{"id":543,"date":"2019-10-08T10:58:31","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T10:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/?p=543"},"modified":"2019-10-08T10:58:31","modified_gmt":"2019-10-08T10:58:31","slug":"8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"pack\"<\/p>\n

Earthquakes. Fires. Tsunamis. Hurricanes. Most of us don\u2019t think about these things as we\u2019re packing, but when we visit destinations<\/a> vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency.<\/p>\n

I live about 10 blocks from one of California\u2019s major faults, so disaster preparedness is a small but important part of my family\u2019s daily life. Until recently, however, I hadn\u2019t much thought about how to translate the lessons I\u2019ve learned from my local emergency-response community to the realm of travel. But then I realized that many of the most important items to have in the event of a major disaster are not only small and portable, but they have plenty of travel uses as well.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our shortlist of packable things that could save your life while on the road.<\/p>\n

Whistle<\/h2>\n

This is something that many people in earthquake-prone regions already have on their keychain. A\u00a0whistle\u00a0(opt for a\u00a0\u201cpealess\u201d whistle, one that does not contain a cork pea, for maximum durability) can help rescuers find you if you\u2019re trapped in a building or under rubble after a disaster. The high-pitched sound can be easier to detect than the human voice, and it can be indispensable when dehydration or crushing has impaired your ability to yell.<\/p>\n

Flashlight<\/h2>\n

In a disaster, electricity is often the first thing to go. And if you\u2019re in a building or on the subway, you may need a light source to help you find your way out. (While you could use your phone for this purpose, you\u2019ll likely want to preserve its battery for other uses during an emergency.) Choose from the many small, keychain-sized\u00a0LED flashlights\u00a0with long battery lives and bright lights that are on the market.<\/p>\n

First-Aid Kit<\/h2>\n

Staying as healthy as possible is key in the aftermath of a disaster, and that means effectively tending to minor injuries.\u00a0First-aid kit\u00a0basics such as individually wrapped\u00a0alcohol pads, small packets of\u00a0antibiotic ointment, and a selection of\u00a0bandages\u00a0can help you keep minor abrasions from becoming infected. Plus, they take up virtually no room in a bag.<\/p>\n

Rescue Blanket<\/h2>\n

Staying warm can be a challenge if you find yourself exposed to the elements for an extended period. Even if you\u2019re inside when disaster strikes, heating systems may not work. A mylar\u00a0rescue blanket\u00a0is an incredibly light, stowable, and efficient way to stay warm with just your own body heat.<\/p>\n

Dust Mask<\/h2>\n

Dust from debris can cause short-term breathing problems and long-term health issues. While a simple\u00a0dust mask\u00a0won\u2019t filter out everything, it will provide coverage against larger airborne particles, and that can be just what you need to get to safety. Since basic dust masks are small and nest together, you can carry a few to distribute to companions.<\/p>\n

Back-up Charger<\/h2>\n

Charging your phone requires both electricity and access to an outlet\u2014two conditions that can be hard to meet after a major disaster. Travel with a small\u00a0battery-\u00a0or\u00a0solar-powered charger\u00a0to prolong the life of your cell phone in an emergency. Even if phone and Wi-Fi systems are down, this will allow you to use your phone as a flashlight, for documentation, and to access apps designed to be helpful in emergencies.<\/p>\n

Water<\/h2>\n

Clean water is one of the most important things you can have with you after a disaster. To be prepared, buy a reusable\u00a0water bottle\u00a0and fill it every morning. To increase the chance you\u2019ll actually carry it with you, choose a smaller size (for instance,\u00a0Simple Modern\u2019s 17-ounce bottle) that doesn\u2019t take up much room in a day bag.<\/p>\n

Food<\/h2>\n

After a disaster, food is often in short supply. Keep a spare\u00a0high-protein snack\u00a0in the bottom of your bag and you\u2019ll be able to maintain energy longer.\u00a0Nuts\u00a0and\u00a0health bars\u00a0are easy, non-perishable options to have on hand while you travel.<\/p>\n

More Ways to Stay Safe<\/h2>\n

A large part of surviving a disaster is preparing in advance. Here are two more small steps you can take to keep yourself and your loved ones safe in the event of an emergency.<\/p>\n

Know Possible Destination Risks<\/strong>: There\u2019s no predicting every risk in a destination, but it\u2019s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the potential vulnerabilities of a place before you arrive. FEMA has a free app (iOS<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Android<\/a>) with tips on how to prepare for and deal with disasters, including earthquakes, severe weather, terrorism, volcanoes, and wildfires.<\/p>\n

Keep Your Shoes by the Bed<\/strong>: If disaster strikes while you\u2019re in bed, you want to have a pair of shoes close by to protect your feet from broken glass or other sharp objects that may have fallen on the floor. Before you go to sleep, place a pair of shoes (and socks) within arm\u2019s reach of the bed. In earthquake-prone areas, some experts suggest tying the laces of your shoes together and securing them to a heavy piece of furniture so they\u2019re less likely to slide away in the event of sharp movement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earthquakes. Fires. Tsunamis. Hurricanes. Most of us don\u2019t think about these things as we\u2019re packing, but when we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. I live about 10 blocks from one of California\u2019s major faults, so disaster preparedness is a small but important part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tips"],"yoast_head":"\n8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life) - VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. Pack these things that could save your life.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life) - VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. Pack these things that could save your life.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-10-08T10:58:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/water-bottle.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"870\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"580\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life)\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-08T10:58:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":863,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/water-bottle.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/\",\"name\":\"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life) - VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/water-bottle.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-10-08T10:58:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"When we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. Pack these things that could save your life.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/water-bottle.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/water-bottle.jpg\",\"width\":870,\"height\":580},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere\",\"description\":\"Travel tips and tricks that could help you make your next destination booking easier\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Vookbook\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/vookbook-logo-2-180.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/vookbook-logo-2-180.png\",\"width\":180,\"height\":180,\"caption\":\"Vookbook\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vookbook.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life) - VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere","description":"When we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. Pack these things that could save your life.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life) - VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere","og_description":"When we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. Pack these things that could save your life.","og_url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/","og_site_name":"VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere","article_published_time":"2019-10-08T10:58:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":870,"height":580,"url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/water-bottle.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life)","datePublished":"2019-10-08T10:58:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/"},"wordCount":863,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/water-bottle.jpg","articleSection":["Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/","url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/","name":"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life) - VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/water-bottle.jpg","datePublished":"2019-10-08T10:58:31+00:00","description":"When we visit destinations vulnerable to certain types of disasters, we take on the real risk of an emergency. Pack these things that could save your life.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/water-bottle.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/water-bottle.jpg","width":870,"height":580},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/8-packable-things-that-could-save-your-trip-and-your-life\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"8 Packable Things That Could Save Your Trip (and your Life)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/","name":"VookBook Blog | Travel everywhere","description":"Travel tips and tricks that could help you make your next destination booking easier","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Vookbook","url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/vookbook-logo-2-180.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/vookbook-logo-2-180.png","width":180,"height":180,"caption":"Vookbook"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"","url":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/author\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vookbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}