Hey everyone. Dustin here, looking forward to my 2nd article for the site. I popped into Forest City Surplus over the weekend to see what my next survival purchase is going to be. I ended up making two purchases: the Coghlan’s Emergency Preparedness Kit, and a survival knife/slingshot that I will be doing an article on after this one.

I’m thinking of inventing a grading system on items I review, in particular, how they apply to the SHWFF survival aspect (SHWFF = Shelter, Health, Fire, Food, Water)

I put up an image gallery for you to look through and listed some details below.

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Coghlan’s Emergency Preparedness Kit

There are many different kinds of emergencies to prepare for: Storms, Winter, Power Outages, emergencies requiring evacuation (bugging-out) and emergencies requiring extended times in survival mode without requiring evacuation (bugging-in).

There are some items that belong in ALL of those emergencies and this kit is easily applicable to all the emergencies. Having said that, This kit is not a complete SHWFF survival package but it is an essential part of it. Let’s check out what the kit has.

1) Plastic container

This might not seem initially important but the plastic container that holds all the items that come with the kit can be used for multiple applications, such as collecting rainwater or holding items.  The lid snaps on and off with ease and the base of the container is clear making it easy to see the contents inside.

2) Two 12-hour lightsticks.

Two green ones came with my kit.  This will increase your visibility to others at night.  Any emergency that you can make short termed by getting assistance or rescued is always good.  Light sticks can increase your odds.

3) Two Ponchos

Staying dry in an emergency is incredibly important and these clear plastic ponchos will help acheive just that.  They are compact and  unfold to 50 inches by 80 inches (approximately 4 feet by 6.5 feet).  They are hooded so even if you were without an umbrella, you’d still be covered.   With proper care, this poncho can be used over and over but bear in mind, the plastic is thin; snagging on a corner or jagged surface could easily tear the plastic.   The best part about this kit is that it comes with two of them.

4)  Two Emergency Blankets

Warmth is crucial in surviving and warmth isn’t always available pending on time of year and your geographical location.   I’m in Canada, and even in the lower parts of Canada bordering the United States can have deadly winters if you are left to the elements unprotected.  These reflective blankets trap your body heat to keep your temperature steady and help you survive longer.

5)  4 packets of Disposable Hand Warmers

Once you activate the hand warmer (by removing it from the packaging and squeezing/shaking the inner pouch a few times), it will take a few minutes to warm up.  It’s best to warm your hands with it while carry it in your pocket or sliding it under a glove to retain the heat longer.  It can last up to 6 hours with the average temperature ranging from 60-68 degrees Celsius (140-155 degree Fahrenheit).   These hand warmers are activated  through a mixture of iron powder, water, salt, activated charcoal, and cellulose.

6) Two  36-hour survival candles

The 36-hour candle  is housed in a two-piece (lid and base) metal container and has three wicks.  When I opened the lid to the candles, to my surprise, each one came with a pack of matches.  Very handy.

7) Two Camp Heat canisters

Whether used for cooking or just getting some heat,  these Camp Heat canisters will make the situation a lot more bearable.   By all means, if you have alternate fuel (such as wood) to use for fire then it might be useful to keep these canisters on standby for very dire situations, but when options are running low, these canisters can be a life-saver.  They are odor-less and produce non-toxic fumes but I didn’t read anywhere saying it is safe to use indoors or in non-ventilated areas so let’s err on the side of caution and NOT light them indoors or confined spaces.  The nice part about the canisters is that they are small and can easily be packed away

8) Bottle of water-purification tablets

If you can find a water source, you won’t have to question it’s safety when you have water purification tablets.  This kit comes with a bottle of 50 tablets.  2 tablets can clear up 1 quart (or liter) of water.  It takes about 30 minutes before the water will be safe to drink, but the knowledge that in those 30 minutes, the germicidal tablets are working their magic in providing you drinkable water

9) Head Lamp

The wide elastic band to this headlamp will secure comfortably around your head.  Foam padding on the back of the lamp (the part that presses against your head) adds to the comfort of wearing the head lamp.  It takes 4 AA batteries (they weren’t included) to power the incandescent bulb.   The headlamp can be vertically tilted to point straight down at a 90 degree angle.

10) 4  emergency candles (8-hours)

There isn’t a long description needed to stress the importance of cnadles as a source of both heat and light.

11) First Aid Kit

The First Aid kit comes in an easy-to-see yellow plastic container.

It’s jam-packed full of band-aids, anti-septic towel-ettes, gauze pads, needle, alcohol prep-pads, wet -naps, and an ammonia inhalant.