The Survival Guide
Every kit includes a printed survival guide on weatherproof Rite in the Rain paper. It covers what to do before, during, and after an earthquake or other disaster.
Topics covered in our reference materials include:
- Making an emergency plan
- Work and car kits
- Under-the-bed supplies
- Water storage and treatment
- Emergency food storage
- Dependents and pets
- Medical needs
- Warm clothes and shelter
- Important documents
- Securing objects in your home
- Seismic retrofits
- Utility shutoffs (gas, water, electricity)
- Finding and treating water after a disaster
- Toilet use without running water
- Assessing structural damage
- Preventing carbon monoxide poisoning
- Getting information via radio and BEECN sites
Some of the information that is only relevant before a disaster (securing your hot water heater, sanitizing water containers for long-term storage, etc.) links to reputable sources online. These sources can also be found at our resources page.
Emergency Plan Template
One of the most important steps to getting ready for a disaster is making a plan that everyone in your household knows. Every kit includes a printed emergency plan template for your household, also printed on weatherproof paper. The guide walks you through filling it in.
Supplemental Documents
Alongside our own writing, the guide includes printed copies of public-domain materials from the U.S. federal government. You do not need to buy anything from us to read any of it.
We print these documents on weatherproof paper and compile them for convenient use, but the underlying content is entirely free and publicly available. We encourage everyone, customer or not, to download, print, and read these materials.
- Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness FEMA. General purpose emergency preparedness reference. Includes a comprehensive guide for how to stay safe during disasters, ranging from avalanche to winter storm.
- Choosing and Using Fire Extinguishers U.S. Fire Administration. Some information on how to use the fire extinguisher included in your kit. Does not replace reading the instructions included in the extinguisher packaging.
- Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water EPA. Various methods for disinfecting water in an emergency. Our kits come with Aquatab disinfecting tablets and a Sawyer filter to treat water. This guide details other methods.
- Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods FDA. How to avoid getting sick from your food after a disaster.
- Emergency Wound Care After a Natural Disaster CDC. Brief guide on how to care for wounds in a disaster setting. Complements the guide included in the first aid kit we send you.
- How to Make Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) CDC. Oral rehydration salts are a potentially life-saving therapy to treat diarrheal disease. We include six ORS packets per person in the kit, this guide tells you how and when to use them.
- Downed Power Lines and Electrical Hazards CDC. How to avoid getting shocked.
- Power Outage Safety CDC. How to stay safe when the power goes out.
- Carbon Monoxide Safety CDC. Carbon monoxide is extremely hazardous and kills hundreds of people in the United States every year, usually during power outages or after disasters.