Plan First

FEMA has put together a nice website called, "Ready America," to help the ordinary citizen (and businesses) be better prepared for a disaster. This site has a lot of good information that's well thought out and easy to follow. One flaw I find with the site, though, is the fact that in the three basic steps of becoming prepared, "Make a Plan" is second, after "Get A Kit."

Don't get me wrong, having a well-stocked kit is important. And myself being a gear junkie, I'll confess to sometimes making this priority numero uno, whether it's a good idea or not. But a kit without a plan is just a bunch of stuff gathered in one place. And it's only during the planning that you realize just what you're going to need for your specific situation.