I try my best to live as a person liberated from fear. I view fear as a method of control, and try hard not to be affected by it, but the last couple of weeks have been brutal. Lots of big-talk about a no deal Brexit, leaked government documents in The Times predicting a dire outcome, and loads of normally-decent folk losing their minds and braying for disaster. It’s hard to remain upbeat.
I’m powerless to do anything about Brexit. It’ll either happen or it won’t, and while I try to remain hopeful we’ll get another extension or cancel this farce altogether, it would be silly not to prepare – especially after reading what the government believes will happen in the event of no deal. I don’t want to be wasteful and buy loads of things I don’t need, so I decided to put together a little emergency kit that can be use in the event of bad weather, a long-term power outage, or if society breaks down due to an outbreak of marauding zombies.
What’s in the kit? Well, lots of useful things. The first order of business is lighting, and I do not want my house burning down through the use of candles, so I invested in a few wind-up lanterns. They don’t require batteries and can be used to light important spaces like the bathroom and the staircase. I also included a couple of small wind-up flashlights in the kit itself, as well as one for each family member to keep in their bedside table should the power go out in the night.
If the power is out for a long time, one of the most valuable resources one can have is information about what’s going on. For this, I have a little wind-up radio that doubles as a flashlight and a USB charger. Having a mobile is great, but if power to the mobile towers is out, having access to broadcast news is vital.
Because I’m in Scotland and it’s cold most of the year, I’ve included some thermal foil blankets in my kit. They’ll come in handy if the heating goes out for any length of time. There is also a first aid kit, extra bandages, flat-pack 10 litre water containers, and water-purification tablets.
Everything in this kit can be purchased from Amazon (at various price points), and while it might feel a bit silly to invest in equipment I might not use, I feel slightly more in control of what happens to my family in the event of an emergency. To be honest, I’ll be happy never to have to open this box at all.
Fig and Pen 