Gathering supplies for an emergency supply kit is an essential component to disaster preparedness. You should store emergency supplies in different places, such as your home, office, and vehicle. Your basic emergency supply kit should include the following:
Water. Keep one gallon of drinking water, per person, per day in your kit. Depending on where you live, you may wish to keep 3, 7, or even 14 days of water on hand.
Food. Keep as much non-perishable food, like cans and dry goods, as your family will need to survive a major disaster.
Cash. Keep enough cash on hand to buy food, fuel, and a few nights in a hotel in case you need to evacuate.
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) All Hazards Weather Radio with tone alert—keep extra batteries for both.
Flashlight and extra batteries.
First aid kit.
Whistle.
N95 respirator masks. Keep several in your kit and fit test each mask to ensure a tight seal on the face. They are light and small but may keep you safe from smoke and chemicals.
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
Can opener and other food preparation tools.
Local maps
This is a short list and may not be sufficient for your needs, especially if you must leave your home during the emergency. I encourage those joining us tonight to consider your specific needs and expand the list to include additional items that would be helpful for your family if an emergency occurs.
As radio operators, let's consider for a moment the items we would want to have prepared for an emergency communications assignment.
In addition to items usually on your person at all times, such as photo ID, cash and coins, cell phone and watch, a very basic go-kit consists of a handheld radio, extra batteries and a portable charging system to keep you on the air for the duration of the event, contained in a convenient to store and carry bag.
An online resource I found suggested a few additional items should be readily available in your go-kit, such as:
A copy of your current amateur license.
Speaker microphone.
High gain HT antenna.
Antenna adapter - SMA to SO-239, as an example.
Flashlight and spare batteries.
Pen or pencils and paper.
ICS and Radiogram forms.
Multi-Tool or Pocketknife.
ANSI Type II Reflective Vest.
Water.
Small Bag of Snacks.
First Aid Kit.
Group or organization credentials.
For extended events of 24 or more hours additional clothing and personal care items are suggested.
Ideally, you should divide your Go-Kit into small, easily transportable modules, based on expected type of assignment, length of assignment, and storage location. An event lasting a few hours will not require a bag of clothing and personal care items but Go-Kit modules should supplement each other with additional equipment and supplies, to extend your capabilities and endurance.
If you are interested in assembling a go-kit I encourage you to search amateur radio go-kit on the web.