhelming. We had started planning the vacation before Jackson was born and I remember thinking it would be so easy. A week at the beach, a car ride, a beach vacation and a baby. It was going to be simple and relaxing. Ha!
Before the trip I began to panic about everything I would need. Should I bring our pack n play just in case the 3 that the rental house had weren’t there? Should I bring his exersaucer because it’s his favorite and how was he (I) supposed to go a week without it? And 2 weeks worth of baby food should be enough, even though there is a supermarket nearby.
When John got home I had the car fully packed but there was no room for 2 very important things the car seat and the case of beer that John felt was the only thing necessary to bring. Once we arrived I found that I could relax a bit. The house had all of the baby essentials it had promised, the grocery store was 10 minutes away and I could drink a cup of coffee without Jackson in the exersaucer. Life was good.
Until Wednesday night, as we sat down to eat our dinner, the emergency alert system came across the TV. Hurricane Irene was heading towards the outer banks and we were ordered to evacuate. Instantly relaxation went out the window and we were running around the house in an organized panic.
Less than 24 hours later we were home. Only problem was we live on the New Jersey coast and by the time we got home and unpacked the car, we were informed that we needed to evacuate. There is nothing fun or exciting about an evacuation, let alone two in 24 hours. I sent my husband to the grocery store for supplies but the shelves were picked over.
We rode out the storm at a friend’s house. It was one of the scariest nights I’ve had, and I will never forget huddling in the bathroom with my best friend, her children and Jackson when there was reports of a tornado.
You would think after this experience that I would be more prepared for a disaster like a hurricane. But unfortunately I am not and right now I can not tell you where my flash light is or what I would do in the likely event of another storm. Which is why, I was happy to partner with Philly Social Media Moms to talk about Live Prepared and how as Moms we can help our families be prepared for a natural disaster.
There are a few reasons that I’m not prepared for a natural disaster . One reason is time, I don’t have the time to organize food supplies and batteries or to make sure that they haven’t expired. Canned goods only have a shelf life of 2-3 years and my family is likely to go through my stash of batteries. And the idea of having all of the necessary items to be prepared for a disaster is overwhelming and I wouldn’t know where to start.
That is where Live Prepared comes in. Live Prepared’s 72 hour emergency kits provide families with the basic needs to help get through a natural disaster. The kits are well thought out and include cooking supplies, food that is shelf stable for 20 years, flashlight, radio and even playing cards because we all need a bit of a distraction during a disaster. I was happy to see that the radio in the kit is not only solar-powered but also battery-powered. When Irene hit I was immediately worried that we wouldn’t be able to find out what was going on because we didn’t have a radio.
I was wary when I saw the cooking set in the kit thinking that without electric or gas, it would be really hard to cook but, Live Prepared has thought of everything, the kit comes with fuel tablets, so no power is necessary. There also is a utensils set that works like a swiss army knife and even has a cork screw.
Live Prepared’s 72 hour emergency kit comes in an easy to store tote. Ours is on a shelf in my laundry room, it could also be stored on a pantry shelf, under a bed or in a linen closet. I choose the laundry room because it’s out-of-the-way but, close enough that I would know right where it was in the event of an emergency.
The emergency kit comes with a backpack, I was happy to discover that everything in the kit conveniently fits in the back pack. So in the event you had to walk somewhere, go to a shelter or other location you could easily transport it.
Having the Live Prepared 72 hour emergency kit in my home gives me peace of mind that my family is prepared. I won’t have to run to the store or rush out in a panic in for supplies. I won’t have to worry about where the flashlight is anymore because all of my supplies are stored in an easy to access place. And while I hope my family never has to face a hurricane again, I know if we do I am already prepared.
I think about this subject alot but it always feels overwhelming and expensive…I don’t really know where to start. I think these packs sound like an awesome option.
I like how easy the kits would be to store and use. All the items Would be useful during an emergency.
I have some things ready for an emergency: earthquake or fire. I think the kit is very comprehensive.
I’ve always been horrible with this kind of prep too. Even when we lived in FL. Im seem prepared for anything else but this. It’s just out of sight out of mind. I don’t think about it until it’s too late.
I’ve always been horrible with this kind of prep too. Even when we lived in FL. Im seem prepared for anything else but this. It’s just out of sight out of mind. I don’t think about it until it’s too late.
Same here, and I always want to believe it won’t happen.
I think it is so important for everyone to be prepared. We don’t have much in the way of natural disasters here in New England other than an occasional blizzard, but better to be safe than sorry.
Definitely better to be safe than sorry. I never thought we would get a hurricane in NJ but then it happened twice.
Seriously – so frightening. I cant imagine… but so glad that you all have this kit and are better prepared. This kit is genius and everyone should have one. Why dont we? I love all the essentials listed and should get to making one myself!
Karen | GlamKaren.com
This kit really is genius, I don’t know why I didn’t get one sooner.
I live in an area with a lot of tornadoes. I’m not worried about them but I do have a small emergency kit in case we need it. I do have a lot of water in the basement. Some canned food and a can opener!
Those are great supplies to have on hand. I would be the type to forget a can opener.
Never been in a tornado, but I have had my share of snow storms. No matter how prepared you are, you will always for the thing you need the most.
So true!
I have a kit like this in my van but I don’t have one in my house.
Which makes no sense, I need to bookmark this so we can get better prepared.
We don’t get a lot of extreme weather but we do have tornados.
I think it’s great that you have a kit in your car.
Being prepared is half the battle. I feel if you have a pan you are less likely to stress about what is happening.
I feel like I need that fork-spoon combo for work, lol. This is great! Just grab and go if you are in an unfortunate situation where you would need it.
I had thought the same thing!
I am a very unprepared person!! In fact, I’m always the last-minute person. Yes, a confession I have to own up to. It actually doesn’t look too hard to prepare a kit. It’s something I will be looking into for sure 🙂
I’m definitely like you, always waiting till the last minute.
I think I’m prepared but looking at what you have maybe I’m not as prepared as I thought.
This kit really made me feel prepared, before I had it I definitely was not prepared.
I love these kits! Every home should have at least one. I think the only obstacle I have faced when trying to plan ahead for emergencies is not knowing where to begin. I do keep extra food and water on hand but there is so much more to emergency planning!
These kits definitely help with the feeling of not knowing where to begin. I never think of everything until it’s too late.
I remember when Superstorm Sandy was heading to the Northeast and I keep telling my friends, and my now ex-boyfriend, they needed to take it seriously and be prepared. I grew up in FL, so I know not to mess around when a storm is approaching. These kits are great. It’s nice to have everything in one place.
Oh I think the kits are wonderful! We have not prepared for anything, but I have thought alot of doing so. I love that so much is included. When you try to think of everything, its very overwhelming. This would make it so much easier.
I am really so relieved to have this kit in my house now. It’s scary to think what would happen if we weren’t prepared!
This kit looks amazing! I have been telling my husband we need to be more prepared, but a bug out bag always seems to be the last thing we think of.
These are great tips! We are doing our best to make sure we have everything we need to be prepared.
These kits are amazing! We try to live really prepared, but it still stresses me out a little bit for sure!
Wow that had to be a crazy time. We’re definitely not prepared. I need to look into this.
I had a nightmare the other day about trying to pack supplies in an emergency. Granted it was an alien invasion, but still, it made me think about having to be more prepared. We didn’t get hit too hard here by the derecho, but it’s scary for sure.
I think these kits are awesome as I have a hard time getting organized to put anything together.