Now I'm not a doomsdayer by any means but I will say that having a storage tote with emergency stash items is a brilliant and also extremely responsible idea. You never know what kind of emergency situation will be thrust upon you at a moments notice. Depending upon where you live it could be a hurricane, a flood, city-wide power outage, winter weather or maybe even a zombie apocalypse. Those of you who live in central North Carolina know we all just survived the first big snow storm of 2017. I kid, I kid. It called for up to 12 inches in our area and we got less than an inch. But we did get quite a bit of ice which shut down a lot of businesses and school for a few days. Anyone in the Raleigh area can attest to the fact that when it calls for snow, we're over here like, "let the freak out commence." Bread and milk from grocery stores - GONE. There is a running joke around here about how everyone seems to eat milk sandwiches when winter weather strikes. But let's be real. What in the world is bread and milk going to do for you? What if it had been the 12 inches of snow and you were stuck at home with no electricity and your water was gone because of frozen pipes and all you had was that bread and milk? Trust me when I tell you it's a great idea to start thinking about an emergency stash. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, it just needs to be practical. Not everyone lives at an apartment community, like any one of our Camden's, where some emergency situations are handled and orchestrated by the staff, so it's best to be as prepared as possible. And honestly, even when it is handled by your apartment community you still may have to wait for things like power and water to come back on.

So get out your pen and paper. Here are ten things you need right now for your tote.

1. Non-perishable Food Items

This would be things such as pasta, canned goods and rice items. You need to think of things that don't spoil after a week the way fresh produce, bread and many other things do. Think of things that don't require refrigeration because if you have no electricity for a while, the first things that are going bye-bye are your fridge and freezer items. Be smart about it. Stock up on things that will not only fill you up but will nourish you like brown rice, peanut butter, canned salmon or tuna, nuts and Kodiak mix (only requires water). You want things that have a decent shelf life so if you put them away, they will last a while*. Also, if you have to have milk, use powdered milk. It isn't going to taste like regular milk but it will serve its purpose. 

(*Tip: Check your items every so often to make sure what you have in there has not expired. If it is close to expiration because there has been no need for it (high five!), simply use it to not be wasteful or even donate them and then replenish your stock.)

2. Personal Hygiene Kit

I don't know about you guys, but if I couldn't brush my teeth the world would just stop spinning and invert off its axis. It's that serious. Now that you know that about me, we can move on. This kit should simply include the essentials. Things like a toothbrush and toothpaste, dry shampoo, comb, sunscreen, cleaning cloths, soap, a razor, lady items, etc. 

3. Portable Radio

Electricity is unfortunately one of the first things to go in pretty much any emergency situation. When you don't have electricity you can't watch the news on your TV and after a while your phone will die and you won't have the ability to charge it. But that is OK. Here is your solution. Get yourself a portable radio that operates off of batteries. It's not as entertaining as the phone or TV but it will be able to provide you with information as long as there is a broadcast. 

4. Multi-tool

Ah. The multi-tool. Make sure you get a decent one. You don't need this falling apart on you. They have so many options these days with an abundance of tool selections. A tool for cutting, slicing, screwing, filing, opening. I mean the list goes on and on and the best part is that it is all in one contraption, all in the grip of your hand. It's such a cool little must-have and truly something that will come in handy over and over again. It eliminates the need to get every single one of your tools out.  

5. Batteries

This is almost a no-brainer. If you are counting on not having electricity then a lot of what you need will require these little zinc delights. That is why they are so crucial to have on deck. I'd recommend getting them in different sizes as well, since not everything requires the same size or type. It might also behoove you to get some watch batteries so you can still tell time. Because don't you know, that one watch that you haven't had to change a battery on in years, dies on the second day of your emergency. And I'm sure a lot of us aren't too good at telling time by the sun or a feeling.  

6. Butane Camp Stove

Were you scratching your head when I said pasta and rice at the beginning? If you don't have a gas stove that you can light without electricity or a safe place to make a fire, then you'd be up a creek if you wanted to do anything that required warm or hot water like cooking, bird bathing, sanitizing, etc. Having one of these bad boys should definitely be in your top ten items and they are not even that expensive. Just make sure to get the butane needed to light it or they are useless.

7. Candles & Lighters

Candles serve a few purposes. One they are great for light in the event you don't have electricity, two they can provide some warmth depending upon how big you get them (I'm not saying you can keep your whole body warm off of tea lights, but you sure can warm your hands up every now and again by hovering) and third, you can cook with them to create a sterno-type situation. Not to mention they can really set the mood for a romantic dinner of canned beans and rice. Hey. Lemonade. 

8. Water

In some worst case scenarios, your water supply just may take leave. We all need water to survive and depending upon the conditions, if you are without water for three hours, you're well on your way to death and isn't the whole beautiful point of this to survive? So don't forget the water. I'd recommend jugs over bottled just out of cost consciousness but you can do either or. This is also something you don't necessarily need to put inside the tote per se, but if that is your plan, make sure you get a tote big enough to hold enough water for everyone for up to two weeks in rationed amounts.

9. First Aid Kit

Get a good one. Get one that has the whole kit and caboodle - band aids, burn ointments, gauze, tape, scissors, pain pills, antiseptic wipes, pain relief ointments, tweezers...you get the idea. Also make sure that it is big enough to treat as many people you would need it two...twice. They make first aid kits that can treat a small cut up to a deep wound these days and it's best to get one for the worst case scenario. 

10. Cash

Dolla, dolla bills, y'all. No but seriously. No power = no cards. I am completely guilty of never having cash and even now, with no crisis around me whatsoever, there are times when I have needed cash. In an emergency situation, you may need to purchase something from somewhere or someone and need that cash. This could come in handy way more than you think. And we're not talking like thousands of dollars here, I mean unless you want - you do you, but one to two hundred would be a great place to start. 

BONUS ITEM - Instant coffee

But wait, coffee. Yes. This. So much this. I am throwing this in because I can't function if I don't have coffee. If I'm going to be expected to fight off zombies, someone better not forget the coffee. 

No one wants to be in a situation where breaking into your emergency stash is necessary but the fact remains is that we live in a world where sometimes thing don't go our way and happen completely out of our control without warning. With these items you'll at least have a whopping head start that will take you much further than bread and milk. When filling your tote, keep in mind your day-to-day life as well. Your needs may require extra things that someone else's doesn't - like medical backup items, infant formula & baby food or pet food. So marinate on what you would need, thinking of this list as a guide to the staples, then adding whatever you may need to create your own personal emergency stash.

Comment below to let me know what your bonus item would be in your tote!