Independence is important in a world that is fighting hard to support it. There are just a few things that women may need to help get them through in the same world that is dangerous and sometimes out of reach. This is not to say that men do not need the same things (at least some of them) because they do! However, they are most certainly things that every woman needs if she wants to be able to take care of herself in emergency situations.
15 Cell Phone
Yes, almost every woman already has one. But did you know that any cell phone, even if it is not connected to a plan, can call 911? That's right. Your old cell phone could be a lifeline in an emergency situation. Charge up your old phone, turn it off, and store it in your car. This way, even if your regular phone is dead or you have forgotten it at home you are still able to call out for help.
14 Tire Iron / Jack
Blowing a tire on the highway is a huge bummer, but it can actually be more dangerous than you'd like to think. Many people that would pull over to help you are wonderful and extremely safe. However, there may be that one person that has other things in mind for a woman deserted on a highway at night.
A tire iron and jack will allow you to change your own tire in an emergency situation. Strength may be a factor but it is certainly worth a try for your safety.
Bonus: Get an AMA/CAA, or the like, membership. Even one tow will pay it off.
13 The Usual (hammer, screwdriver, wrench, pliers)
The good old tool kit. You never know what little odd jobs will need to be done around your house, some cosmetic and some that can cost a lot of money down the road. Tighten a screw in your chair, hammer in a nail holding up an expensive painting, etc. You will never truly know how handy a tool kit is until you don't have one. So spare yourself the agony of not being prepared and head out to any hardware store for a cheap handy kit.
12 Candles/Matches
When the lights go out don't be left in the dark. Candles with matches (and also a lighter) are important to have on hand for a number of reasons. They are great light sources, heat sources, and have the added bonus of making everything a little less scary (and possibly nicer smelling!) Keep a candle/match/lighter kit in your home and your car. Add a tin can with holes to the car pack to create a little heater.
11 Baseball Bat
Safety first! Keep a baseball bat next to your front door or under your bed for that little extra feeling of security. This is not necessarily even to take down an intruder. What happens if there is a fire and you cant get the window open? A baseball bat could break through the glass and help you clear the edges before climbing out to safety unscathed.
10 $200 Cash
Mattress money. This can be saved for any emergency you need - most often fleeing. Gas money, cab money, groceries to go, 2 nights in a motel. $200 is enough to get you on your way or get you the last leg home. The more you can spare the better. Split some up into your car and some stashed at home in a safe place. It is always a good idea to have cold hard cash available in case the cards stop working or you need to get away and not be tracked.
9 Plunger /Drain Snake
Plumbers will charge you a hefty sum just to come out and unclog a drain. The visit alone will cost. Having a few 'unclogging' utilities of your own will allow you to exhaust the options on your own before having to pay someone else to do it. Many things can be done in moments if you have the right tools - which can be handy if a flood is impending. Remember to turn off the water as soon as possible to avoid a bigger mess.
8 Step Stool
Some cupboards were just not meant to be reached by regular sized people. A step stool in or near your kitchen will allow you to utilize all of the space in your house. This is not necessarily an emergency situation but is certainly something that can help you when you are in a pickle and alone at home. Also great for dusting book shelves, hanging curtains, and a variety of other 'high' tasks around your house
7 Fire Extinguisher
Not that you are a bad cook or anything... but everyone makes mistakes - like leaving an oven mitt on the back burner and turning on the wrong one = burnt fabric and cold tea. When flames erupt on the stove, a candle in the living room, or from your fire place, a fire extinguisher may be the difference between losing all of your belongings and limiting the damage to a few square feet.
Bonus: A fire-proof, waterproof safe is also a great thing to consider for your home to protect important documents and cash.
6 First Aid Kit
Save yourself a trip to the emergency room and have a few items on hand for the small things. And the kit should not just be limited to bandaids. What should be in a first aid kit?
- Emergency telephone numbers for EMS/9-1-1, your local poison control centre, and your personal doctors
- Sterile gauze pads (dressings) in small and large squares to place over wounds
- Adhesive tape
- Roller and triangular bandages to hold dressings in place or to make an arm sling
- Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- Instant ice packs
- Disposable non-latex gloves, such as surgical or examination gloves
- Flashlight, with extra batteries in a separate bag
- Antiseptic wipes or soap
- Pencil and pad
- Emergency blanket
- Eye patches
- Thermometer
- Barrier devices, such as a pocket mask or face shield
- Coins for pay phone
5 Feminine Hygiene Kit
When the crimson tide comes knocking you don't want to get caught unprepared. Always keep a few spare pads/tampons in each purse you own, that is a given. But also pack up a kit with a variety of feminine hygiene products - enough to get you through one whole cycle. Keep this in your sock drawer so you do not use them unnecessarily. Fill it with thin panty liners, thicker night pads, tampons, and even a diva cup if you are comfortable with them. It is also nice to be able to offer your friends what they need when they, too, get caught off guard.
4 Metal Clothes Hanger
Hidden nicely in your closet, the metal clothes hanger could be your most useful tool. Untwisting it will open itself up to countless emergency uses such as a hook, a needle, a mini stove stand, an antenna for a radio, a safety pin, old car door unlocker, old doorknob unlocker, drain snake (if you haven't already gotten one from the previous items), and a bbq stick, to name a few.
3 Sewing Kit
Clothes, bedding, tents, couch fabric. Having the ability and means to sew can save an item from further damage, open possibilities for up-cycling, and extend the lifespan of things you can't quite afford to replace yet. Sewing a tarp could keep you dry on a rainy camp trip, sewing the fabric on your couch cushions is both hygienic and could save you from injury of springs poking through. Not to mention patching up old jeans.
2 Crazy Glue
Crazy glue can fix all of your small mistakes. Break glass? Drop a clay pot? Crack the trunk of the elephant figurine your mom got you for Christmas the day before she comes for a visit? Crazy glue is sort of like a time turner with only a barely noticeable hairline fracture to give away your secret. It can fix your favourite mug or the handle of your plunger. Really, crazy glue is a great little helper to keep in your junk drawer for when life gets in the way of perfection.
1 Duct Tape
Seriously. Duct tape is the fixer of all things, the emergency tool for every genre, the back-up for crazy glue, the go-to for every handy man and handy woman in the world. When nothing else seems to fix the problem, duct tape will. A rip in a tarp, a broken table leg, a rude boyfriend - the possibilities are endless and with this by your side you will be prepared for everything. It also comes in a variety of colours and patterns to suit your project.
Sources:redcross.ca, survivallife.com
