You cannot control what is going to happen. You cannot control the weather and you cannot control society, but you can control how prepared you and your family are to handle dire situations like natural disasters, flu pandemics, civil unrest, and just about any other serious situation.

Let me first dispel the idea that having everything on this checklist will mean you are prepared. It is a step forward but without a plan, without survival skills, having these items will only get you so far. Brush up on your outdoors skills like making fires, cooking primitively on an open fire, tying knots, basic "roughing it" things.

Without basic skills I would bet a million dollars that a man with two sticks, a knife, and survival skills could out last you. There is a plethora of survival information out there for free so I would suggest taking advantage of it. www.Ready.gov has some good information and I have some Hubs that include information on some of the essential survival skills.

Below is a fairly comprehensive checklist of things you may need to survive various situations comfortably. I hope it serves you well, and don't forget that while this list may fit many families well, every family has their own special needs and circumstances so be sure to think of those when preparing. But do not forget that the most important things are skills, and plans. Without those this list is just a list.

And remember Multi Use Items are the best way to invest your space!

 Survival Check List

Food:

• Stockpile Dehydrated, freeze dried, canned, other nonperishable
• Means of getting your own food (Hunting, Fishing, Crabbing, Trapping, Growing)
• Gun, or other hunting utility
• Bullets, lots of them. (In tough times bullets become quite scarce.)
• Snares (for trapping food)
• Seeds (for growing food)
• Fishing pole and adequate tackle
• A Means for cooking (Fire, Charcoal BBQ, Camp Stove.)

Water:

• 1 Gallon per person per day (3 day minimum suggested by www.Ready.gov)
• Ability to filter dirty water (filtration and purification are different. Filtering may not necessarily eliminate bacteria and other contaminants.)
• Ability to purify dirty water (Boiling, Bleaching [2 drops per quart, or 8 per gallon and wait 30 minutes.], etc.)
• Ability to obtain water (Rainfall, lake, river, ocean, humidity collection)
  Jugs, Coolers, etc to hold water

Clothing:

• Clothing for proper weather conditions (Including all that MAY occur. NEVER assume what the weather will be, anticipate what it COULD be.)
• Proper footwear (Often forgotten about. Must be comfortable, and durable. Anticipate walking a lot.)
• Hats (These are good because they will protect you from sun, shield you partially from rain, help maintain body temperature, and can be used for various things like holding water.)
• Gloves (Similar to hats, they will protect you and can be used as extra pockets as well.)
• Underwear and socks (Pants and shirts you can wear for a week, but socks and underwear should be changed frequently.)

Shelter: (Varies widely with situation.)

• Stay at home (objectively assess your homes ability to protect you. It may be hard to accept, but sometimes your home isn't the safest place.)
• Tent
• Sleeping Bags
• Arrangements with Family or Friends
• Hotel/Motel
• RV

Medical:

• First Aid Kit (Band-Aids, Cotton Swabs, Rubber Gloves, Antiseptic, etc.)
• Birth Control
• Prescription drugs
• Other Medicine (Tylenol, Advil, Pepto Bismol, Rash/Itch Cream.)
• Crutches, Slings, Wheel Chairs, etc.
• First Aid Book

Hygiene:

• Soap
• Hand Sanitizer (To help ration water.)
• Toothbrushes, Toothpaste
• Floss
• Manicure Set
• Toilet Tissue
• Feminine Sanitary Products
• Garbage Bags to properly contain garbage and various other unpleasant items.
• Adult Pregnancy Prevention Measures (tried to word that as child friendly as possible.)

Protective Equipment:

•  Gun, Bow and arrows, cross bow (for those against guns. This can serve as protection and for hunting.)
•  Bullets, arrows, whatever ammo for whatever tool. (These disappear from shelves during downturns.)
•  Window fortifications (Plywood, hurricane shutters, Security Film, etc.)
•  Discreet safe (Nothing screams open me like a safe, but a discreet one may be a good investment. Like a wall or floor safe.)
•  Gas Masks
•  Bullet proof vests
•  Mace (This is especially good in the wild to protect against animals without hurting or killing them.)
•  Taser (Less lethal than a gun but okay protection if you know how to use it. Don't buy one unless you intend on learning how to handle it because nothing could be worse than your adversary taking it from you to use on you.)

Electronics:

• Emergency Crank Radio (Read my review on the Eton FR300 Crank Radio!)
• Crank LED Flashlights (LED because they are energy efficient and last very long.)
• Crank Lamp
• Batteries (Just in case)
• Solar battery chargers are nice
• Solar Cell phone charger

Entertainment:

• Books, Magazines
• Puzzles, Puzzle Books (Crosswords, Word Searches, Sudoku.)
• Crank Radio (This will also be under Electronics, but it fit here as well.)
• Board Games
• Pens, Pencils, Pencil Sharpener, Crayons, Colored Pencils
• Minor portable exercise equipment

Miscellaneous:

• The Right Knife
• Bug Repellent
• Scissors
• Sewing Kit
• Candles
• Lighters
• Batteries
• Matches
• Blankets
• Heater (Propane is good when electricity isn't available.)

I also highly suggest preparing a car survival kit in the event that you are out and may need something.

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