When disaster strikes, the basics — first aid, food, and shelter — become lifelines. This checklist distills what matters most in the chaotic early hours and days that follow: staying alive, preventing injury, and keeping your group safe and sane. Quick, practical, and real-world tested advice to help you prioritize and act.
First Aid and Health in Survival Situations
A compact, well-stocked first-aid kit can mean the difference between a minor scrape and a major infection. Pack adhesive bandages, sterile gauze, medical tape, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, and a triangular bandage. Add pain relievers, antihistamines, waterproof matches, tweezers, scissors, and disposable gloves. Include any prescription medications in clearly labeled containers plus a 7–14 day backup supply if possible. Learn to improvise: clean cloths can substitute for sterile gauze; duct tape can secure splints; and a multitool can cut away clothing to access wounds.
Beyond supplies, skills matter. Know how to stop bleeding with direct pressure and tourniquets only as a last resort. Practice CPR and learn basic wound care, fracture stabilization, and how to recognize shock, dehydration, and hypothermia. Hygiene saves lives — wash hands, treat water, and isolate contagious symptoms. Mental health is health: encourage rest, rotate responsibilities, and watch for signs of acute stress or panic. Calm leaders stabilize groups.
Food, Water, Shelter: the essentials
Prioritize clean water first — three liters per person per day is a baseline for survival. Store treated water and portable filters or purification tablets. For food, choose calorie-dense, non-perishable items: canned goods, energy bars, nuts, and ready-to-eat meals. Keep a manual can opener in every kit.
Shelter is next. Tents, tarps, and emergency blankets protect from the elements. Insulate from the ground with sleeping pads or layered clothing. If you must improvise, use branches and plastic sheeting to create windbreaks and raised sleeping platforms to avoid dampness. Securely store food away from sleeping areas to deter wildlife.
Safety Measures & Self-Defense to Survive
Situational awareness is your primary defense. Scan your surroundings, establish escape routes, and set meeting points. Avoid predictable patterns and travel in pairs or groups when possible. Lock and reinforce entry points at makeshift shelters. Basic tools — a flashlight, whistle, heavy stick, or knife — can provide deterrence; train with them safely and legally.
Self-defense emphasizes avoidance and de-escalation first. Use a calm voice, maintain distance, and be ready to flee. When forced to defend, aim to break contact and escape rather than engage in prolonged fights. If you carry legal self-defense tools (pepper spray, personal alarm), know local laws, keep them accessible, and practice drawing them safely.
Related: Caring for Vulnerable People and Pets
Disasters hit the most vulnerable hardest: children, elderly, disabled, and pets. Prepare tailored kits — pediatric and elderly medication lists, mobility aids, extra formula, and pet food and carriers. Assign roles for caregivers and include copies of medical records and emergency contacts. For pets, plan evacuation routes and shelters that accept animals; never leave companions behind.
When the sirens fade and the adrenaline ebbs, the measures you took in the first hours ripple outward. Keep simple supplies, build practical skills, and prioritize prevention. First aid, clean sustenance, shelter, and clear-headed safety practices are the steady triangle that supports survival.