Emergency! Do you have a winter survival kit?

Canadian winters are a thing of beauty. Striking snowflakes often fall gently from the sky and blanket our world into a wondrous landscape. But those gentle flakes can turn into a raging snowstorm very quickly, and can lead to dangerous situations like car accidents or power outages.

Winter House

Smart Canadians know to be prepared for any eventuality in the winter and are usually well stocked with supplies to get them through any emergency. A winter survival kit is essential for safety purposes in our climate. A good kit should have items from each of these categories: Food and Water, Heat and Light, Shelter and Clothing and First Aid and Survival Items.

Food and Water

The Canadian government advises their constituents to have enough supplies for 72 hours. That means that you should have at least two litres of water per person per day, and don’t forget about any pets that you might have and make sure you have enough water for them as well. Along with the three day rule, make sure you have enough food to last a 72 hour duration. Food should be non-perishable and consist of dried foods, canned items and energy bars. If you’re more adventurous, it’s possible to buy freeze-dried, dehydrated instant meals, which might add a little variety to your menu. Don’t forget to put a manually operated can opener in your kit. It wouldn’t be funny if you couldn’t open your carefully set aside meals.

 Can Opener

Heat and Light

A winter survival kit needs items to help combat the dark and cold in our harsh weather. Make sure that a flashlight, batteries, candles and matches go into your kit. It’s possible to buy candles that last for 36 hours, so it would be a good idea to purchase a few of those for your kit.

Candles and Matches

Because it’s winter, keeping warm is essential, so if you have a fireplace, make sure to stock some pre-wrapped logs. If you don’t have a fireplace, look into getting an emergency stove and some self heating disposable hand and foot warmers. Always keep a hat on as 80% of the body’s heat is lost through the head.

Shelter and Clothing

As it was mentioned previously, keeping warm is crucial to surviving an emergency in a Canadian winter. Make sure that each member of your family has a change of clothing or two and an extra pair of footwear set aside in the kit.

Warm Clothing

Include toques, warm socks, scarves and mittens/gloves to ensure your appendages are protected. Thermal blankets can be lifesaving and it doesn’t hurt to include a tent in your kit for an absolute worst case scenario situation.

First Aid and Survival Items

Being prepared for an emergency means taking into account all possibilities, so prepare a first aid kit that allows for any eventuality. Your first aid kit should include ibuprofen, anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea products. It should also have any prescription medicines in it that members of your family might be taking.

First Aid Kit

In case of a longer stay, have some water purification tablets on hand so you don’t have to worry about your supply running out. It’s also a good idea to carry copies of your important documents and contact list along with a petty cash supply. Extra items that might be needed include a battery-operated radio, toilet paper, paper towels, scissors and a waterproof case to act as the kit itself.

One Response to “Emergency! Do you have a winter survival kit?”

1. Claudette Says:
   March 30th, 2008 at 10:18 am

   It would be nice to have the option to print the articles in order to save them for future reference. An itemized list would work best ! Thanks

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