The Best Emergency Preparedness Supplies
When it comes to being prepared for an apocalyptic event such as large natural disasters, pandemics, or other issues that can come up unannounced—having emergency preparedness supplies can make the world of difference. Thinking of being prepared for horrible scenarios is still thought of being reserved for conspiracy theorists and preppers, but having emergency kits ready and supplies in your home is never a bad idea.
Our guide below will help with what to look for, what is available for emergency preparedness supplies in Canada, and the best way to go about getting ready yourself for anything that life might throw your way.
Our Top Picks
How to Pick the Right Survival Kit
When you’re looking for emergency preparedness supplies, keep these in mind:
Size/Carrying weight: Size of premade kits or gathering supplies for yourself/family can become cumbersome and ineffective if you must move to a different location. Determine the best size and weights for items you want to use in emergencies, and keep in mind the carrying weight.
Premade kits or making your own: There are premade emergency preparedness kits available on the market, some are more dependable than others and contain proper supplies that will help when you need them most. If you opt to gather your own supplies, be sure that they’re from a reputable source and will last for when you need them to.
Expiration dates: Expiration dates on supplies is important to check, especially if you want to stock up on some while getting prepared. Medical goods can expire, including medications and ointments. Another supply to check is respirator recharges/refills, as depending on the brand and type – they can go bad and be useless when you need them most.
Mossy Oak Multi-Tool
Made from excellent materials and a durable construction that is easy to use, this whole multi-tool is constructed from stainless steel that prevents corrosion against the elements, including water. It has an advanced 3D hollow structure, keeping it lightweight but very durable. The smooth surface and edges make it comfortable to use as well – most importantly, a reliable non-slip tool to have in any preparedness kit.
21-in-1 multi-tool includes needle nose pliers, regular pliers, screwdriver sleeve, wire cutters, knife, scale, metal/wood file, ruler, serrated knife, bottle opener, slotted screwdriver, awl, wood saw, leather punch, an 8-in-1 bit set, and more. It has a safety lock structure to ensure that no children or you accidentally opens anything when isn’t in use.
It is easy to open and close the tools with the locking structure applying to all tools except the plier heads—in the handles you open and close the tools you need more quickly, simply press the lock and then fold to keep the accessory you’re using in place. The nylon pouch the multi-tool comes with has a separate pocket for storing any extra screwdriver bits and the pouch itself can be easily slipped over a belt or through a backpack strap for easy carrying.
A few reviews have stated that this multi-tool is a bit heavier than some other brands, but the quality of the accessories is very good.
Peak Refuel 14-Pack Food Kit
Freeze dried emergency meals are the go-to for emergency preparedness, and the Peak Refuel brand has you covered. Non-GMO ingredients and an easy cooking time makes these perfect for emergencies, camping, fishing, evacuations, and more. All you need to do is add water!
There are up to 44 grams of protein per pouch, and they contain 100% real meat with no meat fillers. They’re sourced from trusted suppliers and are inspected by the USDA to ensure that you’re not getting filler or substandard food. All products are freeze dried and packaged within the United States and manufacturers sealed shelf life is up to 5 years.
Each kit contains 14 pouches, including Breakfast Skillet, strawberry granola, mountain berry granola, biscuits and gravy sausage, homestyle chicken and rice, chicken coconut curry, chicken teriyaki, beef pasta marinara, chicken alfredo pasta, cheesy chicken, sweet pork and rice, chicken pesto pasta, beef stroganoff, and a butternut dahl.
Many reviews state that this brand has great taste compared to many other freeze dried meals and that the beef stroganoff can be a stronger flavour than the others as well. Most say that they are by far the best tasting meals they’ve tried.
Mountain House Emergency Refuel Food Kit
The 72-Hour emergency meal kit provides the essential nutrients anyone needs to survive in emergency situations. Gourmet-style freeze-dried meals can be enjoyed by the whole family for emergencies, evacuations, and other situations, including camping meals.
No cooking is necessary, just add hot water to the pouch and in less than 10 minutes you have a tasty meal full of vitamins and nutrients you need to survive the days. No clean-up and the stand-up pouch makes it easy to set it and leave it for the few minutes to takes to re-hydrate. The foil interior keeps your meal hot.
Each kit contains six different entrees: chili mac and beef, lasagna with meat sauce, rice and chicken, pasta primavera, mac and cheese, and three breakfast pouches including granola with milk and blueberries and scrambled eggs with bacon. All of these have a 30-year shelf life and a 30-year taste guarantee, while staying compact and lightweight. The packaging may vary by batches, but the ingredients and meals are always the same quality.
According to reviews, these particular emergency meal kits taste very good and are delicious, without any lingering ‘off’ taste that can come with freeze dried foods.
Thovas Three Pack Emergency Flashlights
This 3-in-1 emergency flashlights are a perfect deal to grab for when the power goes out, and for packing with you as emergency lighting. They function as LED flashlights, nightlights, work lights, and as power failure lights. The plug-in induction charging base is included as well.
They are rechargeable and sturdy, ideal for blizzards, floods, hurricanes and other apocalyptic scenarios. In a power failure they light up automatically and stay lit for up to 9 hours. They’re bright and will help light up areas you need to. It also can function as a dusk to dawn nightlight that will turn on automatically at dusk if it is set to do so.
The only complaint from a few reviewers is that they wished the nightlight function brightness was adjustable. Otherwise these flashlights are durable, work wonderfully, and the battery lasts a long while before it needs to be recharged. The downside is that if you are around without power at all anywhere, they cannot be used but they are easily charged with a portable power bank or other charging type device.
ThruNight TN12 Flashlight
ThruNite’s rechargeable LED flashlight adopts the SST70 LED to make the output of lumens (light) and max beam distance up to 255 meters, visible in nearly any situation. A dual switch design with the tail and side switches help to operate the flashlight easier and when it is unlocked, the tail switch can be used to access the turbo mode directly in a single click.
The lock/unlock feature help to avoid accidentally turning on the light, and the memory function can memorize the last mode that you used, making it easier to operate and quickly swap to the mode you tend to use the most without needing to fuss with settings every time you turn it off and on again. It features 6 general mods including Turbo, High, Medium, Low, Firefly, and a Strobe. It can last up to 50 days on the Firefly mode – making it perfect for any emergency situations.
A detachable strike bezel adds an additional tool that can be used if you need to break something or use it in self-defense.
Life Tent Emergency Shelter
The Life Tent is a waterproof and windproof 2-person tent made from extra-thick puncture and tear resistant polyethylene that will lock out rain, snow, and winds. The reflective interior radiates up to 90% of your body heat, ensuring that it stays warm as you sleep.
It’s engineered for survival situations and emergencies, and comes with a 120-decibel survival whistle as well. The 550-lbs nylon drawstring core cord can be used to repair or tie down gear as well, which is a perfect alternative to needing to carry any separately or be without in case you didn’t have space for any nylon para-cord. It’s easy to set up, as you simply run the paracord through both ends of the tube tent and tie between two trees or any sturdy objects that are 3-4 feet from the ground. Secure the corners with rocks of gear to sturdy the structure.
If there is nowhere to tie the paracord safely, it can also be used as an emergency sleeping bag, pup tent, space blanket, or thermal bivvy.
Emergency Shelter One Piece Tent
This emergency shelter one piece tent is a thin, lightweight, and durable made from nylon and reflective materials that will keep heat in and water out. It’s easy to set up and can hold two adults comfortably, with more space available depending on children/heights, etc.
It is a triangle shaped shelter made from non-woven materials that are windproof, waterproof, and fireproof.
3-person 72 Hours Tactical Kit
This tactical backpack from 72-HOURS will support up to three people for at least 72-hours. It contains survival tools and advanced emergency supplies. It also includes a multifunctional NOAA Weather Band radio for emergency alerts and weather conditions, with a rechargeable power bank.
Food and water have up to a five-year shelf life, delivered within 1-6 months after the manufacturing date. The kit includes (scaled up to a 3-person amount, there are more sizes available as well):
- 3600-calorie emergency food rations
- 125ml emergency water rations
- AquaTabs water purification tablets
- duct tape
- rain poncho with hood
- emergency sleeping bags
- tube tent
- hand-cranked powered light am/fm radio and USB device charger
- LED rechargeable flashlight
- emergency candles
- waterproof matches
- dust masks
- first paid kit
- 50ft utility nylon cord
- work gloves
- tissue pack
- multi-function army knife
- and an aluminum allow emergency whistle
Buying fully equipped and pre-made emergency preparedness supply kits is an easy way to make sure that you have everything in one backpack that is all set to go from the start.
Our Methodology
For this article we chose the best supplies and kits based on Canada’s own emergency supplies information. We also based our selection on other trusted websites that cover most scenarios and situations that may occur and the supplies that you would want to have prepared.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a survival kit?
Survival kits are being prepared for emergencies and apocalyptic scenarios including natural disasters and pandemics. Those kits are typically small and have everything you need to survive for a certain amount of time in case of a disaster. Medical supplies, food, water, communications, power supplies – and more – as examples.
Why should we have emergency supplies?
In case of any disaster, it is better to have it ready when needed as opposed to rushing and fighting to try to get scraps when something comes up. Preparing emergency kits is just like having band-aids in your home for when you get a cut. It’s always a good idea to be ready.
What should I have in a BOB (Bug Out Bag) for emergencies?
For a BOB, you should make sure that everything you’re carrying will last you at least 72 hours (about 3 days) without being too heavy, since you may need to walk for a long distance (depending on the emergency type).
- Water and rehydration salts, such as any you can find at most pharmacies. If you get sick or need hydration/electrolytes, making an oral rehydration solution (ORS) from rehydration salts and boiled/bottled water (to ensure the purest/safest form of it) can help in situations where dehydration is a problem. Water purification tablets are not a bad idea to bring along as well.
- Food and utensils, such as dehydrated, freeze-dried foods, and energy bars are good choices. Nothing that requires a lot of cooking or other appliances.
- Lightweight and warm clothing, especially living in Canada. Hats, gloves, and socks are important. Suitable footwear and waterproof clothing are not a bad plan. Spare clothes are also suggested as you may need to change your clothing more often, depending on the scenario.
- Flashlights, matches, spare batteries, phone chargers/device chargers, and candles.
- First aid kits and medicine as needed.
- Respirators and eye protection.
- Emergency shelters/tents, sleeping bag and bivvys.
- Tools for navigation such as a working compass, multi-tool, pens, knives. Maps of the nearby areas if possible.
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Updated date
August 24th, 2023
About the author
Nikki Lyka
Nikki Lyka is a reviewer and writer at Rank-It.ca that’s written about a variety of subjects from the best fantasy novels to travel guides and blogs. When she isn’t researching and typing up a storm, she’s generally found winding down with tea, video games, practicing aerial hoop, photography, and reading good horror novels.
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