Emergency Backpacks: Kids Edition

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One of the essential parts of your emergency plan is preparing emergency backpacks for your children. Each family member should have their own survival bag during emergency situations. 

It is also important that your children were well informed about the details of the family emergency plans. You should teach them the importance of emergency backpacks and how to use each content in case of an emergency.

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Kid’s Backpack Essentials

Every child has unique needs. So every kid’s backpack should be made according to their needs. But in general, these are the basic things that a kid’s emergency backpack should have:

Food and Bottled Water

Kids’ food should include the foods that they are capable of eating but be reminded that these foods should have a long shelf life and are healthy as well. You can also include hot chocolate packets and other energy-rich foods. 

This may include crackers, oatmeal, dried fruits, snacks, and many others. Do not forget their bottled water that can also last for 3 days. 

Extra Clothing

There are instances that they needed to change their clothes, extra clothes should also be included in their emergency backpacks, along with extra underwear and extra socks. 

Thermal blankets, hand warmers, and rain ponchos will be important especially if the weather is cold outside.

Mini First Aid Kit

Kids’ mini first-aid kit should include some antiseptic wipes, band-aid, vitamins, prescription medicines if any, and surgical masks. 

Emergency Tools

Your kids must always carry an emergency essential like the signal light, mini-flashlight, and emergency whistles. This should be included in their emergency backpacks but must also be included in their everyday school bags.

Other moms choose headlamps instead of flashlights, either of them can give light to your child, so it doesn’t matter at all, provide which is readily available. Others include glowsticks, which are more enjoyable for kids. 

Gadgets

Communication is very important during emergency situations. Cellphones and tablets or other communication gadgets will be helpful for your child to contact you easily. Don’t forget to bring with them solar chargers and extra batteries, if applicable.

Tracker is also important in tracking your kid’s location during emergencies, especially if the disaster happens during school hours and he is at school while you are at work or at home. 

Mini-Hygiene Kit

Hygiene kits are essential for your child’s safety. A mini-dental kit should also be included in their bags, along with soaps, and wet wipes.

Activity Kit

If your family has to leave home immediately, chances are, you have to stay in an evacuation site or shelter for a few days. To get your child busy and to reduce their stress, you can include an activity kit in their emergency backpacks. This kit may include a small notebook, pencil, coloring book, crayons, puzzles, and other fun activities.

Others

Don’t forget to include in your kid’s emergency backpacks some identification card wherein your updated contact details are indicated. You may also include some cash, in the case, it will be needed.

Just like any other emergency backpack, your kid’s bags should be checked once in a while, or every six months as recommended. Check for expiration dates and throw away spoiled items and replace them. Their clothes should also be replaced from time to time as their sizes can change over time as they grow. 

It is also recommended that you put your kid’s emergency supplies inside a small bag if possible. It should be light enough for your child to carry because we do not know if we needed to walk long hours during emergency situations.