Be Prepared
While you hope you never have to use one – this is not a bad idea. (Taken from fivegallonbucketideas.ca)
With regular large scale disasters already common in North America, it’s a good time to talk a bit about disaster preparation and how a 5 gallon bucket can help provide some good physical insurance against a catastrophic situation.
Image Credit: SafetyKitStore.com
A well designed emergency kit will contain the best bits of modern technology and heathcare needs packaged neatly in a five gallon bucket.
Organizing the 5 Gallon Emergency Kit
AE has divided his emergency kit into a few broad categories to keep his supplies organized and well rounded:
- General Supplies
- Hygiene Supplies
- First Aid Kit
Every item is listed in detail in a printed contents document. On the back is a list of important phone numbers such as relatives, insurance companies, local law enforcement, fire department, etc. 
Did you catch the line second from the top? It’s the most important detail on the loadout document – the date. This helps you remember when the bucket was put together so you can keep track of all your expiration dates. A good emergency kit can easily last 5 years or more, but not everything inside will be good for that long and may need to be replaced periodically. For example, an EpiPen – they only last about 20 months from the day they are made. Replacing an expired EpiPen could be a life or death matter!
General Supplies
- glow sticks (12 hrs)
- flashlight
- liquid candle
- matchbooks
- mylar thermal blankets (link)
- hand warmers (link)
- AM/FM radio
- whistle and lanyard
- sewing kit
- blank notebook
- pencils
- extra batteries (for flashlight and radio)
- zip ties
- P-38 can opener
- trash bags
- N95 dust masks
- duct tape
- small tarp
- paracord (link)
- safety goggles
- split leather gloves
Hygiene Supplies
Hygiene supplies are packaged inside their own separate bag. These basic supplies should look familiar – it’s similar to a toiletries bag you might take on vacation. 
- bar soap
- kleenex
- floss
- baby shampoo
- hand lotion
- sunscreen
- toothpaste
- toothbrushes
- feminine hygiene pads
- comb
- toilet paper
- washcloths
First Aid Kit
The first aid box is packaged with a list of contents taped to the inside of the lid. Moist towelettes and antiseptic towelettes and latex gloves kept on top so you can clean your hands before digging through supplies. 
- basic first-aid guide
- moist towelettes
- antiseptic towelettes
- latex gloves
- acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- ibuprofen (Advil)
- aspirin
- diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
- loperamide (Imodium A-D)
- burn cream
- sting relief towelettes
- hydrocortisone cream
- triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin)
- cough drops
- earplugs
- instant ice pack
- tweezers
- nail clippers
- scissors
- digital thermometer
- cotton balls
- waterproof adhesive tape
- gauze rolls
- gauze pads
- moleskin
- band-aids
- butterfly bandages
- ace bandage
- triangular bandage
- hand sanitizer
- Q-tips
- petroleum jelly
- RAD sticker (personal radiation dosimeter) (link)
- potassium iodide (radiation emergency thyroid blocker) (link)
Additional Items Suggested by You
These pieces of kit weren’t included in the example bucket build above but are listed here by popular demand. (links will open in a new browser tab)
- Lifestraw ultracompact Water Filter (link)
- 24-inch Pocket Chainsaw (link)
- 3600 calorie ration bars with 5 year shelf life (link)
- 4-in-1 Emergency Gas & Water Shutoff Tool (link)
- 12,000 Strike Firestarter and whistle (link)
- Hand-crank Flashlight (link)
- Everstryke Match (15000 uses) (get one free)
- Foldable Drybags (link)
- Foldable credit card knife (get one free)