Sequoia Survival Company: My Reviews of the Emergency Kits

According to this family owned business, three quarters of US homes are not prepared for emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, or any other natural disaster. With an eye for quality, this company has created several choices in family disaster preparedness kits. Here is my take on the 2-person kit below and the vehicle kit.

The website for this company is attractive, easy to navigate, and clearly offers their products complete with pictures. None of the images are so small that you need a magnifying glass to see them and product information is clear and concise. Checkout is a breeze.

What I like most about this company is their focus on just a few items. If you are like me, nothing is more annoying than trying to search a mega-mall style internet site that offers too many products. Sequoia Survival Company does only one thing and they do it well.

Another highly desirable aspect of this website is the addition of a discussion forum for families caught in an emergency situation. While the forum is basically unused as of now, the availability is there. Topics for discussion include survival tips, finding and offering shelters, and a family member locater. Families will know exactly where to go in the event of an emergency.

The large red box arrived on my doorstep neatly packed and secure. The two person kit comes in a large red plastic case with a strap for security and carrying. The color of the box clearly indicates it is a survival kit meant to be easily accessible in an emergency.

One of the reasons I like this kit is the Owner’s Manual included within the box. After any sort of natural disaster, even with advanced preparation, it would be easy to forget some of the little things you might need to do. For instance, one suggestion in the manual gives advice on shutting off your home utilities. This is a smart addition to the kit.

Other instructions in the box include recommendations for drinking water and how to store water for long-term storage (Something not everyone knows how to do). Basic first aid instructions and info on creating family disaster plans are available both inside the kit and on the company website. And, as if that were not enough, sections on How to tie knots and How to signal using Morse code make for great references.

The company also makes suggestions for special needs including babies, pets, and the disabled. Although the kit has a location to record phone numbers of individuals to contact in an emergency, it is not in the most convenient location in the booklet. I would suggest families add their own copies of emergency phone numbers on durable paper (perhaps laminated if the numbers do not change frequently) and make several copies of the phone numbers for family members to have in case there is a necessary separation.

Go to the image of the full kit contents.

Upon opening the kit, the contents were firmly packed inside. I did find that the contents were almost too packed and were not easy to get back into the box. I tried three times to re-pack the box. This may prove difficult for owners since the first object is to open and investigate the contents. Plus, with the need to add your own materials such as cash, medicines or baby supplies, it would be a tough task.

The number and quality of materials in the kit is outstanding. With other cheaper kits, I find one expensive high-quality item followed by a series of shoddy items. For example, I have seen some kits contain a high quality first-aid kit, followed by a cheap plastic flashlight. But Sequoia Survival does not sacrifice quality.

Some of the additions to this kit I find especially thoughtful are as follows:

1. A water and gas line shutoff wrench
   (Most people would forget this piece.)
2. Toilet disposal bags
   (These can serve multiple functions if necessary.)
3. Playing cards
   (Getting your mind off of your situation may help relieve stress and anxiety especially if you are waiting for emergency services workers.)

Several other additions would be great for this kit. Although I do not recommend the manufacturer to include these items, as a personal preferences you may want to consider adding plastic baggies, garbage bags, extra clothing, insurance information and more.

Let's talk for a minute about overall convenience and quality. The kit is firmly packed, durable, and easily recognizable. The box would withstand damages due to the reinforced plastic structure and the contents would not spill out due to the security/carry strap wrapped around it. The color of the box is red and indicates the purpose of the contents inside. Other emergency kits are more generalized containing cheaper, low-quality ingredients. And although the price of this kit at first appears large, the truth is you will not find a more sturdy, easy, or thorough kit available on the market.

With some minor tweaks to a few minor issues, I find it to be one of the best overall emergency kits I have found. Go on to read the review of the vehicle emergency kit.