You don't need to be a boy scout to always be prepared. As we have all seen in the past few years, a natural disaster or other type of event can completely render aid to a particular region helpless. In the events of a major earthquake, like what happened in Japan, or Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans in 2005, it is absolutely important to have some provisions of your own set aside. Being prepared in the event of an emergency is always a good idea--particularly if you have a family. preparing family survival kits are fairly easy to put together, and with some time and preparation could get you through some difficult times.

When disaster strikes, sometimes everything is shut down. This means the simple things we take for granted, like being able to run to the store for a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread, will be completely impossible. Just finding clean, drinkable water will be difficult. When putting together family survival kits, think about the things you need the most, and the necessities you cannot live without in order to create a stash of sorts should disaster strike.

Bottles of drinking water should be one of the major items in your kit. You can buy gallon jugs of drinking water for around fifty cents each. Stock up and get at least twenty gallons of drinking water in order to sustain your family for as long as possible until help can reach you. Rotate out the gallons of water every couple of months, starting with the oldest, and replace them with new ones.

Part of your survival kits should also be dehydrated milk powder. It can be found in the baking aisle of many stores. While it doesn't taste great, it will certainly help give a little bit of vitamin D to a family with children in case of longer periods of being without resources. If you are expecting an infant, or already have an infant, a few cans of formula stashed away in the event of an emergency will certainly be helpful.

Canned fruits, vegetables, and meats and other non-perishable items are also essential when putting together a family survival kit Canned beans are also helpful to go into a family survival kit. These types of foods don't need to be cooked, and can be consumed as-is in the event of being without electricity, gas, or water.

It is also helpful to have a month's supply of any prescription medications, as well as some bottles of over the counter pain relievers, bandages, tape, iodine, and alcohol swabs. If there is some reason why you are unable to get to a pharmacy for a month for medications like blood pressure medicine, insulin, or other necessary medications, you will have a back-up in the event of an emergency. Carefully read expiration dates on these medications and swap them out with newer medications as you near the expiration date.

Survival kits should always be rechecked on a regular basis or predetermined schedule.

Nobody wants to think about the next natural disaster. In the event of some sort of disastrous event, it is always good to have important supplies.