Personal Safety Emergency Pack
If you're camping or hiking in a group, you can't go wrong with the previously-reviewed Adventure Medical Kit. But if you're a citygoing 9-5'er (read: not a search-and-rescuer), the Red Cross' personal safety kit packs many of the basics -- whistle, blanket, face mask, glow stick, poncho, germ wipes and first-aid kit -- for a price that's more or less unbeatable.
We've got a home medical kit. We regularly update the earthquake/disaster kit in our car (a plastic tub complete with basic med supplies, canned goods, MRE's, water, spare clothes, etc.). But like a lot of folks, I spend a chunk of my time working in an office building where I've always presumed/hoped supplies are both plentiful and current. That's why I very recently stashed one of these kits at the desk I keep away from my home office.
Could the pack be more complete? Of course. My first gesture was to rubberband a small handcrank flashlight to the diminutive bundle. Even still, the embellished package remains small, light and manageable.
-- Steven Leckart
Personal Safety Emergency Pack - "Deluxe"
$15
Available from American Red Cross
Favorite (15)
schwillis
several more pairs of vinyl gloves and a cheap crank powered radio would add a lot to that kit. in a emergency your going to really want the radio, to know what emergency aid stations, transport etc is avaible where and when.
and adding gloves add no more real bulk and ensures a lot more safety if you have to use any of that first aid stuff more then once/on more then one person.
Ben K
All these kits are overpriced, and have too little in the way of real supplies. Get your own plastic container, some bandage compresses and a triangular bandage from a surplus store, a small bottle of alcohol (drinking kind or not), lose the band-aids the wipes and the mask, and roll your own kit.
Stephen
Consider adding a few granola and/or power bars to make the kit more of a survival kit
Steven Leckart
@schwillis, good call on the radio. I actually have a small flashlight/radio combo I may swap in.
Best,
Steven Leckart
tlc
What is the size of this kit?
siddy
This liberal's "Personal Safety Emergency Pack" also includes a legally carried 9mm...
;)
mbirgen
Radios are fine and dandy, but when the big one hits - one of the first casualties are all the radio antennas. I was in the Bay Area in 1989 for the Loma Prieta quake. You couldn't get any radio signal.