Family EDC/PSK Gear Checklist
Applicable household size: 1-3 family members
Intended duration of use: noted item by item where relevant
Items to keep in a single bag that can be grabbed at any time:
- One 45L backpack kept ready year-round; in the bedroom there is also a fully loaded 25L hiking pack.
- Identification documents, ID card, passport, and so on. Important household papers such as the property deed are usually stored together so they can be picked up quickly if necessary, though preserving life always comes first.
- A certain amount of cash, including some coins usable for coin phones and vending machines, plus bankbooks and tickets/cards. I keep one bank card and several hundred yuan in a Dolfin waterproof case every day.
- Emergency phone charger. I have two power banks with different ports for all handheld devices, one carried daily and one in the emergency bag, charged once a week. I am obsessive about this.
- Family photos, for contact in case of separation. I keep one family photo in my wallet.
- Contact notebook, with important phone numbers copied down in case the phone runs out of power or fails. A backup phone is essential. A Nokia 1100 is especially valuable and also has a flashlight function.
- Paper and oil-based marker, for leaving notes and keeping records.
- Flashlights, one ordinary and one hand-crank, plus batteries. I keep several light sources and recommend a daily-carry flashlight using AA batteries, a squeeze-charge flashlight, and an outdoor camping lamp.
- Radio, for receiving outside information, plus batteries. Mine is a Tecsun full-band model with hand-crank charging.
- Tissues, wet wipes, sanitary pads, which can also be useful for stopping bleeding.
- Aluminum foil, 1.5 x 2 meters, for heat insulation, warmth, and waterproofing. A large plastic sheet can serve as well.
- Several plastic bags, for handling garbage and waste, and for windproofing and waterproofing. I keep a small roll of food-storage bags.
- Whistle, for survival use. I recommend an aluminum-alloy emergency whistle as part of the everyday keychain, and outdoor packs usually have whistles too.
- Swiss Army knife. In addition to a genuine Swiss Army knife, counterfeits are a disaster when things matter, we also need a straight-blade knife and a multitool pliers set just in case.
- Road atlas.
- A few energy bars and one bottle of water. I use a 3L hydration bladder. At home it is a good habit to make sure kettles and dispensers always have backup water ready. This comes from being used to water outages.
- Special items for particular family members. For example, my bag also contains diapers and an unopened can of stage-two baby formula. Prepare according to the needs of the specific household.
- Home medical kit. The main point is to ensure sterile gauze, alcohol, common medicines, and adhesive bandages are available.
Stored food: