National Preparedness Month, or NPM, is a national campaign to promote disaster planning in communities and families around the United States. As vehicle-based travelers, we often straddle the line between taking everything we need to be prepared for the unthinkable and leaving behind items that we might need on a trip that would free up valuable cargo space. Based on advice from the US Department of Homeland Security, we have built a sample preparedness kit for your vehicle that can serve double-duty in your home. 

Water

Clean and safe water is a necessity when traveling in the backcountry and hunkering down during a natural disaster. The US Department of Homeland Security recommends one gallon of water, per person, per day-more if traveling in a desert environment.

Platypus GravityWorks 6.0L Filter System 

The Platypus GravityWorks Filter System is a fantastic solution for camp water treatment on a backcountry trip, hanging from your roof rack, or filtering your local creek water. The platypus filters six liters of water quickly without pumping and meets all EPA standards for removing bacteria and protozoa. 

Food

Food is another obvious need for both overland travel and disaster response. DHS recommends a three day supply of shelf stable food for each person in the household or in your vehicle. Obviously, you will need more food if you plan on traveling for longer than three days. 

Good To-Go 5-Day Emergency Food Kit

Having a short-term emergency food supply on hand can determine whether you and your family are ready to deal with the unexpected. Goof To-Go has you covered with their 5-Day Emergency Food Kit made from real food. The food in each Good To-Go kit is made from clean ingredients and is gluten free. Shelf life for most items is five years. 

Satellite Communication Device & Weather Radio

Whether you travel enough to justify a satellite phone or simply need a satellite communication solution for weekend trips to the woods, packing a device to communicate with emergency personnel is essential to extensive overland travel. 

Garmin inReach Explorer+ 2-Way Satellite Communicator

The Garmin inReach Explorer is a 2-way satellite communicator, weather radio, and GPS all in one. Use your inReach to communicate when you are out of cell service, call Search and Rescue, and get up to date weather reports for your area. A digital compass, barometric altimeter and accelerometer make this model more than a basic GPS unit. It even works when you’re standing still- you don’t have to be moving for it to know which direction it’s pointing.

Off-Grid Electricity

Powering critical communications equipment in a disaster or keeping your kids entertained with a phone or tablet can be equally as challenging when the grid goes down. Be prepared with plenty of batteries for your flashlights and radios and make sure you have a method to recharge your devices.

PowerGRID™ Portable Power System

The PowerGRID from Overland Solar is a 35 amp-hour, self contained, and portable power supply with universal input and output to charge from multiple sources and to charge nearly any device. This is the same kit that you see Overland Solar using to power their booth at Overland Expo and it is a great backup electricity source for your emergency or overland kit.

First Aid Kit

The first aid kit that you choose to have with you in your vehicle or in your home should be well-stocked and you should know how to use everything inside. The complexity of your first aid kit should be directly correlated with your experience in first aid and your confidence in using the supplies and gear. 

A basic kit should contain:

• Gauze pads (at least 4 x 4 inches).

• Two large gauze pads (at least 8 x 10 inches).

• Box adhesive bandages (band-aids).

• One package gauze roller bandage at least 2 inches wide.

• Two triangular bandages.

• Wound cleaning agent such as sealed moistened towelettes.

• Scissors.

• At least one blanket.

• Tweezers.

• Adhesive tape.

• Latex gloves.

• Resuscitation equipment such as resuscitation bag, airway, or

• pocket mask.

• Two elastic wraps.

• Splint.

MyMedic MyFAK First Aid Kit

Thankfully, MyMedic has already assembled a fantastic kit that is ready to go with everything you should need for a first aid response on the trail or in an emergency. The MyFAK (My First Aid Kit) was designed with three goals: Adaptive – Functional – Indestructible. This First Aid Kit can be used anywhere from a day at the park with the kids, a multi-day backpacking adventure, or off-road in your overland rig.

Miscellaneous Supplies 

We are leaving out a few miscellaneous items that could potentially be helpful in your go-bag like duct tape, a face mask, tools, moist towelettes, and the like that we assume are already in your vehicle and home.

VSSL Compact Adventure Kit

For the oddball items that you might need in a survival or emergency situation, look no further than the VSSL Camp Supplies Compact Adventure Kit. The Camp Supplies kit provides a compact solution to carry fishing line, hooks, and lures, a camp saw, spare matches, miscellaneous first aid supplies, a wax candle, and more all in a compact aluminum tube that weighs less than a pound (.45 Kg). Best of all, the storage tube includes a light built in to the end cap for general camp use and SOS signaling.

Header image: Garmin Outdoor