Also, gathering your best resources into a waterproof manual can be worth it’s weight in gold!

Manual

◾Emergency Plans – Have a written emergency plan in place that anyone can turn to for direction. Emergencies come at the drop of a hat and can cause confusion for those that do not have a well defined emergency, back up or evac plan as well as maps with best emergency routes.

◾Survival Information – Finding, filtering and purifying water. Finding, preserving and storing food, gardening, etc. Any useful information, put it in a basic How-To-Live guide.

◾Complete Inventory List of Supplies – An inventory list is crucial for everyone to have. Itemized food, water rations, medical supplies, seeds, home canning equipment, books, etc.

◾What to Do in Case of a Medical Emergency – Think of low priority injuries such as sprained ankles, colds, poison ivy, etc and move on to high priority injuries such as broken bones, heart attack or stroke. Have on hand and use as a quick referral. All family members must know where to find this information. Have a first aid book with illustrations. Anything the family can look at to get direction.

◾Family Medical Information – Complete emergency information including blood type, previous injuries, food or medical allergies and immunizations. Don’t waste time running around looking for this information. Have a “Notes” section.

◾Contact Information for Next of Kin – Make sure the family knows who is next of kin and how to contact them.

◾Family Notes – Organize and store important family information such as personal documents, financial information, insurance information, informative notes and listing responsibilities for each family member. How will they help out? Why is it important for them to contribute?

◾Inspirational Messages to Keep Faith – Refer to when things start getting harder and children start asking lots of questions. This teaches them the importance of positive thinking and holding onto their faith. Reassurance is very important when it comes to cheering children up. Find verses, songs, poems or write them a letter letting them know why they are so special and how much you mean to them.

◾Happy Section – Include of few favorite family stories (Birth, Funny moments, Holidays), a small family scrap book, favorite song lyrics, etc. This takes the entire family back to a simpler, easier time – a good way to spend some family time together cherishing old memories.

◾Favorite Recipes – Instant moral booster. Having favorite recipes on hand will cheer them up. If they are old enough, they can make these foods themselves to keep their minds comfortable.

◾Miscellaneous – Organizing information for later use.