Get advice on your emergency backpack
To get advice on the emergency backpack I had put together, I spoke with Takefumi Miyake, Tomoya Ishida, and Kasumi Shiraga from the Community Disaster Prevention Promotion Division, Disaster Prevention and Crisis Management Office, Kurashiki City.
How can you make your emergency backpack lighter?
First, I asked the three of them to check the contents of my emergency backpack.
When I asked, “I don’t know what I should take out,” they pointed out three items that seemed safe to remove.
- One 2-liter bottle of drinking water (remove one 2-liter plastic bottle)
- Compact radio
- Emergency water bag
The water I considered most important is heavy and there’s a limit to how much you can carry, so they said it was okay to reduce the amount.
Of course, it’s better to have water than not, but they told me that an emergency backpack should be packed with ease of evacuation and lightness in mind.
I also thought a compact radio was very important, but nowadays, you can gather information on a smartphone, so there’s no need to force one into your pack. It may be better to make sure you have a phone charger and battery instead.
Also, a plastic bottle can be used instead of an emergency water bag. Rather than putting one in your emergency backpack, they recommended keeping one at home as part of your emergency supplies.
Combining items that can be substituted for one another into a single item whenever possible helps reduce the weight of your belongings.
Recommended items to pack
Next, I asked about recommended items. They suggested the following three:
- Portable toilet
- Baby wipes
- Plastic wrap
I had prepared one use of a portable toilet, but they recommended packing a few more. During power or water outages, toilets at evacuation shelters may also be unusable. Emergency toilets will eventually be set up, but it’s reassuring to have one ready just in case.
Baby wipes are gentle on the skin and can be used by people of any age. In summer, you might want to bring cooling wipes, but they recommended wipes that can be used on the whole body throughout the year.
Plastic wrap is useful in many situations.
It can be wrapped around the body for warmth, used to stop bleeding when injured, or placed on a plate to save water—it’s a versatile emergency-preparedness item. They also told me that it’s handy to have one roll because it can be substituted for other items.
Things to keep in mind when putting together an emergency backpack
They also shared some tips for putting together an emergency backpack.
- Pack one long-sleeved shirt, even in summer
- Keep a whistle and raincoat somewhere easy to reach
- For a portable battery, it’s reassuring to prepare a reliable one specifically for emergencies, rather than one you use every day
- To keep the contents dry, put them in a Ziploc bag or similar for waterproofing
- Annual maintenance is recommended
- Each family member should have their own emergency backpack
These are all useful tips regardless of age or gender.
They also strongly recommended that after putting together an emergency backpack, you actually put it on and walk to an evacuation shelter. Try it out in advance to see whether your backpack makes it easy to evacuate.
Pack only the essentials in your emergency backpack
The staff from the Community Disaster Prevention Promotion Division said, “The important thing when putting together an emergency backpack is to prioritize.”
I had been packing too many things in my emergency backpack in pursuit of comfort at the evacuation shelter, which made it heavier and harder to evacuate with.
In a disaster, evacuating to protect your life is the top priority. To put together an emergency backpack that makes evacuation easier, it’s important to prioritize and adjust the weight to what you can carry.
One tip for prioritizing is to first pack the bare minimum of things you need to consume. It’s recommended to prepare enough for the number of days you may need items that can’t be replaced, such as regular medication, baby food, and food for people with allergies.
When putting together emergency backpacks for a family, the father could carry heavy items such as water, and the mother could carry the rest. For a small child’s backpack, you might pack items such as picture books, games, and stuffed animals to help them feel calm at the shelter, distributing the weight according to their strength. However, there is also a risk if you are unable to evacuate together.
Putting together an emergency backpack gave me peace of mind for when the time comes. At the same time, it raised more questions about what to do in a disaster, so I asked some more.
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