Thread by @Natbat

I know it’s been a scary time for central and south California with the major earthquakes and fore/after-shocks.

I hope things calm down and are geologically peaceful soon!

I thought a thread about what is in my GoBag might help y’all.

#earthquakecalifornia #earthquake

https://twitter.com/CaliKatBird/status/1147586806881255424

Firstly, I got a lot of my suggestions from friends and from the NERT course (Neighborhood Emergancy Response Training) which is called CERT and run by @FEMA outside of SF and is free and very well worth taking!

ready.gov/community-emer…

History: sf-fire.org/about-sf-nert

Also @SF72org has some great resources and a list of recommended supplies sf72.org/supplies

Though instead of preparing for 72hrs worth of supplies I’d recommend getting 5-7days worth, just in case.

I have a number of different emergancy kits. What you store and where will depend on your family emergancy plan.

Ours is to primarily shelter in place at home if possible. We have had a good earthquake retrofit and our house is not on a liquidation zone. It will probably stay up

My husband @Simonw may well be at work in SF or (later this year at Stanford University) so I have a kit for him that I bought off amazon and added extra socks and a walking map of SF to.

We’ll probably have to figure out a better plan when he starts his @JSKstanford fellowship

This is the kit I have for him

Ready America 70280 Emergency Kit, 2-Person, 3-Day Backpack amazon.com/dp/B000FJQQVI/…

The goal of this kit is to get him back home to shelter in place with me. Some institutions won’t let you leave the building unless you have one.

So, assuming we are in bed when #TheBigOne hits - which proportional to time spent in places is most likely - I’ve got nothing above the head of my bed that can hit us.

And under the bedside table I have my first-response-kit.

Inside is equipment to help me find the other emergancy kits and navigate potential broken window glass

- Spare shoes for me & Simon
- Most recent prescription glasses for me & Simon
- 2 LED Flashlights
- Socks for me & Simon
- 2 emergancy energy bars (because I need breakfast!)

Even if you think you are prepared it’s worth rechecking all your kits, the two torches here didn’t have working batteries and the energy bars are out of date... I’ll be fixing that.

So, assuming the house is intact & we don’t need to go anywhere to shelter, I have many provisions in my pantry (because im a Squirrel).

If the power goes out, eat the fridge first, then the freezer, then pantry/rations. I have a bunch of camping kit so I’ve got a stove etc.

Keep the fridge / freezer closed if you can and fill up the bath, kettle and other jugs with water in case the water supply gets compromised. (In California you ‘can’ drink toilet water because we don’t do grey water here, but you’ll want to avoid that!

Talking of utilities, turn off the gas at the main outside, near your meter there is a screw you can use a wrench on to turn off the gas. PG&E will have to turn it back on but that’s better than a gas leak! Get a wrench, know where your wrench is.

So my primary shelter-in-place kit I keep at the bottom of my main wardrobe in the bedroom.

The bedroom is our shelter spot because it’s comfortable and at the back of the house, so this is why my shelter kit is here.

Random stuff around the kit also shoved at he bottom of the wardrobe:

- Fire extinguisher
- waterproof coats
- Chlorox bleach to purify water
- 15Litres of water (that I need to refresh)
- 7 days of total emergancy food (that it seems I need to switch out now I’m vegetarian)

I went with an easy to open, transparent plastic tub for my main kit.

In here most of my things are divided into the categories
- Health, Hygine & PPE
- Food & Drink
- Firstaid
- Warmth & light

I also have many face masks and oxygen as a relief from the wildlife smoke we seem to have regularly in Fall.

...and Checklists, rope & bags

So you _could_ just fill up the bath, but for extra convieniance & Safety, I have a @WaterBOBUS that can store 100 gallons of water fresh for 16 weeks.

For me, after securing mine, Simon’s & Cleo’s immediate safety my next step is to turn off the gas then fill things with water.

I got my @WaterBOBUS from Amazon:

waterBOB amazon.com/dp/B001AXLUX2?…

I have three of these 5-Gallon containers amazon.com/dp/B000XABU5Q?…

Health, Safety & PPE (Personal Protection Equiptment)

- Plastic wrap & ducktape in case I need to seal the house / bedroom from wildfire smoke/gas
- Many many masks for me, Simon and to hand out to friends & homeless neighbors in wildfire season.
- Oxygen for smokey air relief

- Duct tape & many bin-bags for a not-able-to-flush-toilet situation
- Sanitary products (again with sheltering in place most of the stuff in my house is still in play which is why it’s light on soap etc)
- NOAA emergancy radio amazon.com/dp/B00176T9OY/…
- Hammer, axe penknife thing

These are the best masks I’ve found (I’ve tried A LOT of them)

- amazon.com/dp/B00IF7RBS4?…
- P100 filter amazon.com/dp/B005QQD4WE?…

Costs $17.89 which I justify it’s as expensive as a pack of 10 disposable ones but more environmentally friendly, and it’s a climate-change investment

Fips codes & frequencies for @NOAA Radio in California: nws.noaa.gov/nwr/coverage/c…

Food supplies, with our shelter in place plan, are mainly in our pantry fridge & freezer and I’d use my camping stove or car kettle to boil water in the case of an earthquake.

With wildfires though, the least food-smell the better, so I’ve got a bunch of yummy @TastyBite rations

Looking to find a home for my meaty Mountain House rations if anyone nearby SF wants them?

Not quite sure I’ve got enough protein in my veggie rations though, so also welcoming suggestions for long lasting vegetable protein

(I’ve only been vegetarian for about 6 months)

In my Warmth & Light bag:

- Hot water bottles
- Space blanket
- Space sleeping bag
- Ponchos
- Flashlights
- Candles
- Waterproof & regular matches
- 2 pairs gloves
- Dryer lint as a firelighter
- Glowsticks
- Socks in waterproof baggies

I may move some of these to my evac kit

And lastly in the shelter-at-home kit I have more medical kit stuff, which I’m not sure should live here as opposed to my regular medical kit draw.

- Bandaids & Bandages
- Splint
- Toothbrushes & paste
- Paracetamol
- Nitrile gloves
- First aid kit
- Alchahol wipes
- Random bits

Now for the next emergancy kit... this is my Evacuation GoBag that I keep under the stairs (because in SF it’s likely evacuation would be on foot not by car)

In here I keep things I would need if I didn’t have things from the house, useful for fire evac too.

I’m using the @eBags Mother Lode Weekender, but there is a newer version of this bag that is also a roller which might work better ebags.com/product/ebags/…

In the front pocket I keep:

- Waking map of SF
- Map of the US
- postit notes & Sharpie
- Insect repellent wipes
- Alchahol wipes
- Compass

In the top pocket:

- Waterproof USB memory stick with copies of passports, greencards & insurance documents etc
- Calming lotion
- Reflective vest
- Nitrile gloves
- Face Masks
- Suntan lotion
- Bandannas
- Sunglasses
- Hairband
- Insect repellant

The side pocket has a luggage label and a pocket for a water bottle.

I’ve put a flashlight, whistle and spare house keys in this pocket

The main pocket has a flat area for documents and a fan.

In the right side of the main pocket I have:

- Warm gloves
- Scarf
- Teabags (a common theme in my packing)
- Mini medical kit
- Hospital gowns can function as coveralls
- @make Pocket Reference
- Towel
- Paracord
- Trashbags
- Duct tape (another common theme)
- Earplugs & mask

There is a pop-out top pocket that I have filled with:

- Spare Batteries
- Can opener
- Fire lighter
- Padlock to secure bag if we end up at a shelter
- Phone Charging cable (I should follow @micaswyers’s suggestion and put a powerbank in here too)
- Pen knife

Because I’m super clumsy and having been scarred by our car-accident hospital stays... the bottom part of the evac bag is a takeout bag for if either of us have to go to hospital in a hurry.

Includes:
- Books
- IPad Shuffle
- Sleepsocks
- Socks, pants and bra
- Medications
...

... (cont)
- A hospital gown that is actually comfy
- Travel towel and washcloth
- Colouring book & pencils
- Melatonin
- Hairbands + brush
- Sanitary products
- Toothbrushes & toothpaste
- Shampoo & Conditiner
- Dry Shampoo
- Nail clippers
- Deodorant
- Eyedrops
- Talc
- Sweets

... (cont)
- Salt & Pepper
- Mini Tabasco
- Plastic cutlery & tissues
- Moisturising cream
- Suntan lotion
- Earplugs
- Mouthwash

Also in this main evac bag are all the originals of important documents for both me and Simon (except passport & greencards) sorted into:

- Identity
- Greencard/Visas
- Government docs
- Employment
- Health
- Travel
- Finance
- Joint assets / relationship
- Qualifications

And the final larger front pocket has:

- Scizors
- Duct tape
- Money
- Washing powder & stain remover
- Glasses
- Fire blanket
- Blank paper
- Sketchbook
- Mini journal
- Hayfever tablets
- Selfie stick
- Nert card
- Utilities wrench
- Alcohol
- Hat
...

... (cont)
- Playing cards with earthquake tips on
- Suntan lotion
- Lemsip
- Whistle & flashlight
- Pens, pencils & another sharpie
- Windup/Solar radio with the NOAA frequencies written on the back

Things I probably ought to add to my evac kit:
- Tissues
- Snacks
- Knife
- Hot water bottle
- move the emergancy space sleeping bag & a couple space blankets from my shelter kit to this bag
- glowstick

Now the goal of this next emergency kit is for @Cleopaws. It’s our doggy evac kit.

So if we do evacuate then we grab our evac kit, her evac kit and our passports/greencards and we are sorted!

It’s also useful if we have to go to the vet in emergancy or for doggy sleepovers

It’s this bag on amazon: Mountainsmith K-9 Cube Dog Pack amazon.com/dp/B00HZV7VG8?… & inside is a cool bag and two bowls

This is the bag I usually give to our wonderful dog walkers Monica & Joah when Cleo goes over to their house for a sleepover (this is where Cleo will be while we are in Madagascar)
- Food
- Treats
- Meds
- Waterproof
- Leash
- Poop bags
- Bell
- Vaseline
- Spray-bandaid & Styptic

The main compartment of the evac bag:
- Warm jacket
- Food
- Treats
- Chews
- Bandages & plaster cast
- Vet’s business card
- Styptic powder
- Muzzle
- Leash
- Collar & harness
- Balls
- Tick remover
- Pen
- Dryer sheets
- Medical wipes
- toothbrush
- Shampoo
- Gloves
- Poop bags

Now this next emergancy kit is working under the assumption I’ve secured myself, @simonw & @Cleopaws at home, initiated our sheltering in place procedures (utilities and water) & everyone is comfortable.

It’s my @SFFDNERT kit to help the neighbourhood!

sf-fire.org/neighborhood-e…

In the front pocket I have:

- Yet another flashlight
- Antibacterial gel
- Nitrile gloves
- @SFFDNERT ID and handbook
- Suntan lotion
- Mega sharpies
- Black pen for NERT forms
- Postit notes

In the main pocket is:

- Ham Radio Baofang
- Bandages
- Scissors
- Leather gloves
- @SFFDNERT helmet vest
- Duct tape & trash bags
- Face masks
- Orange marker spray
- Batteries
- Snacks
- Insect repellant
- Suntan lotion
- Toothbrush
- Deoderant
- Mousturiser
- Water

Blank @SFFDNERT process forms and my student manual are also in this bag.

This bag is also what I take to drills, refreshers and NERT graduate classes.

eventbrite.com/o/sffd-neighbo…

In social-media #earthquake preparedness I recommend making a Twitter list of people and organisations that would be useful in a variety of emergencies.

Here is mine twitter.com/Natbat/lists/s…

One of the main reasons I’m so prepared is because, after our near-death car accident in 2016, I had (and still stuffer from #PTSD).

One of the symptoms of PTSD is Hypervigilance, like paranoia. I channeled this into emergancy preparation.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervigi…