Survival Kit for at Work
August 31, 2011, Submitted by: Ken Tweet
We spend much of our day ‘at work’, so, I wonder how many of us keep a survival kit of sorts at our place of work? Don’t focus solely on building your preparedness supplies at home when the reality is that most of us spend a significant part of each weekday somewhere else – at work.
The majority of people work at the same place or building each day, and many of you will lug some sort of bag or briefcase with you. Here’s an idea… each day for awhile, bring with you a few food and prep items to keep at your place of work. If you have a desk, devote a drawer to your supplies. If you have a locker or other personal area, use part of that space to stash a small supply.
What are some survival preparedness items to keep at work?
Ready-to-eat foods that are easy to open, and do not require cooking.
Canned foods can be eaten without cooking. Consider pull-top cans.
Keep a manual can-opener.
Canned meats are readily available such as Beef, Chicken, and Turkey.
Peanut Butter, being very calorie dense, is a great prep food.
Energy bars.
Fork, Spoon, and Knife.
Bottled water or your beverage of choice.
Chocolate bars are a fantastic energy food, and they taste good!
LED flashlight.
Walking shoes or sneakers. You may have to walk out of the area.
A local street map and a planned route to get out, or home.
Compass. Don’t rely on GPS, networks may be down.
Seasonal clothing, and plan for protection from the elements.
Protection: Pepper spray where legal, whatever else suits you.
Bandages, antibacterial ointment, gauze and tape.
Your at-work survival kit should at a minimum contain food and some water. Your space limitations, and your imagination will dictate the rest. Even just 1 square foot of space could provide enough food and sustenance for several days. Don’t advertise it to everyone else.
When I worked in an office, I kept one drawer for this purpose. Not only was it a reassuring bit of confidence, but I dipped into it many times while simply wanting a snack! I replaced it immediately of course…
I believe that key to an ‘at-work’ survival kit is having efficient, practical, and small items – perhaps with multiple uses.
If you have any other practical ides for a ‘at-work’ survival kit, go ahead and add a comment!
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Seychelle or Katadyn filter water bottle will allow you to drink from most non-potable water sources like mud puddles, streams, fountains…etc. The carbon & silver ceramic filters remove like 99.99999998% of all biologicals and toxins from the water. Don’t settle for cheap ones that filter toxins but leave you vulnerable to bacterial/biological hazards. You don’t know when or where you will find water as you try to get home, so… it’s best to have means of prepping & storing it when you do find it.
http://www.berettausa.com/products/beretta-px4-storm-inox-full-size-40-sandw/
I had lots of extra things kept in my drawer. Sewing kit, book, nail file and clippers,mints, toothbrush and toothpaste. ……..
I thought of making my own dried meals using my dehydrator and our vacuum bags. I’d put in a couple of pieces of jerky, dried fruits and vegetables, separating each in small baggie and then layering in the vacuum bag. I think it will work, be light weight , be filling and would not need refrigeration. You can eat all of them dried, no need to re-hydrate. See my link for examples of dried vegetables. If you know of a reason it would not work, let me know!
http://movingontothepast.blogspot.com/2011/08/bug-out-bag-meals.html
Those are very good ideas. But there’s more to survival than just food. Don’t forget the shelter, blankets even a sleeping bag. You also must think about drinking water. You must stay hydrated. You don’t know where your water will come from. You will need a filter or some water purifying tablets, because you don’t know where you can get your water from. And don’t forget about hygiene. These akk are very important when thinking about survival. You don’t know how long you will be with-out food and water and even shelter. So be prepared for the worst!
Quarters and dollar bills. The candy and snack machines will probably be working and if your phone is not you may find a working pay phone on the walk home.
saw this article. looked over at my stash of snacks & first aid kid & a 4.2 quake hits LA… might be time to check those expiration dates on the snacks! (I know water itself doesn’t have an expiration date but there’s one on the bottled water. Is this for taste or does that bottle decompose into toxins or something?)
I’ve recently gone through my car kit and discarded some of the expired items. They will also degrade much quicker due to the heat within the closed up car in the summer. I keep my food supplies in a cooler, which helps quite a lot to keep the heat out. I also cover it with a white towel to help reflect the sun’s rays.
I believe that there are some plastic water bottles out there that will decompose quicker than the traditional plastic. It is my understanding that toxins will not leak into the water, although I’ve heard others disagree. When in doubt, swap it out.
Good roll of tape to have–black electrical–stretches and insulates. also cheap (Home Depot)
One item that I have found to be an absolute must when I am using the weed eater are a pair of goggles. After a disaster, especially an earthquakes there is going to be fine spray of particles that are going to burn your eyes big time, like after 9/11. A pair of goggles that fit around your face and protect your eyes on all sides will be something you will be very grateful to have. Googles are quite cheap and lightweight. Also don’t forget some sort of hat, during cold weather if you have to walk a distance much heat is lost from the head area and hands and feet. Preparing for the elements many forget a good warm hat.