Notice
Copyright 2005-2015
Ken Young (http://www.DinoDudes.com).
All
rights reserved.
This document may be
freely
redistributed for educational purposes at no charge in unaltered form.
This information is
for educational
purposes only. There is no guarantee of any kind that it is accurate,
or that no harm will come to anyone who uses it.
This information is
provided on an
"as is" basis with absolutely no warranty or guarantee. The information
is not necessarily correct, complete, or suitable for any particular
use. The entire risk is with you. Should harm arise from using this
information, you assume responsibility for all damages and injuries. In
no event shall the copyright holder, or any other party, be liable for
compensation or damages arising from the use, misuse, failure to use,
or inability to use this information.
A zip kit is a little kit that
ensures you can see, breathe, and walk long enough to get where you
need to go in an emergency. It ensures you can communicate once you get
there.
The kit must be as small,
light, and
cheap as possible. It should not have anything that can leak or go bad.
Do not put in anything made from soft rubber (like a rubber band); It
may eat a hole in the goggles or zip-lock.
The key to zip kits is always
having
one with you. Each car gets a family zip kit with enough stuff for
everyone. Whoever goes places without a car should have a personal zip
kit in their backpack, locker, bike-bag, or whatever.
Zip kits get used as a source of bandaids, shoelaces, and pencils most
often. But the other stuff in it is priceless when you really need it.
Sometimes space or cost is an
issue,
so stow a mini zip kit. Leave out the dimes, walking shoes &
goggles. It will not have everything you need, but something is better
than nothing.
Zip kits fit in goggle cases,
lunch
boxes, tool boxes, and food storage containers. Use anything durable
that wont pop
open. Mini zip kits fit into a sandwich zip-lock.
Mini zip kits
Zip-lock
bag: The rest of the stuff fits in a resealable bag. It protects
and keeps the little stuff together.
Desiccant:
Take the tiny desiccant pouch from a shipping container and put it in
the zip-lock. Use a fresh one.
2
Respirators: A dust mask with two strings is called a
respirator. Two per person is best and get the type that fold flat.
Leather
bootlaces: Shoelaces always pick the worst time to break, and
leather bootlaces serve as string or rope.
6
first aid wipes: First aid wipes in tiny individual pouches
treat cuts & scrapes. They clean & sterilize your hands &
face so you can eat & drink. They clean goggles. Have six per
person.
Band-aids
for blisters and scrapes.
Safety pins: 2 large and
4 small. In case of wardrobe malfunction.
Paper clips: 2 large and
4 small. You can use them for many things.
Cash:
Money to fill a gas tank is probably the right amount, even if you
don't drive. Put the money in an opaque envelope and don't let anyone
know its there. This is not appropriate for a child's zip kit.
Notepaper:
The ability to write things down and leave notes is critical. Post-its
are good because they are the right size and have glue on the back.
Pencil
stub: If the pencil is too long it will be broken when you need
it. Three or four inches long is about right.
Pocketknife:
A small folding pocketknife can open the roll of dimes, sharpen the
pencil, cut the leather bootlaces, and open things. Make sure it won't
rub against and scratch the goggles.
Photographs:
Have a recent family photograph. It helps when you can show a picture
of who you are looking for.
Phone
numbers: Have every family and close friend's number written
down, including those out of the area.
Insurance:
Have the phone numbers and policy numbers written down.
Prescriptions:
Have a copy of all your prescriptions. Photo-reducing makes them
smaller.
Make sure eyeglass prescriptions have the pupilary distance. The
pharmacy can give you a printout describing all medications used in the
family.
Add these for full sized
zip
kits
Goggles:
Get the kind that seal against your face to keep out dust, smoke, and
windborne particles. An anti-fog coating is worth the money, and so is
the coating that darkens in bright sunlight. This is a physically large
item that costs $5 to $10.
Disposable rain poncho:
This is a mid-sized lightweight item.
Walking
shoes for women who wear heels: Stow a pair that is old or
cheap. This is a physically large item, and costs $10 to $20 to buy if
you do not have old ones.
Roll
of dimes: Pay phones get priority in emergencies. A roll of
coins will not jingle. This item costs $5 and doubles the weight of the
kit.
Contamination warning: Use both the
mask and goggles to protect from dust, smoke, germs, chemicals, and
radiation. Shower ASAP.