Emergency personal do their best to keep people comfortable, but the best course of action is to be entirely self-sufficient. If you find you have to evacuate to a shelter, you’ll be a lot more comfortable if you have everything you need for a few days. And, if you have to evacuate you probably won’t have a lot of time to gather supplies, which is why it’s a good idea to keep an old duffle or suitcase packed and ready with these 13 critical supplies in it or next to it:

1. Bedding: pillows, sleeping bags or a blanket.
2. Reclining lawn loungers – you may or may not get a cot. Reclining lawn loungers mean you’re off the (Cold? Hard? Wet? Nasty?) floor.
3. Rubber flip-flops – so you don’t have to walk barefoot, anywhere, ever.
4. Towels and washcloths – and don’t underestimate the utility of a new or very clean car-washing chamois for use as a towel!
5. Toilet paper – Take the cardboard tubes out and you can crush an entire package of toilet paper rolls into a single gallon Ziploc bag.
6. Comfort medicines - such as sleep aids and aspirin
7. Earplugs and an eye mask – Emergency shelters rarely shut off all the lights.
8. Entertainment - a deck of cards can keep you busy for days. And, a big, dull paperback like War and Peace or Moby Dick gets a lot more interesting when there’s nothing else to do.
9. Solar cell phone charger and earphones – if you can keep your smartphone charged you’ll have access to music and games, not to mention being findable by concerned loved ones!
10. Bicycle lock – Keep your duffle and your chair together in one place.
11. Emergency hand crank radio – don’t count on emergency personnel to keep everyone constantly updated.
12. Pets and pet supplies – Never leave your pets behind. Check back in the next post when we share a list of emergency items for pets.
13. Dehydrated meals – Yes, shelters likely provide food. But there’s no guarantee how much or what kind. If you forget to bring some pet food, keep in mind that ReadyWise dehydrated meals come in small Metallyte envelopes and don’t require anything but water to rehydrate and enjoy. And, they make excellent bartering tools! (We’ve heard our dehydrated fruit with caramel sauce will get you nearly anything you need when supplies are tight.)