First Aid Kit

I don't have a lot of interest in horror movies, but I have to admit that Jared and I are avid zombie fans.   We watch the Walking Dead every Sunday night and a large portion of our DVD collection has some sort of zombie apocalypse theme.  The zombie disaster story has always been an interesting idea to me - the thought of a (so far) nonexistent threat to society gives me a strong desire to prepare my home for catastrophe.

My practical father instilled in me many useful sensibilities.  I learned from him how to research effectively, which is how I came upon the website of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  The CDC has many recommendations for how to prepare your family and home for disaster situations.  While reading the site kind of frightened me, it mostly made me realize the importance of preparedness.  I have the beginnings of a Disaster Kit in our hall closet, ready to be toted to the car in case of evacuation.  This is what I have so far:

Now, I understand that 4 gallons of water and a flashlight aren't going to get us very far... it's a work in progress!  The first and most important piece of the Disaster Kit that I wanted to assemble was the First Aid Kit.

I bought a small First Aid Kit to keep in our car for $4.00 at Target.  I liked the contents, but wanted to put together something more substantial to keep in our house.

I found a couple of First Aid Kit checklists online, but they just weren't exactly what I was looking for.  I also found this list on the CDC website (Travel Health Kit) that was somewhat helpful.  But mostly I just wanted to put together something entirely custom to my family's needs. I only had to buy a few things - the rest I borrowed from the kit I bought or I already had in my home.  Most of the pills and liquids I was able to store in travel containers or pill bottles that I had stashed away for just this purpose.

My First Aid Kit:

A. Vinyl Gloves
B. Gauze (non-sterile squares and 3 sterile packs I stole from the Target Kit)
C. Assorted sizes of bandages
D. Cotton Swabs
E. Antibiotic Ointment
F. Alcohol Swabs (also stolen from the Target Kit)
G. Alcohol Spray
H. Thermometer
I. Sunscreen
J. Aloe Vera Gel
K. Hand Sanitizer
L. Tweezers
M. Tissues
N. Medical Tape
O. Ibuprofen
P. Acetaminophen
Q. Benadryl (Jared has several food allergies, I always have this on hand)
R. Baby Tylenol
S. Pocket Knife
T. Sewing Kit (including needing, thread and safety pins)

I fit everything into a plastic case that I had saved from something else (see, hoarding pays off!) and taped a label into the top.  I also wrote a list of the contents of my kit on the interior, for future reference (when I need to restock).

Keep in mind, the contents I chose are ones that I find important - they are intended to suit my family and our personal needs.  Also, bear in mind that the only items that are sterile are the ones that are pre-packaged (the gloves in a baggie, for example, are not sterile).  Since I won't be performing any surgery, this is fine.  My First Aid Kit is intended to serve as a temporary remedy for minor injuries.

Now we are ready for anything!  Well, except actual zombies...  This First Aid Kit will live in our hall closet, poised and ready in case of injury - and portable enough to grab in case of evacuation.  Stay tuned for my finished Disaster Kit!